Unincorporated Burt County, Nebraska requires a county zoning permit before covered construction, alteration, occupancy or water and sewer connections12. Burt County Planning & Zoning serves rural land, except where a city, village or airport exercises zoning jurisdiction34. Nebraska administers septic approval and registration; Lyons also requires a local private-sewage permit567.
At a glance
- Building permit
- A county zoning permit, issued by Planning & Zoning, is required before covered construction, alterations, movement, use or occupancy8
- Zoning
- Yes; county zoning applies except where a city, village or airport exercises zoning jurisdiction9
- Application plans
- Bring two identical plan sets covering the plot, footing, walls, roof and floor plan10
- Septic
- Nebraska administers septic rules, and the county application directs applicants to obtain the state permit1112
- RV living
- Not on a residential lot or other location that is not approved for living, sleeping or housekeeping13
- Tiny homes
- State classification and the county zoning district control; a park-model RV is not a permanent dwelling1415
- Owner-builder
- State contractor registration does not apply to work on your own property, but county permits still apply168
- Accessory dwelling
- One may be allowed per lot where the land-use matrix permits it, subject to setbacks and a recorded deed restriction17
Who to call
Building permits
Burt County Planning and Zoning
Zoning permits, rural county zoning and floodplain administration
111 North 13th Street Tekamah, NE 68061 1st Floor
Septic permits
Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment Onsite Wastewater Program
Statewide onsite wastewater rules, system registration, professional certification and permits requiring site-specific evaluation
245 Fallbrook Blvd. Suite 100 Lincoln, NE 68521
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Burt County 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.
These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Do you need a building permit in Burt County, Nebraska?
Unincorporated Burt County requires a zoning permit before covered excavation, construction, reconstruction, enlargement, alteration, movement, use or occupancy in areas under county zoning jurisdiction1. Covered water or sewer construction and connections also require zoning approval; that rule does not require public utility service everywhere2. Ordinary repair, maintenance and upkeep do not require a zoning permit when exterior dimensions and design remain unchanged and the work complies with zoning18. Bring two identical plan sets showing the plot, footing, walls, roof and floor plan; the permit lasts one year unless extended by the Zoning Administrator10. The application authorizes county inspection, but we could not confirm a general building-code inspection schedule19.
Who issues building permits in Burt County, and how do you reach them?
Burt County Planning & Zoning serves rural land and directs owners to obtain a permit before building, adding onto or moving a structure3. Call (402) 374-2945, email planning@burtcountyne.gov, or visit the first floor at 111 North 13th Street in Tekamah3. Inside Lyons, apply for a city building permit through the City Clerk; private sewage systems also need a local permit from the Superintendent and must meet state rules207. Nebraska's Onsite Wastewater Program remains the state septic authority5. The county publishes zoning, conditional-use, floodplain-development and lot-split forms plus a fee document, but we could not confirm fee amounts2122. For a new rural driveway, the zoning application directs owners to contact the Roads Department; a separate county driveway permit is unconfirmed23.
Does Burt County have zoning?
Burt County zoning applies to unincorporated land except where cities, villages or airports exercise zoning jurisdiction4. Lyons sets its own zoning inside city limits and its extraterritorial jurisdiction24. Lyons also administers local private-sewage permits, while Nebraska's Onsite Wastewater Program supplies state requirements75. On county-regulated land, use the zoning map to identify the district15. In A-1, single-family dwellings generally need 20 acres excluding road right-of-way, subject to stated exceptions, and structures for human occupancy have a 35-foot height limit2526. A-1 single-family yards are at least 30 feet front, 15 feet side and 25 feet rear; yards along county roads or state highways must be at least 83 feet from the road centerline27. R-M individual mobile-home lots require 7,500 square feet; C-1 building coverage is limited to 40%2829. An accessory dwelling may be allowed where the land-use matrix permits it, with principal-dwelling setbacks and a recorded restriction against separate sale17.
How do septic permits work in Burt County?
Burt County's zoning application directs applicants needing septic to obtain state approval12. Inside Lyons, a private sewage system also requires a written local permit signed by the Superintendent and compliance with state Title 124 rules7. Nebraska administers onsite wastewater systems; qualifying systems may use the general-permit path, while systems outside it need a state construction permit before work begins11. New or changed systems must be registered, and onsite wastewater work must be performed by a state-certified professional6. State representatives may inspect, sample and monitor systems, but the cited rule does not show that every installation receives a mandatory pre-installation inspection30. Cesspools, dry wells, leeching pits and seepage pits are prohibited; a home must have a compliant onsite wastewater system or connect to a wastewater works31. Septic tanks must also be inspected and pumped when sludge is less than 12 inches below the outlet baffle or scum is less than 3 inches above it32. Call (402) 471-4285 or email DWEE.onsite@nebraska.gov to confirm the path for a specific design6. Only 17.1% of Burt County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make septic feasibility an early purchase contingency33.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Burt County?
