Renville County, Minnesota Building Permit Guide

Outside its cities, Renville County requires a zoning, or land use, permit from Environmental Services, in Suite 311 of the Government Services Center at 105 South 5th Street in Olivia, before any structure is built, expanded, enlarged, intensified or moved in, and before site work starts. The permit is $80 and a septic permit $350 under the 2026 fee schedule; conditional and interim use permits take about six to eight weeks.

What requires a permit in Renville County?

Under Section 9 of Chapter 1 of the Land Use Ordinance, no structure may be erected, expanded, enlarged, intensified or moved in without a land use permit, and no site preparation, such as rough grading, driveway construction, footing excavation or tree removal, may begin before the permit is issued unless the department approves it. Separate permits cover septic systems, county road driveways, feedlots and larger land alterations.

Commercial and industrial uses, communication towers, solar gardens, wind energy systems and feedlots over 300 animal units are typical conditional uses; mining, home occupations and temporary dwellings are typical interim uses.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county decides zoning districts, setbacks, septic, shoreland, floodplain, feedlot and mining rules for land outside the incorporated limits of its cities. Its pages describe a zoning permit rather than building-code plan review, with one exception that points to the state code: public and most commercial or industrial buildings need a handicap accessibility permit under the State Building Code, and Environmental Services keeps a list of the building inspectors working in the county. Electrical permits come from the Department of Labor and Industry unless a local program applies, and well contractors file their forms and fees with the Minnesota Department of Health before drilling.

Renville County building department: who handles permitting

Environmental Services, directed by Scott Refsland, handles planning, zoning, subdivisions, mining, land use, feedlots and septic systems, and also runs septic loans and grants, well loans and the special vehicle permit for ATVs and golf carts on designated county roads. Public Works issues county road access permits and installs rural address signs, and townships handle access onto township roads and any township permits.

Cities in Renville County

The Land Use Ordinance does not apply inside city limits; each city decides its own zoning and building-code enforcement. The county septic chapter still reaches cities that do not run an approved septic program, and feedlot expansions within a mile of a city boundary need a conditional use permit.

Renville County permit types

Environmental Services takes applications for land use permits, septic construction permits, land and shoreland alteration and grading permits, variances, conditional and interim use permits, administrative appeals, ordinance and map amendments, planned unit developments and major subdivisions, state feedlot permit reviews and new rural addresses. Conditional and interim use and variance applications are started by contacting the office.

Residential permits

The county’s 2026 rural home construction checklist lists the steps for a new house: a land use permit with the application, a site map, house plans and the fee; a septic permit with a design from an MPCA-licensed designer or installer; a new 911 address, with the sign installed by Public Works; a well drilled by a licensed contractor; and a county road access permit, for which Public Works staff meet the owner on site. A new county road driveway, or widening an existing one, requires a refundable deposit.

In the A Agricultural District the minimum lot is 5 acres with a median width of 300 feet; buildings stand 67 feet from the road right of way, or 200 feet from the centerline of U.S. Highway 212 in that corridor, 20 feet from side and rear lines and 150 feet from a ditch. Variances are the route for setback, lot width or depth and height exceptions, but cannot allow a use the district prohibits.

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

Commercial and other permits

A conditional use permit lets the county allow a use that a district does not permit outright when conditions protect neighbors and the public interest, while an interim use permit allows a temporary use until a set date or event. Conditional and interim uses each need a public hearing before the Planning Commission and a final decision by the County Board, and conditions and periodic reviews can be attached; the process takes about six to eight weeks. Feedlots must register at 10 animal units in shoreland or 50 elsewhere, and a new or expanded feedlot of 300 animal units or more needs a state feedlot permit, and a conditional use permit when it is new or grows past 300 animal units. Mining and extraction of sand, gravel, granite or other minerals need an interim use permit under Chapter 7.

The feedlot list is long. Besides new and expanding feedlots over 300 animal units, a conditional use permit is needed for a change of owner at a feedlot over 300 animal units without one, any expansion in the shoreland district or within one mile of a city boundary, any feedlot that needs an NPDES permit or an environmental assessment worksheet, any above-ground manure storage structure, and a change of animal type at a feedlot over 300 animal units.

What comes before the permit

• Pre-application talk. Contact Environmental Services before any site work.
• Septic design. A licensed designer prepares the design submitted with the septic application.
• Driveway. County road access permits are issued together with the land use permit; township roads go through the township board.
• Address. Submit the new address request with a map showing the driveway location.
• Township. Check whether the township requires its own permit.

Renville County permit fees

Environmental Services charges under the 2026 Renville County Fee Schedule, dated February 1, 2026. Late or delinquent applications pay double.

