Cass County, ND Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Construction/development in flood hazard area
- Issued by
- County Floodplain Administrator
- Must show
- Elevations, structures, floodproofing certification
- Scope
- Flood hazard areas only, not countywide
- Adopted
- April 20, 2026 (Ord. #2025-01)
Summary
Cass County requires a development permit before any construction begins within a mapped special flood hazard area, issued by the county's Floodplain Administrator under Ordinance #2025-01.
A development permit shall be obtained before construction or development begins within any special flood hazard area established in Section 3.2. Application for a development permit shall be made on forms furnished by the Floodplain Administrator and may include but not be limited to: plans in duplicate drawn to scale showing the nature, location, dimensions, and elevations of the area in question; existing or proposed structures, fill storage materials, drainage facilities; and the location of the foregoing. Specifically, the following information is required:
(1) Elevation in the same datum (either NAVD88 or NGVD29) as the FIRM, of the lowest floor of all structures;
(2) Elevation in the same datum (either NAVD88 or NGVD29) as the FIRM to which any structure has been floodproofed;
(3) Certification by a registered professional engineer or architect that the floodproofing methods for any non-residential structure meet the floodproofing criteria in Section 5.2-2; and,
(4) Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of proposed development.
Full Breakdown
The permit requirement applies only inside the special flood hazard areas Cass County has mapped under its FEMA-based Flood Insurance Study; it is not a general county building permit, since Cass County has no countywide building code: zoning and building permits outside flood zones fall to cities and organized townships. The application must show elevations, existing and proposed structures, drainage, and, for nonresidential floodproofing, engineer or architect certification. The Administrator can approve or deny it before work starts.
Violations & Fines
Building in a mapped flood hazard area without the permit is a misdemeanor: up to a $500 fine, 30 days in jail, or both, with each day of the violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need this permit for a home outside a flood zone?
What must the application include?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cass County
Compare Cass County to another location·View the North Dakota building safety overview
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