Bolthole Index

Ward County, North Dakota

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

The City of Minot, North Dakota (Ward County) runs its own zoning, with the city divided into zoning districts1, and requires residential buildings to be inspected before a certificate of occupancy is issued2. Building permits and inspections come from the city's Building Safety division3. Septic permits for Ward County come from the First District Health Unit, not the city4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes. Minot is divided into zoning districts under its Land Development Ordinance.15
Building permit
Plan review and inspection by the City of Minot before a certificate of occupancy2
Septic permit
First District Health Unit, with a state-licensed installer4
R1 minimum lot
7,500 sq ft interior lot, 9,500 sq ft corner lot6
R1 front and rear setbacks
25 ft front, 20 ft rear (exceptions apply)7
Floodplain
Development permit required in a special flood hazard area8
Permit fees
Set by a schedule the City Council ratifies; confirm with the city9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Minot Building Safety (Inspection Division)

Residential and commercial building permits, plan review and inspections inside Minot city limits

701-857-4102

10 3rd Ave SW, Minot, ND 58701

Online permits →

Septic permits

First District Health Unit, Environmental Health Division

Onsite sewage treatment (septic) permits and final inspections in Ward County

701-852-1376

801 11th Ave. SW, Minot, ND 58701

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Minot means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Minot, ND have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The City of Minot is divided into zoning districts under its Land Development Ordinance, and the city keeps the zoning map15. Rules differ by district, so look up the parcel's district before you plan anything.

In the R1 Single-Family Residential District, the minimum lot area is 7,500 square feet for an interior lot and 9,500 square feet for a corner lot6. R1 front setbacks are 25 feet (more on arterial or collector streets) and rear setbacks are 20 feet7. R1 lots may be 40 percent covered10, and buildings may be 35 feet tall, or 16 feet for accessory buildings11.

We could not confirm Minot's rules on living in an RV, tiny homes or a minimum house size. Ask the City of Minot Building Safety division before you buy3.

Do you need a building permit in Minot, ND, and who issues it?

Yes. The City of Minot requires residential plans to be reviewed, and requires that all residential buildings under construction be inspected for code compliance before a certificate of occupancy can be issued2. New homes, additions, remodeling, duplexes and accessory buildings greater than 120 square feet all need to be permitted3.

The city's Building Safety division issues these permits inside Minot city limits; call 701-857-4102 or visit 10 3rd Ave SW3. Applications run through the city's online permitting portal, which needs a valid email address and accepts card and e-check payments12. Fees come from a schedule that takes effect only after City Council ratification, so ask the division for the current amount9.

Agricultural property in Minot's AG district is exempt from building permits for farm structures, but not for family dwellings13.

How do septic permits work inside Minot, ND?

Septic permits in Ward County, including Minot addresses, come from the First District Health Unit, not the City of Minot4. A permit must be received before any work is done on the system14. The installer needs a license from the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, and the local public health unit permit comes first15.

A homeowner installing their own system must get the permit, finish the online NOWRA course and submit the certificate first. FDHU does the site evaluation and approves the design, and a final inspection must happen before the system is covered4.

Inside city limits, plumbing fixtures must connect either to a public water and sewer system or to an approved private waste and sewer system, and a separate connection requirement applies where city service is available16. Call the health unit at 701-852-137614.

Building a home in Minot, ND: the steps, in order

  1. Find the parcel's zoning district on the city's zoning map and check lot size, setbacks and height5.
  2. Check whether the parcel is in a special flood hazard area; development there needs a permit from the City Engineer before construction begins8.
  3. If city sewer is not used, contact First District Health Unit for a septic permit and site evaluation4.
  4. Submit plans for review through the city's permitting portal12.
  5. Build with the required inspections, ending with the final inspection before a certificate of occupancy2.

The Building Safety division at 701-857-4102 can confirm the order for a specific project3.

What stays with Ward County, and what to check before you buy in Minot?

Minot's rules apply inside city limits. For land outside the city, use the Ward County page: the county has its own zoning resolutions, and 17 of its 56 townships regulate their own zoning17. The county issues building permits only for townships it zones3.

Septic permits stay with First District Health Unit for every Ward County address, city or not4.

County-level numbers: the effective property tax rate is 1.1 percent and the median property tax bill is $2,785 per year1819.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Minot's rules on RV living, tiny homes, minimum dwelling size, driveway access or short-term rentals, so ask the Building Safety division at 701-857-4102 before relying on any of them3.
  • Setbacks and lot sizes listed here are for the R1 district only; other districts differ, and some R1 setbacks have exceptions7.
  • Land just outside city limits can fall under Ward County or township zoning instead of Minot's17.

