Bolthole Index

Chisago County, Minnesota

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Harris, Minnesota

The City of Harris, Chisago County, Minnesota sets its own zoning, but building permits and driveway permits inside city limits are issued by Chisago County, not by city hall1. Harris zoning bars using a recreational vehicle as a dwelling unit2. Septic permits come from the Chisago County Environmental Services Department3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by Chisago County, not the city1
Zoning
Harris has its own zoning code and zoning map4
Zoning districts
R-1, R-2, R-3, B, CI and I5
Septic
Chisago County permits septic systems; R-2 land needs a private system36
RV living
Not allowed as a dwelling unit inside city limits2
Driveway permit
Required; issued by Chisago County7
Minimum lot (R-2)
5 acres, 300 feet wide, 450 feet deep8
Minimum lot (R-1)
15,000 square feet with municipal sewer and water9

Who to call

Zoning

City of Harris (city hall)

Harris zoning code and zoning map; refers building permit and driveway permit questions to Chisago County

(651) 674-7546

43970 Ginger Ave (PO Box 111) Harris, MN 55032

Building permits

Chisago County Environmental Services Department

Building, construction and demolition permits and inspections, including inside Harris city limits

651-213-8370

313 N Main St Suite 240, Center City, MN 55012

Online permits →

Septic permits

Chisago County Environmental Services Department

Septic (SSTS) permits, perc tests and inspections in Chisago County

651-213-8370

313 N Main St Suite 240, Center City, MN 55012

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 23, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Harris means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Harris, Minnesota have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The City of Harris adopted its own zoning code (Title XV, Chapter 154) and an official zoning map4. The city is divided into R-1 Urban Residential, R-2 Rural Residential, R-3 Multiple Residential, B General Business, CI Commercial-Industrial and I Industrial districts5. Chisago County's own zoning office covers a list of townships, and for zoning inside city limits it sends applicants to the city10.

The district decides everything. In R-1, new homes need municipal sewer and water11, and a lot needs at least 15,000 square feet, 100 feet of width and 150 feet of depth9. R-1 setbacks are 30 feet in front, 10 feet on the sides and 30 feet in the rear for the house12.

In R-2, sewer and water are private6, and a lot needs at least 5 acres, 300 feet of width and 450 feet of depth8. R-2 side and rear yards are 30 feet each, and road setbacks run from the centerline: 125 feet from a state highway, 120 feet from a county highway and 83 feet from a township road13. Buildings may cover no more than 25 percent of an R-2 lot14. We could not confirm a minimum house size or a height limit for the two residential districts; ask city hall15.

Do you need a building permit in Harris, and who issues it?

Yes. Building permits for construction inside Harris are issued by Chisago County, not by the city1. The county states that building permits are required for all new construction and most remodeling, alteration and repair work, and that its office enforces the building code in the City of Harris16.

Chisago County accepts building permit applications only through its online permitting portal, with building plans and a site map uploaded to the application16. The city's own page tells residents to read the county's information and then contact the county for an application form17. The county's contact for building permit questions is the Environmental Services Department at 651-213-837016.

Driveway permits for Harris land are also issued by the county7. We could not confirm fees, an owner-builder exemption or certificate of occupancy rules for work inside Harris city limits; call the county office before you budget a project.

How do septic permits work in Harris?

Chisago County, not the City of Harris, runs septic permitting. The county has adopted Minnesota's Chapter 7080 standards and its own Subsurface Sewage Treatment Ordinance3. A perc test, a specific design proposal and a septic permit are required to install, repair, alter or add to a septic system18.

Whether you need one depends on the zoning district. R-1 requires municipal sewer and water for new homes, so a septic system is not the plan there11. R-2 requires private sewer and water, so a new R-2 home means an on-site system6. Chisago County requires a septic tank to sit at least 10 feet from an occupied building, a drain field at least 20 feet, and a system at least 10 feet from all property lines19.

