Outside city limits, Lawrence County Planning and Zoning (605-578-3871) issues building permits, licenses contractors, inspects construction and issues certificates of occupancy. You apply through the county’s online form; under Resolution 2026-04 the fee is $30 for the first $1,000 of value plus $3 per additional $1,000, with value set at $195 per sq ft of finished living space, and a permit can take up to 5 days to issue.
What needs a Lawrence County building permit?
Under Chapter 13 of the county zoning title, a permit is required for all new construction, additions, decks (including replacement decks) and moving any building, mobile homes included. The county’s FAQ adds sheds and other buildings of 200 sq ft or more and interior construction or reconstruction.
Permit needed
- New houses, cabins, garages, shops and pole buildings
- Additions, remodels and interior reconstruction
- Decks, covered porches, lean-tos and carports
- Sheds of 200 sq ft or more
- Moving in a building or a mobile home (which also needs a moving permit from the County Treasurer)
- Commercial buildings
Before the permit
- A recorded plat for any lot under 40 acres
- A septic permit and engineered design for a new house or added bedrooms
- An approach permit from the county or state highway department for a new driveway
- A floodplain development permit where the site is in a mapped flood zone
- A conditional use permit or variance where the zoning calls for one
Only one dwelling is allowed per lot, and mobile home parks are not permitted. Dirt work may start before the permit, but setting concrete forms without one doubles the fee. From November 6, 2026, Ordinance 26-03 changes the zoning definition of a structure so that fences, earthwork, retaining walls, concrete slabs and utility poles no longer count as structures.
Who issues permits in Lawrence County?
The Planning and Zoning Department manages growth in the unincorporated county. It takes building permit applications, inspects buildings, licenses contractors, issues occupancy permits, administers the floodplain, approves septic systems and enforces zoning and signs. Amber Vogt is the director.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 90 Sherman Street, Deadwood, SD 57732 |
| Phone and fax | 605-578-3871, fax 605-722-6221 |
| Email for permit attachments | planning.zoning@lawrence.sd.us |
| Inspections | 605-578-3871, 24 hours’ notice |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Inside the incorporated cities the county does not regulate zoning; its FAQ names Spearfish, Deadwood, Lead and Whitewood as the cities with their own zoning rules:
| Place | Permit office |
|---|---|
| Spearfish and its Joint Powers Area | City Building Services Division, 605-642-1335; the county says permits and plats in Spearfish’s 3-mile area go through the City, under county zoning |
| Deadwood | City Building Inspections, which enforces the 2021 International Codes adopted March 2, 2022; Planning and Zoning, 108 Sherman Street, 605-578-2082 |
| Lead | City Building Inspector, Lead City Hall, 801 West Main, 605-584-1617 (2021 IRC, IBC, IMC and IFC) |
| Whitewood | City Building Inspector, 1025 Meade Street, 605-639-9146, who reviews plans and issues or denies permits |
| Central City | Ask the Central City city office before building; the published sources do not say who issues permits there |
| Unincorporated areas | Lawrence County Planning and Zoning |
Applications and contractor licences
The Building Permit Application (BP) in the county’s online Form Center lets you upload plans, the septic design, truss plans and the site plan and submit everything from home except the payment; files that will not upload can be emailed with the parcel number and owner’s last name in the subject line. A printable PDF version can still be brought to the office. Other Planning and Zoning forms include the Individual Sewage Disposal Permit, the Floodplain Development Permit, and plat, change of zoning and conditional use applications.
A contractor needs a county licence for any work except on the owner’s own primary residence or an existing commercial building the owner controls, and structural work on a commercial building always needs a licensed contractor. Subcontractors count as contractors. The licence costs $75, runs to December 31 with a 30-day grace period, and needs proof of workers’ compensation, liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, and the contractor’s state excise tax licence number. Working without one doubles the fee to $150.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Lawrence County permit fees
Fees are set by Resolution 2026-04, adopted by the County Commission on January 27, 2026 and posted as the department’s Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule. The building permit is $30 for the first $1,000 of the structure’s value plus $3 for each additional $1,000, and the value is worked out from these square-foot rates:
| Space | Value per sq ft |
|---|---|
| Finished residential space | $195 |
| Unfinished basement | $32 |
| Garage or pole building | $85 |
| Deck, gazebo or carport | $70 |
| Mobile home | $195, less 3% per year of age or $30, whichever is greater |
| Commercial | $225 |
For example, a house with 1,400 sq ft of finished space and a 600 sq ft garage is valued at $273,000 plus $51,000, or $324,000, so the permit costs $30 plus 323 × $3, a total of $999.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Sewer (septic) permit | $20 |
| Floodplain development permit | $100 |
| Development permit | $220 |
| Variance or appeal (Board of Adjustment) | $320, non-refundable |
| Change of zoning / conditional use permit | $420 each, non-refundable |
| Temporary use permit | $250 |
| On-premise or home occupation sign / billboard | $100 / $250 |
| Outside consultant plan review or inspection | The county’s cost, passed to the landowner |
The Planning and Zoning page still links a 2025 schedule that valued finished space at $160 per sq ft, and older pages quote a $10 septic permit and a no-fee floodplain permit; Resolution 2026-04 replaced those figures. Pay by phone with a card (2.5% fee) or by check to the Lawrence County Treasurer’s Office; a returned check costs $40.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and septic work
Electrical and plumbing permits come from the South Dakota Electrical and Plumbing Commissions, not the county, and the application form links the state’s homeowner wiring and plumbing permit pages for owners doing their own work. The county’s framing inspection happens only after the state rough-in inspections are approved.
