Bolthole Index

Fall River County, South Dakota

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hot Springs, South Dakota

The City of Hot Springs, South Dakota issues building permits through its building inspection department1 and zones land under a city ordinance with 14 district types2. Plumbing and electrical permits come from the state, not the city1. Properties within 400 feet of a city sewer main must connect to it3. Outside city limits, Fall River County has no planning and zoning4.

At a glance

Building permit
Issued by the City of Hot Springs building inspection department1
Zoning
City zoning ordinance with 14 district types and a certified zoning map2
Plumbing and electrical
Permitted through the state, not the city1
Sewer
Connection required when a city sewer main is within 400 feet of the property line3
RV living (RA district)
Temporary only: up to 3 weeks in any 90-day period, and only while vacationing or visiting5
Lot rules (RA district)
6,000 sq ft minimum lot, 50 ft width, 30% maximum coverage, 35 ft height678
Owner-builder
State electrical owner's exemption exists; a city owner-builder rule is unconfirmed9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Hot Springs Building Inspection Department

Building permits, inspections of new construction, contractor licensing and the adopted building codes inside Hot Springs city limits

605-745-4104

[email protected]

303 North River St., Hot Springs, SD 57747

Zoning

City of Hot Springs City Hall (Planning & Zoning)

Zoning ordinance, zoning map, variances and use permit applications inside Hot Springs city limits

605-745-3135

[email protected]

303 North River St., Hot Springs, SD 57747

Septic permits

South Dakota DANR On-Site Wastewater Systems

State on-site wastewater design requirements and installation-plan questions

(605) 773-4647

[email protected]

Floodplain permits

Fall River County GIS Department

Checks whether a building site outside the cities is in the floodplain

605-745-5136

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 Hot Springs means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Hot Springs, South Dakota?

Inside Hot Springs city limits, building permits come from the city, not Fall River County. The City of Hot Springs building inspection department issues building permits as outlined in the city ordinance and inspects new construction1. The city also adopted the 2021 international building codes, including the residential code1.

Plumbing and electrical work is the exception: the city says those are permitted through the state, not the city1. South Dakota's electrical wiring permit costs $2010, and an electrical final inspection is required before occupancy11. Plumbing work needs a state plumbing installation certificate12.

We could not confirm the city's building-permit fee schedule or a separate certificate-of-occupancy rule, so ask the building inspection department before you budget1.

Who issues building permits in Hot Springs, and how do you reach them?

The City of Hot Springs Building Inspection Department handles building permits, inspections of new construction and contractor licensing inside city limits1. Call 605-745-4104 or email [email protected]; the department is based at City Hall, 303 North River St.1.

For zoning questions, variances and the comprehensive plan, City Hall answers at 605-745-313513. Fall River County's offices serve land outside the cities, not parcels inside Hot Springs; the county's own page tells city residents to contact the city for building permits4.

Does Hot Springs have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Hot Springs zoning divides the city into 14 district types shown on a certified city zoning map2. Check the map for your parcel's district before you buy, because the district decides what you can build14.

In the Residential A (RA) district, a single-family dwelling needs a lot at least 50 feet wide at the front building line6. RA setbacks are 25 feet in front, at least 10 feet on the side of a single-story home, and 25 feet in the rear15. Buildings may cover no more than 30% of an RA lot7, and a main building may not exceed 2.5 stories or 35 feet8.

Variances to setbacks or other restrictions go to the City Council13. We could not confirm minimum dwelling size, accessory dwelling or tiny-home rules inside the city, so ask City Hall at 605-745-313513.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Hot Springs?

Not as a permanent home in town. Hot Springs prohibits using a tent or camper as living quarters, and allows overnight camping only on land established for camping and in private campgrounds where the zoning district permits it16. In the RA district, an RV or travel trailer may be placed temporarily for occupants who are away from their legal residence vacationing or visiting, for no more than 3 weeks in any 90-day period5.

Rules for other districts and for tiny homes were not confirmed. Ask City Hall at 605-745-3135 before buying a lot for either13. Outside city limits, Fall River County has no planning and zoning, so county zoning places no occupancy limit on unincorporated land4. See the Fall River County page for that land.

