A building permit in Williston is issued by Building Safety in the city’s Development Services, at the Center for Development, 2nd Floor, 113 4th Street East (701-577-8115; Monday to Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm), which administers the North Dakota State Building Code and inspects the work. Applications and plans can be emailed to buildingapps@ci.williston.nd.us. As of 1 January 2026 the city follows the State Building Code on the 2024 International Building Code, and the state contractor licence and the state trade boards run alongside the city permit.
Williston grew explosively through the Bakken oil boom, and its Building Safety office is built for volume and for verification. Contractors working in the city must hold a North Dakota contractor’s licence and current liability insurance, and Development Services wants a copy of both before a permit issues — so an out-of-town contractor confirms the state licence first. And any land-disturbing activity of 5,000 square feet or more requires a grading and erosion-control plan before development proceeds.
This guide covers the city of Williston, in Williams County. Williams County runs a separate Building Division for construction on property in the unincorporated county, so confirm whether the site is inside the city or in the county before filing.
The state contractor licence is checked before the permit. Because Williston requires a copy of the contractor’s North Dakota licence and liability insurance before it issues a building permit, confirming the state licence is current is the step that precedes the permit, not one that follows it.
What requires a building permit in Williston?
In Williston the questions are whether a building code is enforced, which local amendments apply, and that the city has moved to the 2024 building code, and that it requires a copy of the contractor's North Dakota licence and liability insurance before a permit issues.
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Get a free quote →Typically permit required
- A City of Williston building permit from Development Services for construction, additions, most alterations and demolition
- A grading and erosion-control plan for land-disturbing activity of 5,000 square feet or more
- A North Dakota contractor's licence from the Secretary of State for any job whose value exceeds $4,000, in the class that fits the project value
- An electrical wiring certificate filed with the North Dakota State Electrical Board by the licensed electrician, and an electrical inspection, for electrical work of $500 or more
- A plumbing installation certificate filed with the North Dakota State Plumbing Board for plumbing that needs inspection, or a city plumbing permit where the city inspects plumbing
- The State Building Code as the city has adopted and amended it, where the city enforces a building code
Often exempt
- Detached accessory structures below the city's threshold, where zoning setbacks still apply
- The State Building Code on buildings used for agricultural purposes, unless people live in them or the public uses them
- A building code permit where no city, township or county enforces the code — much of rural North Dakota (a county zoning permit may still apply)
- A state contractor's licence on work whose value does not exceed $4,000
- Ordinary repairs the adopted code places below the permit threshold
Whether a building code is enforced where you are building
Locally, what stands out is Williston administers the North Dakota State Building Code through its Development Services Building Safety office, and as of the first of January 2026 it follows the 2024 International Building Code with the ASCE 7-22 loading standard, a 48-inch frost depth and a seismic category of zero — the editions the State Building Code took on statewide that day. Two local rules shape the front end: contractors working in the city must hold a North Dakota contractor’s licence and current liability insurance, and the city requires a copy of both before a permit issues; and a grading and erosion-control plan is required for land-disturbing activity from 5,000 square feet upward.
North Dakota has one State Building Code, but enforcing it is a local choice: where no city, township or county enforces it, there is no building code permit for private work, though a zoning permit may still apply. North Dakota rules
Who handles permitting in Williston?
The city of Williston is served by the Development Services Building Safety office, which issues building permits, administers the State Building Code on the 2024 editions, and inspects the work. Electrical runs under the State Electrical Board and plumbing under the State Plumbing Board.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | City of Williston Development Services Building Safety office |
| Office | Center for Development, 2nd Floor, 113 4th Street East, Williston, ND 58801 (Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm) |
| Phone | (701) 577-8115 |
| Code | North Dakota State Building Code on the 2024 IBC and ASCE 7-22, as of 1 January 2026 |
| Contractor rule | A copy of the state contractor licence and liability insurance on file before a permit issues |
In 2025, building permits issued in Williston authorized 97 new privately owned housing units, all of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Permit types
Residential permits
Houses, additions, alterations, decks and garages inside the city are permitted through Development Services under the State Building Code on the 2024 editions. The contractor's North Dakota licence is confirmed and on file, a grading and erosion-control plan is required for land-disturbing activity of 5,000 square feet or more, and the electrical is inspected under the State Electrical Board.
Commercial permits
Commercial and multi-family projects are reviewed under the State Building Code on the 2024 editions, with the contractor's state licence class matched to the project value and a North Dakota engineer's seal on structural work. A grading and erosion-control plan governs site disturbance, and electrical runs under the State Electrical Board.
The state permits and boards that run alongside the local permit
In Williston the electrical work is inspected under the North Dakota State Electrical Board and plumbing under the State Plumbing Board, alongside the city building permit.
