In rural Davison County, building permits come from the county Planning & Zoning Office in the courthouse in Mitchell (605-995-8615), where the application is completed in person and the structure is drawn on the county GIS map. The 2026 fee is the square footage times a listed rate times 0.006, so a 1,600 sq ft one-story house with a basement costs $528.
What needs a Davison County permit?
The county zoning ordinance says no concrete may be poured, infrastructure installed, or structure built, demolished, moved, added to or changed in use without a permit from the Zoning Administrator. The county also says any permanent structure needs a building permit before construction starts.
Permit needed
- Houses, manufactured homes and additions
- Garages, decks, covered porches and pools
- Pole buildings, barns, machine sheds and concrete buildings
- Grain bins, grain legs and tanks
- Basement finishing, remodels and changes of use
- Signs and billboards
- Demolition and moving a structure
No permit
- Concrete for driveways and similar flatwork that no structure will sit on
An accessory building can only be added once the main use or building is on the property, and no permit is issued on a tract described by linear measurements (such as “the south 100 feet of”) unless it has been platted.
Who issues permits in Davison County?
The Planning & Zoning Office, run by Administrator Jeff Bathke, issues building permits and 911 addresses and handles plats, rezonings, conditional uses, variances, drainage permits and floodplain permits for the unincorporated county.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Davison County Courthouse, 1st floor, 200 E 4th Avenue, Mitchell, SD 57301 |
| Phone | 605-995-8615 or 605-995-8640 |
| Planning Commission | First Tuesday of the month: 1:15 p.m. December–March, 7:00 p.m. April–November |
| Board of Adjustment | The County Commission, normally at 9:15 a.m. the Tuesday after the Planning Commission |
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Get a free quote →Cities and towns
| Area | Building permits |
|---|---|
| Mitchell and its extraterritorial area (about 1 mile outside the city limits) | City of Mitchell Building Inspection, 612 N Main, 605-995-8433 |
| Ethan | Town of Ethan: file the application and fee with the Finance Officer; the Board of Trustees approves it |
| Mount Vernon | City of Mount Vernon: the building official reviews the application and the City Council decides (605-236-5207) |
| Loomis and all other unincorporated land | Davison County Planning & Zoning |
Applications and forms
Building and demolition permits are completed at the Planning & Zoning office: the structure is drawn on the county GIS map, and you sign the drawing to confirm its size and its distances to the lot lines and right-of-way. Finding the property lines is the landowner’s job. The 2025 application asks for the parcel number, owner, contractor, use of the building, class of work (new, addition, alteration, repair, move or remove), each structure’s dimensions, a cost estimate, and the septic installer, electrician and plumber.
- Conditional Use Application and Variance Application: the Planning Commission recommends and the County Commission, sitting as the Board of Adjustment, decides. A building that does not meet the minimum size or setback needs a variance.
- Rezoning Application and plats, which need an Agricultural Use Covenant and County Commission approval; plats within 3 miles of Mitchell also go to the Mitchell Planning Commission.
- 911 Rural Addressing Application: utilities cannot be connected until an address is assigned.
- Floodplain Development Permit Application under the county’s 2025 Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.
- Drainage Permit Application, approved before any tile or ditch work starts.
The county publishes filing deadlines for each Planning Commission and Drainage Board meeting.
Davison County permit fees for 2026
The Fee Schedule 2026, dated January 6, 2026, prices a building permit as square footage × the rate for the type of structure × a factor of 0.006, the same formula printed on the application. All fees are non-refundable.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Valuation per sq ft |
|---|---|
| One-story house or addition, with / without basement | $55 / $42 |
| Two-story house or addition, per floor, with / without basement | $44 / $38 |
| Garage | $20 |
| Manufactured home | $28 |
| Basement | $13 |
| Deck or covered porch | $10 |
| Pole building | $10 |
| Frame barn with pit / frame building | $20 / $18 |
| All-steel machine shed | $25 |
| Concrete or block building | $20 |
| Remodel, basement finish or change of use | $10 |
| Pool | $55 |
| Grain bin / tank | $1 per bushel / $1 per gallon |
For example, a 1,600 sq ft one-story house with a basement is 1,600 × $55 × 0.006 = $528. The worked example printed on the schedule still uses an older 0.005 factor and shows $440 for the same house.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Sign or billboard / grain leg | $300 / $200 flat |
| Structures not listed | $1 per $1,000 of valuation, $100 minimum |
| Minimum fee (other fees) | $150 |
| Variance / conditional use | $150 each |
| Rezoning / plat consideration | $200 / $100 |
| Special meeting | $500 |
| 911 address sign and post | $42 |
| Drainage permit / routine maintenance | $100 / $25; $500 more if work starts without a permit |
| Building without a permit | Double the permit fee, plus lost property taxes and interest |
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and septic
The county permit lists the electrician and plumber, but electrical permits come from the South Dakota Electrical Commission and plumbing permits from the South Dakota Plumbing Commission. The zoning ordinance requires a state Plumbing Installation Certificate for all plumbing construction and major plumbing remodels.
