Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Arnegard, North Dakota

Arnegard’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and structures inside Arnegard city limits.

  • A permit is required for erection, moving, additions, or structural alteration when labor and materials total $1,000 or more.
  • A permit is required regardless of cost for new fences, foundation or load-bearing-wall alteration, and concrete work.
  • Repairs or listed replacements may be exempt if they meet the ordinance; the Building Official determines whether a permit is not required.

  labor and materials threshold: >= 1000 USD (New fences, building-foundation or load-bearing-wall alterations, and all concrete work require a permit regardless of cost.)

  “No building or other structure shall be erected, moved, added to, or structurally altered wherein the labor and materials total one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or more without a permit therefore, issued by the City Building Official.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Arnegard city limits.

  • The ordinance also addresses unincorporated territory within the city's extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction.

  “This ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the Zoning Ordinance for the City of Arnegard, North Dakota. Establishing comprehensive zoning regulations for the city of Arnegard and unincorporated territory located within the extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction of the city of Arnegard”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4 zones inside Arnegard city limits.

  • The dwelling must also be on a permanent foundation and have a minimum first-story width of 24 feet.

  minimum above-grade dwelling area: >= 600 square feet (Single-family dwellings in R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4.)

  “All Single-Family Dwellings shall have a minimum above-grade square footage of six hundred (600) feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District inside Arnegard city limits.

  • A qualifying undersized lot of record may be used for a single-family dwelling if it meets the stated ownership-history condition and other district requirements.

  minimum lot area: >= 7200 square feet (R-1 district; qualifying preexisting lots of record are addressed separately.) · minimum average width: >= 60 feet (R-1 district.)

  “Every lot of land shall have an area of not less than seven thousand two hundred (7,200) square feet and an average width of not less than sixty (60) feet”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District inside Arnegard city limits.

  • Double-frontage lots require a front yard on both streets.
  • Corner-lot and narrow-lot exceptions stated in the ordinance apply.
  • Additional height, area, and use regulations can modify the standards.

  front yard: >= 30 feet (R-1 district.) · side yard: >= 6 feet (Each side of principal building; narrower qualifying lots may use the stated exception.) · rear yard: >= 25 feet (Or 20 percent of lot depth, whichever is smaller.)

  “There shall be a rear yard having a depth of not less than twenty-five (25) feet or twenty (20) percent of the depth of the lot, whichever amount is smaller.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District inside Arnegard city limits.

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

  maximum building footprint coverage: <= 40 percent (Planning Commission may approve new construction up to 50 percent.) · approved maximum building footprint coverage: <= 50 percent (Upon Planning Commission approval.)

  “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.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District inside Arnegard city limits.

  • Additional height, area, and use regulations in the ordinance may apply.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (Except as otherwise provided in additional height, area, and use regulations.)

  “No building shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height, except as otherwise provided in the additional height, area and use regulations in this ordinance.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Travel-trailer occupancy in an Arnegard campground.

  • Campgrounds have a maximum of one travel trailer per lot and a minimum area of 2,500 square feet per lot.
  • A travel trailer may not stay more than 180 consecutive days in a designated floodway.
  • All campgrounds must be licensed by the North Dakota Department of Health.

  maximum travel trailers: <= 1 per lot · floodway stay: <= 180 consecutive days (Designated floodway.)

  “No travel trailer may stay on one (1) lot in excess of one hundred eighty (180) consecutive days in a designated flood way.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Tent camping in an Arnegard campground.

  • The campground requires at least 600 square feet of tent area per lot.
  • Campgrounds must be licensed by the North Dakota Department of Health.
  • Campground sewer provisions apply to lots with sanitary facilities.

  minimum tent area: >= 600 square feet per lot

  “There shall be a minimum tent area of six hundred (600) square feet per lot.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile-home occupancy in the R-2M Mobile Home, Two-Family Residential District inside Arnegard city limits.

  • The R-2M district allows mobile homes and has its own lot, building-coverage, height, and yard standards.
  • Mobile-home parks must meet the separate mobile-home-park requirements.

  “The "R-2M" Mobile Home, Two-Family Residential District is intended for the purpose of allowing the same uses as in District "R-2", yet allowing mobile homes to be allowed in the district.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  In-home apartments in the R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District inside Arnegard city limits.

  • An in-home apartment is a conditional use in R-1.
  • The defined apartment is self-contained, has no more than two bedrooms, occupies less than 50 percent of the structure including basement, is in the basement, and is incidental to the single-family residence.

  maximum bedrooms: <= 2 (In-home apartment.) · maximum share of structure: < 50 percent (Including basement; apartment must be incidental to the single-family use.)

