Building permits, zoning and land rules in Foster County, North Dakota

Yes, for work governed by the county ordinance. In unincorporated Foster County, a person planning to construct, reconstruct or relocate a regulated building or structure, or alter one, must obtain a permit from the Zoning Commission before work begins¹. Mobile and manufactured homes also need a county permit for placement or relocation¹. The county ordinance incorporates the Uniform Building Code edition adopted by the County Commission, while the ordinance controls if the two conflict¹. North Dakota's current state building-code framework took effect in 2026; a county that elects to administer a building code must adopt and enforce the state code but may amend it for local needs⁹. Ask Planning and Zoning which code edition and local amendments apply to the proposed project⁵.

Foster County Planning and Zoning is the practical first stop for building permits and zoning questions because the board prepares, coordinates and implements the county's development regulations⁵. Call (701) 652-3060, email kevans@nd.gov or visit the Foster County Courthouse at 1000 5th St N, Carrington, ND 58421⁵. The county page links the Foster County building-permit form and fee schedule⁵. Under the county fee schedule effective January 1, 2024, a building permit for work valued under $2,000 carries no fee, $2,001 to $20,000 costs $20, and work over $20,000 costs $25 plus $1 for each additional $1,000, up to a $50 maximum; starting regulated work without a permit adds a $50 fee¹⁰. The ordinance allows the Zoning Commission to inspect completed regulated work and issue a certificate of occupancy after confirming compliance, but it does not establish a universal inspection schedule¹.

Yes, but first identify the governing jurisdiction. Foster County zoning covers unincorporated territory under the County Commissioners' jurisdiction². Property within a city or lawfully regulated township's zoning or subdivision authority remains under that local authority unless it has relinquished authority to the county². In the county agricultural district, non-farm residential lots must be at least 5 acres, and non-farm structures must stand at least 100 feet from the center of a public road and 50 feet from a lot line². In the rural residential district, lots need at least 20,000 square feet with public water or sewer and at least 3 acres without it²; structures there must stand at least 100 feet from a right-of-way and 50 feet from a lot line². In the residential-community district, buildings may cover no more than 40% of a lot¹, and a structure taller than 35 feet in that district or the commercial district needs a conditional-use permit unless it is a metal tower such as a windmill or antenna¹. Ask Planning and Zoning to confirm the parcel's authority, district and dimensional rules⁵.

Start the septic-permit process with the Foster County Health Office at 881 Main Street, Carrington, ND 58421, or call 701-652-3087⁴. A local public-health permit must be secured before work begins, and the installer must also hold a North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality license^3,11. Foster County-specific inspection requirements could not be confirmed, so ask the Health Office what site evaluation, design and inspection stages apply before hiring an installer. Soil conditions deserve early attention: about 46.1% of Foster County soils rate without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, meaning a standard field should not be assumed parcel-wide¹². Off-grid sanitation alternatives also remain unconfirmed; clear the proposed system with the Health Office before designing the home or closing on land⁴.

Foster County's published materials do not confirm a countywide rule for long-term RV living, temporary camping on private land or tiny-home occupancy. Ask Foster County Planning and Zoning how the parcel's zoning district classifies the proposed dwelling before buying or moving anything onsite⁵. Do not use North Dakota's state-park camping limit as a private-land rule; that limit applies to state-park campsites and cabins, not private parcels¹³. A manufactured home is different from an RV or an undefined tiny home: Foster County requires a permit for its placement or relocation¹. A new manufactured home used as a residence must also be installed by a state-licensed installer and inspected by a state-licensed inspector¹⁴.

1. Call Foster County Planning and Zoning at (701) 652-3060 with the parcel location and proposed use, then confirm the zoning district and approvals that apply⁵.
2. Prepare the building application before construction; regulated construction, reconstruction, relocation and alteration require prior county approval¹.
3. Contact the Foster County Health Office at 701-652-3087 to begin the septic-permit process before onsite-system work starts^3,4.
4. If the parcel is in a regulated floodplain, contact Emergency Management at (701) 652-2252 before starting work and obtain the applicable floodplain permit⁸.
5. For a private well using more than 12.5 acre-feet annually, obtain a state water-appropriation permit; qualifying lower-use domestic wells must still be reported⁷.
6. After construction, ask Planning and Zoning whether an inspection and certificate of occupancy will be required for the completed building¹.

First confirm whether Foster County, a township or a city controls zoning and subdivision review for the parcel². Where county rules apply, the Zoning Commission administers subdivision regulations, so discuss a proposed land division before ordering a final plat or treating a larger tract as separate building sites². Dimensional rules vary sharply by district: commercial lots require at least 20,000 square feet with public water and sewer or 1 acre without both services, while industrial lots require at least 25,000 square feet². Commercial structures must be at least 100 feet from a public-road right-of-way and 10 feet from a lot line; industrial structures must be at least 100 feet from a public-road right-of-way and 50 feet from a lot line². Check soils before assuming a conventional septic field will work, because about 46.1% of county soils rate without severe limitations for that use¹². Ask the Health Office about the parcel-specific septic process⁴, and ask Emergency Management about floodplain exposure⁸. The effective property-tax rate is about 1.3%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $2,092¹².