Martin County, Minnesota Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Martin County the Planning and Zoning Department at the courthouse, 201 Lake Avenue, Room 104, Fairmont, requires a permit before anyone builds, moves in, replaces or adds on to a structure, down to garden sheds on skids, decks, patios and paved driveways. Under the county fee schedule effective January 1, 2026, the zoning (building) permit is $150, commercial buildings pay $0.05 per square foot with a $175 minimum, and an after-the-fact zoning permit costs $500. Septic and feedlot permits come from the same office; inside a city, the city clerk is the contact.

What requires a permit in Martin County?

The Martin County Zoning Ordinance says no one may erect, alter or move any structure or its exterior, or install an on-site sewage system or feedlot, without first securing a zoning permit. The department’s land use page puts it in plain terms: a permit is needed before constructing, moving in a structure, replacing an existing structure or adding on to a building, and its list runs well past houses and garages.

Moving an existing house or building onto a lot takes an extra step. The Planning Commission reports to the County Board on whether the building fits the area, and the applicant supplies photographs of the structure from two or more angles and of the lot and neighboring lots; construction sheds, farm buildings and temporary structures staying 18 months or less are exempt.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county sets zoning districts, lot sizes, setbacks, shoreland and floodplain rules and septic standards for land outside the incorporated cities. On the permit form the owner certifies that construction will follow state laws, local ordinances and state building and fire code regulations, and the form adds that the permit is not effective until any required state permits are approved; the department’s pages describe no county plan review or building-code inspections. Electrical permits come from the Department of Labor and Industry and wells from the Minnesota Department of Health.

Martin County building department: who handles permitting

The Planning and Zoning Department coordinates land use administration for the county and runs its septic and feedlot programs, buffer law work, commercial pesticide testing and noxious weed control. Planning and Zoning Director Pam Flitter heads the department. With help from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the department permits and inspects feedlots in the county.

Cities in Martin County

The department’s page sends anyone building inside a city to the city clerk, since each city sets its own zoning and building-code policy. The county permit form also asks whether a rural site lies within 2 miles of Fairmont and, if so, tells the applicant to contact the City of Fairmont’s building and zoning office about additional requirements. Flood-program status is from FEMA’s Community Status Book.

Martin County permit types

The department publishes four applications: the building permit, the conditional use permit, the grading or filling permit and the variance request. Septic permits under Minnesota Rules 7080 and feedlot permits are handled in the same office, and the 2026 fee schedule lists separate rates for communication towers, meteorological towers, solar energy systems and wind turbines.

Residential permits

The building permit form asks for the structure’s size and height, the estimated building cost, the contractor and license number, and a site drawing. It also asks whether the site lies within 1,000 feet of a lake or wetland, within 300 feet of a river, stream or drainage ditch, and, for a new dwelling or feedlot, whether there are 1,320 feet between a neighboring residence and a feedlot. A tax abatement form is available for new house construction.

The county’s setback chart sets the basics. In the A Agricultural district a new building site needs 3 acres, buildings stand 200 feet from the center of the road on a new site (130 feet on an existing one), and side and rear yards are 30 feet. R-1 Residential lots without central utilities need 1 acre with a 130-foot setback from the right-of-way for new lots. On shoreland, the SL-2 Shoreland Residential Recreational district asks 40,000 square feet and a 100-foot structure setback on Clear, Fox and South Silver lakes, but 80,000 square feet and 150 feet on other lakes, while the SL-1 Special Protection and SL-C Conservation districts need 5 acres and 200 feet.

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Commercial and other permits

Commercial buildings pay by area, and Highway Business and Industrial lots without central utilities need 5 acres, a 130-foot setback from the right-of-way and 40-foot side and rear yards. Uses not permitted outright go to the Planning Commission as conditional uses, and departures from setbacks or lot sizes to the Board of Adjustment as variances. Feedlots need a feedlot permit and pay an inspection fee every four years scaled to animal units.

What comes before the permit

• Septic design. Licensed designers, inspectors and installers must be used when a system is upgraded or replaced, and the permit form flags when a 7080 septic permit is required.
• State permits. The county permit does not take effect until any required state permit is approved.
• Hearings. Conditional uses, rezonings, subdivisions and plats go to the Planning Commission; variances to the Board of Adjustment.
• Driveways. A new county highway entrance needs a Highway Department entrance permit with a refundable deposit.
• Near Fairmont. Sites within 2 miles of the city get the county form’s referral to Fairmont’s building and zoning office.

