Brookings County, South Dakota Building Permit Guide

The Brookings County Zoning Ordinance requires building permits, issued through the Zoning & Drainage Office in the County Development Department. Within the City of Brookings and on nonagricultural land in the joint jurisdictional area around it, the City’s Building Services Division issues them instead. Both offices are in the same building at 520 3rd St, the County in Suite 110 and the City in Suite 140.

This guide covers the County Development Department and the City of Brookings Building Services Division.

What requires a building permit in Brookings County?

A County permit is needed for new structures (for example a home, garage, machine shed, grain bin or swimming pool), for moving a building, for remodeling that changes the building, and for manufactured homes. Buildings under 120 square feet, such as play houses, tool sheds and yard storage buildings, do not need one. New residences also need a Right to Farm Covenant. The City issues permits for all residential and commercial projects within city limits.

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

Who handles permitting in Brookings County?

A Joint Jurisdiction Planning Commission, made up of the County and City planning commissions, meets as needed under the Joint Jurisdiction Ordinance.

Brookings County and City rules

Brookings County

County building permits are valid for 18 months. The County has adopted the 2021 International Residential Code and 2021 International Building Code, which also cover snow loads on agricultural structures and mobile home tie-downs; state law now points local codes to the 2024 editions, so confirm the edition with the County.

The County Planning & Zoning Commission usually meets the first Tuesday evening of each month; items are due by the second Tuesday of the month before. Its fees are Variance $100.00, Conditional Use $150.00 and Rezoning $200.00.

City of Brookings

Permits, fee payments and inspection requests go through the City’s SmartGov portal; allow one week for plan review. The permit must be issued before footings are poured. Driveways, approaches and curb cuts need a permit from the City Engineer’s Office.

Brookings County permit costs and fees

County: the permit fee is based on a square-foot valuation, for example $80./square foot for a site-built one-story dwelling, $19/square foot for unfinished basements and $22/square foot for attached garages. The County’s example: a permit for a $125,000 -$125,999 home costs $223.00. A building inspection fee of $100.00 per inspection is paid when the permit is issued. A late permit costs 1.5 times the regular fee if applied for voluntarily, or 2 times after the Zoning Director has made contact.

City of Brookings (R-3 and U occupancies, updated 2/5/2026): $30.00 for $1.00 – 2,000.00 of valuation; from $100,000.01, $433.00 for the first $100,000 plus $2.50 per additional $1,000. Finished habitable space is valued at $115.00 per square foot. The City’s Building Services page warns of an investigation fee of twice the permit fee for work started without a permit.

Electrical and plumbing in Brookings County

All electrical work in the County’s jurisdiction must be inspected by the State Electrical Inspector. In the City, electrical inspections are done by the South Dakota Electrical Commission, (800) 233-7765, and plumbing inspections by the South Dakota Plumbing Commission, (605) 773-3429.

Electrical and plumbing permits come from the state commissions, except in a few cities that issue their own. South Dakota rules

How to get a building permit in Brookings County

Inspections in Brookings County

County: call the Brookings County Zoning Office at (605) 696-8350 with 24 hours’ notice for every building inspection.

City: request inspections in SmartGov, and call (605) 692-6629 for the footing inspection.

Official Brookings County permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Brookings County Development
• Brookings County permit applications booklet
• Joint Jurisdiction Planning Commission
• City of Brookings Building Services
• City of Brookings building permit fees
• City of Brookings inspections

Frequently asked questions

Who issues building permits near the City of Brookings?

The City issues them within city limits and on nonagricultural land in the joint jurisdictional area; the County issues them elsewhere.

Does a grain bin need a Brookings County permit?

Yes. New structures, including grain bins and swimming pools, need a County building permit.

How long is a Brookings County permit valid?

18 months.

Simplify Brookings County permitting with Alliance Permitting

• Confirm whether the parcel is under the county, a city or a joint jurisdiction area
• Prepare the county or city application, site plan and any septic, floodplain or road permit
• Line up the state electrical and plumbing permits and schedule the building inspections

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.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Brookings County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.