Bolthole Index

Williams County, North Dakota

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Ray, North Dakota

Ray, North Dakota requires city approval for building activity; the city’s published process also routes building-permit applications through Williams County for review and inspections.1 Ray decides zoning compliance before action on a building permit.2 Septic permits are handled by the Upper Missouri District Health Unit, rather than the city’s zoning office.3

At a glance

Building permits
City application plus Williams County building-permit review1
Zoning
City zoning conformance approval4
Septic permits
Upper Missouri District Health Unit; public sewer availability matters5
Agricultural District lot size
Minimum 10 acres6
Agricultural District setbacks
50 feet from boundaries for non-farm work-related structures7
Utility connections
City water and sewer connections require a permit and inspection8

Who to call

Building permits

Ray City Hall / City Auditor’s Office

City building applications, zoning conformance and water/sewer connection applications

701-568-2204

[email protected]

101 Main Street | Ray, ND 58849

Building permits

Ray City Auditor’s Office — published building-permit process

Published sequence for building permits within Ray city limits

Septic permits

Upper Missouri District Health Unit — Environmental Health

Individual septic-system permits and installer licensing

701-774-6400

110 W. Bdwy, Suite 101 Williston, ND 58801

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Ray, ND?

Ray’s published building guidelines require a city permit or zoning conformance when a structure will be built on the property.8 Ray also requires a property survey and City Commission approval before building.8 The city’s published building-permit sequence includes a separate Williams County building permit, county plan information and county inspections.1 Start with Ray City Hall to obtain the appropriate city application and confirm the approvals for your project.8

Who handles building-permit applications in Ray?

Ray City Hall is the starting contact for the city building application and zoning conformance questions; call 701-568-2204 or email [email protected].8 The city’s published process directs applicants to submit the city application and a $25 fee at the City Auditor’s Office before taking the application and receipt to Williams County Building Department.1 County building-permit fees are a separate step in that process, and the approved county permit returns to the city for City Commission approval.1

Does Ray have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Ray uses a zoning conformance permit to establish that routine building activity complies with city zoning.4 Ray can process zoning conformance alongside fire- and building-code permits, but zoning compliance must be determined before action on the building permit.2 In Ray’s Agricultural District, the minimum lot size is 10 acres.6 Ray’s Agricultural District requires non-farm work-related structures to sit at least 50 feet from every property boundary.7 Ask City Hall to identify the parcel’s district and the applicable application before designing the building footprint.8

How do septic permits and sewer connections work in Ray?

The Upper Missouri District Health Unit permits individual septic systems in Williams County, including the health district’s service area in Ray.3 UMDHU requires an individual-system permit before construction and refuses that permit where public sewer is available.5 UMDHU requires discharge into a public or non-community sewage system when the system is deemed available within 200 feet of premises used for human occupancy.9 Ray requires a city permit and inspection before connection to city water or sewer lines.8 For an approved private septic installation, notify UMDHU at least 2 working days before inspection and leave the installation uncovered until inspected unless prior approval is granted.10

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Ray?

We could not confirm a general Ray rule allowing private-lot RV living or tiny-home occupancy; ask Ray City Hall for the zoning approval that would apply to your proposed dwelling.8 Ray’s manufactured-home definition requires a permanent foundation and connection to public water and sewer where available, alongside other construction and dimensional conditions.11 Ray’s temporary workforce-housing provisions require each dwelling to connect properly to the city sewer system with city-approved connections.12 A temporary workforce-housing space cannot be occupied until the building inspector issues a certificate of occupancy.13

Building a home in Ray: what are the steps?

  1. Obtain the appropriate application from Ray City Hall and arrange the property survey required for city building approval.8
  2. Submit the city building application and $25 fee at the City Auditor’s Office, then take the application and receipt to Williams County Building Department.1
  3. Apply for the county building permit, pay county application fees and provide the requested building plans.1
  4. Bring the granted county building permit back to Ray for City Commission approval before building.1
  5. Follow county inspection requirements; the published process sends the county certificate of occupancy through the city to the applicant.1

What should you check before buying land in Ray?

Ask Ray City Hall to identify the city applications for your proposed construction and water or sewer connections before committing to a design.8 If private septic is proposed, UMDHU’s minimum lot size is 1 acre, with smaller lots possible through an approved centralized system; zoning may require more land.14 That sanitation minimum does not replace Ray’s 10-acre Agricultural District minimum.146 For land outside Ray city limits, consult the Williams County guide for the county’s unincorporated-area zoning rules.15

Watch-outs

  • Do not treat Ray’s city building application as the entire approval: the published process also requires Williams County building-permit review and Ray City Commission approval.1
  • We could not confirm an owner-builder exemption for Ray; ask City Hall which building approvals apply to an owner-built home.8
  • Ray’s building-sewer permit and inspection fee is set by City Commission resolution and paid when the application is filed; ask the city for the current amount.16