Burt County does not allow travel trailers, campers, camping buses, converted trucks or similar recreational equipment to be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping on a residential lot or other location not approved for that use13. A tiny home can be classified by Nebraska as a manufactured home, modular unit or recreational vehicle, and that classification does not override county zoning14. The R-M district allows single-family mobile or manufactured-home occupancy subject to district standards, including at least 500 square feet of livable floor area for each mobile home3435. An accessory building cannot be used as a dwelling without a certificate of occupancy for that use; that narrow rule does not establish a certificate requirement for every building36. Ask Planning & Zoning to classify the proposed unit and location before purchase3. Burt County treats general and group campgrounds as conditional uses for temporary recreational occupancy; we could not confirm informal camping outside campground use3738.
Building a home in Burt County: the steps, in order
- Identify the zoning district on the county map, then confirm the home's use, lot size, setbacks and height with Planning & Zoning393.
- Check floodplain status; Burt County publishes a floodplain-development application40.
- Have a state-certified onsite professional evaluate the site and confirm the required state septic approval and registration116.
What should you check before buying land in Burt County?
Before buying rural Burt County land, confirm road status: residential, mobile-home and manufactured-home permits cannot be issued on property adjoining a county minimum-maintenance road unless the specified road-improvement and maintenance process is met1. County rules also require conditional-use approval for otherwise permitted uses within 2,640 feet of listed protected uses or R-1 and R-M districts, unless another provision specifies otherwise; new nonfarm residences face separation requirements from qualifying agricultural operations43. Farmstead lot-split exceptions require county review, legal access and suitable sanitation44. Only 17.1% of county soils are rated without severe limits for conventional drain fields, despite 96.5% of land having slopes of 15% or less3345. Ask Planning & Zoning about floodplain status and the applicable well authority; we could not confirm the parcel-specific domestic-well permit path463. The effective property-tax rate is about 1.5%, the median annual bill about $1,824, and USDA census farmland value averages about $7,150 per acre474849.
Watch-outs
- A zoning permit expires one year from its permit date unless the Zoning Administrator grants an extension10.
- The county application authorizes site inspection, but a general building-code inspection schedule could not be confirmed; ask Planning & Zoning before work begins193.
- An accessory building used as a dwelling needs a certificate of occupancy; we could not confirm a general certificate requirement for every building50.
- Only 17.1% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, so make septic feasibility part of the purchase contingency33.
Sources
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, Section 7.02, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Planning and Zoning (burtcountyne.gov)
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Onsite Wastewater Program – DWEE Nebraska, quoted and re-checked
- Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment Onsite Wastewater Program (dwee.nebraska.gov)
- Lyons: § 51.04 Private Sewer Permits (Burt County), quoted and re-checked
- Planning and Zoning FAQs – Burt County, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Planning and Zoning FAQs – Burt County, quoted and re-checked
- Title 124 – Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
- Application for Zoning Permit, quoted and re-checked
- burtcountyne.gov, quoted and re-checked
- Housing and Recreational Vehicle (Nebraska statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Planning and Zoning FAQs – Burt County, quoted and re-checked
- Nebraska Revised Statute 48-2104 — Registration required, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, Section 7.02, quoted and re-checked
- Application for Zoning Permit, quoted and re-checked
- Lyons: § 150.15 Building Permits, Generally (Burt County), quoted and re-checked
- Forms, Permits and Regulations – Burt County, quoted and re-checked
- Forms, Permits and Regulations – Burt County, quoted and re-checked
- Application for Zoning Permit – Burt County, Nebraska, quoted and re-checked
- Lyons: § 156.35 Regulations Adopted (Burt County), quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, updated April 23, 2026, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- General Permit / Title 124 Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
- Title 124 – Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
- Title 124, Chapter 5 – Maintenance of Septic Systems and Lagoons, quoted and re-checked
- 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
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Planning and Zoning FAQs – Burt County, quoted and re-checked
- Forms, Permits and Regulations – Burt County, quoted and re-checked
- Title 410, Chapter 2 - Driveway and Approach Road Permits (Nebraska statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Forms, Permits and Regulations – Burt County, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
- Forms, Permits and Regulations – Burt County, quoted and re-checked
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
- Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
- Burt County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
Written October 12, 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.