Faribault County, Minnesota Building Permit Guide

Faribault County Planning and Zoning, at 415 South Grove Street, Suite 8, in the Blue Earth Ag Center, issues a building (zoning) permit for new structures, additions and buildings moved in the unincorporated county, but its 2026 application states plainly that the county does not enforce the building code. The permit is $100 for a new structure, $50 for an addition and $30 for an accessory structure, doubled if late, and every application needs a septic certificate of compliance with proof the system was pumped or measured within three years. Cities handle their own permits.

What requires a permit in Faribault County?

Section 18 of the Faribault County Zoning Ordinance says no one may erect a building or sewage treatment system, or alter one in height or area, without first securing a building permit. The county’s Permits page sorts that into three groups, matching the three fee classes on the 2026 application.

Shoreland grading and filling has its own application, and towers, renewable energy systems and feedlots have theirs. Land in an airport safety zone A, B or C must also meet the 2011 Airport Safety Zoning Ordinance before a building permit is issued.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county controls zoning districts, lot sizes, setbacks, shoreland, floodplain and septic rules outside the cities, and its permit confirms only that a project meets the zoning ordinance. The 2026 application carries the line “Faribault County DOES NOT enforce Building Code,” so there is no county building-code plan review or construction inspection. Electrical permits come from the Department of Labor and Industry, and wells fall under the Minnesota Department of Health.

Faribault County building department: who handles permitting

Planning and Zoning issues building, conditional use, variance, grading and filling, tower and renewable energy permits, runs the septic program and, as a delegated feedlot county, handles all parts of the feedlot program for smaller feedlots, generally those under 1,000 animal units. Driveway and right-of-way permits come from Public Works, which also requires a miscellaneous work permit for grading or private tile in the county right-of-way, manure pumping and any work that blocks the right-of-way, and a utility permit for utility lines and tile crossings under county roads. For driveway culverts the county now accepts dual-wall plastic pipe, provided galvanized steel aprons are used.

Cities in Faribault County

The zoning and septic ordinances apply outside incorporated limits, so each city runs its own zoning and building-code decision. In the unincorporated community of Huntley, which has a county sewer service district, the permit form marks sites as exempt from the septic requirement and sets a 10-foot setback from public sewer lines. Flood-program status is from FEMA’s Community Status Book.

Faribault County permit types

The county posts applications for building permits, conditional use permits, renewable energy systems, towers, variances and shoreland grading and filling, plus a split/combine form and a property transaction form for septic systems. Feedlot permits are arranged by appointment with the office.

Residential permits

A new house on a new site must meet the district’s minimum lot size and every setback, including 1,500 feet from a feedlot, and its septic permit application is filed with Planning and Zoning by the contractor. On an existing site smaller than the district minimum, a new dwelling is not allowed without a variance. In the A-1 Shoreland Agriculture and A-2 General Agriculture districts a dwelling lot needs 2.5 acres, 300 feet of width and depth, 30-foot side and 50-foot rear yards and a 30-foot height limit; R-1 Rural Residence lots need 1 acre and 150 feet of width and depth with 10-foot side yards. Buildings stand back from the road centerline 200 feet on an interstate, 130 feet on a state highway, 100 feet on a county road and 65 feet on a township road, and windbreaks 100 feet on all of them.

Around lakes, structures keep 150 feet from the ordinary high water level in A-1 and A-2, 100 feet on Minnesota Lake and Rice Lake and 75 feet on Bass Lake in the R-2 Shoreland Residential district, where lots need 40,000 square feet and buildings top out at 25 feet. A building sits 3 feet from a well, a septic tank or drain field 50 feet from a well, and a house 10 feet from its septic tank and 20 feet from the drain field.

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

Commercial and other permits

New farm buildings have no lot size rule and need only the road, public drainage and shoreline setbacks; feedlots need 5 acres outside shoreland, or 10 acres for more than 1,000 animal units, and sit 500 feet from a public drainage system. Uses listed as conditional, such as home businesses, two-family dwellings, kennels, nurseries, salvage yards, landfills, earthen basins and towers, go through a conditional use hearing. Variances cover setback, height, density and lot coverage relief and new feedlots or homes closer than the separation distances; a use the district does not allow cannot be granted by variance. A conditional use site plan drawn to scale shows property corners, existing and proposed buildings with their dimensions, driveways and roads, setbacks to lot lines, roads and water, the septic system, the well, public and private drainage and any area where fill will be stored, which the DNR does not allow in the floodplain.

