Building permits, zoning and land rules in Golden Valley County, North Dakota

At a glance

Building permit

Required for nonagricultural construction, moved buildings and exterior dimensional changes¹

Zoning

Applies in most unincorporated areas, subject to township and city-jurisdiction exceptions²

Septic

Local public-health permit and county or health-district approval required³⁴

RV living

Private-land residential or long-term occupancy not confirmed; ask Planning & Zoning⁵

Tiny homes

No tiny-home-specific occupancy rule confirmed; district and permit review still matter⁶⁷

Agricultural buildings

Generally exempt from county zoning except road setbacks and floodplain regulations⁸

Owner-builder exemption

No permit exemption confirmed; a separate discretionary property-tax exemption may apply⁹

Private wells

State appropriation permit applies above the annual withdrawal threshold¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Golden Valley County, North Dakota?

Yes. Golden Valley County requires a building permit before construction or moving in of any nonagricultural building or structure and whenever an existing nonagricultural building's outside dimensions change.¹ The application must describe the building's function, size, materials and cost and include the legal description, plat, position, yard dimensions, zoning-district compliance and proposed use.¹ The permit remains valid for one year and may be extended for good cause.¹

North Dakota's current state building-code framework took effect in 2026, but state Community Services does not enforce it; local jurisdictions that adopt a code handle enforcement.¹¹¹² Golden Valley County's materials establish zoning-compliance inspection authority, not a complete construction-stage inspection schedule.¹³ Agricultural land and buildings used for agriculture are generally outside county zoning, but road setbacks and floodplain rules still apply; the ordinance separately requires permits for nonagricultural buildings.⁸ The state-code exemption for agricultural buildings does not cover a residence or a building used by the public.¹⁴

Who issues building permits in Golden Valley County?

Golden Valley County Planning & Zoning is the first stop for a county zoning certificate or building-permit application; the office is at the courthouse in Beach and can be reached at the phone number listed above.¹⁵ The county says applications are reviewed and approved before new construction, moving a building, changing exterior dimensions, changing property use or subdividing land, and its application asks for the completed form and fees at least three weeks before proposed construction.¹⁶

The county's published fees include $75 for a single-family residential zoning certificate, $50 for a singlewide mobile home, $75 for a doublewide mobile home and $250 for a road-approach permit.¹⁷ Permit and plan-review fees under the state-code framework are set by the enforcing jurisdiction, so the county zoning fees should not be assumed to cover every review another authority may require.¹⁸ Ask Planning & Zoning who enforces the building code for the parcel, which trade inspections apply and whether a certificate of occupancy is required; the county materials confirm zoning-inspection authority but not a complete construction inspection schedule.¹³

Does Golden Valley County, North Dakota have zoning?

Golden Valley County zoning applies across unincorporated areas except townships that retain zoning power and areas where a city exercises extraterritorial zoning.² The published ordinance has Agricultural, Recreational, Residential, Mobile Home, Commercial, Industrial, Planned Unit Development and Floodplain Overlay districts, with the official map kept by the County Auditor.¹⁹ Residential lots for single-family homes are generally one acre and 150 feet wide when onsite sewage disposal is needed, subject to exceptions for certain subdivisions; where septic is not needed, the residential minimum is 6,500 square feet.²⁰²¹

Residential setbacks are 25 feet in front, 10 feet at the side and 30 feet at the rear; buildings must also sit 150 feet from section lines and county-road centerlines and 250 feet from state-highway centerlines.²² Accessory buildings must be smaller than the principal building, no more than 35 feet high and at least 25 feet from every lot line.²³ Mobile Home District lots are at least 6,000 square feet in parks or 6,500 square feet for a permitted home on a purchased lot.²⁴ Subdivisions outside municipalities and their extraterritorial jurisdictions follow Sketch Plan, Preliminary Plat and Final Plat stages, while qualifying minor subdivisions may use separate guidelines.²⁵

Inside a city, or in a township that kept its own zoning, that municipality sets the zoning rules instead of the county; septic permits for the parcel still come from Southwestern District Health Unit, not the city or township.²³

How do septic permits work in Golden Valley County?

Golden Valley County sanitary systems must be reviewed and approved by the county sanitarian or health district, and Southwestern District Health Unit is the named district authority.³ North Dakota requires a local public-health permit before onsite wastewater work begins, while the state licenses installers.²⁶⁴ The health unit's main Dickinson office and telephone are listed above.²⁷

County materials address private septic approval on lots of at least one acre, while the application form states a 40,000-square-foot minimum for an onsite sewer system and additional state health approval thresholds.²⁸ Only 25.9% of mapped county soils lack severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so arrange a site evaluation before fixing the house layout.²⁹ New subdivision development must connect to an approved onsite sewage system, and privies, outhouses and cesspools are prohibited in subdivision developments.³⁰ The sanitation prohibition is limited to subdivision developments and does not establish a countywide ban for every parcel or every off-grid sanitation technology.³¹

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Golden Valley County?

