Building permits inside Box Elder city limits come from the City’s Planning and Zoning Department, which runs Building Services and takes every application through the Civic Access (Tyler EnerGov) portal. A house is priced from the IRC valuation table in Ordinance 775, in effect since December 30, 2025, plus plan review at 10% of the permit fee, while electrical and plumbing permits come from the state commissions.
When does Box Elder require a building permit?
Chapter 6 of the municipal code requires a separate permit before any building or structure is placed, erected, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, converted or demolished. A factory-built home moved into or within the city needs a building permit as well as a moving permit. The City treats soil disturbance as the start of construction, so the permit has to be in hand before dirt work begins.
Permit needed
- New homes, commercial buildings and additions
- Accessory buildings over 200 sq ft, anchored to a foundation
- Decks more than 30 inches above the ground, any deck in the floodplain, or a change to an existing deck’s shape or structure
- Window replacement that makes the opening larger
- Moving a structure into, out of or within the city
- Demolition, and any development in a regulated floodplain
No city building permit
- One-story sheds and playhouses of 200 sq ft or less outside the floodplain
- Fences up to 7 feet and retaining walls up to 4 feet without a surcharge
- Decks, walks and driveways no more than 30 inches above grade
- Replacement siding, doors and same-size windows on one- and two-family homes outside historic districts
- Gutters, downspouts, storm windows, and re-roofing with like material that leaves the sheathing and framing alone
- Water heaters and replacement heating or cooling equipment in one- and two-family dwellings
A carport with no more than two walls that holds up to two vehicles needs no permit unless it sits in the floodplain, though setbacks still apply. Shipping containers may not be used for storage in residential areas, and work on federal, state, school district, Meade County, Pennington County or City property is outside the City’s permit requirement.
Who issues permits in Box Elder?
The Planning and Zoning Department oversees Building Services, Code Enforcement, Planning and GIS. It reviews plans, issues building, moving and floodplain permits and inspects the work; Lauralee Patton is the Director of Planning and Zoning.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 206 Frontage Road, Box Elder (mail: 420 Villa Drive, Box Elder, SD 57719) |
| Phone and email | 605-923-1408, planning@boxeldersd.gov |
| Inspection hotline | 605-791-8138 |
| Applications | Civic Access (Tyler EnerGov) self-service portal |
| Contractor licences | Business Licensing Portal; Economic Development, 605-923-1404 |
The city straddles Pennington and Meade counties. Beyond the city limits, inside Box Elder’s extraterritorial platting area, the City only reviews plats; building permits, septic and well permits and any zoning stay with the county where the land lies, and the City’s own guide notes that zoning does not apply on the Meade County side.
Permit types and the Civic Access portal
Civic Access handles permits, land-use applications and business licences. Choose “Login or Register” to create an account with a valid email address, pick the application type, upload the documents as PDFs, and pay invoices online by credit card or e-check. The City publishes step-by-step guides for creating the account, finding the correct application, completing it and paying fees.
- Residential (New Construction) Building Permit, with a checklist and process chart revised on September 10, 2026.
- Moving Permit for factory-built homes and other structures; it lapses 30 days after issue, and a county moving permit (or proof that none is needed) goes with it.
- Floodplain Development Permit, decided by the City Council.
- Chicken Permit, created in 2026.
- Pre-Application Meeting requests, filed in the same portal.
Supporting forms on the Applications and Permits page include the Subcontractor Submission Form, Deck Worksheet, Foundation Elevation Sheet and Commercial Landscape Worksheet. Every contractor and subcontractor on a job needs a City of Box Elder contractor’s licence, applied for through the City’s Business Licensing Portal. A homeowner re-roofing their own house may use one unpaid helper without a licence.
