Dickinson building department

The City of Dickinson Building & Codes Department issues building, demolition, fence, deck, moving, sign, mechanical, and plumbing permits for property inside the city. It also enforces the city’s property and building codes. A Building Official leads the department, which works from City Hall at 38 1st Street West (701-456-7815). Under North Dakota law, a city enforces the state building code within its own jurisdictional area. A county may enforce it only where no city or township does. Because Dickinson enforces the code itself, property inside the city goes through Building & Codes, not Stark County.

The city’s building permit application asks whether the property is inside city limits, in the extraterritorial zone (ETZ, within 4 miles of city limits), or in Stark County outside the ETZ. Dickinson adopted the North Dakota State Building Code in 2003. That code uses the International Building, Mechanical, and Residential Codes, and the city also enforces the International Property Maintenance Code.

Applying for a permit

Dickinson takes applications through online forms linked from its Application Portal page. They include building, demolition, fence, moving, plumbing, sign, and sprinkler permits, plus a contractor license application, a pre-application meeting request, and a building permit estimate calculator. The building permit form covers commercial work, new homes, residential accessory structures, decks, and emergency repairs. Plans and drawings must be PDFs at 1/4-inch scale. New construction needs an address verification letter from Stark County Emergency Management. Decks and accessory structures don’t.

Fences

The fence permit form lets either a contractor or the owner do the installation. It requires a site plan showing sidewalks, alleys, existing structures, and fence dimensions. Height limits on the form:

Location	Maximum height
Front yard	4 feet
Street side of a corner lot	4 feet
Side and rear yards	6.5 feet

A fence can be 6.5 feet tall once it is set back 15 feet from the property line. It can’t extend past the property lines.

Inspections

Building and engineering inspections are requested through the inspection hotline, 701-456-7035. Press 1 for a building inspection or 2 for an engineering inspection.

Fees

The fee schedule below is the 2027 proposed schedule presented to the Dickinson City Commission on September 15, 2026, with the 2027 budget. Building permit fees are based on project valuation.

Item	Fee
Building permit, valuation up to $1,000	$50
Building permit, valuation over $1,000	$60, plus $4 per additional $1,000 up to $200,000, then $5.50 per additional $1,000
Plan review, residential	$80 per hour
Plan review, commercial/industrial	Actual cost plus 10%
Fire Department plan review	$40 per application
Engineering plan review (commercial)	$200 per hour
Uncovered deck	$100
Fence permit	$60
Fireplace permit	$35
Demolition permit	$75
Moving permit	$75
Energy certificate	$3
Re-inspection	$200

Mechanical permits cost $50 for the first unit and $15 for each additional unit. Replacing a furnace or water heater is $35. Plumbing permits are $120 for the first 16 fixture units and $1 for each additional unit. A sprinkler-system backflow preventer is $25. Sign permits carry an $80 plan review fee plus a valuation-based fee: $50 up to $1,000, or $60 for the first $1,000 plus $3.50 for each additional $1,000. A water well permit is $80. Board of Adjustment variances and Board of Appeals applications are $150 each.

The schedule has its own line items for fence and uncovered-deck permits, so expect to need a permit for either project. For background, see do I need a permit for a fence.

Certificates of occupancy and zoning compliance

Dickinson’s zoning code (Section 39.02.006, as amended by Ordinance 1798) defines two certificates. The Building Official, the Planning Director, or a designee issues a certificate of occupancy after finding that the building conforms to the building code. It is issued only after the city receives a certificate of zoning compliance. That certificate, issued by the Building Official or a designee, confirms that the proposed use of the building or land meets the zoning ordinance.

City contractor and trade licenses

The city’s fee schedule lists annual city licenses, separate from any state license:

City license	Annual fee
Contractor	$100
Plumber	$100
Heating and air	$100
Concrete contractor	$100
Excavator	$100
House mover	$50

State licensing that also applies

The North Dakota Secretary of State requires a contractor license for any job costing more than $4,000. This includes subcontractors and nonresident contractors. License classes depend on job size. Class D covers jobs up to $100,000, and Class A covers jobs over $500,000. You can search contractors’ license status in the state’s FirstStop portal.

Electrical and plumbing work fall under separate statewide codes, not the state building code (NDCC 54-21.3-04). The ND State Electrical Board licenses electricians. Electrical contractors and self-wirers must notify the board of installations for inspection, including new construction or repairs over $500, any new or altered service entrance, and work before it is concealed.

City-ordered demolitions

Building & Codes also carries out demolitions the City Commission orders. In February 2026 the Commission approved demolishing a house at 45 7th Avenue West. The department then took four bids, from $7,500 to about $28,300, and recommended the lowest. The demolition and landfill costs are assessed to the property.