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

Burlington’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Burlington city limits.

  • Land uses must be permitted in the applicable district unless a Conditional Use Permit is issued.
  • Buildings and land uses must conform to the district in which they are located.

  “No land shall be used except for a purpose permitted in the district in which it is located unless a Conditional Use Permit is issued.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Burlington city limits.

  • The published table includes A-1 Agricultural, R-1 and R-2 Single Family Residence, R-3 General Residence, R-4 Residential, T Townhouse, commercial, and industrial districts.
  • District-specific dimensional and use rules apply.

  “R-1 Single Family Residence [...] R-2 Single Family Residence [...] R-3 General Residence [...] R-4 Residential [...] 0-T Townhouse C-1 Neighborhood Commercial [...] C-2 Highway Commercial [...] C-3 Central Business [...] M-1 Light Industrial [...] M-2 Heavy Industrial”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Published building-permit fee schedule in Burlington's hosted building permit application.

  • The fee table is keyed to building-code valuation ranges.
  • The application also displays inspection fee and aid-to-new-construction fee fields.
  • Current city permit administration is directed to Ward County; confirm the operative fee before filing.

  building permit fee: 10 USD (building-code rate for $0.00-$1,000.00 valuation) · building permit fee: 13 USD (building-code rate for $1,001.00-$2,000.00 valuation)

  “$0.00 -$1,000.00 $10.00 $50,001.00 -$51,000.00 $160.00 $1,001.00 -$2,000.00 $13.00”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications for construction inside Burlington city limits.

  • Burlington directs applicants to the Ward County Building Inspector for all permits and inspections.
  • Ward County states that applications require the checklist and completed application.
  • Permits are issued through the Ward County Tax Equalization Office for cities that relinquished permitting authority.

  “Building permits for townships and cities who have relinquished permitting authority to the county are issued through the Tax Equalization Office. To get a building permit you will need to provide the items outlined in the Building Permit Check List and submit a completed Building Permit Application”

Rules another office applies inside Burlington

Burlington 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

  R-1 Single Family Residence district inside Burlington city limits.

  • The table references exceptions in § 18.1601 through § 18.1604.
  • Other districts have different standards.

  minimum lot area: 15000 square feet (R-1 Single Family Residence district) · minimum lot width: 85 feet (R-1 Single Family Residence district)

  “Minimum Lot Area (Square Feet) 15,000 | Minimum Lot Width (Feet) 85”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Single Family Residence district inside Burlington city limits.

  • For a single-family dwelling, the front yard must meet County setback requirements when along a County Road.
  • Table exceptions reference § 18.1601 through § 18.1604.
  • Corner lots, double-frontage lots, height, and adjoining district exceptions apply as stated in the ordinance.

  front yard minimum depth: 25 feet (R-1; subject to Note 5 and § 18.1602 exceptions) · rear yard minimum depth: 40 feet (R-1; subject to Note 4 and § 18.1604 exceptions) · side yard minimum depth: 10% of lot width, 5 to 10 feet for buildings under three stories; 8 to 10 feet for buildings three stories or more (Subject to listed subsection b modification)

  “Minimum Depts of Front Yard (feet) See Note 5 See B. below 25 | Minimum Depth of Side Yard (Feet) See Note 4 See C. below See Note 6 | Minimum Depth of Rear Yard (Feet) See Note 4 See D. below 40”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single-family dwellings inside Burlington city limits, including the R-1 Single Family Residence district.

  • A building may reach six stories and 75 feet only when set back one foot from required yard lines for each foot over 45 feet.
  • The R-1 table incorporates exceptions in § 18.1601.

  maximum building height: 35 feet (Single-family dwelling) · maximum stories: 2.5 stories (Single-family dwelling)

  “When the structure is a Single Family dwelling, maximum building height shall be two and one-half (2.5 stories or thirty-five (35) feet.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Burlington city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Burlington city limits.
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Burlington city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Burlington city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Burlington 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.