Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Oakes, North Dakota

Oakes’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction and alteration inside Oakes city

  • Application is filed with the city auditor and presented to the building official
  • Fee set by council resolution

  “shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit which application shall state:”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Buildings and structures inside Oakes city

  • Adopted by reference with exceptions for sections affecting local conditions (exceptions not listed in the text read)

  “that code is hereby adopted and made a part of this chapter by reference with the exception of the following sections affecting local conditions in the city.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land and structures inside Oakes city limits (and one half mile beyond)

  • Ordinance also applies one half mile outside the city limits

  “the provisions of this ordinance shall apply to all structures and land within the city limits of oakes, north dakota plus one half (½) mile.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Oakes city zoning districts

  • Districts: R-1, R-1A, C, I, U; a CG recreational vehicle park/campground district is also listed in the table of contents

  “r-1 residential districts, single-family, and two-family r-1a residential districts, mobile homes c commercial districts i industrial districts u unplatted”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 residential district, Oakes city

  • Measured from the eaves

  front yard: >= 20 feet · rear yard: >= 20 feet · side yard: >= 5 feet

  “measured from the front property line, a front yard of not less than twenty (20) feet. 2. measured from the rear property line, a rear yard of not less than twenty (20) feet. 3. measured from the side property line, a side yard on each of not less than five (5) feet. 4. in all instances, such measurements shall be made from the eaves.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 residential district, Oakes city

  • No more than three accessory buildings

  inside lot coverage: <= 50 percent · corner lot coverage: <= 60 percent

  “1. no structures shall occupy more than fifty (50) percent of an inside lot nor more than sixty (60) percent of a corner lot. 2. there shall be no more than three (3) accessory buildings.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 residential district, Oakes city (dwellings)

  • Detached accessory buildings have separate limits (one story of 12 feet, max 25 feet)

  dwelling height: <= 35 feet (or 2 1/2 stories)

  “r-1 building height: 1. no single dwelling shall exceed two and one-half (2 ½) stories or 35 feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile/manufactured homes inside Oakes city

  • The district list creates a separate R-1A mobile home district; R-1 use list covers only single and two-family dwelling houses; R-1A standards were not read

  “r-1 residential districts, single-family, and two-family r-1a residential districts, mobile homes c commercial districts i industrial districts u unplatted”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Privies and cesspools inside Oakes city limits

  • Council may otherwise permit

  “construction of privies and cesspools shall be prohibited in the corporate limits of the city of oakes unless otherwise permitted by the oakes city council.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Residential development inside Oakes city limits

  • Where public sewer and water do not serve the area, a private on-site system requires three lots (minimum 1/2 acre)
  • Development concentrated on one lot for future sewer and water extension
  • No explicit distance-based mandatory connection rule was read

  “residential development conducted in areas not served by public sewers and water systems shall require three (3) lots (minimum of ½ acre) as defined in the r and r1 districts if a private on-site sewage disposal system is used.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permit fees inside Oakes city

  • Schedule is not in the ordinance; kept at city auditor's office

  “which fee schedule shall be kept at the city auditor's office and made available for inspection upon reasonable notice.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process inside Oakes city

  • Council receives monthly update on permits issued

  “the city building official is the review and approval authority on behalf of the city council. the city council shall receive an update each month as to new permits issued during the previous thirty (30) day period.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Oakes or Dickey County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Oakes city
• Inspections — Inspection of new construction inside Oakes city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Oakes city
• Minimum dwelling size — R-1 district
• Minimum lot size — R-1 district

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.