  “IN-HOME APARTMENT: A self-contained dwelling unit with no more than two (2) bedrooms. Built within a residential structure, provided the apartment consists of less than fifty (50) percent of the total square footage of the structure, (including basement) and the apartment is located in the basement, and the apartment is incidental to the structure's use as a single family residence.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private wastewater disposal systems inside Arnegard city limits.

  • The city superintendent signs private-system permits and may require plans, specifications, and other information.
  • The system must comply with North Dakota Department of Health recommendations and regulations.

  “Before commencement of construction of a private wastewater disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the superintendent. The application for such permit shall be made on a form furnished by the City”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction of a private wastewater disposal system where public sewer is not available under §7.0303(4), inside Arnegard city limits.

  • The owner must obtain the superintendent's written permit before construction.
  • The City form may require plans, specifications, and other information.
  • A permit and inspection fee set by resolution is due when the application is filed.
  • No permit may issue for a system that does not meet North Dakota Department of Health recommendations or regulations.

  “Before commencement of construction of a private wastewater disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the superintendent.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Permitted private wastewater disposal systems inside Arnegard city limits.

  • The permit is ineffective until installation is completed to the superintendent's satisfaction.
  • The applicant must notify the superintendent when work is ready for final inspection and before underground portions are covered.
  • The inspection is to occur within 72 hours after notice.

  inspection timing after notice: <= 72 hours (Applies after the superintendent receives notice that work is ready for final inspection.)

  “The superintendent shall be allowed to inspect the work at any stage of construction, and in any event, the applicant for the permit shall notify the superintendent when the work is ready for final inspection, and before any underground portions are covered. The inspection shall be made within 72 hours of the receipt of notice by the superintendent.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private wastewater disposal inside Arnegard city limits.

  • A private wastewater system is allowed only where public sanitary or combined sewer is unavailable under §7.0303(4).
  • The system must comply with Chapter Seven; its permit, inspection, and North Dakota Department of Health requirements apply.
  • Privies, septic tanks, cesspools, and other sewage-disposal facilities are otherwise unlawful except as provided.

  “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. [...] Where a public sanitary or combined sewer is not available under the provisions of Section 7.0303 (4), the building sewer shall be connected to a private wastewater disposal system complying with the provisions of this article.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Occupied property inside Arnegard city limits that abuts a street, alley, or right-of-way containing a public sanitary sewer.

  • Connection is required after official notice when the sewer is within 200 feet of the property line.
  • Connection must occur within 90 days after official notice.
  • When sewer later becomes available to a property served by private wastewater disposal, direct connection is required within 365 days.

  public-sewer distance from property line: <= 200 feet (Applies under §7.0303(4).) · initial connection deadline after official notice: <= 90 days

  “The owner of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes, situated within the City [...] is hereby required at the owner’s expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer [...] within 90 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within 200 feet (61 meters) of the property line”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions within Arnegard city limits.

  • The regulations also cover designated outside corporate-limit areas not in another municipality.
  • Subdivisions must conform to the regulations and applicable comprehensive-plan and major-thoroughfare plans.

  “Hereafter all subdivisions made within the City and within the designated areas outside of the corporate limits thereof, and not located in any other municipality, shall be subject to and shall conform to these regulations”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  All development and construction inside Arnegard city limits.

  • Development and construction must conform to the City's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance; the detailed flood ordinance was not separately located in the opened material.

  “All development and construction shall be in conformance with the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance of the City of Arnegard.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  City building permits inside Arnegard city limits.

  • Fees are set by City Council resolution and are available for inspection at the City Auditor's office.
  • The ordinance does not state the dollar amounts in the published provision.
  • The provision was amended by Ordinance 124 on May 18, 2015.

  building permit fee: amount fixed by ordinance or resolution (For projects below $1,000; higher-cost projects also incur an amount fixed by resolution for every additional $1,000.)

  “Unless otherwise stated within this Chapter, the fees for defraying the costs of proceedings prescribed in this Chapter shall be set Resolution by the City Council, on file for inspection at the office of the City Auditor during normal business hours.”

• Permit processPartial

  Licensing and permit inquiries inside Arnegard city limits.

  • The official city services page directs building-permit questions to the City Auditor.
  • Detailed application requirements vary by permit and are not completely published on the opened city webpage.

  “Building Permits - Contact City Auditor at City Hall”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Arnegard city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Arnegard city limits.
• Inspections — General building inspections for construction inside Arnegard city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Arnegard city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Arnegard city limits.

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.