How do septic permits work inside Hot Springs?

Sewer comes first in Hot Springs. A property that abuts a street, alley or right-of-way with a city sanitary sewer, other than a force main, must connect at the owner's expense within 60 days of official notice, as long as the sewer is within 400 feet of the property line3. The Public Works Engineer or Building Official may approve another private wastewater method when topography, rock or another natural barrier makes connection impractical3.

For a lot with no sewer available, South Dakota regulates on-site wastewater systems statewide through the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR)17. We could not confirm whether the city adds its own septic permit; call DANR at (605) 773-4647 and the city building inspection department at 605-745-4104181.

The Hot Springs rule applies inside the city. Fall River County also directs unincorporated-land residents to DANR19.

Building a home in Hot Springs: the steps, in order

  1. Look up your parcel's zoning district on the city zoning map and read the district rules (call City Hall at 605-745-3135)1413.
  2. Ask the city whether public sewer is within 400 feet of the lot line3.
  3. Apply for a building permit with the building inspection department (605-745-4104)1.
  4. If you plan to wire the house yourself, get the approved state homeowner electrical permit before starting; the state owner's exemption covers licensing, not permits or inspection9.
  5. Get state plumbing and electrical permits and inspections, which the city does not issue1.
  6. If the driveway will meet a state highway, apply to the South Dakota Department of Transportation before building it20.
  7. Schedule the electrical final inspection before occupancy11.

What to check before you buy land in Hot Springs

Confirm that the parcel is inside city limits, because county and city rules differ. Outside the city, Fall River County has no planning and zoning but requires a county permit to build within the flood plain21; the county GIS Department at 605-745-5136 checks floodplain status22. We could not confirm the city's own floodplain permit rule, so ask the building inspection department1.

Soils matter if you are off the sewer: USDA rates only about 12.5% of Fall River County soils as not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system23. Fall River County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%24.

Watch-outs

  • The county's rule that there is no planning and zoning applies outside Hot Springs and Edgemont, not to land inside Hot Springs city limits4.
  • The city lot-size, setback and RV figures here are for the Residential A district; other districts differ, so check the parcel's district on the city zoning map14.
  • We could not confirm the city's building-permit fees, certificate-of-occupancy rule, private-septic permit rule, well rule or short-term-rental rule; call the building inspection department at 605-745-41041.

Sources

  1. City of Hot Springs Building Inspection Department (hotspringssd.gov)
  2. § 155.003 Zoning Districts and Map (Hot Springs), quoted and re-checked
  3. § 52.02 Use of Public Sewers Required (Hot Springs), quoted and re-checked
  4. Planning & Zoning - Fall River County, South Dakota, quoted and re-checked
  5. § 155.020 Residential A District (Hot Springs), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 155.020 Residential A District (Hot Springs), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 155.020 Residential A District (Hot Springs), quoted and re-checked
  8. § 155.020 Residential A District (Hot Springs), quoted and re-checked
  9. South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. South Dakota Electrical Wiring Rules Bulletin (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Inspections (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Hot Springs City Hall (Planning & Zoning) (hotspringssd.gov)
  14. § 155.003 Zoning Districts and Map (Hot Springs), quoted and re-checked
  15. § 155.020 Residential A District (Hot Springs), quoted and re-checked
  16. § 155.055 Tents, Campers; Camping (Hot Springs), quoted and re-checked
  17. On-Site Wastewater Systems in South Dakota (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. South Dakota DANR On-Site Wastewater Systems (danr.sd.gov)
  19. Planning & Zoning - Fall River County, South Dakota, quoted and re-checked
  20. Instructions: Applying for permission for driveway or intersection on a South Dakota state highway (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Planning & Zoning - Fall River County, South Dakota, quoted and re-checked
  22. Fall River County GIS Department (fallrivercountysd.gov)
  23. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  24. Effective property tax rate: 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 Hot Springs

Hot Springs’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Hot Springs city limits.

    • The zoning map and district regulations govern according to parcel district classification.
    “For the purpose of promoting the public health, safety, morals, convenience and the general welfare of the community of the city, it is hereby divided into districts of 14 different types”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Hot Springs city limits.

