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

Yes. Unincorporated Stark County requires a building permit before construction, alteration or conversion of buildings and structures covered by the county zoning ordinance¹. The exemption for an owner doing the work is limited to a qualifying farmer constructing a building used directly in a farm operation¹. The farmer must meet the ordinance definition and qualify for the Farm Residence Property Tax Exemption; anyone who does not qualify or has not filed the required forms must obtain a permit even for an agricultural building¹. A home or building used by the public requires both building and occupancy permits regardless of farm acreage¹. County building applications remain valid for one year from issuance¹.

The City of Dickinson serves as Stark County's building department and issues the building permits for the county, and the county directs building-permit applicants to Dickinson's online form⁸. Stark County publishes planning and zoning applications, directions and fee schedules, although the available material does not establish a single fee for every project². Zoning, variance, conditional-use and building applications may also carry processing costs such as publication, attorney, mileage and copying expenses¹. Stark County Planning & Zoning is the separate contact for zoning approval, subdivision and floodplain questions on unincorporated land; septic permits come from the Southwestern District Health Unit, not from either office^2,3. Call Planning & Zoning at 701-456-7672 for county zoning questions². Reach the City of Dickinson at (701) 456 7744 or 38 1st St W, Dickinson, ND 58601, or use its online building permit form⁸. Ask the building department which inspections apply to the proposed work because we could not confirm Stark County's ordinary-construction inspection schedule⁸.

Stark County administers zoning and subdivision regulations in unincorporated Stark County, and its zoning ordinance does not apply within a city's zoning jurisdiction^1,2. Minimum lot size varies by district: 40 acres in Agriculture, 10 acres in Agricultural Residential, 5 acres in Rural Residential and 2 acres in Estate Residential, with other districts and uses set separately⁵. In Estate Residential, the front, side and rear setbacks are 40, 15 and 25 feet, and lot coverage tops out at 30 percent⁵. Buildings must also sit at least 125 feet from section lines and county-road centerlines and 250 feet from state-highway centerlines¹. Single-family homes, including manufactured and modular homes, are permitted uses in the Agriculture, Agricultural Residential, Rural Residential and Estate Residential districts¹. An accessory dwelling unit is permitted in those districts on a lot of at least 60,000 square feet, with a 600-square-foot minimum, no RVs, and one extra parking space¹. Subdivision applications are regulated, and preliminary and final applications must be submitted three weeks before the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting⁴. Ask Planning & Zoning to verify the parcel's district and dimensional standards before choosing a site².

Southwestern District Health Unit is the local public health unit serving Stark County, and its Dickinson office is the local contact for onsite wastewater permits⁹. Septic permits do not come from the City of Dickinson or the county zoning office: North Dakota DEQ licenses onsite wastewater installers, while the local public health unit issues the permit that must be secured before work begins, and local codes also apply³. New subdivisions in the county must connect to an approved onsite sewage system⁵. Soil suitability deserves early attention: only 11.7% of Stark County soils avoid a severe-limitation rating for a conventional septic drain field⁷. That countywide soil rating does not decide a parcel's permit, but it makes an early site evaluation especially valuable^3,7. Ask Southwestern District Health Unit about site-evaluation and inspection steps before fixing the home location because we could not confirm a general Stark County septic-inspection requirement⁹.

Stark County zoning applies to land uses and buildings in unincorporated areas, so RV, manufactured-home or tiny-home plans should begin with a parcel-specific zoning and floodplain check². In a special flood hazard area, an RV must either meet manufactured-home elevation and anchoring requirements or remain for less than 180 consecutive days while fully licensed and highway ready⁵. Manufactured homes placed or substantially improved in special flood hazard areas also face elevation and anchoring standards⁵. An RV cannot qualify as an accessory dwelling unit¹. Outside the floodplain provision, the county ordinance regulates RV parks and campgrounds, which need a permit, at least 5 acres and no more than 15 units per gross acre⁵. We could not confirm a rule for living in a single RV on a private parcel, or for tiny homes, so ask Planning & Zoning before buying or moving a unit onsite².

1. Confirm that the parcel is in unincorporated Stark County and ask Planning & Zoning for its district, allowed residential use, lot standards and floodplain status^2,5.

1. If the site lies in a special flood hazard area, obtain the applicable floodplain development permit before construction or development begins⁵.

1. Take the proposed site to Southwestern District Health Unit before finalizing the layout, because a local onsite wastewater permit is required before septic work begins^3,9.

1. Determine the water source; withdrawals above 12.5 acre-feet per year require a state water-appropriation permit, while lower domestic use must be reported⁶.

1. Apply for the building permit through the City of Dickinson, which serves as Stark County's building department, and confirm inspections before obtaining the required occupancy permit^1,8.

Start with jurisdiction, zoning district, subdivision status and floodplain status through Stark County Planning & Zoning^2,4. A special flood hazard area triggers a development permit before construction or development begins, including structural and non-building situations⁵. Confirm legal road access and ask the appropriate road authority whether an approach approval is needed because we could not confirm Stark County's driveway-permit threshold. Budget for septic feasibility early because only 11.7% of county soils avoid a severe-limitation rating for conventional drain fields⁷. A well that will draw more than 12.5 acre-feet of water per year needs a state permit; smaller domestic use does not, but well-construction rules still apply¹⁰. Setbacks from state highways are 250 feet from the centerline¹. The nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 276 miles from the county center, so expect long hauls for big-city services⁷. The effective property-tax rate is about 0.9%, with a median annual bill of about $2,398⁷.