Worked example from the schedule: a new rural house with a new septic system needs the $80 land use permit and the $350 septic permit, or $430 in Environmental Services fees. The address sign is invoiced separately by Public Works, and a county road driveway adds the Public Works application fee and refundable deposit. The $10 special vehicle permit for an ATV, mini truck, utility vehicle or golf cart on designated county roads lasts two calendar years.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Renville County issues no electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits. Electrical permits are filed with the Department of Labor and Industry wherever its lookup lists the state as the authority, and contractors, electricians and plumbers hold state licenses rather than county ones.

• Septic contractors. Systems must be designed and installed by licensed septic contractors, and the office provides a list of MPCA-licensed designers, installers and pumpers.
• Well contractors. A licensed well contractor files the required forms and fees with the Minnesota Department of Health before drilling; the county offers 10-year, 3 percent loans to repair or replace damaged or contaminated wells.
• Holding tanks. A servicing contract between the owner and a licensed maintainer covers pumping and hauling.
• Septic help. The county’s low-interest septic loan runs seven years at 3 percent, is assessed to the property and needs a written installer estimate; it is not available for new building sites or after-the-fact work. Income-based grants, funded through the MPCA, help owners fix failing systems while money lasts.

How to apply for a Renville County land use permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Conditional and interim use permits take about six to eight weeks because they need a public hearing. The Planning Commission meets monthly on the second Monday at 6 p.m. (next on November 9, 2026), and the Board of Adjustment and Appeals on the fourth Thursday at 8:30 a.m. (next on November 19, 2026). Expanding or intensifying a building served by a septic system also triggers a septic compliance inspection.

Inspections in Renville County

Septic compliance inspections are required when a system needs a repair or upgrade permit, when a land use permit expands, enlarges or intensifies a building served by a septic system, when a building’s use changes, after a complaint, at property sale or transfer, during shoreland or area-wide surveys, and when a conditional use permit or variance is granted. Other county inspection work is billed at $50 an hour plus mileage.

At a sale, the Property Transfer SSTS Disclosure Form goes to the Auditor-Treasurer with the Certificate of Real Estate Value and a copy to Environmental Services by closing. A non-compliant system requires an escrow agreement, sized to an installer’s estimate or the prior year’s average mound system cost, and a buyer-seller agreement on who will upgrade it.

After installation the owner keeps the system up: the county reminds owners that state rules require septic tanks to be pumped at least once every three years, and suggests cleaning a new tank after six to 12 months of use.

Minnesota building code

Renville County regulates land use through a 17-chapter Land Use Ordinance covering zoning, subdivisions, septic systems, the Minnesota scenic river, shoreland, mining, feedlots, floodplains, essential services, the official map, airport zoning, adult uses, Project River Bend, renewable energy, telecommunication towers and cannabis. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the county as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program since March 16, 1988, with a current flood map dated September 25, 2009.

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

Renville County permit search and official resources

Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment agendas, minutes and hearing items are posted on the county’s Accela meeting portal, and the county publishes zoning maps online; for permit or septic records on a parcel, call Environmental Services at 320-523-3768.

• Renville County Environmental Services
• 2026 Environmental Services fee schedule
• Land use permit application
• Septic permit application
• Property transfer SSTS disclosure form
• New address request form
• Rural residential home construction checklist
• County ordinances
• Land Use Ordinance Chapter 1, administration
• Land Use Ordinance Chapter 2, zoning
• Land Use Ordinance Chapter 4, sewage and wastewater
• Land Use Ordinance Chapter 6, shoreland
• Land Use Ordinance Chapter 9, floodplain
• Zoning maps
• Planning Commission
• Board of Adjustment and Appeals
• Delegated well programs (Minnesota Department of Health)
• State electrical permits (DLI)
• FEMA Community Status Book, Minnesota

Renville County permit FAQs

Do I need a county permit to re-roof or replace windows?

No. Roof, window and siding work and interior work need no land use permit.

How much is a land use permit?

$80 under the 2026 fee schedule, and $350 for a septic permit of any type.

Can I start grading before the permit is issued?

No. Site preparation, including driveways and footing excavation, waits for the permit unless the department approves it.

Do small sheds need a permit?

Portable structures of 150 square feet or less that meet setbacks and standards are exempt.

How long does a conditional use permit take?

About six to eight weeks, including the Planning Commission hearing and the County Board decision.

Is a septic inspection needed when I sell?

Yes. A compliance inspection and a disclosure form are required at sale, and non-compliant systems need an escrow agreement.

Who issues a driveway permit?

Public Works for county roads, issued together with the land use permit; the township board for township roads.

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