Steele County, Minnesota Building Permit Guide

Steele County is one of the Minnesota counties that enforces the State Building Code itself. Its Planning and Zoning Department, on the lower level of the Administration Center at 630 Florence Avenue in Owatonna, issues building, plumbing, mechanical, septic and land use permits in the rural county and handles building permits and inspections for Blooming Prairie, Ellendale and Medford by contract. Valuation-based permits start at $69.25, re-roofing, re-siding and replacement windows are $69 each, and plan review adds 65 percent of the permit fee under the schedule dated June 1, 2026. Owatonna, the largest city, is not one of the contract cities.

What requires a permit in Steele County?

Steele County Ordinance No. 18 adopts the State Building Code, always in its most current edition and without the optional appendix chapters unless the county adopts one, for the unincorporated county and any city that contracts with the county. The Building Inspection page puts the rule broadly: a property owner or agent must apply for a building permit before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving, demolishing or changing the use of a building or structure, and the same applies to gas, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and regulated equipment.

The residential form’s permit type list includes additions, remodels, basement finishes, repairs after water or fire damage, decks, porches, garages, pole buildings, sheds, fences, foundations, pools and gas fireplaces. An in-ground pool requires a state license and an above-ground pool a registered contractor, according to the form.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The technical rules are the state’s: the county applies the State Building Code as written and collects the state surcharge on each permit. What the county decides is local: zoning districts, setbacks, shoreland and floodplain rules, septic standards, its fee schedule and how permits are filed. Electrical permits are filed with the Department of Labor and Industry, and wells are regulated by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Steele County building department: who handles permitting

Planning and Zoning, directed by Amber Brooks, runs land use and zoning in the rural county, the Building Inspection Department, and Environmental Services for feedlots and septic systems. Stephanie Hutchins is the Building Official. The department has warned of scam invoices; real county invoices come only from an @SteeleCountyMN.gov address or the county’s billing system and never demand gift cards or wire transfers.

Cities in Steele County

Ordinance No. 18 lets a city contract with the county for code enforcement, and three have: the county provides building code administration and inspections in Blooming Prairie, Ellendale and Medford, while each city keeps its own zoning. Owatonna is not one of the contract cities and makes its own zoning and building-code decisions. Flood-program status is from FEMA’s Community Status Book.

Steele County permit types

The county’s online permitting system is the preferred way to apply for building, septic and land use permits. Paper versions are posted for agricultural buildings; commercial building, demolition, mechanical, plumbing and window and door permits; and residential building, new home, demolition, mechanical, plumbing, roofing-siding-stucco and window and door permits.

Residential permits

A residential application needs a complete set of plans, electronic copies preferred, with every existing structure, the proposed changes and their dimensions and setbacks to the property lines shown, plus a subcontractor list for plumbing and heating. A project that adds bedrooms where there is a septic system needs a septic compliance inspection and certificate of compliance. The county posts handouts on basement and room finishes, decks, porches and ramps, emergency escape and rescue openings, skylights, window and door installation, safety glazing and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms; the form itself reminds owners that smoke alarms go in each sleeping room and outside sleeping areas on each level, with carbon monoxide alarms within 10 feet of each bedroom.

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

Commercial and other permits

Commercial buildings, demolition, mechanical and plumbing work each have a commercial form, and the county asks for verification that a roof structure can carry any rooftop unit. Farm buildings take the agricultural construction permit, priced by value. Conditional uses, rezonings, subdivisions and Comprehensive Plan updates go through the Planning Commission, which advises the County Board, and feedlots pay by animal unit for new or expanded sites.

What comes before the permit

• Zoning and septic review. The building form has sign-off lines for Planning and Zoning, the septic program and Building Inspections.
• Septic permit. Apply through the online system with a licensed professional from the county’s 2026 contractor list.
• Variances. The five-member Board of Adjustment decides variances and zoning appeals, and its variance decisions are final at the county level, appealable in District Court; it also interprets zoning map and floodplain boundaries and reviews older substandard lots.
• Shoreland and floodplain. Alteration or construction there needs the $100 shoreland and floodplain permit.
• County road access. Driveways and field entrances need a Highway Department access permit, which can take up to 10 business days.