Septic systems must meet the state onsite wastewater rules (ARSD 74:53:01), and anyone installing a system for someone else must hold a state licence. The county application names the septic installer, and the Zoning Administrator can require soil and percolation tests before issuing the building permit where development is concentrated.
What to bring
- The parcel number and legal description, owner and contractor details, and the use of each building.
- The length, width and height of each structure, and the cost estimate including labor and materials.
- A separate site plan for every building site.
- Building plans if you have them; the county keeps a copy with the Director of Equalization.
- For a new house or commercial building, the recorded Agricultural Use and Industrial Development Covenant (replacing or enlarging an existing one is exempt).
- The septic installer, electrician and plumber, and an animal waste system certification where the use needs one.
Rather not deal with the Davison County building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a Davison County building permit
Land within about 1 mile of Mitchell is permitted by the city, and Ethan and Mount Vernon permit inside their limits.
In the agricultural district a house needs 25 acres, or 3 acres for a farmstead with a variance; the county publishes setback maps for projects near homes.
Variances, conditional uses, rezonings and plats go through the Planning Commission and County Commission on the published deadlines.
Apply for a rural address, and take the approach application and $25 fee to the County Highway Shop on West 5th Street, or ask the township board on a township road.
Complete the application with Planning & Zoning, sign the GIS drawing and pay the fee.
Keep the permit in a conspicuous place on the site and pull the state electrical and plumbing permits.
Inspections and permit time limits
The county permit checks zoning: lot size, use and setbacks. Davison County’s zoning ordinance adopts no construction code for new buildings; a house moved to a new site must be brought up to the most recent Uniform Building Code. Electrical and plumbing inspections are done by the state commissions.
The county page and the 2025 application say work must start within 180 days and be substantially complete within 2 years, and that an extension can be requested for special circumstances. The 2021 zoning ordinance text sets 6 months to start and 18 months to finish, so plan to the shorter limit or ask the office about an extension.
Local Davison County rules
Septic setbacks: no individual sewage system may be within 350 feet of a lake, river or stream used as a public drinking water supply; between 350 and 660 feet it needs a conditional use. A system needs a lot of at least 20,000 sq ft with public water or 1 acre with a private well on the lot, unless it is a holding tank.
Agricultural covenant: new houses, commercial buildings, residential or commercial plats and rezonings of farmland need a recorded Agricultural Use and Industrial Development Covenant.
Drainage: the Drainage Board meets on the third Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.; old county drainage systems and buried tile run under many properties, so check before digging.
Mitchell area: plats within 3 miles of Mitchell need the Mitchell Planning Commission’s approval as well as the county’s.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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 Davison County permitting resources
- Davison County Planning and Zoning
- Davison County Fee Schedule 2026
- Davison County Building Permit Application (2025)
- Davison County Zoning Ordinance (revised June 2021)
- Davison County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (2025)
- 911 Rural Addressing Application
- County driveway approach application
- Planning & Zoning deadlines 2025–2026
- Town of Ethan code, Chapter 151 Building Regulations
- City of Mount Vernon ordinances
- City of Mitchell Building Inspection
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission
- South Dakota Electrical Commission
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Davison County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Davison County?
Davison County Planning & Zoning (605-995-8615) for unincorporated land and Loomis. Mitchell and its 1-mile extraterritorial area, Ethan and Mount Vernon issue their own.
How much is a Davison County building permit?
Square footage × the 2026 rate × 0.006. A 1,600 sq ft one-story house with a basement is $528; a 1,000 sq ft garage is $120.
Do I need a permit for a grain bin or machine shed?
Yes. Grain bins are $1 per bushel × 0.006, and an all-steel machine shed is $25 per sq ft × 0.006.
How long do I have to start building?
180 days from the permit date, or the permit is void and you must reapply and pay again.
What happens if I build without a permit?
The permit fee is doubled, and the penalty includes lost property taxes plus interest.
Can I build a house on a small acreage?
In the agricultural district the minimum is 25 acres per house; a 3-acre farmstead site needs a variance, and a lot described by linear measurements must be platted first.
Does the county inspect electrical and plumbing work?
No. The South Dakota Electrical Commission and Plumbing Commission issue and inspect those permits.
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More South Dakota permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Davison County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.