After an active year of building construction in 2024, the city of Marshall is anticipating another busy construction season that is starting to begin with the warmer months ahead.

In the city, the Community Planning Department is responsible for ensuring that new construction and remodeling of buildings in the city meet the required standards regulated by the State Building Code. The city has been enforcing some level of building codes dating back to the 1960s. In 1972, the State of MN adopted a statewide code and required all cities to abandon their own codes and adopt the State Code. A building permit ensures proper construction is completed to safeguard life, health, property, and public welfare. If work is done improperly, it can become unsafe for homeowners and their families and devalue their homes. 

By law, the city of Marshall is required to enforce the Minnesota State Building Code. Local amendments of the State Building Code are not permitted. The Building Code Inspection program inspects all new or remodeled buildings to ensure they meet State Building Code. This includes plan review, permit issuance, inspection of construction phases and issuance of certificate of occupancy. Building permits are required whether a contractor or the homeowner performs the work.

Per Minnesota statutes, the purpose of the State Building Code is to govern construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, and use of buildings and other structures and provide basic and uniform performance standards, establish reasonable safeguards for health, safety, welfare, comfort, and security of the residents of the state and provide for the use of modern methods, devices, materials, and techniques which will in part tend to lower construction costs. The construction of buildings should be permitted at the least possible cost consistent with recognized standards of health and safety.

According to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, proper administration and enforcement of the State Building Code can positively increase the overall “quality” of a community in some of the following ways:

• Provides consistent construction standards throughout the municipality.

• Provides the community a means to assure safe construction.

• Provides assurances to homeowners, financial institutions and secondary mortgage markets through sound construction regulation, thereby improving the “value” of their investment/risk.

• Provides for the integration of other construction related statutory obligations such as contractor licensing, professional design, accessibility codes, fire codes, elevator requirements, electrical codes, plumbing codes, etc.

•Provides the National Insurance Services Organization (ISO) an additional form of justification to consider reduced property insurance rates within the municipality.

• Provides for code administration services at the local level, which in-turn better serves your residents with direct “customer service.”

• Provides the ability to establish “fees for service,” thereby eliminating or minimizing any general fund obligation to pay for the service.

• Provides a cost-effective way to assure public protection and safety in local building construction.

• Provides construction standards and services that are consistent for state and federal partnerships involving local grants and loans.

Some indirect benefits of the State Building Code:

• Helps to reduce or eliminate blight and substandard structures

• Assists in assuring continued usability, durability, and desirability of local building stock

• Helps to maintain property tax value within the community

• Provides a platform for the dissemination of local government information

• Helps create a positive identity for the local government by educating and informing the citizenry of correct facts and developments

• Helps to reduce formal differences between government and its clientele through direct communication and the sharing of information

• Directly protects the interests of the local government by ensuring the soundness of the municipality’s investments

The city also has other codes and regulations that impact building projects. For instance, local zoning codes play a role in the location, design and development of almost every project. Zoning regulations are locally adopted rules aimed at regulating the uses in various districts, the size and height of buildings, exterior treatment materials and conditions, the location of buildings on the property, parking requirements, fences, lot sizes, density, etc.

The city of Marshall’s Community Planning Department is delegated to administer the State Building Code. By enforcing established codes and standards, the department helps to mitigate risks associated with substandard construction, fire hazards, structural failures, and other potential dangers to occupants and the community at large.

We encourage you to call with any questions and concerns about construction projects being considered or already in progress as well as suggestions for improvements. Please call 507-537-6773 with questions or to set up an appointment.

— Sharon Hanson is the city administrator for the city of Marshall