Chippewa County, Minnesota Building Permit Guide

In the unincorporated parts of Chippewa County, Land and Resource Management, at 629 North 11th Street in Montevideo, issues the land use permit required before building a house, garage, farm building or other structure or changing a use, along with septic permits. A new dwelling permit costs $100 and a septic permit $100 under the fee schedule the County Board adopted for 2026, and a permit is good for one year.

What requires a permit in Chippewa County?

Section 2 of the Land and Related Resources Management Ordinance requires a use permit, issued as a land use permit, before constructing a building or accessory structure, or changing the use of a building, structure or land, anywhere in the unincorporated county. The county’s fee schedule shows the range of work that needs one, and two items that do not.

In the Agricultural Preservation District a non-farm dwelling may be permitted on an abandoned farmstead, and no non-farm dwelling may be built within three-quarters of a mile of an existing animal feedlot unless it replaces an existing dwelling or sits on an abandoned farmstead. Feedlots themselves follow the Chippewa County Feedlot Ordinance and state rules.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county sets zoning districts (agricultural preservation, urban management, natural areas, floodplain, shoreland and Minnesota River management), setbacks, septic rules and feedlot separation; where a township has a more restrictive permanent zoning ordinance, that ordinance applies. The county’s permit pages describe zoning review only, not building-code plan review or framing inspections. Electrical work is permitted and inspected through the state Department of Labor and Industry unless a local program applies, and Chippewa is not on the Minnesota Department of Health’s list of delegated well programs.

Chippewa County building department: who handles permitting

Land and Resource Management handles zoning, planning, solid and hazardous waste, water planning, the county parks and campgrounds, and internal GIS. Land use applications are available from the county office or from the township clerk, and the zoning administrator issues the permit only after confirming that any needed state and federal permits are in hand. The Highway Department handles county road approaches and other road permits.

The Highway Department keeps summer hours from May 1 to September 30, Monday to Thursday from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and winter hours from October 1 to April 30, Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Cities in Chippewa County

Each city zones and permits inside its own limits. The county must permit and inspect septic systems inside any city that does not run an effective septic program of its own. Only part of Granite Falls lies in Chippewa County, and the Census places a part of Raymond with no residents in Chippewa County.

Chippewa County permit types

The office issues land use permits, variances and conditional use permits under the ordinance, plus septic permits under Section 15, and separate ordinances cover wind power, solar (updated in 2025), sex-oriented businesses and cannabis (updated in 2025). Its forms page posts the land use preliminary application, a feedlot variance waiver, a tree planting variance waiver, an SSTS loan application and the cannabis retail registration forms.

Residential permits

The land use preliminary application, revised April 14, 2026, asks whether the owner’s main income is from the farm, the contractor and license number, the class of work (new, addition, repair, replace, move, demolish, sign or renew), the age of a moved-in dwelling or trailer home, bedrooms being added, the structure’s size, height, stories, foundation and walkout, whether there is pressurized water and a well, the septic status, setbacks measured from the center of each road, and whether the site has ever flooded. A sketch on the back shows lot dimensions, road, side and rear setbacks, every structure, the well, septic tank and drain field, trees and driveways.

In the Agricultural Preservation District, farm and non-farm buildings stand at least 75 feet from the right of way of any public road, with 30-foot side and rear yards; non-farm buildings may not exceed 35 feet in height, a non-farm dwelling lot must have at least 3 acres, and lots need 100 feet of road frontage. Field windbreaks and groves can be closer to the road only with the road authority’s written consent on the county waiver form.

Water adds its own numbers. In the shoreland district, structures and septic systems stay 150 feet from a Natural Environment lake, every structure stays 30 feet from the top of a bluff, 50 feet from an unplatted cemetery, a historic site or a federal, state or county highway right of way, and 20 feet from a town road, and only stairways and landings may go in a bluff impact zone. In the Minnesota River district, the scenic sub-district needs 4-acre lots with 250 feet of width and a 150-foot setback from the ordinary high water mark, and the recreational sub-district 3 acres, 200 feet and 100 feet; both cap structures at 35 feet.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit expediting, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial and other permits

Commercial buildings and additions take land use permits, and the 2026 schedule charges commercial solar and wind projects $1,500 per megawatt. New construction, additions and renovations that change a building’s use or occupancy in a zoning sub-district need a fuller site plan covering circulation, trash, storm drainage, fire protection, elevations, topography, grading, landscaping, erosion control, floor plans, parking and loading, and lighting; a survey is required on unplatted land when minimum setbacks are used. Conditional use requests go to the planning commission for a recommendation and variances to the Board of Adjustment, at a scheduled or special meeting.

