Barndominium Builders in Washington County, Minnesota
Barndominium builders near Washington County work in two very different landscapes. The southern and central parts, around Woodbury, Cottage Grove and Oakdale, are largely suburban; the north and east, from Scandia and May Township down through Denmark Township to the river towns, are rolling farm and wooded acreage above the St. Croix, looking across the St. Croix to the far bank. That rural half is where a house with a big shop fits. Permits here are local: the county sends every building permit applicant to the city or township where the land lies, while it keeps two jobs for itself in the countryside, the shoreland and St. Croix riverway overlays in its township jurisdiction and the septic permit program. Near the river, the county's bluffland rules set larger lots and deeper setbacks than you would expect inland. We sell barndominium kits, draw custom plans and build turnkey homes, and we can check a parcel's township, overlay district and septic suitability with you before you buy.
Washington County at a glance
- County
- Washington County
- Building permit
- County or township, by location
- Land use
- More than one zoning authority
- Wastewater
- Septic (SSTS) via the county
- Frost depth / snow load (state rule)
- 3-1/2 feet / 50 psf
Barndominium Kits & Floor Plans for Washington County
The parcel decides the budget more than the floor area does, so each option is priced against your land rather than a rate card.
Barndominium Kits
Barndominium kits and shell kits for Minnesota land, sized to your county's state-set snow load and frost depth, with the drawings your permit needs.
Custom Plans
Custom barndominium plans drawn for Minnesota: your layout and shop, your county's snow load and frost depth, and a set ready for plan review.
Barndominium Floor Plans
Stock plans by size and layout, each a starting point adjusted to your parcel.
Pole Barn Homes near Washington County
A pole barn home sets its frame on posts and trusses (the engineering term is post-frame), which often suits a simple, wide layout with a shop bay under the same roof. Whether it fits your parcel comes down to the zoning and the site, set out below.
Permits, Zoning & Septic in Washington County
Who issues the permit, who zones the land and who handles septic can change at a city limit or a county line. Here is who decides each part in Washington County, taken from the office or document that publishes it. Rules change, so check them again against your parcel before anything is drawn.
The city or township where the parcel lies
Washington County does not issue building permits; its own guidance is to contact the city or township in which the property is located. Cities permit separately inside their limits, and townships handle permits for their own land, so the plan reviewer and inspector depend on the parcel's location. County zoning permits can still apply in the shoreland and St. Croix overlay districts.
Source: Highway Permits, Washington County (washingtoncountymn.gov)
Washington County Public Works (Zoning Administrator) and the township
The county's Development Code guides development in civil townships and unincorporated areas, and the county publishes zoning maps for the parts of Baytown, Denmark, Grey Cloud Island, May, Stillwater and West Lakeland townships in its jurisdiction; outside those shaded areas, the township's own zoning applies. The county's overlays are the Shoreland Management and St. Croix River Management districts.
Source: Zoning and Land Use, Washington County (washingtoncountymn.gov)
Washington County Public Health and Environment
A county SSTS permit is required to install a new septic tank or soil treatment area, to repair or replace a system, or to expand or change a building it serves. Installations are inspected, and a compliance inspection is needed before a property with septic is sold.
Source: Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS), Washington County (washingtoncountymn.gov)
In Washington County, 31 of the 32 cities and townships in DLI's State Building Code Jurisdiction Directory have adopted the State Building Code, including Afton, Bayport, Birchwood Village, Cottage Grove, Dellwood, Forest Lake; elsewhere the county's zoning, shoreland and septic rules still apply.
Source: State Building Code Jurisdiction Directory (Local Code Lookup), Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (secure.doli.state.mn.us), read 27 September 2026. Check it again for your parcel, then call that office.
- Frost footing depth
- 3-1/2 feet (frost Zone II), unless an engineer competent in soil mechanics determines otherwise.
- Ground snow load
- 50 pounds per square foot of ground snow load, the starting point for the structure's snow design.
Source: Minn. R. 1303.1600, Footing Depth for Frost Protection (revisor.mn.gov)
Source: Minn. R. 1303.1700, Ground Snow Load (revisor.mn.gov)
- St. Croix riverway lot size
- Chapter Five of the Washington County Development Code (Ordinance 207, effective 5 June 2018) applies in unincorporated areas inside the St. Croix River Management Overlay District and sets a 2.5-acre minimum lot size in its Rural District, against 1 acre in its Urban District.
