Bolthole Index

McHenry County, North Dakota

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Velva, North Dakota

Velva, North Dakota requires a building permit before construction or alterations that change a building’s footprint or structural size.1 Velva sets its own zoning rules inside city limits; the unincorporated McHenry County rules are a separate answer.23 Septic installation and repair permits come from First District Health Unit, while private sanitation must also meet Velva’s standards.45

At a glance

Building permit
Required before covered construction or structural alterations inside Velva1
Zoning
Velva has city zoning; district rules govern the proposed site2
Septic permits
First District Health Unit requires installation and repair permits before work4
Residential lot coverage
R-2: 26%; R-3: 50%, with rear-alley adjustments67
Agricultural-district setbacks
A-1 non-agricultural buildings: at least 50 feet from property or street lines, except temporary roadside stands in front yards8
Accessory-building height
Residential districts: sidewalls up to 12 feet; overall structure up to 1.5 stories9

Who to call

Building permits

Velva City Hall / City Building Inspector

City building-permit applications and building-inspector review

701-338-2660

[email protected]

Zoning

Velva Building/Planning Commission and Building Inspector

City zoning review, building-committee review and construction inspections

701.338.2660

Septic permits

First District Health Unit, Environmental Health Division

Onsite sewage treatment system permits and final inspections in McHenry County

701-852-1376

801 11th Ave. SW

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Velva means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Velva, ND?

Velva requires a building permit before construction or alteration that changes a building’s footprint or structural size, including work affecting bearing walls, enlarging capacity, replacing building materials or replacing the roof under the cited provision.1 Start with the City Building Inspector at Velva City Hall for the application and project review.10 Velva’s application requires complete forms and two complete sets of plans.10 The published fee starts at $25 for a project up to $1,000; residential projects add $2 for each additional $1,000, capped at $400.10 Ask City Hall to calculate the fee for your specific work before submitting the application.10

Who handles building permits and zoning review in Velva?

Velva City Hall is the contact for the City Building Inspector, reached at 701-338-2660 or [email protected].10 Velva’s Building/Planning Commission reviews zoning compliance, including yard coverage, setbacks and building height.11 The city’s instructions require the applicant or a representative to attend the Building Committee meeting for the application to be processed.11 Velva also requires construction inspections: call City Hall to schedule them, and do not proceed with or cover work until the requested inspection has been signed off.11 Ask the inspector for the project’s inspection schedule when the building permit is issued.11

Does Velva have zoning, and what are the lot and setback rules?

Velva has an adopted city zoning map and district regulations, so establish the parcel’s district before choosing a building layout.2 In Velva’s R-2 Single-Family Residence District, buildings and accessories may occupy no more than 26% of lot area; in the R-3 General Residence District, the limit is 50%.67 Both districts allow half of a rear alley’s area to be added when calculating coverage.67 In Velva’s A-1 Agricultural District, non-agricultural buildings must stand at least 50 feet from property or street lines, with an exception for temporary roadside stands in front yards.8 Residential accessory buildings have a 12-foot sidewall limit and a 1.5-story overall limit; that provision does not establish the principal home’s height limit.9

How do septic permits work inside Velva?

First District Health Unit requires a permit before installing or repairing any part of an onsite sewage treatment system in McHenry County, including a site inside Velva.4 FDHU must perform or approve the system design, and installation must be completed by a licensed septic contractor or certified property owner.4 Arrange the final inspection before backfilling or covering the system.4 Velva also regulates private sanitation where the premises is not within 200 feet of a public sanitary sewer; private systems must meet the city’s construction standards and state health requirements and may not discharge sewage over the ground.5 Velva’s workforce-housing provision separately requires a state health-approved septic plan and permit for construction and a certificate of occupancy; that is not a general residential permit exemption.12

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Velva?

We could not confirm permission to live in an RV or tiny home on a private lot in Velva; ask Velva City Hall about the proposed dwelling, zoning district and duration before buying for that purpose.112 We also could not confirm an independent accessory dwelling unit allowance or a general minimum dwelling size in Velva; ask the City Building Inspector to review the intended residential use.102 Velva’s accessory-building height rule concerns accessory structures and does not establish permission to use a shed as a separate dwelling.9 A small footprint still needs to be evaluated against Velva’s district coverage rules and applicable building-permit requirement.671

What are the steps to building a home in Velva?

  1. Ask Velva City Hall to identify the parcel’s zoning district and review the proposed use and building layout.211
  2. Prepare the complete building-permit application and required plans, then attend the Building Committee meeting yourself or through a representative.1011
  3. If the site needs private sanitation, confirm Velva’s sewer-distance rule and obtain FDHU’s septic permit and approved design before septic work.54
  4. Secure the city building permit before covered construction and arrange construction inspections with City Hall; schedule FDHU’s final septic inspection before covering the system.1114

For land outside Velva city limits, use the McHenry County guide to distinguish the county’s zoning jurisdiction from city and township exceptions.3 We could not confirm a private-well permit requirement inside Velva; ask City Hall about water service and the proposed well before committing to an off-grid water plan.10