Box Elder building permit fees
Fees come from the Master Fee Schedule in Ordinance 775, adopted on December 16, 2025 and in effect since December 30, 2025. The two 2026 amendments, Ordinances 786 and 802, removed the hay lot permit and added chicken permits, leaving building fees unchanged. City staff set the valuation from the current ICC Building Valuation Data, and the permit fee is then read from Table 100-A for one- and two-family work under the IRC or Table 100-B for other buildings under the IBC.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 – $1,000 | $50 |
| $1,001 – $2,000 | $50 plus $4.50 per $100 over $1,000 |
| $2,001 – $25,000 | $95 plus $10 per $1,000 over $2,000 |
| $25,001 – $50,000 | $325 plus $7.50 per $1,000 over $25,000 |
| $50,001 – $100,000 | $512.50 plus $5.50 per $1,000 over $50,000 |
| $100,001 – $500,000 | $787.50 plus $3.50 per $1,000 over $100,000 |
| $500,001 – $1,000,000 | $2,187.50 plus $3 per $1,000 over $500,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $3,687.50 plus $2 per $1,000 over $1 million |
Each band counts every further $1,000 or fraction of it ($100 in the second band). Plan review for one- and two-family dwellings and accessory structures adds 10% of the building permit fee. For example, a house valued at $250,000 pays $787.50 plus 150 × $3.50, or $1,312.50, and $131.25 for plan review, a total of $1,443.75 before utility and inspection charges.
Table 100-B for commercial and other non-residential work starts at $70 and rises to $1,092 plus $6.50 per $1,000 between $100,001 and $500,000; plan review for those occupancies is 25% of the permit fee.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Re-inspection | $50 per hour |
| Inspection outside business hours | $100 per hour, 2-hour minimum |
| Extra plan review after changes | $50 per hour residential, $100 per hour other, 1-hour minimum |
| Permit extension | $50 per 90 days, 180 days maximum |
| Demolition permit | $25 |
| Moving permit (structures over 200 sq ft) | $50 |
| Floodplain development permit | $100 |
| Temporary certificate of occupancy | $500 per week |
| Approach permit / sidewalk inspection | $100 / $50 |
| Grading permit | $100 under 1 acre, $250 for 1–3 acres, $500 over 3 acres |
| Water and sewer tap inspection | $50 per tap |
| Contractor licence (regulated business) | $15 annual regulated business licence, plus $200 new or $100 renewal for contractors |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →A utility account deposit, $160 for a 3/4-inch meter, is invoiced separately and must be paid before the permit is issued. Continuing work after a stop-work order costs $250 a day.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work
Box Elder does not issue electrical or plumbing permits: wiring is permitted and inspected by the South Dakota Electrical Commission and plumbing by the South Dakota Plumbing Commission. Their rough-in inspections come before the City’s framing inspection, and the City will not issue a certificate of occupancy until the state inspectors’ signed stickers are posted at the electrical panel and for the plumbing.
The City still licenses the trades that work inside city limits: electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors each pay $200 for a new licence and $100 to renew, on top of the $15 annual regulated business licence. Replacing a furnace, air conditioner or water heater in a one- or two-family home needs no City building permit.
What to upload for a new house
- The address or county parcel number of the lot.
- A site plan showing the building’s placement.
- A complete building plan with site and structural information, marking any basement areas to be finished or left unfinished; electrical, mechanical and plumbing plans are optional.
- A deck plan or the City’s Deck Worksheet, with the deck height filled in.
- The Foundation Elevation Sheet, giving footing and foundation elevations relative to the curb.
- The Subcontractor Submission Form listing every licensed subcontractor.
- A water and sewer plan showing where the lines will run; no permit is issued without it.
Commercial plot plans must also show fire hydrants and grade contours. The building official may require sealed drawings from a licensed engineer or architect, including on projects other than one- and two-family homes where the plumbing, electrical and mechanical work, each calculated separately, reaches $65,000, and an owner-paid special inspection program where the codes call for one.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a Box Elder building permit
Confirm the lot is inside city limits; in the platting area beyond them, Pennington or Meade County issues the permit. In a new subdivision, the final plat must be recorded and the City Council must have accepted the streets and utilities first.
Request an optional pre-application meeting through Civic Access if the project raises zoning, floodplain or utility questions.
Create a Civic Access account, pick the right permit type and upload the checklist documents.