Sources

  1. Ray City Auditor’s Office — published building-permit process (cms2.revize.com)
  2. Ray Code of Ordinances § 34-70, Zoning conformance permits (Ray), quoted and re-checked
  3. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  4. Ray Code of Ordinances § 34-70, Zoning conformance permits (Ray), quoted and re-checked
  5. Regulations for Individual Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  6. Ray Code of Ordinances § 34-106, Agricultural District (AG) (Ray), quoted and re-checked
  7. Ray Code of Ordinances § 34-106, Agricultural District (AG) (Ray), quoted and re-checked
  8. Ray City Hall / City Auditor’s Office (raynd.com)
  9. Regulations for Individual Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  10. Regulations for Individual Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  11. Ray Code of Ordinances § 34-2, Definitions (Ray), quoted and re-checked
  12. Ray Code of Ordinances § 34-158, Temporary workforce housing facilities (Ray), quoted and re-checked
  13. Ray Code of Ordinances § 34-158, Temporary workforce housing facilities (Ray), quoted and re-checked
  14. Regulations for Individual Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  15. Ordinance No. 2022-08-02.1, County-Wide Zoning District Map, quoted and re-checked
  16. Ray Code of Ordinances § 32-110, Building sewers and connections (Ray), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 Ray

Ray’s own rules

  • Building permitLimited

    Routine building activity subject to Ray's zoning conformance process.

    • The zoning conformance process may be combined and processed simultaneously with city fire and building-code permits; zoning compliance is determined before action on the building permit.
    “Zoning conformance permits may be combined and processed simultaneously with permits required by the city's fire and building codes, although the development's compliance with zoning shall be determined prior to action on the building permit.”
  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Fire-code matters within Ray city limits.

    • This source establishes adoption of the 2006 International Fire Code as adopted and amended in the cited NDAC provision; it does not establish adoption of a complete residential building-code package.
    “The 2006 edition of the International Fire Code as adopted and amended in NDAC § 10-07-01-04 et seq. is hereby adopted by reference.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Building-sewer connections within Ray city limits.

    • The applicant must notify the city when the sewer is ready; connection and testing occur under the city engineer, public works director, or representative.
    “The connection and testing shall be made under the supervision of the city engineer, public works director or representative.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Spaces in temporary workforce housing facilities within Ray city limits.

    • The condition applies before any space is occupied or used and requires issuance by the building inspector.
    “No space may be occupied or used until it has been issued a certificate of occupancy by the building inspector.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Development and routine building activity within Ray city limits.

    • A zoning conformance permit is issued only after the administrator finds the development complies with the zoning article.
    “The purpose of this permit is to ensure that routine building activity complies with this article.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts within Ray city limits.

    • The cited code publishes, among others, Agricultural, R-1, R-2, and R-3 district regulations.
    “The purpose of this district is to provide an area for mobile homes and other types of residential development served by public water and sewer.”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    Water and sewage disposal for temporary workforce housing facilities within Ray city limits.

    • Approval may be by the city, Upper Missouri District Health Unit, and/or R&T Rural Water Association.
    “Water, sewage disposal and solid waste disposal facilities must meet the requirements of and be approved by the city, Upper Missouri District Health Unit and/or R&T Rural Water Association.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Temporary workforce housing facilities within Ray city limits.

    • Each dwelling must be properly connected to the city sewer system; the developer's engineer designs connections, which require city approval and compliance with applicable state and city health codes and requirements.
    “Each dwelling shall be properly connected to the city sewer system. All connections shall be designed by the developer's engineer and installed with city approval in accordance with all applicable state and city health codes and requirements.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Manufactured homes qualifying as single-family dwellings in Ray city limits.

    • The definition also requires compliance with federal manufactured-home or International Building Code standards at production, at least 600 square feet, a permanent foundation, specified exterior features, and a 24-foot minimum first-story narrow dimension.
    “Are connected to public water and sewer where available;”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Residential, commercial, and industrial building-sewer permits within Ray city limits.

    • The fee is set by city-commission resolution and is payable when the application is filed; the amount is not stated in the code section.
    “A permit and inspection fee, as set by resolution of the city commission for a residential, commercial and industrial building sewer permit, shall be paid to the city at the time the application is filed.”

Rules another office applies inside Ray

Ray 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

    Agricultural District land within Ray city limits.

    minimum lot size: >= 10 acres

    “Minimum lot size. The minimum lot size for this district shall be ten acres.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Non-farm work-related structures in the Agricultural District within Ray city limits.

    • This stated setback applies to non-farm work-related structures.

    property-boundary setback: >= 50 feet (Non-farm work-related structures only.)

    “Setbacks. All non-farm work related structures shall be located a minimum of 50 feet from any property boundary.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings within Ray city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lots within Ray city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land within Ray city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy within Ray city limits.
  • Septic permit — Private onsite septic systems within Ray city limits.
7 more unanswered
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Ray publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Williams County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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