General contractors need a Secretary of State licence for jobs over $4,000; electricians and plumbers are licensed by state boards. North Dakota rules
Williston permit costs and fees
Williston scales its building permit to the project. The cost dimensions particular to the city are the grading and erosion-control plan on a disturbed site and the state contractor licence class, which must reach the project value.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Scaled to project valuation under the city's fee schedule and confirmed at intake |
| Erosion control | A grading and erosion-control plan for land-disturbing activity of 5,000 square feet or more |
| Contractor licence | A Secretary of State contractor's licence in the class fitting the project value, on file before the permit issues |
| Electrical and plumbing | Permitted and inspected under the state boards, billed separately from the city |
Match the licence class to the job. Because Williston wants the contractor’s state licence on file before issuing, and the state licence class sets the project value a contractor may take on, the class is matched to the job before the permit, not after.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Permit required
- Electrical — by an electrician licensed by the State Electrical Board, who files a wiring certificate with the board; inspected by a state district inspector, or by the city where it runs its own electrical inspections
- Plumbing — by a plumber licensed by the State Plumbing Board
- General contracting — under a Secretary of State contractor's licence for any job over $4,000
- Mechanical and heating — under the adopted mechanical code, with a city licence where the city licenses the trade
Typically exempt
- Work whose value does not exceed $4,000, below the state contractor-licence threshold
- Plumbing repairs and fixture replacements needing only minor alteration, and electrical repairs under $500 that do not touch the service
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Electricians and plumbers are licensed by state boards, which also inspect the work unless the city runs its own electrical or plumbing inspections. North Dakota rules
How to apply for a Williston building permit
The larger cities have building departments; many rural counties and townships do not enforce a building code, and then there is no building code permit for private work, though a zoning permit may still apply.
The city within its zoning area, which can reach past the city limits; the county in the areas no city or township covers; each administering the State Building Code with any local amendments.
Required for any job over $4,000, in the class that fits the project value, renewed by the first of March.
From the State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board, which license those trades statewide and inspect the work unless the city runs its own inspections.
To the city building department, against the adopted State Building Code and the city's local amendments.
City building inspections, electrical and plumbing inspections by the state boards or the city, then the certificate of occupancy where a code is enforced.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
The Williston delays that recur are licence and site delays: a contractor whose state licence was not on file or whose class does not reach the project value, or a disturbed site without a grading and erosion-control plan. Confirming the state licence and its class, filing the erosion-control plan, and running the state trade permits in parallel keep the review on track.
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Get a free quote →Inspections in Williston
Where a city enforces the code, inspections follow the sequence in the adopted edition — footing, foundation, framing, rough trades, insulation and final — requested from the city against the permit number. Electrical inspection runs through the State Electrical Board, by a district or local inspector under the board's rules, and its approval is a precondition of energizing the service and of occupancy; plumbing runs through the State Plumbing Board. A certificate of occupancy closes the file where a code is enforced. In Williston the building inspections run through Development Services against the permit number; the electrical inspection is carried out under the State Electrical Board, and plumbing under the State Plumbing Board.
Williston permit search and official resources
- City of Williston Building Safety — building permits, the 2024 code, the contractor-licence rule and inspections
- Williston Building Safety FAQ — the adopted codes, the contractor licence check and permit requirements
- North Dakota State Building Code (Division of Community Services) — the adopted state code, its editions and the local-adoption rules
- North Dakota State Electrical Board — statewide electrical licensing, permits and the inspection districts
- North Dakota Secretary of State — the state contractor licence classes and the $4,000 threshold
Frequently asked questions
Which building code does Williston use?
As of the first of January 2026, the North Dakota State Building Code on the 2024 International Building Code with the ASCE 7-22 loading standard, a 48-inch frost depth and a seismic category of zero. Confirm the current edition set with Development Services.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does the city check my contractor's licence before permitting?
Yes. Contractors working in Williston must hold a North Dakota contractor’s licence and current liability insurance, and Development Services requires a copy of both before a permit issues. Staff can also tell a homeowner whether a contractor is licensed and insured.
When do I need a grading and erosion-control plan?
For land-disturbing activity of 5,000 square feet or more. The plan is required before development proceeds, so it belongs in the project's early steps rather than at permit intake.
Does the city or the county handle my project?
The City of Williston permits work inside the city; Williams County runs a separate Building Division for construction on property in the unincorporated county. Confirm which authority holds the address before filing.
Who inspects electrical and plumbing?
The North Dakota State Electrical Board and the North Dakota State Plumbing Board, which regulate those trades statewide. The city inspects the building itself.
Do I need a state contractor's licence?
For any job whose value exceeds $4,000, yes — a North Dakota contractor's licence from the Secretary of State, in the class that fits the project value, renewed by the first of March.
Simplify Williston permitting with Alliance Permitting
21+ years of working real jurisdictions is what tells you that Williston is strict on licences: the 2024 building code as of 2026, the contractor’s state licence and insurance on file before the permit, and an erosion-control plan on any disturbed site. Our team confirms the licence and its class, files the erosion-control plan, pulls the state electrical and plumbing permits, and tracks the submittal through Development Services to a certificate — corrections included.
Ready to break ground in Williston sooner?
Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the City of Williston Development Services Building Safety office, assemble the submittal, file it, and track it through issuance — corrections included.
More North Dakota permitting guides
More North Dakota permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Williston permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.