Minot building department

Minot’s Building Safety office, also called the Inspection Division, reviews plans, issues building permits, and inspects construction in the city and its two-mile extraterritorial area. It works out of 1025 31st St SE, not City Hall. Permits cover new homes, additions, remodels, duplexes, decks, garages, accessory buildings, demolition, moving buildings, and mechanical and plumbing work. The office also licenses electrical, plumbing, and mechanical trades at the city level. Zoning is handled separately by the Planning Department at (701) 857-4122. Ward County is the surrounding county; the City’s directory lists the extraterritorial zone under Building Safety.

What needs a permit

On residential work, the City’s “5 Steps” handout says anything over 120 square feet needs a permit. New homes, additions, remodels, duplexes, and accessory buildings over 120 square feet all need a permit. Plans must pass code review before a permit is issued. Minot sorts residential work into a few permit types:

• Residential new construction: a new house
• Residential remodel: for example, a basement finish or kitchen remodel
• Residential addition: anything attached to the house, including an attached garage or a deck
• Residential accessory building: a shed, detached garage, or other freestanding structure

Electrical work under $500 doesn’t need a permit, according to the 2025 fee schedule. Garages need separate electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits. Commercial permits are required for all work the code regulates, including work under the IBC, IFC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, UPC, and NEC.

Tents over 400 square feet need a Fire Department permit. Temporary structures over 750 square feet used by 75 or more people need a permit from the Building Official.

How to apply

Minot is moving its permits to the online Cityworks portal. Residential building, accessory building, demolition, mechanical, plumbing, moving, right-of-way, and temporary permits are filed there. You need a valid email address to make an account. The portal takes credit card, debit card, and e-check, and the City posts video tutorials. Sign permits are still filed on a PDF form.

A residential application should include:

• A site plan with a north arrow, every structure on the lot, and distances from the new work to other buildings and to property lines
• A floor plan, wall sections, and elevations
• Manufacturer specifications for roof and floor trusses and any engineered beams

Check the zoning and lot size first with the Planning Department or the City’s GIS map. Review can take up to two weeks.

Decks: upload a site plan with distances to property lines and other structures. Also upload deck plans showing dimensions, foundation type, and materials. You may draw these yourself. The City points builders to the American Wood Council’s DCA-6 prescriptive deck guide. See also do I need a permit for a deck.

Snow load and other local design rules

Minot’s snow load reference is written for the 2024 IRC and ASCE 7-22. For one- and two-family homes, townhomes, and accessory structures, designers and truss makers must use a flat roof snow load of at least 30 psf, or the ASCE 7-22 value if it is higher. Drift and unbalanced loads are added on top. The handout says Minot’s ground snow load typically falls in the 50–60 psf range. The egress window handout requires a sill no more than 44 inches above the floor and a net clear opening of at least 5.7 square feet (5 square feet at grade floor). Window wells must be at least 9 square feet. Any permitted interior alteration, addition, or new bedroom triggers smoke alarm upgrades, and so do window replacements.

Inspections and occupancy

All residential construction must be inspected before a certificate of occupancy is issued. The City’s residential inspection checklist covers site and soils, footings and foundation, drainage, backfill, framing, garage portal walls, insulation, vapor retarder, windows, stairs and handrails, smoke alarms, electrical, plumbing, City flatwork, and flood zone construction. The Building Official can issue a temporary certificate of occupancy for part of a building that can be occupied safely. The fee is $500 under City Code Section 9-2(a)(13). Permits can be renewed with the City’s permit renewal form.

Fees (2025 schedule)

Item	Fee
Residential new construction or remodel	$5 per $1,000 of valuation, $75 minimum
Residential plan review	$105 per hour plus a $75 flat fee
Accessory building	$5 per $1,000, $50 minimum
Demolition	$5 per $1,000, $75 minimum, plus a $15,000 surety bond
Moving permit	$250 (City Engineer) or $450 (City Council), plus a $10,000 surety bond
Re-inspection	$75 per hour
Residential plumbing	$8 per fixture, $50 minimum; water heater $50
Gas piping	$10 per fixture, $50 minimum
Mechanical or commercial plumbing	$50 for jobs up to $1,000, rising by valuation; 0.5% over $200,000

New homes are valued per square foot: $67 for the main floor, $44 for a second floor, $45 for a finished basement, $19 for an unfinished basement, and $14 for a deck. Commercial plan review adds a flat fee from $175 to $500 depending on project value. The Documents page also posts a future building fee schedule.

Contractor licensing

All contractors must register with the North Dakota Secretary of State. Under state law, anyone doing a job worth more than $4,000 needs a state contractor license. Electricians get their state license from the State Electrical Board, and plumbers get theirs from the State Plumbing Board. After that, each applies for a City license through the Cityworks portal. Mechanical contractors need a reciprocal license from an approved city or must pass a Minot test, at $75 per attempt. Annual City fees are $130 for master electricians, master plumbers, and master heating or gas pipe licenses, and $50 for journeyman heating or gas pipe licenses. Roofers, siding installers, sign installers, and general contractors are licensed through the Secretary of State.