Steele County permit fees

The County Board adopts the fee schedule each year; the current one is headed “2026 Fees – June 1st, 2026.” Building permits for valued work use the table below, plan review adds 65 percent of the permit fee, and the state surcharge is 0.0005 times the valuation, or $1 on a fixed-fee permit.

Worked example: a deck valued at $20,000 falls in the $2,001–$25,000 band, so the permit fee is $69.25 plus 18 × $14, or $321.25. With plan review, 65 percent of the permit fee adds $208.81 and the surcharge $10, for $540.06. Permit fees can be refunded up to 70 percent on a written request, but not once work has started, after 180 days or when the fee is under $100, and plan review, surcharge and re-inspection fees are never refunded.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Steele County issues plumbing and gas or mechanical permits itself, at $69 each, with separate residential and commercial forms; 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, plumbers and electricians hold state licenses, and the residential form asks for the contractor’s license number and lead certification number.

• Pools. In-ground pools need a state-licensed contractor; above-ground pool contractors must be registered.
• Septic installers. The county posts a 2026 contractor list and links the state search for licensed septic businesses.
• Compliance inspectors. Point-of-sale septic inspections are done by an inspector licensed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

How to apply for a Steele County permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The county tells applicants that incomplete electronic submittals delay the permit, and the sender is notified by return email; residential electronic plans must be submitted in full. Revisions after submittal cost $47 for each added plan review. Land use requests take longer: the Planning Commission holds public hearings and recommends, the County Board decides, and the Board of Adjustment hears variances. Highway access and right-of-way permits can take up to 10 business days. Utility work in the county right-of-way is filed online and needs an annual registration ($100 per utility owner, with a $10,000 bond) plus $100 per project, and oversize or overweight transportation permits take up to 2 business days.

Inspections in Steele County

Building Inspection staff inspect construction under the State Building Code in the rural county and the three contract cities. Re-inspections and inspections without a listed fee are $47 each, and inspections requested outside business hours are $47 an hour with a two-hour minimum. Electrical work is inspected under the state permit.

Septic systems are regulated by Environmental Services, and no property with a septic system may be sold or transferred until a compliance inspection is done and a valid certificate issued. The seller files a signed statement naming whether the buyer or seller will hire the MPCA-licensed inspector and upgrade a failing system, at closing or within 15 days after it.

Minnesota building code

Steele County adopted the State Building Code by Ordinance No. 18 on August 12, 2003, and its zoning ordinance dates from November 9, 1993, last amended October 13, 2020. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Steele County as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program since November 4, 1981, with a current flood map dated December 2, 2011.

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

Steele County permit search and official resources

Permit applications and their status are handled in the county’s online permitting system, and parcel data is on the county GIS hub and tax parcel map. Agendas, packets and minutes for the Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment moved to a new agenda system in 2026, linked from each board’s page.

• Steele County Planning and Zoning
• Building permits and handouts
• Online permitting system
• Residential building permit application
• County fee schedules
• 2026 fee schedule (June 1, 2026)
• Ordinance No. 18, building code
• Ordinances, plans and Minnesota rules
• Zoning ordinance
• Shoreland ordinance
• Septic system information
• Septic responsibility form for property transfers
• Highway Department permits
• Planning Commission
• Board of Adjustment
• Minnesota Department of Health well programs
• State electrical permits (DLI)
• FEMA Community Status Book, Minnesota

Steele County permit FAQs

Does Steele County inspect new homes?

Yes. Building Inspection enforces the State Building Code in the rural county and in Blooming Prairie, Ellendale and Medford.

How much is a re-roofing permit?

$69 for a residential re-roof, the same as re-siding or replacement windows, plus a $1 state surcharge.

How long does plan review take?

About 24 business hours to assign an inspector and then 5 to 7 business days for review of a complete submittal.

Who issues permits in Owatonna?

Not the county: Owatonna is not one of the cities that contract with Steele County for building code services, so permits there are a city matter.

Do I need a septic inspection to sell a rural home?

Yes. A compliance inspection and valid certificate are required before the property is sold or transferred.

Can I get a refund if I cancel?

Up to 70 percent of the permit fee, if work has not started, the permit is under 180 days old and the fee is $100 or more.

What does a farm building permit cost?

$75 for agricultural construction up to $50,000 and $150 above that.

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