Building permits, zoning and land rules in Pembina County, North Dakota

At a glance

Building permit

No zoning permit for listed rural residential uses; a separate residential building-permit requirement was not confirmed¹⁴

Zoning

County zoning applies outside zoning jurisdiction accepted by municipalities and townships¹

Septic permit

Required from Pembina County Public Health; published fees are $200 for an onsite sewer permit and $20 for a tank permit⁵⁶

RV living

No private-land occupancy rule confirmed; ask the Planning and Zoning Board before moving onto the parcel⁷⁸

Tiny homes

No specific occupancy or minimum-size rule confirmed; ask the Planning and Zoning Board⁷⁸

Agricultural buildings

Farm dwellings and agricultural buildings are listed as permitted uses requiring no zoning permit¹

Private well

A state water-appropriation permit applies above 12.5 acre-feet per year; qualifying lower-use wells must be reported⁹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 5, 2026.

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

Pembina County's zoning regulations list farm dwellings, single-family non-farm dwellings, mobile homes, accessory buildings and agricultural buildings as permitted uses requiring no zoning permit¹. That answer concerns the county zoning permit; we could not confirm a separate residential construction permit or inspection requirement for unincorporated Pembina County. North Dakota's updated State Building Code took effect January 1, 2026, but Community Services does not enforce it; enforcement belongs to jurisdictions that elect to administer building codes¹⁰¹¹. Ask the Planning and Zoning Board which building-code jurisdiction, if any, applies to the parcel before ordering plans or starting work⁸. Agricultural buildings used for agricultural purposes are exempt from the state building-code chapter unless used for human habitation or by the public¹². A residence on a farm does not fit that state exemption because it is a place of human habitation¹².

Who handles Pembina County building and zoning questions?

The Planning and Zoning Board of Pembina County is the starting point for county zoning questions, and the county regulations assign administration and enforcement to the Planning and Zoning Commission and zoning administrator⁸¹. Call the county at 701-265-4231 or visit 301 Dakota Street W. #1, Cavalier, ND 58220, and ask to be connected with the zoning administrator⁸. Before relying on the no-zoning-permit list, describe the proposed use and ask whether the parcel falls under county, municipal or township zoning jurisdiction¹. Conditional uses follow a different path, and development within a floodway or floodplain requires a conditional permit¹³. We could not confirm a published residential inspection schedule, certificate-of-occupancy rule or owner-builder exemption; ask the zoning administrator which approvals and closeout documents apply to the specific project¹⁴⁸.

Does Pembina County have zoning?

Yes. Pembina County has county zoning administration, and its regulations apply outside zoning jurisdiction accepted by municipalities and townships²¹. The county regulations allow listed uses without a zoning permit, including farm dwellings, agricultural buildings, single-family non-farm dwellings, mobile homes and accessory buildings¹. We could not confirm a current countywide minimum home size, minimum lot size, setback, lot-coverage limit or general building-height limit. Ask the Planning and Zoning Board for the rules governing the exact parcel, particularly where a municipality or township may have its own jurisdiction⁸. Do not describe land as unrestricted merely because a listed residential use needs no county zoning permit; septic, floodplain, road-access and any applicable building-code requirements remain separate questions⁵¹³¹⁵.

How do septic permits work in Pembina County?

Pembina County Public Health administers onsite sewer permitting, and a permit is required before construction or alteration begins³⁵. The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality separately licenses installers¹⁶. The county application lists a $200 onsite sewer permit fee and a $20 tank permit fee, payable with the application; the permit lasts 12 months from issuance⁶¹⁷. Mail the form and payment to Pembina County Public Health at 301 Dakota Street West #2, Cavalier, North Dakota 58220¹⁸¹⁹. The application asks for the property, buildings, wells, water features, driveways, utilities and floodplain information, so settle the house and system layout before filing¹⁸. Septic feasibility deserves early attention because only about 2.9% of Pembina County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field²⁰. We could not confirm recurring inspections or approved off-grid sanitation alternatives; ask the regional environmental inspector before selecting a system¹⁹.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Pembina County?