    • District boundaries are shown on the certified current City zoning map.
    • The code identifies 14 district types.

    number of district types: 14

    “The location and boundaries of the zoning districts established by this chapter are denoted and defined as shown in the most current map entitled “Zoning Map of the City of Hot Springs, South Dakota,” and certified by the Zoning Administrator.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the Residential A (RA) district inside Hot Springs city limits.

    • The RA provision also sets different requirements for two-family and multiple-family dwellings.

    minimum lot area: >= 6000 square feet (For each single-family dwelling and accessory building.) · minimum lot width at front building line: >= 50 feet (May average 50 feet where lot abuts a street at least 30 feet.)

    “For single-family dwellings, there shall be a minimum lot width of 50 feet at the front building line. May be average of 50 feet if the lot abuts a street for a minimum of 30 feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the Residential A (RA) district inside Hot Springs city limits.

    • Cold Springs Addition properties abutting its flood-control channel are exempt from specified RA rear-yard requirements.

    front-yard depth: >= 25 feet (Single-family, two-family, and multiple-family dwellings.) · interior side yard, single-story dwelling: >= 10 feet · rear yard, primary structure: >= 25 feet (Cold Springs Addition flood-control-channel exception applies.)

    “For single story dwellings, located on interior lots, side yards shall be not less than ten feet in width. For dwellings of more than one story, there shall be side yards of not less than 12 feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Lots in the Residential A (RA) district inside Hot Springs city limits.

    • The maximum includes main and accessory buildings.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent (Main and accessory buildings.)

    “Maximum lot coverage. Main and accessory buildings shall cover not more than 30% of the lot area.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Main buildings in the Residential A (RA) district inside Hot Springs city limits.

    • The general height-rule exception in § 155.047 may apply.

    maximum main-building height: <= 35 feet (Except as provided in § 155.047.) · maximum main-building stories: <= 2.5 stories (Except as provided in § 155.047.)

    “Height regulation. No main building shall exceed two and one-half stories or 35 feet in height, except as provided in § 155.047.”
  • Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

    Temporary tents, campers, RVs, and travel trailers in the Residential A (RA) district inside Hot Springs city limits.

    • Occupants must be away from their legal residence for vacationing or visiting.
    • Occupancy may not exceed three weeks in any 90-day period.

    temporary occupancy period: <= 3 weeks (Per any 90-day period; only while vacationing or visiting away from legal residence.)

    “Temporary placement of tents, campers, RVs and travel trailers where the occupants are away from their place of legal residence for the purpose of vacationing or visiting for a length of time not to exceed three weeks in any 90-day period.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Overnight camping inside Hot Springs city limits.

    • Camping is allowed only on lands established for camping purposes and in private campgrounds where permitted by the applicable zoning district.
    • A tent or camper may not be used, erected, or maintained as living quarters.
    “No tent or camper shall be used, erected or maintained as living quarters. Overnight camping is permitted on lands established for camping purposes, and in private campgrounds, where permitted in districts of this chapter.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Houses, buildings, and properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes inside Hot Springs city limits.

    • The property must abut a street, alley, or right-of-way containing a City public sanitary or combined sewer, excluding force mains.
    • Connection is required within 60 days after official notice when the public sewer is within 400 feet of the property line.
    • The Public Works Engineer or Building Official may approve another private wastewater-disposal method when connection infrastructure is not readily achievable because of topography, rocks, or another naturally occurring barrier.

    public-sewer distance from property line: <= 400 feet (Force mains excluded; availability conditions apply.) · connection deadline after official notice: <= 60 days

    “The owner(s) of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes, situated within the city and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary or combined sewer of the city, except force mains, is hereby required, at the owner(s) expense, to connect such facilities directly to the proper public sewer in accordance with the provision of this chapter, within 60 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within 400 feet of the property line.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Hot Springs or Fall River County directly.

  • Building permit — Building work inside Hot Springs city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Hot Springs city limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Hot Springs city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Hot Springs city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Hot Springs city limits.
12 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Hot Springs publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Fall River County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Fall River County: county rules, score and offices