In rural Hughes County, the county Planning & Zoning Department at 104 E Capitol Avenue in Pierre issues building permits, enforces the 2018 International Building and Residential Codes and inspects new construction and septic systems. A new house costs $500 plus $1.45 for every $1,000 of construction cost over $100,000, under Ordinance 2023-1.
What needs a Hughes County building permit?
The county enforces building code ordinances adopted in 2019 (the 2018 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Mechanical, Fire and Property Maintenance Codes), and its fee ordinance lists the work it permits:
Residential
- New one- and two-family homes and moved-in houses
- Remodels and residential garages
- Decks
- Mobile or manufactured home placement
- Residential maintenance such as re-siding, re-roofing and windows
Commercial and farm
- Commercial and multi-family buildings
- Agricultural outbuildings in the agricultural districts
- Grain bins
- Grading, with a plan review over 1,000 cubic yards
- New road approaches and new or repaired septic systems
The maintenance permit predates the 2026 state law (SDCL 11-10-15), under which no permit may be required to repair, or replace with something substantially similar, the same-size doors and windows, downspouts, fascia, fence panels or posts, gutters, nonstructural siding or soffits of an owner-occupied detached single-family home that is not a designated historic property. Re-roofing is not on that list.
Who issues permits in Hughes County?
The Planning & Zoning Department administers the county’s zoning, subdivision, rural addressing, flood damage prevention and building code ordinances, issues building permits and inspects new construction for the building and septic codes. The Planning Commission (one county commissioner and six residents) meets monthly on plats, subdivisions and rezonings, and a seven-member Board of Adjustment hears conditional use permits and variances.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Hughes County Courthouse, 104 E Capitol Ave, Pierre, SD 57501 |
| Contact | Director of Equalization, 605-773-7483; email via the Planning & Zoning page |
| Forms | Building Permit Application and Approach Permit Application on the county’s Forms & Permits page |
Cities and towns
| Area | Building permits |
|---|---|
| Pierre, and the 3-mile extraterritorial joint jurisdiction around it | City of Pierre Building Department, 2301 Patron Parkway (605-773-3071); permits in the joint area are issued by the City’s zoning administrator |
| Harrold | Town Board, on the town’s Building Permit Application (605-875-3523) |
| Blunt | The City of Blunt sets its own rules; ask the Blunt city finance office before building |
| All other unincorporated land | Hughes County Planning & Zoning |
The county zoning ordinance applies everywhere in the county except where an incorporated city has taken jurisdiction under state law. Zoning changes in Pierre’s joint area go to the joint Pierre–Hughes County Planning Commission.
Applications
The Hughes County Building Permit Application asks for a description of the work, the estimated total project cost, the address, subdivision, zoning and legal description, whether the land is in a floodplain, and the builder, excavator, concrete, framing, electrical, plumbing and septic contractors. Attach a site plan, construction plans and copies of the other permits the job needs (electrical, plumbing, approach, state environmental or FAA). The county keeps separate checklists for new construction and for repairs and maintenance.
- Approach Permit Application: required for every new approach onto a county highway.
- On-site wastewater permit: required for every new septic system and every repair to an existing one.
- Rural address permit ($110 with sign and post) under the county’s rural addressing ordinance.
- Conditional use permits and variances before the Board of Adjustment; plats and rezonings before the Planning Commission.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Hughes County permit fees
Fees are set by Ordinance 2023-1, adopted March 1, 2023, which amended the fee section of the county’s 2018 building code ordinance.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New one- or two-family home or moved-in house (garage included) | $500 per dwelling unit, plus $1.45 per $1,000 of construction cost over $100,000 |
| Remodel or residential garage, $0–$500 | $60 |
| Remodel, $501–$2,000 | $60 plus $5 per $100 (or part) over $500 |
| Remodel, $2,001–$55,000 | $125 plus $5.50 per $1,000 (or part) over $2,000 |
| Remodel, over $55,000 | $416 plus $1.30 per $1,000 (or part) over $55,000 |
| Deck | $60 |
| Residential maintenance (re-siding, re-roofing, windows) | $60 |
| Mobile or manufactured home, not on / on a permanent foundation | $150 / $250 |
| Rural address permit with sign and post | $110 |
For example, a new house costing $300,000 to build pays $500 plus 200 × $1.45, or $790.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Commercial or agricultural building, $1–$500 | $60 |
| $501–$2,000 | $60 plus $5.60 per $100 over $500 |
| $2,001–$50,000 | $135 plus $7.50 per $1,000 over $2,001 |
| $50,001–$100,000 | $494 plus $6 per $1,000 over $50,001 |
| $100,001–$500,000 | $794 plus $5 per $1,000 over $100,001 |
| Over $500,000 | $2,794 plus $3 per $1,000 over $500,001 |
| Agricultural outbuilding (Group U, agricultural districts only) | $100 |
| Grain bin | $75, plus $20 for each additional bin |
| Plan review, commercial work over $80,000 when plans are required | 40% of the building permit fee |
| Re-inspection, after-hours inspection or extra plan review | $60 an hour, one-hour minimum |
| Board of Adjustment (variance or most conditional uses) | $200; $1,500 or $5,000 for listed high-impact uses |
| Planning Commission / plat | $200 / $250 plus $50 per lot |
| Approach variance | $200 |
Electrical, plumbing and septic
Electrical and plumbing permits and inspections come from the South Dakota Electrical Commission and Plumbing Commission; the county permit application asks for copies of those permits. The county’s plumbing code ordinance adopts the state plumbing code. Septic systems need an on-site wastewater permit, and Planning & Zoning inspects new construction for compliance with the septic code.