We could not confirm a Harris-specific septic rule or well permit rule inside city limits, so ask the Environmental Services Department at 651-213-837018.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Harris?

Not in an RV. Harris zoning says no cellar, garage, tent, trailer, recreational vehicle, basement or accessory building may be used as a dwelling unit, except mobile homes as the chapter regulates them2. The same provision lets a basement home serve as a dwelling for up to three years while the structure above is finished2.

We did not find a tiny home provision for Harris, so a tiny home would need to qualify as an ordinary dwelling in its district; ask city hall15. Accessory apartments are a permitted accessory use in R-120, though the standards for them were not located.

The county's more flexible camping rules for unimproved land apply only to unincorporated Chisago County, not inside Harris21.

Building a home in Harris: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district with the City of Harris and check its zoning map415.
  2. Check lot size and setbacks for that district against the survey5.
  3. In R-2, call Chisago County Environmental Services about a perc test, design and septic permit18; in R-1, plan for municipal sewer and water11.
  4. Apply for the building permit online through the county's permitting portal16.
  5. Get the driveway permit from the county7.
  6. Schedule inspections with the county as work proceeds22.

What stays with Chisago County, and what to check before you buy in Harris

The county decides building permits, driveway permits and septic permits for Harris addresses13. A driveway onto a Chisago County highway also needs a county access permit23. Short-term rental licensing runs through the county in both cities and townships, with an annual license fee of $400 that may change, and cities can restrict it further24.

Rules for land outside city limits differ; see the Chisago County page for unincorporated land.

Costs are county-level: Chisago County's effective property tax rate is 1.1 percent25 and the median property tax bill is $3,668 a year26. We could not confirm floodplain rules or building height limits for Harris; ask the city and the county Environmental Services Department.

Watch-outs

  • The city's zoning code supplement is current only through a 2023 ordinance, and the zoning map is dated 2006, so ask city hall whether newer amendments apply4.
  • Do not take unincorporated Chisago County rules, such as the county's 5-acre agricultural minimum, as Harris rules; the city sets lot size by district8.
  • We could not confirm permit fees, owner-builder rules or certificates of occupancy inside Harris city limits; call the county Environmental Services Department at 651-213-837016.

Sources

  1. Building Permits & Inspections - City of Harris, Minnesota (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  2. Ordinance 2015-01, amending Section 154.04 (Rule & General Provisions) of the City of Harris zoning code (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  3. Septic, quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 154: Zoning - City of Harris Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 154: Zoning - City of Harris Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 154: Zoning - City of Harris Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  7. Building Permits & Inspections - City of Harris, Minnesota (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 154: Zoning - City of Harris Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 154: Zoning - City of Harris Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  10. Zoning / Subdivision, quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 154: Zoning - City of Harris Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 154: Zoning - City of Harris Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 154: Zoning - City of Harris Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  14. Chapter 154: Zoning - City of Harris Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  15. City of Harris (city hall) (harrismn.com)
  16. Chisago County Environmental Services Department (chisagocountymn.gov)
  17. Building Permits & Inspections - City of Harris, Minnesota (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  18. Chisago County Environmental Services Department (chisagocountymn.gov)
  19. Septic, quoted and re-checked
  20. Chapter 154: Zoning - City of Harris Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) (Harris), quoted and re-checked
  21. chisagocountymn.gov, quoted and re-checked
  22. Inspections, quoted and re-checked
  23. Public Works Permits - Access, Transportation, Utility, Etc., quoted and re-checked
  24. Short-Term Rentals, quoted and re-checked
  25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 23, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Harris

Harris’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Harris city limits, under the City of Harris zoning code (Title XV, Chapter 154: Zoning)

    • Code supplement is current only through Ord. 2023-03 (passed 3-13-2023) per the American Legal overview page; later amendments are not reflected.
    • Official zoning map is dated May 2006 per Section 154.14(b).
    “the city of harris zoning map, dated may, 2006, is adopted as the official zoning map.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning district classifications for land inside Harris city limits