Sources

  1. Minot Land Development Ordinance (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  2. Residential Inspection | Minot, ND (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  3. City of Minot Building Safety (Inspection Division) (minotnd.gov)
  4. Septic (Onsite Wastewater) Systems, quoted and re-checked
  5. Minot Land Development Ordinance (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  6. Minot Land Development Ordinance (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  7. Minot Land Development Ordinance (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  8. Minot Land Development Ordinance (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  9. Minot Land Development Ordinance (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  10. Minot Land Development Ordinance (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  11. Minot Land Development Ordinance (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  12. Permits & Licenses | Minot, ND (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  13. Minot Land Development Ordinance (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  14. First District Health Unit, Environmental Health Division (fdhu.org)
  15. On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Minot Code of Ordinances, Housing Code (Minot), quoted and re-checked
  17. Ward County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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 Minot

Minot’s own rules

  • InspectionsRequired

    Residential buildings under construction inside Minot city limits.

    • Inspection is for code compliance and occurs before a certificate of occupancy can issue.
    “The City of Minot requires that all residential buildings under construction be inspected for code compliance before a certificate of occupancy can be issued.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land development activities inside Minot city limits.

    • The ordinance also describes an extra-territorial district, which is outside this claim's city-limits scope.
    “For the purpose of this land development ordinance, the City of Minot is divided into various zoning districts.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts and district boundaries inside Minot city limits.

    • The City maintains the zoning map continuously current for lawful City Council changes.
    • Digital copies are to be made available on the City website.
    “Boundaries of zoning districts established by these zoning regulations shall be shown on the Zoning Map maintained by the City of Minot.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Required dwelling plumbing fixtures inside Minot city limits where public water and sewer are not used.

    • The private waste and sewer system must be approved.
    • The separate public-water-and-sewer connection requirement applies where the Chapter 31 availability trigger is met.
    “Every required kitchen sink, lavatory, bathtub, shower or water closet shall be properly connected to either a public water and sewer system or to an approved private waste and sewer system.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land within Minot city corporate limits.

    • Lots, blocks, and streets must comply with City procedures and City design and construction standards in the ordinance.
    “Land within the corporate limits of the City of Minot shall be divided into lots, blocks, and streets in compliance with City procedures and City design and construction standards set forth in the ordinance.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Construction or development in a special flood hazard area established in Land Development Ordinance section 11.1-6 inside Minot city limits.

    • The permit must be obtained before construction or development begins.
    • The City Engineer administers the ordinance and grants or denies applications.
    • The application may require the listed plans, elevations, certification, and watercourse-alteration description.
    “A development permit shall be obtained before construction or development begins within any special flood hazard area established in Section 11.1-6.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Land-use applications, sign permits, and administrative reviews inside Minot city limits.

    • The director's schedule may be amended, but no schedule or amendment is effective until City Council ratification by resolution.
    “no schedule or fees nor amendment thereof shall become effective until ratified, by way of resolution, of the City Council.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    City permits and licenses inside Minot city limits.

    • Use of the portal requires a valid email address.
    • The portal accepts credit-card, debit-card, and e-check payments.
    “To apply for a permit or license, click on the titles listed below.”

Rules another office applies inside Minot

Minot 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

    R1 Single-Family Residential District inside Minot city limits.

    • The 2-acre wastewater-disposal-system provision concerns extraterritorial lots and is outside this city-limits claim.

    minimum lot area—interior lot: >= 7500 square feet · minimum lot area—corner lot: >= 9500 square feet

    “Minimum Lot Area Interior lot – 7,500 square feet Corner lot – 9,500 square feet”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R1 Single-Family Residential District inside Minot city limits.

    • Front setbacks differ for arterial or collector streets and for qualifying side-load-garage interior lots.
    • Side and rear setbacks have stated exceptions for joined units and detached garages parallel to alleys.

    front setback: >= 25 feet (40 feet facing a platted or proposed arterial/collector street; 20 feet for a qualifying side-load garage on an interior lot.) · rear setback: >= 20 feet (3 feet from a detached garage parallel to an alley.)

    “Minimum Yard Setbacks Front – 25 feet (see exception below)”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R1 Single-Family Residential District inside Minot city limits.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent

    “Maximum Height of Building Residential – 35 feet Accessory – 16 feet Maximum Lot Coverage 40%”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R1 Single-Family Residential District inside Minot city limits.

    • The accessory-building limit differs from the residential-building limit.

    maximum height—residential building: <= 35 feet · maximum height—accessory building: <= 16 feet

    “Maximum Height of Building Residential – 35 feet Accessory – 16 feet”
  • Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Agricultural property in Minot's AG Agricultural District.

    • The exemption does not apply to structures built as family dwelling units.
    • It applies only to other structures used in the normal course of agricultural operations.
    “Building permits and building inspections for agricultural property shall apply only to the structures built as family dwelling units, and shall not apply to those other structures used in the normal course of agricultural operations.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — New residential construction inside Minot city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Minot city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings in the R1 Single-Family Residential District inside Minot city limits.
  • Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Minot city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Minot city limits.
9 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • 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 Minot publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Ward County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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