Building, well, & septic permit applications & fees

The Olmsted County Planning department Inspections Division provides building code and permit administration for the cities of Byron, Chatfield, Eyota, and Stewartville as well as the townships of Eyota, Marion, and Quincy. For building code questions, please contact our office to speak with an inspector at 507-328-7100.

Why do I need a permit?

The building code was established to ensure that your home or place of business and any improvements or additions made to it conform to safe building practices. Too often, the determination of safe building practices has involved previous injury, either physical or financial. Your safety and the safety of your family, neighbors, customers and employees depend on construction that follows standardized, proven building practices. The certifiable quality of construction can impact your insurance coverage and can possibly affect the resale value of your home or business; unpermitted improvements can affect the ability of a potential buyer to find financing.

Building, well, and septic fees

For the most up-to-date fees, please see the document below.

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For the administration of the program authorized by the agreements and regulations, the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners, after holding a public hearing on April 28, 2009, adopted the following fees as shown below and effective May 15, 2009, with the annual fee adjustment to occur as scheduled, and to remain in effect until otherwise amended.

To view fee information, please use the Fee Finder tool on the Olmsted County Fee webpage and search for the fee you are inquiring about.

In addition to the listed permit fees, state surcharges also apply to permits listed below

  • Residential and Commercial building - 0.0005% of valuation
  • Plumbing and Mechanical - 0.0005% of valuation
  • Manufactured home installation - $1
  • Single water well construction - $20
  • Single water well sealing - $5
  • Single monitoring well construction - $20
  • Single monitoring well sealing - $5

There are several fee elements to any building permit and each serves a different purpose.

The Building Permit fee pays for structural inspections performed during the project to ensure compliance to the building code and that the materials used are installed correctly. It also helps defray the cost of training and education required to keep inspectors current on building code, methods and materials.

The Zoning Review is done to ensure that the proposed construction and it's use is allowed in the property's zoning district and conforms to all applicable setback and easement restrictions, as well as other restrictions imposed by statute.

An Environmental Review (when applicable) is done to ensure that all setbacks and restrictions related to protection of any wells and septic systems adjacent to the building site are met.

The Footing fee (when applicable) pays for foundation inspections. It also helps defray the cost of training and education required to keep inspectors current on foundation engineering, methods and materials.

Trade Permits are those issued for work on plumbing, gas piping, heating, air conditioning, etc. The fees collected pay for installation inspections. They also help defray the cost of training and education required to keep inspectors current on installation code, methods and new technology applicable to the various systems.

A Plan Review is done to ensure that the proposed construction conforms to building code and to provide a reasonable degree of certainty that the work will be successful, safe and long lasting. The fee helps defray the cost of training and education required to keep reviewers current on structural engineering and code requirements.

For fee estimates on commercial, residential, and trade permits please contact our office.

Building permits

Building permits are required for new construction, additions to existing construction, and alterations to existing construction. If you are not sure that the work you plan needs a permit, please contact the Inspections Division. Work that typically does NOT require a building permit but may require zoning review include but is not limited to:

  • Retaining walls not over four feet in height (height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall) unless supporting a surcharge (which may include buildings, pools, parking areas, streets, alleys, sidewalks, or other loads).  It is suggested that you have a site plan review even for walls under four feet in height.
  • Fences not over seven feet in height.
  • One-story detached accessory structures not exceeding 200 square feet.
  • Decks, platforms and stoops that are not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade, are not attached to a structure with frost footings and that do not serve the required exit door of the dwelling.
  • Sidewalks, walkways, and driveways on private property that are not part of an accessible route.
  • Prefabricated, above-ground swimming pools not exceeding 5,000 gallons and a 24-inch depth.
  • Playground equipment.
  • Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work.
  • Movable cases, counters, and partitions not over five feet, nine inches in height.

If you are a homeowner that will be applying for your own building permit, please also complete the Property Owner Waiver form below and submit it along with your permit application.

When submitting a building permit application, please also email electronic copies of plans to planningweb@olmstedcounty.gov as this will help us process your permit application more efficiently.

