Bolthole Index

McKenzie County, North Dakota

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

Alexander, North Dakota requires city building permits for new structures, structural alterations or additions of 120 square feet or more.1 Alexander sets its own zoning; the City Official issues zoning-compliant building and land-use permits.23 In McKenzie County, Upper Missouri District Health Unit handles septic permits, but Alexander prohibits septic tanks and other sewage-disposal facilities subject to exceptions that need clarification before you plan off-grid sanitation.45

At a glance

Building permits
City building permit for new structures, structural alterations or additions of 120 square feet or more1
Land-use permits
Required for new fences, foundation or load-bearing-wall alterations, and all concrete work3
Zoning
Alexander has city zoning; district rules govern lot size, yards and building coverage26
Septic and sewer
City sewage-disposal prohibition has exceptions to clarify; Upper Missouri District Health Unit issues septic permits54
Residential lot sizes
R-1: 10,000 square feet and 75-foot average width, with a qualifying existing-lot exception; R-2 and R-3 single-family lot rules differ789
Permit fees
Set by City Council resolution; inspect the schedule at the City Auditor's office10

Who to call

Building permits

Alexander City Hall

City contact for building-permit questions, City Auditor fee schedules and clarification of current ordinances

701-828-3461

[email protected]

112 Manning Ave.

Zoning

Alexander Planning and Zoning — City Hall

City zoning information, zoning district map and downloadable building and land-use application packets

701-828-3461

Septic permits

Upper Missouri District Health Unit — McKenzie County Office

Septic-system permitting in McKenzie County, including health approval for systems the city allows

701-444-3449

201 5th St NW Suite 1100

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 Alexander means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Alexander, ND?

Alexander requires a building permit for new structures, structural alterations or additions of 120 square feet or more.1 A separate Alexander land-use permit applies to new fences, foundation or load-bearing-wall alterations, and all concrete work.3 Do not assume a small project or replacement is exempt: the City Official decides whether listed repairs or replacements need a permit.1 Alexander cannot issue either a building permit or a land-use permit unless the proposal conforms to city zoning, so establish the parcel’s district before finalizing the design.3

Who issues building permits in Alexander, and where do you apply?

Alexander’s City Official or representative issues building and land-use permits under the city zoning ordinance.3 Start with Alexander City Hall at 701-828-3461; the city contact email is [email protected].11 The city Planning and Zoning page links land-use applications, residential application packets, a zoning district map and the zoning ordinance.12 Alexander permit fees are set by City Council resolution, and the schedule is available for inspection at the City Auditor’s office during normal business hours.10 Ask City Hall which application fits your work and for the current fee schedule before submitting.310

Does Alexander have zoning, minimum lot sizes and setbacks?

Alexander has city zoning, with requirements that vary by district.2 In Alexander’s R-1 district, lots need at least 10,000 square feet and an average width of 75 feet; a qualifying existing lot of record may have smaller dimensions if the other district requirements are met.7 Alexander’s R-2 single-family rule requires 5,000 square feet per family, while R-3 requires 5,000 square feet for a single-family dwelling.89

For principal buildings in Alexander’s R-1 and A-1 districts, the usual yards are 25 feet in front, 6 feet on each side, and a rear yard of 20 feet or 20% of lot depth, whichever is smaller; corner, double-frontage and qualifying narrow lots have additional provisions.1314 In R-1, R-2 and R-3, building footprints including accessory structures ordinarily cannot exceed 40% of the lot; Planning Commission approval can allow up to 50%.61516

How do septic permits and off-grid sanitation work in Alexander?

Resolve Alexander’s sewer rules before designing an onsite wastewater system: the city prohibits constructing or maintaining privies, septic tanks, cesspools and other sewage-disposal facilities, but the prohibition expressly allows exceptions whose applicability needs clarification from City Hall.5 Ask City Hall whether your Alexander parcel qualifies for an exception before treating septic as an available alternative.5

For a system that Alexander allows, Upper Missouri District Health Unit is the septic permitting authority in McKenzie County; its McKenzie County office number is 701-444-3449.4 North Dakota requires the installer to hold a state license and obtain a local public health unit permit before beginning installation.17 North Dakota also requires installation inspection by the permitting authority or its authorized representative.18 Health approval and permission under Alexander’s sewer ordinance address different requirements; obtain answers from both offices.175

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Alexander?

We could not confirm a general rule allowing residential RV occupancy on private property in Alexander; ask Alexander City Hall about your intended occupancy and the parcel’s zoning district before buying an RV for housing.2 We also could not confirm Alexander-specific tiny-home occupancy, minimum dwelling size or accessory dwelling rules; ask the City Official to review the proposed dwelling and use.23

Alexander’s 120-square-foot building-permit threshold concerns construction work, so it should not be treated as permission to occupy a smaller structure as a home.1 Any proposed Alexander dwelling still needs a zoning-compliant permit when the city permit rules apply, and its sewage plan must satisfy the city’s sewer restrictions.35

Building a home in Alexander: what should you do first?

