Planning, Permits, & Property in Lawrence County

March 2025 | Eric Jennings, Lawrence County Commissioner Opinion Editorial, Black Hills Pioneer

Spring is in the air!  The snow is melting, the ground is thawing, migratory birds are returning, and we’ll soon be hearing hammers and saws. Wait. What? Yes, homeowners will soon begin work on the plans they have been contemplating all winter. For those outside the city limits, it is just a quick trip to the lumber yard and you can start building, right? Not so fast.

The Lawrence County Planning and Zoning Department, in addition to laying out lots for building, is also responsible for issuing building permits and inspecting building projects along the way to make sure they are built structurally sound. Obtaining a building permits can be a simple process or an arduous process, depending on your preparation prior to applying for one.  Before issuing a permit, the Planning and Zoning Department review several requirements. One requirement that is often overlooked by applicants is the site plan.  A site plan is a drawing of the lot you are intending to build on, with measurements of the proposed building project and everything on that lot, including everything attached to the ground or in the ground, or space set aside where nothing can be built. Huh? Some lots or acreages will have a dedicated right-of-way (ROW) to allow access to another property, you can’t build on those. Some ROW are for utility easements.  Utility companies need to be able to access underground utility lines, so you can’t build on top of them. Easements and ROW must be recorded on the deed to property and on file in the Register of Deeds office. Even less obvious than a ROW is the set-back requirement. Depending on the zoning district your property falls within, Lawrence County requires structures to be located at least 25 feet from the front property line and anywhere from 10 to 25 feet on the sides and rear of a property to obtain a building permit. In some instances, when very specific criteria are met, a variance to the set-back may be issued by the Lawrence County Board of Adjustment. 

If you are not sure of the location of your property boundaries, you may need to have a surveyor locate them. Other things to include on the site plan are the locations of water hook-ups or a well, the septic system, the driveway, and the slopes for drainage.

Along with the site plan, applicants need to include a building plan when applying for a building permit. The plan should be drawn to scale and include the foundation plans with rebar schedule, floor plans, elevations, stairs and decks.   

The County Commission makes the decisions on lot lay outs, zoning decisions, and set the building regulations. The Planning and Zoning Department staff, who work for the commission make sure builders comply with the regulations and that the building project is properly done. Everything you need to know about building permits can be found here. I encourage you to check it out before you pound the first nail to save time and avoid trouble later.