The following building permit applications are for construction within the City of Byron, City of Stewartville, and unincorporated areas of the following townships: Marion, Oronoco, Quincy, and Eyota. For projects within other townships and small cities please refer to Township Information.

If you are unsure of your project jurisdiction, please use our Jurisdiction Checker to search the project address and contact the appropriate authority for building, planning, well, or septic needs.

When applying for a building permit for a new residence, please submit the completed worksheet below along with your building permit application.

See the MN State Energy Code for more information on commercial projects.

Manufactured home permits

A manufactured home is a home that is manufactured in a facility, built on a permanent chassis, and is transportable. 

A building permit is required for:

  • Installation of new and used homes in a mobile home park or private property.
  • Remodeling of homes, windows, interior walls, roofing, siding etc.
  • Alterations of homes.
  • Additions to the home, porches, decks, garages, etc.
  • Installation of furnaces and water heaters.

Any alterations, additions (not including decks), or remodel projects for manufactured homes will require construction drawings and a

Required inspections of the installation of a new home would include the footings, anchoring and support system, gas piping, plumbing and final.

The following manufactured home permit applications and forms are required for new/used home installation or construction of a deck for a manufactured home within the City of Byron, City of Stewartville, and unincorporated areas of the following townships: Marion, Oronoco, Quincy, and Eyota. For permitting information within other townships and small cities please refer to Township Information.

Agricultural use permit

Agricultural buildings built within Olmsted County’s jurisdiction are not required to obtain a building permit. An agricultural use permit is required. This holds true as long as the use of the building is used strictly for agricultural purposes only as specified in Minnesota State Statutes Section 326B.103, Subdivision 3: 

Minnesota State Statutes Section 326B.103, Subdivision 3 defines an agricultural building as “a structure on agricultural land...designed, constructed, and used to house farm implements, livestock, or agricultural produce or products used by the owner, lessee, and sublessee of the building and members of their immediate families, their employees, and persons engaged in the pickup or delivery of agricultural produce or products.” 

Minnesota State Statutes Section 273.13, Subdivision 23, paragraph (e), is part of the property tax code that defines agricultural land as “contiguous acreage of ten acres or more, used during the preceding year for “agricultural purposes”. “Agricultural purposes” as used in this section means the raising, cultivation, drying, or storage of agricultural products for sale, or the storage of machinery or equipment used in support of agricultural production by the same farm entity. 

Using an agricultural use building for items not covered by the statutes listed such as: camper storage, family vehicles, commercial vehicles, workshops, etc., the building would be in violation with Minnesota State Statutes and Olmsted County Ordinances. This is a misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine or jail term. 

NOTE: If a change of occupancy permit is to be requested in the future, this change of occupancy permit would need final approval before its new use is granted. The requirements needed for this permit would be the same as applying for a new permit, which is as follows: 

State of Minnesota engineering approval showing design calculations of the entire building for snow load and wind design 

County health approval for placement 

County zoning approval for new use 

If the change of use is to commercial use, a design professional licensed in the state of Minnesota will be required to perform an analysis of the structure to ensure compliance with the Minnesota State Building Code. 

For further descriptions pertaining to Agricultural Land Use, refer to the 2017 Minnesota Statutes 273.13 Ag Use Descriptions document.

Trade permits

Separate trade permits for plumbing, heating and air conditioning projects are issued when the work is not part of a larger construction project.

The following trade applications are for projects within the City of Byron, City of Stewartville, and unincorporated areas of the following townships: Marion, Oronoco, Quincy, and Eyota. For trade work within other townships or small cities please refer to Township Information.

Well permit information

County Well Permit Applications and miscellaneous documents are for all areas of Olmsted County that are not on a municipal water supply.

Septic permits

The following permits are for subsurface sewer treatment (SSTS/septic) systems within unincorporated areas of the following townships: Marion, Oronoco, Quincy, and Eyota. For systems within other townships or small cities please refer to Township Information.