Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Arden Hills, Minnesota

Arden Hills’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Swimming pools inside Arden Hills city limits with a capacity over 1,000 gallons or 1.5 feet of water depth only

  • Enlargement or major alteration of a covered pool also needs a permit (Sec. 910.07 subd. 2).
  • Accessory structures such as pump houses need a separate building permit unless included in the pool permit (Sec. 910.07 subd. 3).
  • A conditional use permit under the zoning ordinance is required for a structure enclosing a pool or large accessory structure (Sec. 910.08).

  pool capacity threshold: > 1000 gallons (or one and one-half feet of water depth)

  “a building permit shall be required for any swimming pool with a capacity of over one thousand (1,000) gallons or one and one-half feet of water depth.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Arden Hills city limits. The city's own Chapter 13 Zoning Code and official zoning map apply.

  • Table of contents lists 'chapter 13 - zoning code' within the city's code of ordinances, current through ordinance 2026-017 and zoning map October 2025.
  • Shoreland standards in Sec. 1330.03 apply in addition to the underlying district; the more restrictive standard governs.

  “chapter 11 - subdivisions chapter 12 - sign code chapter 13 - zoning code chapter 14 - property maintenance code”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family lot in the R-1 district inside Arden Hills city limits that is a non-riparian lot within shoreland of protected waters (Sec. 1330.03). The main R-1 dimensional chart (Sec. 1320.06) was not retrieved.

  • The shoreland standards apply only to shorelands of the protected waters listed in Sec. 1330.03.
  • Where the underlying district requirement is more restrictive, that standard governs (Sec. 1330.03 intro).
  • Riparian lots have a different minimum (20,000 sq ft in the general development column); this claim covers non-riparian lots only.

  minimum lot area, non-riparian lot, district R-1: >= 14000 square feet (shoreland of protected waters only)

  “lot area (square feet): non-riparian lot 14,000 14,000 14,000 (for district r-1) 11,000 (for districts r-2, r-3, r-4)”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structure setback from a street or highway in the R-1 district inside Arden Hills city limits, for shoreland lots under Sec. 1330.03. Front, side and rear setbacks from the main R-1 chart (Sec. 1320.06) were not retrieved.

  • Figure is the shoreland-table street setback for R-1, not the general front yard setback.
  • Shoreland-table setback from ordinary high water level is a separate requirement (150 / 75 / 50 feet by water class) and is not restated here.
  • Porch, eave and deck encroachment rules were not verified.

  minimum structure setback from street or highway, district R-1: >= 40 feet (shoreland of protected waters only)

  “structure minimum setbacks from streets and highways (feet) 40 for districts r-1, r-2, r-3, r-4”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Impervious surface coverage of a lot in the R-1 district inside Arden Hills city limits, for shoreland lots under Sec. 1330.03

  • Limit is the shoreland-table impervious-surface maximum; the general lot coverage rule in Sec. 1320.06 was not retrieved.

  maximum lot area covered by impervious surface, district R-1: <= 35 percent (shoreland of protected waters only)

  “maximum lot area covered by impervious surface (%) 35 for district r-1, r-2, r-3, r-4”

• Building heightSpecified

  Structure height in the R-1 district inside Arden Hills city limits, for shoreland lots under Sec. 1330.03

  • Figure is the shoreland-table maximum; the general height rule in Sec. 1320.06 was not retrieved.
  • Measurement method not verified.

  maximum structure height, district R-1: <= 35 feet (shoreland of protected waters only)

  “structure maximum height (feet) 35 for district r-1, r-2, r-3, r-4, b-1, b-2, i-1”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land inside Arden Hills city limits

  • Subdivision standards are in the city's Chapter 11 (Subdivisions); the requirements and approval process were not opened.
  • Easements (Sec. 1130.05) also exist in Chapter 11 per search index; not verified.

  “chapter 11 - subdivisions chapter 12 - sign code chapter 13 - zoning code chapter 14 - property maintenance code”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Arden Hills or Ramsey County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Arden Hills city limits
• Inspections — Inspections for new construction inside Arden Hills city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates for new dwellings inside Arden Hills city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area of a single-family dwelling inside Arden Hills city limits
• Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Arden Hills city limits

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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