  1. Identify the Alexander parcel’s zoning district using the city’s zoning map, then check the district’s lot dimensions and yards with City Hall.12713
  2. Resolve sewer service or an applicable city sewage-disposal exception; if an onsite system is allowed, contact Upper Missouri District Health Unit before installation.5174
  3. Prepare the applicable city building or land-use application and obtain the current fee schedule from the City Auditor’s office.310
  4. Ask the City Official about flood exposure before fixing the home’s floor elevation: in applicable Alexander special flood hazard areas, new residential construction and substantial improvements require the lowest floor, including the basement, to be at least 1 foot above base flood elevation on fill.19

For land outside Alexander city limits, use the McKenzie County guide for the county’s building and zoning requirements.2021

Watch-outs

  • Alexander’s website says some ordinances have been updated or need updating; contact City Hall for the current ordinance before relying on an older copy.11
  • We could not confirm Alexander building inspection schedules, certificate-of-occupancy requirements or an owner-builder permit exemption; ask the City Official before scheduling construction or moving in.3
  • We could not confirm Alexander private-well or local driveway-access rules; ask City Hall which office must review the proposed water supply and street connection.11
  • An Alexander septic exception needs clarification from City Hall; a health-district septic permit alone does not resolve the city sewage-disposal prohibition.517

Sources

  1. Chapter Six, Article 24, Section 6.2402 — Permits Required (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter Six, Article 4, Section 6.0402 — Definitions (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter Six, Article 24, Section 6.2402 — Permits Required (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  4. Upper Missouri District Health Unit — McKenzie County Office (umdhu.org)
  5. Chapter Seven, Article 3, Section 7.0302 — Use of Public Sewers Required (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  6. library.municode.com (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter Six, Article 8, Section 6.0804 — R-1 Intensity of Use Regulations (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  8. library.municode.com (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  9. library.municode.com (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter Six, Article 24, Section 6.2402 — Permits Required (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  11. Alexander City Hall (cityofalexandernd.com)
  12. Alexander Planning and Zoning — City Hall (cityofalexandernd.com)
  13. Chapter Six, Article 8, Section 6.0806 — R-1 Yard Regulations (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  14. Chapter Six, Article 7, Section 6.0706 — A-1 Yard Regulations (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  15. library.municode.com (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  16. library.municode.com (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  17. North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality — On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  18. North Dakota Administrative Code, Chapter 33.1-21-01: Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Installers Licensing Systems (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. library.municode.com (Alexander), quoted and re-checked
  20. McKenzie County Land Development Ordinance, Section 5-18 (2026 county census)
  21. McKenzie County Land Development Ordinance (2026 county census)

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 Alexander

Alexander’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New structures, structural alterations, or additions of 120 square feet or more inside Alexander city limits.

    • A land-use permit is required for new fences, alteration of building foundations or load-bearing walls, and all concrete work.
    • A permit may not be required for repair of existing structures or replacement of existing structures listed in the ordinance, including fences and decks; the City Official determines whether a permit is not required.
    • No land-use or building permit may be issued except in conformity with the zoning ordinance.

    building permit threshold: >= 120 square feet (new structures, structural alterations, or additions) · official notice connection deadline: 15 days (not applicable to this topic)

    “Building Permits are required for any new structures, structural alterations or additions of 120 square foot or more.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Alexander city limits; Alexander has an adopted zoning ordinance with districts regulating building use, height, yards, and intensity of use.

    “Every lot of land shall have an area of not less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet and an average width of not less than seventy-five (75) feet”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    Privies, privy vaults, septic tanks, cesspools, and other sewage-disposal facilities inside Alexander city limits.

    • The prohibition begins with 'Except as hereinafter provided'; any applicable exception was not included in the supplied excerpt and must be checked in the remainder of the ordinance.
    “Except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.”
  • Subdividing landLimited

    Subdivision proposals in special flood hazard areas inside Alexander city limits.

    • Subdivision proposals must minimize flood damage.
    • Public utilities and facilities must be located and constructed to minimize flood damage.
    • Adequate drainage is required.
    • Base flood elevation data must be provided for proposals containing at least 50 lots or 5 acres, whichever is less.

    subdivision size threshold: 50 lots or 5 acres, whichever is less (base flood elevation data requirement)

    “All subdivision proposals shall be consistent with the need to minimize flood damage; [...] Base flood elevation data shall be provided for subdivision proposals and other proposed development which contain at least 50 lots or 5 acres (whichever is less).”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    New construction and substantial improvements in Alexander special flood hazard areas where base-flood-elevation data apply.

    • Residential lowest floors, including basements, must be elevated on fill at least one foot above base flood elevation.
    • Nonresidential structures must either be elevated at least one foot above base flood elevation or meet the stated floodproofing, structural, and professional-certification requirements.
    • Manufactured homes must be anchored and elevated on a permanent foundation at least one foot above base flood elevation.

    residential elevation: >= 1 foot above base flood elevation (special flood hazard areas with applicable base-flood-elevation data)

    “New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated on fill to at least one foot above the base flood elevation.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Alexander land-use and building permits.