Watch-outs

  • Velva’s agricultural zoning district does not establish an agricultural building-permit exemption; ask the City Building Inspector about the proposed structure.81
  • We could not confirm an owner-builder exemption inside Velva; ask City Hall before assuming that doing the work yourself removes the building-permit requirement.101
  • A city building permit does not replace FDHU’s septic installation or repair permit.14

Sources

  1. Velva Code, Sec. 8-46. Permit required (Velva), quoted and re-checked
  2. Velva Code, Sec. 30-4. Definitions (Velva), quoted and re-checked
  3. County Planning Commission (Zoning) (2026 county census)
  4. First District Health Unit, Environmental Health Division (fdhu.org)
  5. Velva Code, Sec. 28-106. Exception; standards for (Velva), quoted and re-checked
  6. Velva Code, Sec. 30-245. Building area (Velva), quoted and re-checked
  7. Velva Code, Sec. 30-273. Building area (Velva), quoted and re-checked
  8. Velva Code, Sec. 30-187. Area regulation (Velva), quoted and re-checked
  9. Velva Code, Sec. 30-165. Accessory buildings (Velva), quoted and re-checked
  10. Velva City Hall / City Building Inspector (velvand.com)
  11. Velva Building/Planning Commission and Building Inspector (velvand.com)
  12. Velva Code, Sec. 30-274. Work force housing application requirements (Velva), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Velva

Velva’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction or alteration of a building's footprint or structural size inside Velva city.

    • A permit must be secured before covered construction or alteration.
    • The cited section specifically covers enlarging capacity, affecting bearing walls, replacing building materials, or replacing the roof.
    “It shall be unlawful to construct or alter any building's footprint or structural size in the city. As outlined in this chapter, when or where the effect of such construction or alteration is to enlarge the capacity or affect the bearing walls of any building, or remove and replace with different building materials, or the roof thereof, a permit must first be secured therefor.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Velva city limits.

    • The city code defines an officially adopted city zoning map and regulates city districts.
    “District zoning map means the map showing the zoning districts of the city officially adopted by the city planning commission.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Accessory buildings in Velva city's residential zoning districts.

    • The entire accessory structure may not exceed one and a half stories.
    • The cited provision concerns accessory buildings, not the maximum height of principal buildings.

    accessory-building sidewall height: <= 12 feet (Accessory buildings in residential zoning districts) · accessory-building overall stories: <= 1.5 stories

    “sidewalls shall have a maximum height of twelve feet, with the entire structure comprising no more than one and a half stories in height;”
  • Septic permitLimited

    Workforce-housing septic systems inside Velva city.

    • A state department of health-approved septic system plan and permit is required for construction and certificate of occupancy.
    • For ordinary private systems, the opened sources did not establish a separate permit process.
    “State department of health approved septic system plan and permit (required for construction and certificate of occupancy);”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private sanitation inside Velva city where public sanitary sewer is unavailable under the city's distance/abutment rule.

    • Private water-flush toilets, privies, and septic systems are subject to the city standards in Sec. 28-106.
    • Septic tanks and drain fields must meet the stated construction requirements and state department of health requirements.
    • Systems may not allow sewage to flow over the ground.

    public sanitary sewer distance: > 200 feet (The private-sanitation rule applies when the premises is not within 200 feet of a public sanitary sewer.)

    “which is not within 200 feet of a public sanitary sewer, shall be provided with a private water-flush toilet, or a privy, by the owner or agent of the premises; said water-flush toilet system, or privy, to be built or rebuilt, constructed and maintained hereinafter prescribed.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Driveways serving manufactured-home spaces or lots inside Velva city.

    • The driveway must give unobstructed access to the public street or highway.
    • The cited requirement applies to manufactured-home parks, not every residential driveway.

    minimum lane or driveway width: >= 24 feet (Manufactured-home park space or lot)

    “The minimum lane or driveway on which each manufactured home fronts shall be at least 24 feet in width and give an unobstructed access to the public street or highway.”

Rules another office applies inside Velva

Velva does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Non-agricultural buildings in Velva city's A-1 Agricultural District.

    • Temporary roadside stands may be located within front yards.
    • Off-street parking for non-agriculture buildings must comply with Chapter 30, Article V, Division 3.

    minimum distance from property or street line: >= 50 feet (Temporary roadside stands may be located within front yards.)

    “No non-agricultural building shall be erected within 50 feet of any property or street line; provided, however, that temporary roadside stands may be located within the front yards.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-2 Single-Family Residence District inside Velva city.

    • Where there is an alley to the rear, one-half of the alley area is added to the lot area for determining the percentage.

    maximum building and accessory coverage: <= 26 percent of lot area (One-half of rear alley area may be added to lot area.)

    “No building with its accessories shall occupy in excess of 26 percent of the lot area. Where there is an alley to the rear of the lot, one-half of said alley area shall be added to the lot area for the purpose of determining the above percentage.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — R-3 General Residence District inside Velva city.
      “No building with its accessories shall occupy in excess of 50 percent of a lot. Where there is an alley to the rear of the lot, one-half of said alley area shall be added to the lot area for the purpose of determining the above percentage.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing inside Velva city.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Velva city.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Velva city residential districts.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum residential lot size in Velva city districts.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Velva city.
6 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Velva publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. McHenry County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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