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

Yes. In unincorporated areas administered by Logan County, a building permit is required before covered construction, reconstruction, relocation, alteration or structural changes begin¹. Mobile and manufactured homes also need county permits for placement or relocation¹. The Zoning Commission inspects a completed building before a certificate of occupancy is issued¹. The county ordinance incorporates a building code adopted by the County Commission, with the zoning ordinance controlling if the two conflict¹. North Dakota's current state code framework took effect in 2026, but state Community Services does not itself enforce the code; enforcement belongs to jurisdictions that elect to administer it⁶.

The Logan County Auditor is the county's Code Administrator and makes county building permits and variance applications available². Contact the office at (701) 754-2425 or jkristiansen@nd.gov, or visit 301 Broadway, Napoleon, ND 58561². Building-permit applications go to the County Code Administrator, while uses other than permitted uses go to the Zoning Commission¹. An application must include the legal description, lot map, building dimensions and location, building type and materials, probable cost, and any further plans the Code Administrator requests¹. A denial must be communicated within seven days, after which the applicant may request a hearing, reapply or appeal a Zoning Commission denial to a court¹. The published schedule charges $50 for new construction valued from $2,000 through $10,000, $100 from $10,001 through $100,000, and $300 above $100,000¹.

Logan County zoning covers unincorporated territory under county jurisdiction, but a city or township that lawfully exercises its own zoning or subdivision authority controls its area unless it relinquishes that authority to the county¹. The county ordinance establishes agricultural, rural residential, residential community, commercial, industrial, and recreation/open-space districts, and the Code Administrator keeps the zoning map⁷. Rules vary by district: a rural-residential lot without public water or sewer is set at one acre, while an agricultural non-farm residential lot is set at five acres⁷. Rural Residential structures have a 100-foot right-of-way setback and a 50-foot lot-line setback¹. Maximum building intensity is 30% in Rural Residential and 40% in Residential Community¹. Structures over 35 feet in Rural Residential generally need conditional-use review¹. Confirm the parcel's governing jurisdiction and mapped district with the Code Administrator before choosing a house site^1,2,7.

A Logan County septic installer must hold a North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality license and secure a permit from the local public health unit before beginning work³. Central Valley Health District's Environmental Health Department permits onsite sewage treatment systems and offers inspections of existing systems⁸. Call 701-252-8130, ext. 9 before fixing the building site or scheduling excavation⁸. About 52.1% of Logan County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so nearly half the mapped soils may require closer site evaluation or a different design⁹. The permitting authority or its representative must inspect an installation within one business day after receiving the inspection request; ask Environmental Health when to request that inspection and what site evaluation or design review applies^8,10.

We could not confirm a general rule allowing long-term RV occupancy on private land in Logan County. Campgrounds are conditional uses in Rural Residential, and Industrial temporary work camps are limited to people directly involved in facility construction and may last no more than 18 months¹. Ask the Logan County Code Administrator about the parcel's district, utility connections and whether a single RV may be occupied before moving onsite^2,7. We could not confirm a rule specifically for tiny homes, so the Code Administrator must determine how the building-permit, zoning and occupancy rules apply^1,2. A new manufactured home follows separate state installation and inspection rules and also needs county permission for placement or relocation^7,11.

1. Call the Logan County Auditor / Code Administrator at (701) 754-2425 to verify county jurisdiction, the mapped zoning district, setbacks and the applicable published fee^1,2,7.

1. Prepare the legal description, lot map, building dimensions and location, materials, probable cost, and any requested plans¹.

1. Obtain the county building permit before covered work begins¹.

1. Contact Central Valley Health District at 701-252-8130, ext. 9 for the septic permit and applicable site review^3,8.

1. Apply for county-road access before creating a non-farm entrance; farm driveways and field access points are exempt, and the listed application has no fee¹.

1. Arrange the completed-building inspection and obtain the certificate of occupancy before use¹.

Start with zoning: verify the governing jurisdiction, district, permitted use, lot size, setbacks, lot coverage, height limit and legal access^1,7. If land will be divided, ask about plat review before relying on a proposed parcel layout because Logan County's Zoning Commission administers subdivision regulations where county jurisdiction applies¹. A non-farm access point onto a county road requires an application, while Rural Residential access is limited to one ingress or egress point per quarter mile^1,7. Review septic feasibility early because only about 52.1% of mapped soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional drain field⁹. For a private well, North Dakota requires an appropriation permit above 12.5 acre-feet per year, while qualifying lower-volume domestic and livestock uses must still be reported to the Department of Water Resources⁵. Logan County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.9%, with a median annual bill of about $949⁹. Ask the Code Administrator whether the parcel is in a mapped floodplain before closing².