    • Districts are R-1 Urban Residential, R-2 Rural Residential, R-3 Multiple Residential, B General Business, CI Commercial-Industrial and I Industrial; the official zoning map is dated May 2006.
    “for the purpose of this chapter, the city is divided into the following zoning districts. r-1 urban residential district r-2 rural residential district r-3 multiple residential district b general business district ci commercial-industrial district i industrial district”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 Urban Residential district inside Harris city limits

    • Municipal sewer and water required in this district.

    minimum lot area: >= 15000 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet · minimum lot depth: >= 150 feet

    “minimum lot area 15,000 square feet minimum lot width 100 feet minimum lot depth 150 feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-2 Rural Residential district inside Harris city limits (principal and accessory structures)

    • Road setbacks marked with an asterisk equal the greater of 50 feet from the registered road right-of-way or easement, or the distance from the road centerline.
    • No-road-frontage front yard is measured from property line.

    front yard (state highway, from centerline): >= 125 feet · front yard (county highway, from centerline): >= 120 feet · front yard (township road, from centerline): >= 83 feet · front yard (no road frontage, from property line): >= 50 feet · side yard: >= 30 feet · rear yard: >= 30 feet

    “front yard/state highway* 125 feet from centerline - principal and accessory front yard/county highway* 120 feet from centerline - principal and accessory front yard/township road* 83 feet from centerline - principal and accessory front yard (no road frontage) 50 feet from property line side yard 30 feet - principal and accessory rear yard 30 feet - principal and accessory lot coverage 25%”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 Urban Residential district inside Harris city limits

    maximum lot coverage: <= 25 percent

    “(6) yard area/setback requirements. front yard/street access 30 feet principal and accessory side yard ten feet principal and accessory rear yard 30 feet principal; ten feet accessory lot coverage 25%”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Use of a recreational vehicle as a dwelling unit anywhere inside Harris city limits

    • Exception: mobile homes as regulated in the chapter (no mobile home section was located).
    • Basement homes may be used as a dwelling for up to three years pending completion of the structure above.
    • Text is from Ordinance 2015-01 amending Section 154.04(d); the current text in the American Legal code was not separately confirmed.
    “(d) no cellar, garage, tent, trailer, recreational vehicle, basement or accessory building shall, at any time be used as a dwelling unit except mobile homes as regulated in this chapter”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed

    Accessory apartments as an accessory use in the R-1 Urban Residential district inside Harris city limits

    • Listed as a permitted accessory use in R-1, R-2 and R-3; accessory apartment standards were not located.
    “(2) accessory uses. (a) residential attached or detached private garage. (b) decks, patios, swimming pools, fences, garden sheds. (c) home occupations. (d) accessory apartments.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    New homes in the R-1 Urban Residential district inside Harris city limits

    • Requirement applies to the R-1 district only; a connection-availability or distance rule for other districts was not located.
    “r-1 urban residential district (municipal sewer and water required).”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic

Rules another office applies inside Harris

Harris does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building permitRequired

    Building permits for construction inside Harris city limits; the permits are issued by Chisago County, not by the city

    • The city's building permits page directs residents to Chisago County for building permit applications and information (651-213-8372).
    • Recorded as countywide because the county branch of the scope schema does not accept geography municipality-specific; applies_to limits the claim to Harris city.
    “building permits and drive way permits for the city of harris are issued by chisago county”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Driveway permits for Harris city land, issued by Chisago County

    • The city page states that driveway permits are issued by the county; the driveway standard itself was not opened.
    “building permits and drive way permits for the city of harris are issued by chisago county”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permit process for Harris city land, handled by Chisago County

    • The city page lists county contacts and a building setbacks and standards PDF, and says the applicant must read the county's required information; the full county process was not opened.
    “then contact chisago county for a building permit application form.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Harris or Chisago County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Harris city limits
  • Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Harris city limits
  • Inspections — Building inspections for work inside Harris city limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new buildings inside Harris city limits
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Harris city limits
14 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Harris publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Chisago County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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