Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Vermillion, South Dakota

Vermillion’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, moving, demolition of buildings regulated by the IRC inside Vermillion city

  • Building official may exempt minor work.
  • Exempt: one-story detached accessory structures up to 120 sq ft, retaining walls up to 4 ft, decks up to 200 sq ft and 30 in. above grade, and others listed in R105.2.
  • Fees set by resolution.

  exempt shed floor area: <= 120 sq ft (side walls no greater than 10 feet)

  “one-story detached accessory structures with side walls no greater than 10 feet in height, used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses, and similar uses, provided the floor area does not exceed 120 square feet.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  1- and 2-family dwellings inside Vermillion city (2018 International Residential Code, with local amendments)

  • 2018 IRC with local amendments in § 150.03; 2018 International Building Code also adopted (§ 150.02).
  • Plumbing and electrical permits/inspections go through state commissions per § 150.02.

  IRC edition: 2018

  “designated as the international residential code, 2018 edition, as published by the international code council, inc., be and is hereby adopted as the residential building code of the city of vermillion”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted residential work inside Vermillion city

  • Applies to work under the adopted IRC; plumbing and electrical inspections are through state commissions.

  “work shall not be done beyond the point indicated in each successive inspection without first obtaining the approval of the building official.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Vermillion city limits

  • Chapter 156 (joint zoning regulations) also exists for a joint jurisdiction area; not examined.

  “§ 155.031 r-1 residential district. the purpose of this district is to provide for certain low density residential areas the city now developed primarily with single-family detached dwellings.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Vermillion city zoning districts (NRC, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 and others) in chapter 155

  “any commercial vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr) of over 13,000 pounds in a nrc, r-1, r-2, r-3 or r-4 zoning district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Residential District, single-family detached dwelling, inside Vermillion city

  • Other R-1 uses: 7,500 sq ft; attached dwellings 2,500 sq ft.
  • A residence may be constructed on a lot-of-record.

  minimum lot area: >= 6500 sq ft · minimum frontage: >= 50 ft

  “dwelling, single-family detached 6,500 square feet 50 feet 65 feet see #2 30 feet see #4 8 feet see #3 25 feet 35 feet”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Residential District, single-family detached dwelling, inside Vermillion city

  maximum height: <= 35 ft

  “dwelling, single-family detached 6,500 square feet 50 feet 65 feet see #2 30 feet see #4 8 feet see #3 25 feet 35 feet”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory buildings on lots inside Vermillion city under zoning chapter 155

  • Accessory buildings may not be used as dwellings; whether a separate ADU use is permitted in any district was not determined.

  “accessory buildings may not be used for dwelling purposes.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways inside Vermillion city

  • Stated within the list of work exempt from a building permit.

  “sidewalks and driveways. a driveway permit is required from the city engineer.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Vermillion city
• Certificate of occupancy — Vermillion city
• Minimum dwelling size — Vermillion city
• Lot coverage — Vermillion city
• Living in an RV — Vermillion city

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.