Every new septic system needs a county septic permit before the building permit is issued, and a South Dakota registered professional engineer must design it. A state-licensed installer builds it, the installer’s licence number goes to the county before the building permit is released, and the engineer inspects the work and sends a stamped post-installation report with photographs within 30 days of installation. Systems other than conventional individual systems also go to the state for review.
What to submit with the application
- A complete application with parcel number, legal description, zoning district, water source, access, sewer and a square-footage breakdown (finished, unfinished, porches and decks, garages).
- Building plans drawn to scale: foundation plan with rebar schedule and elevation steps, labeled floor plans, wall cross-sections, elevations, stairs and decks.
- Roof truss plans engineered by a South Dakota licensed engineer, listing the ground snow load for the site’s elevation; homemade trusses are not allowed.
- The septic permit and design, or proof of the last pumping, for a new house or added bedrooms.
- A site plan showing lot lines, all buildings, wells, septic and drain fields, waterways, driveways, easements and rights-of-way, with setbacks measured from the foundation.
- Structural data for retaining walls over 4 feet.
Within 50 feet of a setback line you may be asked for a surveyed site plan. Commercial site plans add parking, signs and drainage, and commercial post-frame, steel and pole buildings must be engineered in South Dakota. A lot approved or platted on or after September 15, 2010 may need a wildfire mitigation or survivable space plan.
Rather not deal with the Lawrence County building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a Lawrence County building permit
Check the parcel on the county GIS map: city limits and Spearfish’s Joint Powers Area go to the cities.
Find the zoning district and setbacks, make sure a lot under 40 acres is platted, and ask about the floodplain.
Get the septic permit and engineered design and any county or state approach permit first.
Complete the Building Permit Application in the Form Center and upload plans, trusses, septic design and site plan.
Pay by phone or check once the fee is figured; the county says issue can take up to 5 days.
Call for each required inspection 24 hours ahead and get the certificate of occupancy before moving in.
Lawrence County inspections
Book inspections by calling 605-578-3871 at least 24 hours ahead. The required visits are setbacks and footings (after excavation, with rebar in place and before concrete), framing (before insulation or wall covering, once the state rough-ins are approved) and final (when the building is complete and ready to occupy). Decks get footing and final inspections only.
The inspector may require a lot survey to confirm setbacks or a soils report before footings are poured, and work covered before an inspection may have to be opened up at the owner’s expense. Since February 1, 2014, every structure needs a certificate of occupancy. A permit is void if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days.
Local Lawrence County details
Building codes: the county adopted the 2021 ICC building codes on July 26, 2022, and its zoning title incorporates whatever International Building Codes the county has adopted. A general FAQ on the county site still lists the 2012 editions; the 2021 adoption is the newer statement, and the county publishes quick guides on decks, garages, foundations, egress windows and smoke detectors.
Floodplain: the county floodplain administrator may require a study by a professional engineer or proof of elevation before a permit, and some floodplain lots cannot be built on. The floodplain permit also covers filling, grading, culverts, stream changes and septic placement.
Whitewood Creek Superfund Site: the county has a separate zoning district for the site and publishes a Whitewood Superfund building handbook for it.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Hearings: the Planning and Zoning Board meets on a Thursday each month and needs applications 22 days before; the remaining 2026 meetings are November 5 and December 3, and the County Commission meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays. From November 6, 2026, change-of-zoning applications are filed with the Lawrence County Auditor, at least 22 days before a regular Planning and Zoning meeting.
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 Lawrence County permit resources
- Lawrence County Planning and Zoning
- Lawrence County online Building Permit Application
- Lawrence County fee schedule, Resolution 2026-04
- Lawrence County 2021 building codes and quick guides
- Lawrence County required inspections
- Lawrence County septic system information
- Lawrence County septic system checklist
- Lawrence County Floodplain Development Permit form
- Lawrence County zoning title, Chapter 13 Building Permits
- Lawrence County ordinances, including Ordinances 26-03 and 26-04
- South Dakota Electrical Commission
- South Dakota Plumbing Commission
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Lawrence County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Lawrence County?
Lawrence County Planning and Zoning in Deadwood (605-578-3871) for unincorporated land. Spearfish (including its Joint Powers Area), Deadwood, Lead and Whitewood issue their own.
How much is a building permit in Lawrence County?
$30 for the first $1,000 of value plus $3 for each additional $1,000, with finished living space valued at $195 per sq ft. A house with 1,400 sq ft finished and a 600 sq ft garage pays $999.
Do I need a permit for a shed or a deck?
Yes for any deck, including a replacement deck, and for sheds of 200 sq ft or more.
Can I build my own house without a licensed contractor?
Yes, if it will be your primary residence. Anyone you hire, including subcontractors, needs a county contractor licence.
What does the county need for a septic system?
A $20 county septic permit, a design by a South Dakota registered professional engineer and a state-licensed installer, all in place before the building permit is issued.
Which building code applies?
The 2021 International Building and Residential Codes, adopted by the county in July 2022.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call Planning and Zoning at 605-578-3871 at least 24 hours before the setbacks and footings, framing or final inspection.
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More South Dakota permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Lawrence County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.