Building permits, zoning and land rules in Miner County, South Dakota

At a glance

Building permit

Required before building excavation and related site preparation¹

Zoning

Yes; the county ordinance applies in unincorporated areas²

Permit office

Miner County Zoning Administrator³

Septic

State minimum standards apply; some systems require advance DANR review⁴⁵

RV or tiny home

Occupancy rules not confirmed; zoning approval still depends on the parcel and proposed use⁶³

Owner-builder

No county building-permit exemption confirmed; a limited state electrical licensure exemption is available⁷

Residential lot size

Agricultural residential lots generally need 5 acres; commercial and industrial lots need at least 2 acres⁸

Private well

A water-right permit may be required before drilling, depending on the proposed use⁹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Miner County, South Dakota?

Yes. Unincorporated Miner County requires a permit before excavation begins for a building or accessory building; filling, grading, lagooning, or dredging tied to future construction also requires a permit.¹ The permit must conform to zoning requirements, and the county publishes building-permit, conditional-use, and variance applications.¹⁰³

A permit application needs the record owner's signature or written approval and a site plan drawn to scale; a potential purchaser with a binding agreement contingent on permit approval may submit the application.¹¹ Work must begin within 180 days, and substantial completion is due within 2 years unless the Zoning Administrator grants the stated extension.¹ We could not confirm a separate county construction-code edition, routine inspection sequence, certificate-of-occupancy requirement, or current county fee schedule, so ask the Zoning Administrator about those items before filing.³

Who issues building permits in Miner County, and how do you reach them?

The Miner County Zoning Administrator is the local starting point for building permits and zoning questions. The county's zoning page links the Building Permit Application, the Conditional Use/Variance Application, the zoning ordinance, and later amendments.³

Call the Zoning Administrator at (605) 772-4241 or visit the Miner County Courthouse, Park Ave. & Main St, 401 N. Main St., Howard, SD 57349, on the second floor.³ Bring the parcel description, proposed use, and a scaled site plan; the Zoning Administrator may request more information and approves or disapproves plans in writing.¹¹ Approved plans control the authorized work, and a deviation requires a new permit.¹¹ We could not confirm an online submission portal, so ask how the office currently accepts applications, fees, and supporting materials.³

Does Miner County have zoning?

Yes. Miner County zoning applies throughout the unincorporated county, while incorporated municipalities may have separate rules; the official zoning map controls a parcel's district.¹² The ordinance publishes Agricultural, Town, Planned Residential, and other districts.¹³ Agricultural residential lots generally need at least 5 acres, although a qualifying exception may allow at least 3 acres; commercial and industrial lots must contain at least 2 acres.⁸ Town District residential minimums vary with the water and sewage arrangement.¹⁴

Dimensional rules are district-specific. Agricultural District main buildings are limited to 35 feet or two and one-half stories, with listed exceptions including agricultural buildings and several non-occupancy structures.¹⁵ The commercial and industrial section says buildings may cover no more than 25% of a lot, but a table prints conflicting text, so confirm the controlling limit with the Zoning Administrator.¹⁶³ We could not confirm a general minimum dwelling size, tiny-home rule, agricultural exemption, or accessory-dwelling rule; ask the Zoning Administrator which approval path applies.³

How do septic permits work in Miner County?

South Dakota sets minimum onsite-wastewater standards in Miner County, but local governments may impose stricter requirements; the state guidance directs applicants to the county or local planning and zoning agency for local requirements.¹⁷ DANR should be contacted before a new onsite system is installed unless it is a conventional system serving an individual residence.¹⁸ Other systems receiving human waste require plans and specifications, and works of sanitary significance require submission at least 30 days before planned construction.¹⁸

Only about 2.9% of Miner County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so resolve soil and site feasibility early.¹⁹ South Dakota requires installers of individual and small wastewater systems to be certified.⁴ Call the DANR septic program at (605) 773-4647 about state review, then ask the Miner County Zoning Administrator whether the parcel has an additional local step.²⁰¹⁷³

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Miner County?

We could not confirm a Miner County rule that generally authorizes full-time RV living or specifically defines tiny-home occupancy on private land. County zoning applies throughout unincorporated Miner County, so ask the Zoning Administrator how the parcel's district, proposed duration, and intended use affect approval.⁶³

Manufactured homes have a clearer but limited path: manufactured-home parks are prohibited in the unincorporated area, while individual manufactured homes are subject to the ordinance's type, foundation, installation, and replacement provisions.²¹ That rule does not answer whether a tiny home or RV qualifies for occupancy. Private-campground water and sewage standards also do not authorize living in one RV on private land.²² South Dakota allows certain unconventional sanitation systems where water or electricity is unavailable, but most require state approval before installation; the sanitation rule does not itself authorize residential occupancy.²³

Building a home in Miner County: what are the steps?

