Building, Well, & Septic Inspections

The Olmsted County Inspections Division in the Planning Department is responsible for the administration of the Minnesota Building Code for the cities of Stewartville and Byron, as well as the townships of Eyota, Marion, Oronoco and Quincy. For townships and small cities outside of our jurisdiction, please visit the Cities and Townships page of our site.

For building code and permitting information within the city limits of Rochester, please contact the Rochester Building Safety department at 507-328-2600.

Administering the building code involves the following activities:

  • responding to questions, concerns, and other inquiries about building code requirements.
  • issuing permits, collecting fees, answering inquiries about particular projects, and related activities.
  • checking the building plans and specifications that must for compliance with applicable requirements of the Building Code. Much of this activity was carried out by consultants in previous years and is now being accomplished with existing staff through the use of a PC-based plan checking system.
  • carrying out field inspections for each building project. Most of the staff time in the building code enforcement process in the County is spent in field inspection. Associated activities include notifying builders of problems, arranging for corrective measures, and so on.
  • enforcement activities related to building without required permits and issues that arise when permits are not complied with.
  • preparing monthly and annual reports of construction activity required as part of the Building Code. These reports (which are available to the public) are used in Census reporting, time management, and as a source of information for setting fees.

The Inspections Division also administers the Septic System Ordinance for the townships of Eyota, Marion, Oronoco, and Quincy and for all of the small cities within Olmsted County.

The Inspections Division administers the Water Well Ordinance for the entire county

You may view Olmsted County permit information through the Citizen Access portal.

Septic System Ordinance

Building Inspections and Permitting

Citizen Access

Olmsted County offers our citizens, businesses, and visitors access to permit and inspection information online.

Citizen Access Portal
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Instructions and Videos

Building/Well/Septic Codes and Ordinances

* These ordinances were updated to reflect changes in how a notice of violation, denial of request for exception/challenge and of a suspension or revocation of County license or permit issued may be appealed through the Olmsted County Enforcement and Appeals Ordinance. Additional information relating to the Enforcement and Appeals Ordinance may be found on Olmsted County Attorney's page.

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