    • The fee is set by City Council resolution.
    • The fee schedule is on file for inspection at the City Auditor's office during normal business hours.
    “Fee: The fee for defraying the costs of the proceedings prescribed herein shall be set by resolution by the City Council, and shall be on file for inspection at the office of the City Auditor during normal business hours.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Land-use and building-permit process inside Alexander city limits.

    • Applications must conform to the zoning ordinance.
    • Building permits apply to new structures, structural alterations, and additions of 120 square feet or more.
    • Land-use permits apply to new fences, foundation or load-bearing-wall alterations, and concrete work.
    • The City Official determines whether a permit is unnecessary for listed repairs or replacements.
    • Fees are set by City Council resolution and inspected at the City Auditor's office.
    “No land use permit or building permit shall be issued by the City Official or representative except in conformity with the provisions of this ordinance. A Land Use Permit is required for new fences, alteration of building foundations or load bearing walls and all concrete work. Building Permits are required for any new structures, structural alterations or additions of 120 square foot or more.”

Rules another office applies inside Alexander

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

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in Alexander's R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District.

    • A qualifying single lot of record existing as of the ordinance's effective date may be used for a single-family dwelling despite smaller area or width if other district requirements are met.

    minimum lot area: >= 10000 square feet (qualifying pre-existing lot of record) · minimum average lot width: >= 75 feet (qualifying pre-existing lot of record)

    “Every lot of land shall have an area of not less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet and an average width of not less than seventy-five (75) feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — Single-family dwellings in Alexander's R-2 Two-Family/Low Density Residential District.
      “A lot on which there is erected a single-family dwelling shall contain an area of not less than five thousand (5,000) square feet per family.”
    • Specified — Single-family dwellings in Alexander's R-3 Medium Density Residential District.
      “A lot on which there is erected a single-family dwelling shall contain an area of not less than five thousand (5,000) square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Principal buildings in Alexander's A-1 Agricultural District.

    • Double-frontage lots require front yards on both streets.
    • Corner lots require a front yard on each street side, subject to the stated buildable-width exception.
    • On lots 50 feet or less wide, side yards may be reduced to 10 percent of lot width but never below three feet.
    • Rear yard is at least 20 feet or 20 percent of lot depth, whichever is smaller.

    front setback: >= 25 feet · side setback: >= 6 feet (narrow-lot alternative, never less than 3 feet) · rear setback: 20 feet or 20% of lot depth, whichever is smaller

    “There shall be a front yard having a depth of not less than twenty-five (25) feet. [...] there shall be a side yard having a width of not less than six (6) feet on each side of the principal building. [...] there shall be a rear yard having a depth of not less than twenty (20) feet or twenty (20) percent of the depth of the lot, whichever amount is smaller.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Principal buildings in Alexander's R-1 district.
      “There shall be a front yard having a depth of not less than twenty-five (25) feet. [...] there shall be a side yard having a width of not less than six (6) feet on each side of the principal building. [...] there shall be a rear yard having a depth of not less than twenty (20) feet or twenty (20) percent of the depth of the lot, whichever amount is smaller.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Buildings and accessory structures in Alexander's R-1 district.

    • The Planning Commission may approve new construction covering up to 50 percent of the lot upon application.

    maximum building footprint: <= 40 percent of lot area (Planning Commission may approve up to 50 percent)

    “no lot shall have buildings, including accessory structures, dwellings, private garages, the square footage (footprint) of which exceeds 40% of the total square footage of the lot, however, upon application, the Planning Commission may approve new construction that covers up to 50% of the total square footage of the lot.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — Buildings and accessory structures in Alexander's R-2 district.
      “No lot shall have buildings, including accessory structures, dwellings, private garages, the square footage (footprint) of which exceeds 40% of the total square footage of the lot, however, upon application, the Planning Commission may approve new construction that covers up to 50% of the total square footage of the lot.”
    • Specified — Buildings and accessory structures in Alexander's R-3 district.
      “No lot shall have buildings, including accessory structures, dwellings, private garages, the square footage (footprint) of which exceeds 40% of the total square footage of the lot, however, upon application, the Planning Commission may approve new construction that covers up to 50% of the total square footage of the lot.”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    On-site wastewater systems serving property inside Alexander city; the state licenses installers and the local public health unit issues the installation permit.

    • The state Department of Environmental Quality oversees installer licensing.
    • A local public health unit permit is required before installation.
    • The cited state page does not identify the specific local public health unit for Alexander.
    “The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality oversees the licensing of onsite wastewater treatment system installers under the authority of NDCC 23.1-07.1. All installers must obtain a license from the department, which is issued at no cost, and secure a permit from their local public health unit before beginning work on a system.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New on-site wastewater systems serving property inside Alexander city.

    • The installer must obtain a state license.
    • A permit from the local public health unit is required before work begins.
    “All installers must obtain a license from the department, which is issued at no cost, and secure a permit from their local public health unit before beginning work on a system.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from Alexander building or land-use permits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Alexander city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Alexander city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Alexander city limits.
  • Building height — Building-height limits inside Alexander city limits.
9 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Alexander publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. McKenzie County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of McKenzie County: county rules, score and offices