Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Williston, North Dakota

At a glance

Zoning

City zoning ordinance covers the city and one mile beyond its limits¹

Building permits

Applications go to the city's Building Safety office; we could not confirm the full city permit rules²

Septic

Permitted by the Upper Missouri District Health Unit³

R-1 lot size

8,000 sq ft minimum area, 60 ft minimum width⁴

R-1 front yard

20 ft, or 50 ft on a state highway⁵

Manufactured homes

Limited by district; R-6 and R-7 districts exist⁶

RV living

Not confirmed inside the city; ask Planning and Zoning⁷

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Does Williston, ND have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes, lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Williston's zoning ordinance divides the land within the city limits and within one mile of them into zoning districts¹. The districts include single-family R-1, R-2 for twin homes and duplexes, and R-3 for low-rise multifamily and townhouses⁸.

In the R-1 single-family district, Williston requires lots of at least 8,000 square feet and at least 60 feet wide⁴. The R-1 front yard is at least 20 feet, or 50 feet where the lot fronts a state highway⁵. Other districts have different minimums, so confirm your parcel's district first.

Manufactured homes are limited by district; Williston has dedicated R-6 and R-7 manufactured-home districts⁶. We could not confirm how the city treats RV living or tiny homes on a lot. Ask City of Williston Planning and Zoning before you buy⁷.

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

Williston's Building Safety office takes building permit applications for projects inside the city². We could not confirm the city's detailed permit triggers, fee schedule or inspection steps, so call the office before you start work.

Do not use the county's building permit rules for a lot inside Williston. Williams County's permit requirement is written for unincorporated land⁹. Outside Williston and its one-mile zoning area, the county's own building and planning offices apply; see the Williams County page for that answer.

North Dakota leaves it to each city, township or county to decide whether to adopt and enforce a building code. Any jurisdiction that does must enforce the State Building Code¹⁰.

How do septic permits work inside Williston?

Septic permits for Williston do not come from the city. The Upper Missouri District Health Unit is the agency with authority to permit septic systems and license installers in Williams County³.

Where a public sewer is deemed available, meaning the premises are within 200 feet of it, the health unit requires sewage to be discharged into that system¹¹. An individual septic permit is only needed where public or non-community sewage treatment is unavailable¹². Whether a given lot inside the city must connect to city sewer is set by city rules we could not confirm, so ask the health unit and the city¹³.

Where a private system is allowed, the health unit's rule sets a one-acre minimum lot size, with smaller lots possible only if an approved centralized system is provided¹⁴.

Building a home in Williston: the steps, in order

1. Find your parcel's zoning district and confirm that your use, lot size and setbacks fit it with City of Williston Planning and Zoning⁷. Planning and Zoning oversees land use inside the city limits and the one-mile extraterritorial area¹.
2. Ask the health unit whether public sewer reaches the lot; if not, apply for a septic permit before construction¹².
3. Submit your building permit application to the city's Building Safety office².
4. If the lot fronts a state highway, expect the larger R-1 front yard of 50 feet⁵.
5. Check whether the lot lies in a Special Flood Hazard Area; a floodplain development permit comes from the local Floodplain Administrator before work begins¹⁵.

What stays with Williams County, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits and installer licensing stay with the Upper Missouri District Health Unit³. Land outside the city and its one-mile zoning area is unincorporated Williams County, where the county's zoning and building rules apply instead; see the Williams County page.

Floodplain questions go to the local Floodplain Administrator, and structures substantially improved by more than 50 percent in a flood hazard area must comply with floodplain regulations¹⁵. Drainage and the city's own flood damage rules are unconfirmed, so ask the city before you buy.

For budgeting, Williams County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%¹⁶ and the median property tax bill is $1,913 a year¹⁷.

Watch-outs

• Williston's zoning reaches one mile beyond the city limits, so a parcel that looks rural can still be under city zoning¹.
• We could not confirm the city's building permit triggers, fees, owner-builder rules, RV rules or tiny-home rules; call City of Williston Building Safety and Planning and Zoning before you commit².
• Minimums such as 8,000 square feet apply to the R-1 district only; other districts differ⁴.
• A county RV or building rule for unincorporated Williams County does not govern a lot inside Williston⁹.

Sources

1. City of Williston Zoning Ordinance (eCode360, Ord. No. 613 as amended) (Williston), quoted and re-checked
2. City of Williston Building Safety (cityofwilliston.com)
3. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
4. City of Williston Zoning Ordinance (eCode360, Ord. No. 613 as amended) (Williston), quoted and re-checked
5. City of Williston Zoning Ordinance (eCode360, Ord. No. 613 as amended) (Williston), quoted and re-checked
6. City of Williston Zoning Ordinance (eCode360, Ord. No. 613 as amended) (Williston), quoted and re-checked
7. City of Williston Planning and Zoning (cityofwilliston.com)
8. City of Williston Zoning Ordinance (eCode360, Ord. No. 613 as amended) (Williston), quoted and re-checked
9. Williams County Development Guide, quoted and re-checked
10. Building Codes | Commerce | North Dakota (North Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Regulations for Individual Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
12. Regulations for Individual Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
13. Upper Missouri District Health Unit – Environmental Health (umdhu.org)
14. Regulations for Individual Sewage Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
15. Floodplain Management, quoted and re-checked
16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
17. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 14, 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.