What comes before the permit

• Other permits. State and federal permits must be obtained before the county issues its permit.
• Septic. Know the system’s status; a compliance inspection is needed for most shoreland permits and any bedroom addition.
• Road approach. A new approach onto a county road needs a Highway Department permit.
• Feedlot distance. Check for animal feedlots within three-quarters of a mile before planning a non-farm home.
• Shoreland. Land within 1,000 feet of a lake, pond or flowage falls under the shoreland district rules.

Chippewa County permit fees

Land use fees come from the county fee schedule, first adopted on January 1, 2022 and updated for January 1, 2026; the County Board adopted the 2026 schedule after a public hearing on December 16, 2025.

Worked example from the schedule: a new house with a new septic system needs the $100 dwelling permit and the $100 septic permit, or $200, plus $75 and materials for a new county road approach. Building without a permit draws a $50 fine for a first offense, $100 for a second and $500 for a third, on top of the permit fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Chippewa County issues no electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits. Electrical permits are filed with the Department of Labor and Industry wherever its lookup shows the state as the authority, and the county’s application asks only for the contractor’s name and license number; licenses come from the state.

• Septic inspectors. Compliance inspections must be performed and signed by licensed inspection businesses or certified employees, and a licensed inspector may not inspect a system he or she designed or installed.
• Septic installers. The installer notifies the county 24 hours before a job is ready for inspection.
• Loans. The county takes applications for a septic loan program on its forms page.

How to apply for a Chippewa County land use permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Permits wait on any state or federal permits the project needs, and conditional uses and variances wait for a scheduled board meeting; asking for a special meeting doubles the $400 hearing fee to $800. The county does not send staff to verify setbacks when the application shows 200 feet or more, and if an approved application later proves wrong on setbacks the office will start proceedings to obtain compliance. A septic system found failing or non-compliant must be upgraded, replaced or taken out of use within ten months.

Inspections in Chippewa County

No part of a new or altered septic system may be covered until the county has inspected and accepted it. Existing systems need a compliance inspection by a state-licensed inspector when a land use permit or variance is requested in a shoreland zone (except for a deck, an accessory building of 120 square feet or less, or an exempt farm building), when a bedroom addition is permitted anywhere, when an operating permit is renewed or transferred, or when the county has reason to suspect a failure.

Where two compliance reports disagree, the zoning administrator brings the parties together and, if needed, uses another licensed inspector under county contract. The Board of Adjustment that hears variances has between three and seven members under Section 2 of the ordinance, and the planning commission reviews conditional use and subdivision applications before the County Board decides.

Minnesota building code

Chippewa County regulates land use through its Land and Related Resources Management Ordinance, with floodplain, shoreland and Minnesota River management districts, the Section 15 septic ordinance and the feedlot ordinance. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the county as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program since June 17, 1986, with a current flood map dated May 19, 1987.

Minnesota has one State Building Code that applies statewide and overrides local building codes, but enforcement is local: whether a building permit is needed depends on whether the city, township or county enforces the code there. Electrical permits come from the Department of Labor and Industry unless the local government runs its own electrical inspection. Minnesota rules

Chippewa County permit search and official resources

The county’s GIS interactive mapping and property tax pages give parcel information, and County Board agendas and minutes are posted in its agenda center; questions about an existing permit or septic system go to Land and Resource Management at 320-269-6231.

• Chippewa County Land & Resource Management
• Zoning and ordinance sections
• Forms
• Land use preliminary application
• County fee schedule, updated January 1, 2026
• County Board minutes, December 16, 2025
• Section 1, general provisions
• Section 2, administration
• Section 3, Agricultural Preservation District
• Section 6, floodplain management
• Section 7, shoreland management
• Section 8, Minnesota River management
• Section 15, septic system ordinance
• Section 16, solar ordinance
• Feedlot ordinance
• Highway Department
• Delegated well programs (Minnesota Department of Health)
• State electrical permits (DLI)
• FEMA Community Status Book, Minnesota

Chippewa County permit FAQs

Does Chippewa County issue building permits?

It issues land use permits for construction and changes of use outside the cities; its pages do not describe building-code inspections.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$100 for the land use permit, plus $100 for a septic system, under the 2026 schedule.

Do I need a permit for a concrete pad?

No. Concrete pads and personal pet houses need no permit.

Can I build a non-farm home on farmland?

In the Agricultural Preservation District a new non-farm dwelling may be permitted on an abandoned farmstead; otherwise none may be built within three-quarters of a mile of an existing feedlot unless it replaces an existing dwelling.

How far must buildings be from the road?

At least 75 feet from the right of way in the Agricultural Preservation District.

What happens if I build without a permit?

A $50 fine for a first offense, $100 for a second and $500 for a third, in addition to the permit fee.

How long is a land use permit good for?

One year from the date of issue.

Simplify Chippewa County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Minnesota. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Chippewa County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.