What comes before the permit

• Septic certificate. A current certificate of compliance and pumping proof, or a non-compliant system form with a construction delay signed by the owner.
• E-911 address. A site needing a new address files the 911 addressing form and pays $150.
• Land splits. A licensed septic designer completes the split form, and each new home lot must support two Type I septic sites proven by two soil borings.
• Wetlands and floodplain. The form asks whether wetlands, shoreland or floodplain are affected, and whether a grading and filling permit is needed.
• Driveway. A new driveway or field entrance on a county road needs a Public Works permit.

Faribault County permit fees

Building permit fees are set by County Board resolution and printed on the 2026 Building (Zoning) Permit Application; checks go to the Faribault County Treasurer, and fees are not refunded.

Example: a new house on a site that needs an address pays $100 for the permit and $150 for the 911 address, or $250 in county permit fees, before septic costs; a deck added later is $50. If construction starts first, the permit fee doubles.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The county’s permit list has no plumbing or mechanical permits, and electrical permits are filed with the Department of Labor and Industry, which applies the 2026 National Electrical Code to permits filed on or after August 17, 2026. Contractors, electricians and plumbers hold state licenses rather than county ones.

• Septic contractors. The county posts a licensed professionals list; new-system applications come from the contractor, and splits need a licensed septic designer.
• Feedlot operators. Smaller feedlots deal with the county as the delegated authority; larger ones with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
• Wells. Well work goes through the Minnesota Department of Health; the permit form asks for the distance from the building to the well.

How to apply for a Faribault County permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Missing septic paperwork is the usual hold-up, since the department will not approve a building permit without the certificate and pumping proof. Conditional use permits take four to eight weeks: applications due by the posted schedule are heard by the Planning Commission on the second Tuesday of the following month and then go to the County Board. Variances also take four to eight weeks and need a Board of Adjustment hearing, with a copy of the last deed of record to prove ownership. A permit expires one year after issuance.

Inspections in Faribault County

With no building code enforcement, county inspections cover zoning and septic compliance. Each septic system on the property must be accounted for on the permit, and the county’s Zoning Permit Viewer records septic permits, compliance inspections and pumping dates. An existing system’s certificate of compliance is valid for three years. Before signing a permit, staff note on the form whether the aerial photo or site sketch, the 911 address form, any delay-of-construction agreement and any airspace review are attached.

At a sale, the seller gives the buyer an SSTS Property Transaction Form at or before closing, and a system found out of compliance must be replaced with one meeting the ordinance within 10 months of the transaction. Driveways get a Public Works final inspection before the deposit is returned, and electrical work is inspected under the state permit.

Minnesota building code

Faribault County’s zoning ordinance was approved December 27, 1994 and amended section by section since, most recently the A-1 and A-2 districts and subdivision rules on May 7, 2024 and the Board of Adjustment section in March 2025; the definitions and the feedlot ordinance were last amended on May 2, 2023. The county itself does not enforce the building code. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Faribault County as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program since May 17, 1982, with a current flood map of the same date.

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

Faribault County permit search and official resources

The county’s Zoning Permit Viewer lets anyone search by address for rural E911 addresses and zoning permit information, and its Zoning Info Report lists septic permits, compliance inspections and pumping. County Board agendas and minutes are in the county’s Agenda Center.

• Faribault County Planning and Zoning
• Planning and Zoning permits
• Building (zoning) permit application, 2026
• Zoning Permit Viewer
• Zoning ordinances
• Zoning Ordinance Section 18, building permits
• Section 23, SSTS ordinance
• Septic systems
• SSTS property transaction form
• Conditional use permit procedure
• Variance procedure
• Huntley subordinate service district
• Public Works permits
• Driveway permit application
• Minnesota Department of Health well programs
• State electrical permits (DLI)
• FEMA Community Status Book, Minnesota

Faribault County permit FAQs

Does Faribault County inspect new houses?

No. Its 2026 permit form states that the county does not enforce the building code; it reviews zoning and septic compliance.

How much is a permit for a new garage?

A detached garage is a new structure at $100; an attached garage is an expansion at $50.

Do I need a permit for a small shed?

Yes. Sheds and storage buildings under 150 square feet are accessory structures at $30.

Can I re-roof or replace windows without a permit?

Yes. Re-shingling, re-siding, window replacement and interior remodeling need no permit, and neither do patios.

Why does the county ask about my septic system?

Every application needs a certificate of compliance and proof of pumping or measuring within three years.

How long does a conditional use permit take?

Four to eight weeks, with the Planning Commission hearing on the second Tuesday of the month and County Board action after.

What does a driveway permit cost?

$100 for a standard driveway and $200 for a commercial one, returned after a satisfactory final inspection.

Simplify Faribault 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 Faribault County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.