Staff check the application for completeness, then review it in depth and redline the plans.
Permit fees and the utility account deposit arrive as separate invoices; pay online or at City Hall with the invoice number.
Keep the redlined plans on site and call the inspection hotline as each stage is ready, through to the certificate of occupancy.
Box Elder inspections
Call the inspection hotline at 605-791-8138 or email planning@boxeldersd.gov the day before you need a visit, giving the street address (not the lot and block), the permit number and the contractor’s name and contact person. The code lets the building official ask for 48 hours’ notice, and work may not continue past a stage until it passes.
A new house goes through water and sewer, footing and elevation, foundation wall, sidewalk and approach, framing and final residential inspections, with the state plumbing and electrical rough-ins before framing and the state finals before the City’s final. The footing and elevation inspection checks the footing’s location, size and elevation before concrete is placed. If a surveyor sets the elevation, send that information to planning@boxeldersd.gov.
A permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days; otherwise it runs 365 days. One- and two-family homes get at most one extension before a new application and fee are needed.
Local Box Elder details
Floodplain: any development in a regulated floodplain needs a $100 Floodplain Development Permit, reviewed by the Planning Commission and the Public Works and Planning and Zoning Committee and decided by the City Council before a building, moving or grading permit can be issued. The application needs a pre-construction elevation certificate or no-rise certificate from a South Dakota licensed land surveyor, and a post-construction elevation certificate is required before occupancy.
Design loads: the code sets a ground snow load of 42 psf, a 115 mph design wind speed and a 42-inch frost depth. A 2026 amendment sets deck footings at a minimum 12-inch diameter and 6 inches thick, below the frost line.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Utilities: the City has a moratorium on new water service connections outside city limits.
Job sites: keep mud off the streets with erosion control, and do not park trailers on the street overnight or place roll-off containers in the street.
South Dakota building code
South Dakota has no state-enforced building code: each city or county decides whether to adopt one. The state Electrical and Plumbing Commissions permit and inspect those trades, except in a few cities that run their own inspections. South Dakota rules
Official Box Elder permit resources
- City of Box Elder Planning and Zoning
- Box Elder Applications and Permits (Civic Access guides and forms)
- Box Elder Civic Access self-service portal
- Residential New Construction Building Permit Checklist (revised September 2026)
- Floodplain Development Permit Checklist
- Moving Permit Checklist
- Box Elder Master Fee Schedule, Ordinance 775
- Box Elder Planning and Zoning FAQs
- Box Elder inspections and adopted codes
- Box Elder extraterritorial platting jurisdiction guide
- Box Elder municipal code (Chapter 6, Buildings)
- South Dakota Electrical Commission
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Box Elder permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Box Elder?
The City of Box Elder Planning and Zoning Department (605-923-1408), through the Civic Access portal. Outside city limits the permit comes from Pennington or Meade County.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Box Elder?
It is read from the IRC valuation table in Ordinance 775, plus 10% for plan review. On a $250,000 valuation that comes to $1,312.50 plus $131.25.
Do I need a permit for a deck or a shed?
A deck needs one if it is more than 30 inches high, in the floodplain, or changes an existing deck’s shape or structure. A shed needs one when it is over 200 sq ft or in the floodplain.
Do I need a permit to replace windows or siding?
Not for siding, or for windows of the same size or smaller. Enlarging a window opening needs a permit.
Who handles electrical and plumbing permits?
The South Dakota Electrical and Plumbing Commissions, which also do those inspections. Their final stickers must be in place before the City issues a certificate of occupancy.
Does my contractor need a Box Elder licence?
Yes. Every contractor and subcontractor working in the city needs one: the $15 annual regulated business licence plus $200 new or $100 renewal; a homeowner re-roofing their own house may use one unpaid helper.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 605-791-8138 or email planning@boxeldersd.gov the day before, with the address, permit number and contractor details.
Simplify Box Elder permitting with Alliance Permitting
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in South Dakota. 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.
Ready to break ground in Box Elder sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Box Elder permits while your crew stays on the job.
More South Dakota permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Box Elder permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.