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

Yes. Structures in unincorporated Hettinger County may not be erected, moved, enlarged or structurally altered without a county zoning permit; agricultural land and buildings are excepted, but road setbacks and floodplain rules still apply¹. Applications are available from the Auditor/Treasurer's office². The county ordinance also incorporates the North Dakota State Building Code, whose current updates took effect in 2026¹. The confirmed county permit is a zoning approval tied to the parcel's district, lot, setback and height rules¹. We could not confirm a separate building-code permit, general building inspections or a certificate of occupancy; ask the Auditor/Treasurer what code review applies before ordering plans or starting work.

Start with the Hettinger County Auditor/Treasurer at 701-824-2515, 336 Pacific Ave in Mott; that office provides building permit applications and supports the county Planning and Zoning Commission². Ask first whether the parcel is governed by the county, a city or a township: the Zoning Administrator administers county zoning in the unincorporated planning area, while city and township jurisdiction may change which rules control¹. For a county-governed parcel, ask the Auditor/Treasurer to identify the zoning district on the official map kept in that office and confirm whether the proposal needs a conditional-use permit or variance¹. The County Commission may set zoning, permit and administrative fees by resolution, but the ordinance does not state the amounts¹. Request the current fee schedule and submittal checklist before filing.

Yes. County zoning covers unincorporated Hettinger County and the planning areas of unincorporated communities, but not city limits or established city planning territories; enacted township zoning controls where it conflicts with the county code¹. The published districts are agricultural, residential, commercial and retail, industrial, public and recreation, and floodplain overlay, with the official map kept in the County Auditor's office¹. In the residential district, a single-family lot must have at least 7,500 square feet with sewer or one acre without sewer; a non-farm residence in the agricultural district requires five acres, while an agricultural-use lot requires 40 acres¹. Agricultural District uses also require at least 200 feet of lot width¹. Residential buildings have a 40-foot height limit except church steeples, and district-specific setbacks also apply¹. Agricultural land and buildings receive a county land-use exception, but road setbacks and floodplain regulations still apply¹.

Before onsite wastewater work begins in Hettinger County, the installer must hold a state license and secure a permit from the local public health unit⁴. Southwestern District Health Unit serves Hettinger County; call (701)824-3215 or visit 309 Millionaire Ave. in Mott^4,8. New development under the county regulations must connect to an approved onsite sewage system, and privies, outhouses and cesspools are prohibited¹. Subdivisions must provide sanitary sewer to each lot; an onsite system requires individual review, and a private septic system must occupy a lot of at least 45,000 square feet, comply with State Plumbing Codes and receive District Health Unit inspection¹. Only about 6.6% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation an early purchase and design step⁹.

In unincorporated Hettinger County, recreational vehicles, travel trailers and other trailers used for temporary occupancy are limited to 240 days per year; residents may store recreational vehicles without that occupancy limit¹. The same rule applies to a tiny home when it falls into one of those trailer categories, but we could not confirm a specific occupancy rule for a fixed tiny home that is not an RV or trailer¹. A mobile, modular or pre-manufactured year-round home must have at least 720 square feet and sit on a secure or permanent foundation or basement; the ordinance does not make that the minimum for site-built homes¹. Mobile homes also require county permitting, and an agricultural-district mobile or modular home on a permanent-type foundation needs at least five acres¹. New residential manufactured homes must be installed and inspected by state-licensed professionals⁵.

1. Call the Auditor/Treasurer at 701-824-2515 and determine whether county, city or township zoning governs the parcel^1,2.
2. For county-governed land, confirm the zoning district, minimum lot, setbacks, height limit and floodplain overlay before fixing the house location¹.
3. Obtain the county zoning permit, request the current fee resolution, and ask how the incorporated State Building Code will be reviewed and whether inspections apply¹.
4. Secure the local health-unit septic permit before onsite wastewater work begins; new development needs an approved onsite sewage system, while a subdivision system needs individual review, sufficient lot area and District Health Unit inspection^1,4.
5. Confirm road access because county rules limit highway access to four points per mile on each side, subject to the frontage-road exception¹.
6. For a private well, determine whether projected use exceeds 12.5 acre-feet per year and report lower-volume domestic works as required⁷.

First verify the zoning map, legal access, building envelope and sewage feasibility rather than relying only on acreage. County highway access is limited to four points per mile per side, although a frontage road with a dedicated right-of-way can allow additional access¹. The floodplain overlay requires residential buildings to be floodproofed above the FEMA 100-year floodplain, so establish the mapped elevation before choosing a house site¹. Septic deserves particular attention because only about 6.6% of soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field⁹. Hettinger County averages 16.4 inches of precipitation a year, and the state requires a water-appropriation permit when annual withdrawal exceeds 12.5 acre-feet^7,9. For budgeting context, the effective property-tax rate is about 1.1%, with a median annual bill of $1,251⁹.