Minnehaha County, SD Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

The Minnehaha County Commission adopted the 2021 IRC (including Appendices E, G, and H) by ordinance on April 19, 2022, applicable to all building permits issued after May 27, 2022. Under IRC R105.1, construction of a residential swimming pool, spa, or hot tub requires a building permit when the structure holds water over 24 inches (610 mm) deep. The Planning & Zoning Department administers the permit. As an accessory structure under the 1990 Revised Zoning Ordinance for Minnehaha County (and the joint zoning ordinances with Sioux Falls and Dell Rapids), pools must meet the accessory-use setback rules of Article 13.02 of the underlying zoning district (typically rear/side-yard placement only, with minimum setbacks from property lines). The county Residential Building Handbook expressly notes that prefabricated pools less than 18 inches deep are exempt from a building permit but must still comply with zoning setbacks. The barrier itself must be permitted, inspected, and approved before the pool is filled with water. Pools inside the corporate limits of Sioux Falls, Brandon, Hartford, Dell Rapids, Crooks, Garretson, Humboldt, Sherman, or Valley Springs are regulated by those cities' own codes, not the county ordinance.