- Septic on rural city lots
- Even inside a city, the county septic program can apply: Woodbury's new-home checklist requires a copy of the submitted Washington County septic permit application for rural lots before the city issues a building permit (City of Woodbury permits page, read 27 Sep 2026).
Source: Washington County Development Code, Chapter Five: Lower St. Croix River Bluffland and Shoreland Management Regulations (washingtoncountymn.gov)
Source: Building Permits & Inspections, City of Woodbury (woodburymn.gov)
Turnkey Builds
Turnkey barndominium builds in Minnesota: land check, plans, permits, foundation, frame and finish under one agreement, from raw land to move-in.
Site Preparation
Barndominium site preparation in Minnesota: shoreland and septic checks first, then clearing, grading, the driveway and a pad for frost-depth footings.
Permits & Approvals
Barndominium permits in Minnesota: who enforces the building code on your parcel, and the zoning, septic and well approvals that apply everywhere.
Metal Building Homes & Shouses near Washington County
A steel frame instead of posts, or a home and a workshop under one roof: the same parcel questions apply, so start from the rules above.
Metal Building Homes
Metal building homes in Minnesota, insulated and air-sealed for a long winter, with condensation and radon handled before the walls close in.
Shouses
Shouses in Minnesota: a heated shop and a home under one roof, laid out for big doors, winter work and the separation a house needs from its shop.
Steel & Metal Building Construction
Red-iron steel frames for Minnesota barndominiums and shops: wide clear spans, roofs sized to your county's snow load, columns on frost-depth footings.
Building on land near Washington County
Rural land here splits three ways: township land zoned by the township, township land inside a county overlay, and the rural edges of cities. Within the St. Croix River Management district, the county's bluffland rules set a 2.5-acre minimum lot in the Rural District and govern building near the bluff line, so a riverway parcel needs a careful site plan. Inland lakes bring the county's Shoreland Management overlay. Almost every rural home needs a county-permitted septic system and a private well, and wetlands, where present, shape the building pad. For suburban lots, the Woodbury page explains the city rules; for farmland to the north, see the Chisago County page.
Other places in this part of Minnesota
Minneapolis–St. Paul & the Twin Cities Metro
Have land in or near Washington County? Tell us about the parcel and what you want on it, and we will check it against the local rules before anything is drawn.
Building in Washington County: questions
Start the surveyHow much does it cost to build a barndominium near Washington County?
Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Washington County?
Can I build a barndominium on land near the St. Croix?
Who zones my land in a Washington County township?
Keep reading
What usually comes next once you know what Washington County allows.
Barndominium Cost Guide
Sourced per-square-foot ranges by tier and size, and what moves the number on your land.
Read itIs a Barndominium Legal in Minnesota?
Zoning, permits, septic and who inspects, before you buy the land.
Read itHow Long Does It Take?
From parcel to move-in, and which steps set the clock.
Read itSources for this page
The published pages behind the Washington County facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.
- Highway Permits, Washington CountyBuilding permit authoritywashingtoncountymn.gov
- Zoning and Land Use, Washington CountyLand use and zoningwashingtoncountymn.gov
- Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS), Washington CountySewer or septic (SSTS)washingtoncountymn.gov
- Washington County Development Code, Chapter Five: Lower St. Croix River Bluffland and Shoreland Management RegulationsSt. Croix riverway lot sizewashingtoncountymn.gov
- Building Permits & Inspections, City of WoodburySeptic on rural city lotswoodburymn.gov
- State Building Code Jurisdiction Directory (Local Code Lookup), Minnesota Department of Labor and IndustryState Building Code adoptionsecure.doli.state.mn.us
- Minn. R. 1303.1600, Footing Depth for Frost ProtectionFrost footing depth by countyrevisor.mn.gov
- Minn. R. 1303.1700, Ground Snow LoadGround snow load by countyrevisor.mn.gov
Other places near Washington County
Nearby places with their own pages. Across a city limit or a county line the permit office, the zoning and the septic rules can change, so each is covered separately.
Building in Washington County?
Start with the survey. Tell us where the land is and what you want on it, and we will come back with which offices decide it, what the zoning allows, and a plan to fit.