We could not confirm a Pembina County rule that allows or prohibits living in an RV on private land, either temporarily during construction or as a long-term residence. North Dakota's limit for camping in state-park facilities does not answer the private-land question²¹. Ask the Planning and Zoning Board for a parcel-specific answer before moving an RV onto the land or installing utilities⁸. We also could not confirm a county tiny-home occupancy rule or minimum dwelling size. A tiny home should not be assumed exempt from septic, floodplain or jurisdiction-specific building requirements merely because a single-family dwelling is a permitted county zoning use¹²²¹³. A new manufactured home follows a separate state installation process requiring a licensed installer and licensed inspector²³. The county regulations list a mobile home as a permitted use, but that zoning treatment does not erase the state installation rules for manufactured housing¹²³.

Building a home in Pembina County: the steps, in order

1. Ask the Planning and Zoning Board whether the parcel is under county, municipal or township zoning jurisdiction⁸¹.

1. Describe the residence and confirm that it fits a permitted use requiring no county zoning permit, or obtain conditional-use instructions¹.

1. Ask which building-code authority, inspections and occupancy documents apply because county residential enforcement could not be confirmed¹¹⁸.

1. Fix the proposed house, well, driveway, utilities and onsite sewer layout, then submit the septic application and payment to Pembina County Public Health before work begins¹⁸⁵.

1. Contact Emergency Management if the site may be in a floodway or floodplain; construction there requires a conditional permit¹³. A documented Pembina County floodplain approval required as-built elevation certifications, so ask whether the project will need them²⁴.

1. Confirm who controls the adjoining road and discuss the approach and culvert with the Highway Department when it is a county road¹⁵.

What should you check before buying land in Pembina County?

Start by identifying the zoning jurisdiction because Pembina County's regulations yield to accepted municipal or township zoning authority in those areas¹. Check the flood map and contact Emergency Management before planning construction in a floodway or floodplain, where a conditional permit is required¹³. Evaluate soils and wastewater options early because about 2.9% of county soils avoid severe conventional-drain-field limitations²⁰. Confirm legal access and the road authority; the Highway Department maintains county roads, bridges and culverts, while some rural roads are under other authorities¹⁵. For a private well, a state water-appropriation permit is required above 12.5 acre-feet per year, while qualifying domestic and livestock uses below that threshold must still be reported⁹. For budgeting context, farmland averages about $3,915 per acre, the effective property-tax rate is about 1%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $1,165²⁵²⁶²⁷. The county has about 6 people per square mile, and the nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 134 miles from the county center²⁸²⁹.

Watch-outs

• Pembina County has zoning even though several common rural residential uses are listed as needing no zoning permit¹.
• A no-zoning-permit use is not a waiver of septic, floodplain, manufactured-home or any applicable building-code requirements^22132311.
• Only about 2.9% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so investigate wastewater feasibility before fixing a house site²⁰.
• RV occupancy, tiny-home standards and a separate residential building-permit requirement remain unconfirmed; ask the Planning and Zoning Board before relying on any exemption⁸.
• Floodway or floodplain construction requires a conditional permit and coordination with Pembina County Emergency Management¹³.

Sources

1. Pembina County Planning and Zoning (pembinacountynd.gov)
2. Pembina County, ND - Boards, quoted and re-checked
3. Pembina County Application Permit for Construction/Alteration of an On-Site Sewer System, quoted and re-checked
4. Pembina County - Departments (2026 county census)
5. On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
6. Pembina County Application Permit for the Construction/Alteration of an On-Site Sewer System, quoted and re-checked
7. Pembina County, ND - Boards (2026 county census)
8. Planning and Zoning Board of Pembina County (pembinacountynd.gov)
9. Water Appropriation Permits (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Building Codes | Commerce | North Dakota (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Building Codes (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. North Dakota Century Code Chapter 54-21.3, State Building Code (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Pembina County Emergency Management Office (pembinacountynd.gov)
14. Property Tax Exemption for Builders of Certain New Single Family Residential Properties (2026 county census)
15. Pembina County Highway Department (pembinacountynd.gov)
16. On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Pembina County Application Permit for Construction/Alteration of an On-Site Sewer System, quoted and re-checked
18. Pembina County Application Permit for the Construction/Alteration of an On-Site Sewer System, quoted and re-checked
19. Pembina County Public Health (pembinacountynd.gov)
20. 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
21. Parks and Recreation FAQ (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
23. Manufactured Home Installation Program (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. Pembina County Floodplain Development Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
25. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
27. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
28. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
29. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 5, 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.