Martin County permit fees

The Schedule of County Fees is effective by the County Board from January 1, 2026. Checks for building permits are made out to the Martin County Treasurer, and the permit form states that fees are not refunded.

Example from the schedule: a home garage built with a permit in hand costs the flat $150 zoning permit; started first, the after-the-fact rate is $500. A 4,000-square-foot commercial building works out to $200 at $0.05 per square foot, above the $175 minimum.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Martin County’s pages list no electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits. 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; residential contractors, electricians and plumbers hold state licenses, and the county licenses none of them.

• Septic installers. A property owner may build or repair a septic system on their own land after signing an indemnification agreement, but pressurized systems and mounds must be built by a licensed installer, and an owner who designs a system needs an MPCA designer license.
• Inspectors. Compliance certificates for property sales are completed by an inspector licensed by the state.
• Feedlot operators. Manure application follows the county’s setback table, for example 300 feet from lakes and streams on frozen ground.

How to apply for a Martin County permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Hearing items take the longest. Under the 2025 schedule the Board of Adjustment and the Planning Commission met on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioner’s Room, applications closed about three weeks earlier, and Planning Commission recommendations went to the County Board at 9 a.m. on the third Tuesday of the following month. Municipalities within two miles of a request receive notice of the hearing. Moving a building onto a lot adds a Planning Commission report to the board.

Inspections in Martin County

The department permits and inspects septic installations so that systems meet state and county rules, and the septic permit expires 12 months after it is issued. It also permits and inspects feedlots, charging an inspection fee every four years by herd size. Driveway entrances on county highways get a final inspection before most of the deposit is returned.

A compliance inspection of the septic system is required before a bedroom is added or a septic variance issued; a request made between December 1 and April 1 can be approved right away if the inspection is completed by the following June 15. When property with a septic system is sold, the seller gives the buyer the SSTS Property Transaction Form at or before closing, and it is filed with the County Auditor along with the certificate of real estate value. Electrical work is inspected under the state permit.

Minnesota building code

Martin County’s zoning ordinance was adopted February 17, 2004, replacing the 1972 ordinance, and the amendment list in the posted copy runs to December 19, 2017; the floodplain ordinance dates from August 16, 1988. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the county as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program since September 1, 1988, with its current effective map date also listed as September 1, 1988.

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

Martin County permit search and official resources

Earlier building, septic and feedlot permits are kept by the Planning and Zoning Department, which can be asked for copies; property and tax information is on the county’s property search. The county’s zoning map and buffer map are posted with the ordinances.

• Martin County Planning and Zoning
• Land use and building permits
• Building permit application
• Lot size and setback distances
• Schedule of County Fees 2026
• Martin County Zoning Ordinance
• Floodplain ordinance
• Sewage and Wastewater Treatment Ordinance
• Septic systems
• Feedlots
• Conditional use permit application
• Variance request application
• Grading or filling permit
• 2025 Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission schedule
• Minnesota Department of Health well programs
• State electrical permits (DLI)
• FEMA Community Status Book, Minnesota

Martin County permit FAQs

Do I need a permit for a garden shed on skids?

Yes. The county lists garden sheds on blocks or skids among the structures that need a permit before they are placed.

How much is a building permit in rural Martin County?

$150 for a zoning (building) permit under the January 1, 2026 schedule; commercial buildings pay $0.05 per square foot, minimum $175.

What happens if I build without a permit?

The after-the-fact zoning permit is $500, and an after-the-fact conditional use or variance is $1,000.

Do patios and paved driveways need permits?

Yes, both are on the county’s list of projects that need a permit first.

Does the county inspect house framing?

Its pages describe zoning, septic and feedlot inspections only; the owner certifies that state building and fire codes will be followed.

Can I install my own septic system?

Owners may build their own with an indemnification agreement, but mounds and pressurized systems need a licensed installer.

When does the Planning Commission meet?

On the fourth Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. under the 2025 schedule, with County Board action the next month.

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