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

Hosmer’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New buildings, enlargements and moved buildings inside Hosmer city

  • Work valued over $250 requires submittal to the finance officer
  • Projects over $10,000 need city council approval; under $10,000 may be authorized by the public works supervisor
  • Permit lasts at most one year; extension fee set by council
  • Starting without a permit: inspection fee of at least $50 and penalty up to $50 per day

  value threshold: > 250 USD

  “if the proposed construction involves any enlargement of an existing building or the construction of a new building or moving of an old building, a plot plan showing the location of the buildings on the lot line shall be provided and a building permit shall be required.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Hosmer city limits

  • Adopts the Uniform Building Code, 2009 edition, save and except portions elected, modified or amended
  • Code text says a newer revised edition after 1982 governs

  “the certain building code which is known as the uniform building code, 2009 edition published by the international conference of building officials, save and except such portions as are hereinafter elected, modified, or amended”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New buildings and changes of occupancy inside Hosmer city

  “no new building shall be occupied and no change in occupancy of a building or part of a building shall be made until after the building inspector shall have issued a certificate of occupancy therefor as regulated by this chapter.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Hosmer city limits

  “for the purpose of this title, the incorporated areas of hosmer, south dakota are hereby divided into the following zoning districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Hosmer city zoning districts

  • Districts: agriculture land, R1 single family residential, R2 general residential, R3 mobile home park, central commercial, C1 commercial industrial, industrial.

  “r1. single family residential district: single family residential district of comparatively low concentration of development”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agricultural land district, Hosmer city

  • Minimum lot width 150 feet for permitted uses
  • Special-exception uses set by zoning commission

  minimum lot area: >= 1 acre

  “the minimum lot area for permitted uses shall be one acre.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — R1 single family residential district, Hosmer city

    “no dwelling together with its accessory buildings shall be hereafter erected upon a lot of less than 5,760 square feet or width of not less than forty-eight (48) feet and depth of not less than 120 feet.”

  • Specified — R2 general residential district, Hosmer city

    “no single family dwelling, together with its accessory buildings, shall be hereafter erected or placed upon a lot of less than 5,706 square feet and width of not less than forty eight (48) feet and depth of not less than 120 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R1 single family residential district, Hosmer city (R2 sets the same front, side and rear yards)

  • Side yard 7 feet each side; rear yard 25 feet; accessory buildings may abut alleys
  • Front setback follows block average if different from 25 feet

  front yard: >= 25 feet (block average)

  “front yard: there shall be a set back of not less than twenty-five (25) feet from the front lot line as to all buildings”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agricultural land district, Hosmer city

    “the location of any structure contained in the permitted uses must be located seventy-five (75) feet from any public road or street right of way.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R1 single family residential district, Hosmer city

  • Quoted text cut off after 'forty (40)'; unit presumed percent of lot area

  maximum coverage: <= 40 percent

  “lot coverage: all dwelling and accessory buildings on any lot shall not cover more than forty (40) percent of the lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R1 single family residential district, Hosmer city (R2 has same limit)

  • Or two and one half stories

  maximum height: <= 35 feet

  “no dwelling shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet or two and one half (2½) stories in height, within the r1 district.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agricultural land district, Hosmer city

    “maximum height of all structures shall not exceed fifty (50) feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes and trailer houses used as dwellings inside Hosmer city

  • Mobile home court may be located in district R3
  • Mobile home parks also listed under R2 special uses; permanent mobile homes by special permit in the agriculture district with neighbor signatures
  • R1 permitted dwellings exclude mobile homes
  • Court needs at least four spaces

  “it shall be unlawful for any person to place any trailer house or mobile home used for human habitation or to use any trailer house or mobile home for living, sleeping, or business purposes on any premises except in an authorized mobile home court. said mobile home court may be located in district r3 as outlined on the map entitled "zoning use districts".”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Hosmer city
• Inspections — Inspections inside Hosmer city
• Minimum dwelling size — Inside Hosmer city
• Living in an RV — RV living inside Hosmer city
• Camping on your land — Inside Hosmer 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.