Rather not deal with the Hughes County building department?
Get a free quote →What to submit
- The completed Building Permit Application with the estimated total project cost.
- A site plan and construction plans.
- The names, addresses and phone numbers of each contractor, including the septic installer.
- Copies of the electrical, plumbing, approach and any state environmental or FAA permits.
- Floodplain information if the land is in a mapped floodplain.
How to get a Hughes County building permit
Within 3 miles of Pierre the City issues permits, Harrold’s Town Board permits inside Harrold, and in Blunt ask the city office.
Look up the zoning district; a conditional use or variance goes to the Board of Adjustment first.
Get the approach permit, the on-site wastewater permit for a septic system, a rural address, and the state electrical and plumbing permits.
File the Building Permit Application with the site plan, construction plans and copies of the other permits at the courthouse.
The fee follows Ordinance 2023-1, with plan review added for larger commercial projects.
Planning & Zoning inspects new construction; a repeat visit costs $60 an hour.
Inspections
Planning & Zoning inspects new construction against the county’s building and septic codes. Inspections outside normal business hours, re-inspections, inspections with no listed fee and extra plan review after changes cost $60 an hour with a one-hour minimum, or the county’s full hourly cost if higher. Electrical and plumbing work is inspected by the state commissions.
Local Hughes County details
Pierre’s joint area: the City of Pierre and Hughes County share a 3-mile extraterritorial joint jurisdiction around Pierre, with its own zoning districts and a joint planning commission; building permits there come from the City.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Harrold: the Town Board issues building permits for $25; apply at least 14 days before work starts, the lot must be surveyed, the permit lasts 1 year, and building without one can be fined $100 a day. A sewer hookup costs $500.
Floodplain and roads: the application asks whether the property is in a floodplain under the county’s flood damage prevention ordinance, and every new approach needs a county approach permit.
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 Hughes County permitting resources
- Hughes County Planning & Zoning
- Hughes County Forms & Permits (Building Permit and Approach Permit applications)
- Hughes County ordinances (building codes, Ordinance 2023-1 permit fees, zoning)
- City of Pierre Building Permits
- Pierre extraterritorial area ordinance (Chapter 13, Article 1)
- Town of Harrold ordinances and building permit application
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission
- South Dakota Electrical Commission
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Hughes County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Hughes County?
Hughes County Planning & Zoning at the courthouse, 104 E Capitol Avenue, Pierre, for unincorporated land outside Pierre’s 3-mile joint area.
How much is a building permit for a new house?
$500 per dwelling unit plus $1.45 for each $1,000 of construction cost over $100,000, garage included. A $300,000 house pays $790.
Does Hughes County enforce a building code?
Yes. County ordinances adopted in 2019 enforce the 2018 International Building and Residential Codes, along with the 2018 existing building, mechanical, fire and property maintenance codes.
Do I need a permit for a farm building?
Yes. An agricultural outbuilding in the agricultural districts is $100, and a grain bin is $75 plus $20 for each additional bin.
Do I need a permit for a septic system?
Yes. An on-site wastewater permit is required for every new septic system and every repair, and the county inspects for the septic code.
Who issues permits near Pierre?
The City of Pierre, for the city and the 3-mile extraterritorial joint jurisdiction around it.
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More South Dakota permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Hughes County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.