Lake County, South Dakota Building Permit Guide

For land outside the cities and towns, Lake County’s Planning, Zoning and Natural Resources Office at 200 E Center Street, Madison (605-256-7610) issues building permits under the county zoning ordinance that took effect on March 11, 2026. It is a one-person office, so call ahead; a permit expires after 18 months unless substantial progress has been made.

What needs a Lake County building permit?

The zoning ordinance requires a permit before any building or structure is erected, moved, added to, structurally altered or put to use, and before excavation, filling, grading, lagooning or dredging to prepare a site. The county’s own list of work that needs a permit is broad:

The county’s list predates the 2026 state law (SDCL 11-10-15): a county may not require a permit 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, unless it is a designated historic property. Painting and flooring need no permit.

Who issues permits in Lake County?

The Planning, Zoning and Natural Resources Office, run by Planning, Zoning and Natural Resources Officer Carrie Schiernbeck, issues zoning and building permits and administers the nuisance, solid waste and floodplain ordinances for the unincorporated county. Permits are issued on the recommendation of the county’s Building Permit Review Committee; conditional uses and variances go to the Board of Adjustment and rezonings to the Planning Commission and County Commission.

Cities and towns

Applications and forms

Building permit applications are made to the Zoning Official at the courthouse; the county posts its other forms online:

• Floodplain Development Permit Application for work in a mapped flood hazard area.
• Grading/Fill Permit Application, which asks about private sewage, water source and the flood zone.
• E911 Address Application, $120 per address, needed for every occupied house or building.
• Check Sheet for Individual and Small On-Site Wastewater Systems, completed by the septic contractor ($50).
• Plat or Replat Application, with a county guide to platting.
• A permit from the Zoning Official to remove trees and shrubs within 25 feet of a lake’s high-water mark in the lake and natural resource districts.

Lake County permit fees

The County Commission sets building permit and zoning fees by resolution, and the schedule is posted in the zoning office; no action is taken on an application until fees are paid.

Fees printed on county forms, and recent permits from the county’s published April 2025 permit report:

Electrical, plumbing and septic

Electrical permits come from the South Dakota Electrical Commission and plumbing permits from the South Dakota Plumbing Commission. New or replacement septic tanks and drain fields must meet the state’s onsite wastewater rules, and the county’s check sheet records the percolation rate, absorption area and separation distances; absorption areas over 1,200 sq ft need a dosing system and over 1,800 sq ft an alternately dosed system.

For new non-residential buildings, the ordinance applies the design standard set by state law (SDCL 11-10-6); houses, manufactured homes, townhouses, farmsteads and their accessory buildings are excluded.

What to submit

• A site plan showing the lot’s dimensions and shape, the size and location of existing buildings, and the location and dimensions of the new building or alteration.
• The existing and intended use of every building, or a written statement of a change of use.
• The location of existing or proposed water and sewer facilities, and the septic check sheet for a new system.
• An E911 address for a new home, and floodplain or grading forms where they apply.

Plans filed with the permit are final; changes need a new permit.

How to get a Lake County building permit

Inspections and time limits

The Zoning Official arranges inspections of buildings, structures and land use to confirm they meet the zoning ordinance, and can stop work or revoke a permit for defective work not corrected within 90 days of notice. A permit becomes void 18 months after issue unless substantial progress has been made, and the Zoning Official may then extend it once by 6 months. Electrical and plumbing inspections are done by the state commissions.

Local Lake County rules

Lake Park districts: a single-family lot needs 9,600 sq ft with central sewer, 20,000 sq ft with rural water and a septic or holding tank, and 43,560 sq ft with a well and septic tank; at Lake Herman the minimum is 22,000 sq ft. Buildings other than boathouses must be at least 25 feet from the ordinary high-water mark and 4 feet above it.

Shorelands: land within 1,000 feet of a lake or pond is shoreland, and shoreline stabilization, filling, grading and dredging in the lake and natural resource districts follow the ordinance’s shoreline rules.

Aquifer protection: in Zone A, new septic systems are not allowed within 500 feet of a public water supply well, and homes on septic cannot exceed one per 5 acres.

Permit records: the county posts building permit reports by year (the latest covers 2025) listing each permit’s project, value and fee.

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 Lake County permitting resources

• Lake County Planning and Zoning (contacts and hours)
• Lake County zoning applications, forms and resources
• Lake County list of improvements that require a building permit
• Lake County Zoning Ordinance (amended March 2026)
• Lake County on-site wastewater check sheet
• Lake County E911 Address Application
• Lake County building permit report, 2025
• City of Madison permit and licence applications
• Town of Wentworth licenses and permits
• Town of Ramona ordinances (Ordinance 250-19)
• South Dakota Plumbing Commission
• South Dakota Electrical Commission

Lake County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Lake County?

The Lake County Planning, Zoning and Natural Resources Office, 200 E Center Street, Madison (605-256-7610), for unincorporated land including the lake districts.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Fences 36 inches or taller and sheds of 100 sq ft or more, permanent or portable, need a county permit.

How much does a Lake County building permit cost?

The fee comes from the county’s fee resolution posted in the zoning office. In April 2025 a $520,000 new home paid $568 and a $35,000 garage $83.

How close can I build to the lake?

In the Lake Park districts, buildings other than boathouses must be at least 25 feet from the ordinary high-water mark and 4 feet above it.

How long is a permit good for?

18 months from issue unless substantial progress has been made, with one possible 6-month extension.

What if I build without a permit?

You pay an administrative fee equal to the permit fee if you apply within 7 working days of the county’s notice, or twice the permit fee after that, on top of the permit itself.

Simplify Lake County 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.

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