Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Elmdale Township, North Dakota

Elmdale Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Residential, commercial, or industrial structures, including accessories, built, altered, or moved inside Elmdale Township where the Ward County zoned-area ordinance applies.

  • A building, alteration, or moving permit must be obtained from the Ward County Building Inspector before the work.
  • The permit is valid for one year from issuance; construction beyond that date needs Board of County Commissioners approval.
  • Maintenance or repair of an existing residence, commercial structure, or accessory structure that does not alter structural strength, the plan, or mechanical installations does not require a permit, but must comply with the regulation.
  • If construction has not begun within six months of issuance, the permit is cancelled unless the Board of County Commissioners grants an extension under the adopted International Building Code.
  • Farm buildings and farm lands meeting the ordinance's definition of a farm are exempt from Article V and VI building-permit provisions; farm residential structures, other habitable structures, and structures open to the public must apply for a Farm Property Building Permit.

  permit validity: 1 year (Construction beyond that date requires approval of the Board of County Commissioners.) · construction commencement cancellation threshold: 6 months (Unless the Board of County Commissioners grants an extension under the adopted International Building Code.)

  “No structure of any kind used for residential, commercial or industrial purposes, including accessories thereto, shall hereafter be built, altered or moved within the zoned area of Ward County until a building, alteration, or moving permit has been obtained from the office of the Building Inspector.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Elmdale Township, Ward County, that is subject to Ward County jurisdiction; the governing zoning ordinance is adopted and administered by Ward County, not shown by the source to be an Elmdale Township ordinance.

  • The Ward County ordinance excludes land within municipal corporate limits.
  • The Ward County ordinance excludes land within an area subject to extraterritorial zoning under N.D.C.C. §40-47-01.1.

  “This Ordinance applies to all buildings, structures, lands, and uses over which the Ward County Board of County Commissioners has jurisdiction under the constitution and laws of the State of North Dakota and of the United States, except for land within the corporate limits of any municipality or land within the area of application of extraterritorial zoning pursuant to §40-47-01.1 of the North Dakota Century Code.”

Rules another office applies inside Elmdale Township

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

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Installation or repair of an onsite sewage treatment system inside Elmdale Township, Ward County.

  • First District Health Unit requires a permit before any installation or repair work on an onsite sewage treatment system in Ward County.
  • When constructing a building producing sewage or wastewater and no existing community septic system is available, a septic permit must be obtained from First District Health Unit.
  • All work must be completed by an NDDEQ-licensed septic contractor or certified property owner.
  • The installer must obtain both a state license and a local public-health permit before beginning work.
  • A final inspection must be scheduled before backfilling or covering a new system; without final inspection and approval, the system is unapproved and illegal.

  “First District Health Unit (FDHU) requires a permit for the installation and/or repair of any part of an onsite sewage treatment system in Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, McLean, Renville, Sheridan, or Ward Counties. A permit must be received prior to any work done on the system. All work must be completed by a NDDEQ- licensed septic contractor or certified property owner.”

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.