1. Ask the Miner County Zoning Administrator to identify the parcel's district, confirm that the home is allowed, and check the applicable lot and dimensional rules.¹³⁸³

1. Resolve access before filing: Agricultural District driveways must be spaced at least 100 feet apart on local roads, 300 feet on collector roads, and 500 feet on arterial roads; a proposed use beside a state highway also needs a South Dakota Department of Transportation access permit before a plat is filed or a county building/use permit is issued.²⁴

1. Obtain the owner's written approval, prepare a scaled site plan, and submit the building-permit application before excavation or related site preparation.¹¹¹

1. Resolve wastewater with DANR and the county; the conventional individual-residence exception affects advance state contact, while local requirements may still apply.¹⁸¹⁷

1. Determine whether the proposed well use requires a water-right permit before drilling.²⁵

1. Arrange electrical and plumbing compliance; a qualifying resident owner may do personal electrical work but still needs a homeowner permit and inspection.⁷²⁶

What should you check before buying land in Miner County?

Start with the zoning map, district rules, wastewater feasibility, water, access, and flood exposure before treating a parcel as buildable. Agricultural residential lots generally need at least 5 acres, with a qualifying exception allowing at least 3 acres; commercial and industrial lots need at least 2 acres.⁸ Ask the Zoning Administrator to identify the parcel's district and approval path.¹³³

Septic feasibility is a major site question because only about 2.9% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field.¹⁹ A proposed well may need a water-right permit before drilling, depending on use.²⁵ Agricultural District driveway spacing varies by road type, and state-highway access requires state approval before the county permit stage.²⁴

Floodplain development in participating South Dakota communities requires a permit, but incorporated and unincorporated areas are administered separately; ask the Zoning Administrator which local process applies.²⁷³ The effective property-tax rate is about 1.1%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $1,264.²⁸²⁹

Watch-outs

• A county permit is required before building excavation and related site preparation, but we could not confirm a separate county building-code edition or routine county inspection schedule.¹
• The state owner exemption applies to electrical licensure, not to the Miner County building permit or required electrical permitting and inspection.⁷
• Most Miner County soils carry severe limitations for conventional drain fields, so do not postpone the wastewater site evaluation until after purchase.¹⁹
• The commercial and industrial lot-coverage text contains conflicting 50% and 25% figures, so confirm the controlling limit with the Zoning Administrator.³⁰³
• Miner County RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, minimum dwelling size, and the local floodplain permit path remain unconfirmed; request parcel-specific answers from the Zoning Administrator.⁶²⁷³

Sources

1. Miner County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance No. 2023-01, quoted and re-checked
2. Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Miner County, Ordinance No. 2023-01, quoted and re-checked
3. Miner County Zoning Administrator (miner.sdcounty.gov)
4. One-Stop Permitting and Regulation Guide (2025 Edition), quoted and re-checked
5. One-Stop Permitting and Regulation Guide (2025 Edition), quoted and re-checked
6. Miner County Zoning Ordinance 2023-01, quoted and re-checked
7. South Dakota Electrical Commission - Homeowner Wiring (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Miner County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance No. 2023-01, quoted and re-checked
9. South Dakota Water Rights - Drilling a Well, quoted and re-checked
10. Zoning - Miner County, quoted and re-checked
11. Miner County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance No. 2023-01, quoted and re-checked
12. Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Miner County, Ordinance No. 2023-01, quoted and re-checked
13. Miner County Zoning Ordinance 2023-01, quoted and re-checked
14. minercountysd.org, quoted and re-checked
15. Miner County Zoning Ordinance 2023-01, quoted and re-checked
16. Miner County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance No. 2023-01, quoted and re-checked
17. One-Stop Permitting and Regulation Guide, quoted and re-checked
18. One-Stop Permitting and Regulation Guide, quoted and re-checked
19. 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
20. South Dakota DANR Feedlot Permit Program (danr.sd.gov)
21. Miner County Compiled Zoning Manual, quoted and re-checked
22. Miner County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance No. 2023-01, quoted and re-checked
23. Administrative Rule 74:53:01 — Individual and Small On-Site Wastewater Systems (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. Miner County Zoning Ordinance 030723c, quoted and re-checked
25. South Dakota Water Rights - Drilling a Well, quoted and re-checked
26. South Dakota Plumbing Commission - Inspections (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
27. National Flood Insurance Program (South Dakota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
28. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
29. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
30. minercountysd.org, quoted and re-checked

Written October 10, 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.