Golden Valley County's rules for residential or long-term RV occupancy on private land could not be confirmed, so do not treat the absence of an RV-specific answer as permission. The county ordinance addresses RV parks and temporary uses, but the state-park camping limit does not answer what is allowed on private property.³² Planning & Zoning should confirm the parcel's district, whether the proposed stay is a permitted use and whether a temporary-use process applies.⁶

A tiny-home-specific occupancy rule also could not be confirmed. Any tiny home that is new construction, moved onto a parcel or changes the property's use enters the county zoning-certificate process.⁶ A manufactured home used as a year-round dwelling has a county definition tied to at least 720 square feet, while mobile-home parks are conditional uses with site-plan, access, utility and layout standards.³³³⁴ A new manufactured home installed for residential use must use a state-licensed installer and receive inspection by a state-licensed inspector.³⁵

Building a home in Golden Valley County: what are the steps?

1. Call Golden Valley County Planning & Zoning with the parcel location and confirm whether county, township or city-extraterritorial zoning applies.²¹⁵
2. Confirm the mapped district, permitted use, minimum lot size, setbacks, legal access and driveway placement.^19202236
3. Prepare the zoning-certificate and building-permit material, including the building description, dimensions, materials, cost, legal description, plat, placement and yard dimensions.¹
4. Return the completed application and fees at least three weeks before proposed construction.¹⁶
5. Secure the local public-health septic permit before onsite wastewater work begins and use a state-licensed installer.⁴
6. Keep the building permit current because it is valid for one year unless extended for good cause.¹
7. Ask Planning & Zoning which code, inspections and final sign-offs apply to the project.¹¹¹³

What should you check before buying land in Golden Valley County?

Start by confirming whether county, township or city-extraterritorial zoning applies, then check the zoning map, permitted use, lot size, setbacks and legal access.^219202236 A subdivision outside a municipality or its extraterritorial jurisdiction goes through Sketch Plan, Preliminary Plat and Final Plat stages; utility extensions or an individually reviewed onsite sewage system may also affect feasibility.²⁵³⁷ Order septic feasibility early: only 25.9% of mapped soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional drain field.²⁹ The county receives about 16 inches of annual precipitation, and severe drought has occurred in 15.5% of measured years, making a dependable water plan especially important.³⁸³⁹

For a private well, North Dakota requires a water-appropriation permit when annual withdrawal exceeds 12.5 acre-feet; qualifying domestic and similar uses below that threshold still require reporting the works' location and capacity.¹⁰ Check the floodplain overlay before siting improvements: residential buildings must be floodproofed above the FEMA-established 100-year floodplain, and unrelated temporary structures are conditional uses there.⁴⁰ Finally, the median property-tax bill is $1,109 per year and the effective rate is 0.9%.⁴¹⁴²

Watch-outs

• A county permit is required for nonagricultural construction; the agricultural exemption does not remove road-setback or floodplain rules.¹⁸
• Residential or long-term RV occupancy and tiny-home-specific occupancy remain unconfirmed; ask Golden Valley County Planning & Zoning about the parcel and proposed use before buying.¹⁵
• Most mapped soils have severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field because only 25.9% are rated without severe limitations.²⁹
• The onsite-sewer materials use both one acre and 40,000 square feet, so confirm the applicable minimum with the health authority for the parcel.²⁸

Sources

1. goldenvalleycounty.org, quoted and re-checked
2. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
3. goldenvalleycounty.org, quoted and re-checked
4. On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance (2026 county census)
6. Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
7. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
8. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
9. Property Tax Exemption for Builders of Certain New Single Family Residential Properties (2026 county census)
10. Water Appropriation Permits (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Building Codes, quoted and re-checked
12. Building Codes (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
14. North Dakota Century Code Chapter 54-21.3, State Building Code (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Golden Valley County Planning & Zoning (goldenvalleycounty.org)
16. Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
17. Planning & Zoning Frequently Asked Questions, quoted and re-checked
18. 2026 North Dakota State Building Code Book (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
20. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
21. goldenvalleycounty.org, quoted and re-checked
22. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
23. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
24. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
25. goldenvalleycounty.org, quoted and re-checked
26. On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
27. Southwestern District Health Unit (swdhu.net)
28. goldenvalleycounty.org, quoted and re-checked
29. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
30. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
31. goldenvalleycounty.org, quoted and re-checked
32. Parks and Recreation FAQ (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
33. goldenvalleycounty.org, quoted and re-checked
34. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
35. Manufactured Home Installation Program (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
36. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
37. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
38. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
39. Share of years in severe drought: Bolthole Index county data
40. Golden Valley County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
41. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
42. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 9, 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.