The building code and zoning answer different questions

Minnesota Statutes, section 326B.121 makes the State Building Code "the standard that applies statewide for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, and use of buildings and other structures of the type governed by the code." The same section says the state code supersedes the building code of any municipality. The building code governs how a structure is built and how safe it is.

Zoning is local. A zoning ordinance decides whether a container may sit on a lot, how far it must stay from property lines and other buildings, how long it may stay and how much of the lot it may cover. Cities write their own zoning ordinances. Outside city limits, the county planning office can tell you whether the county or the township handles zoning for your address.

Under Minnesota Statutes, section 326B.121, subdivision 2, a city, county or township must adopt the State Building Code by local ordinance before it can enforce the code. Ask your city office, or your county office if you are outside city limits, whether the code is enforced at your address and which office handles building permit questions for your container.

When a building permit may not be required

Minnesota Rules, part 1300.0120, subpart 4 lists work that needs no building permit. The list includes "one-story detached accessory structures, used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses, and similar uses, provided the floor area does not exceed 200 square feet."

A 20ft container covers about 160 square feet and a 40ft container about 320 square feet, so only the 20ft is under that size. Ask the building official whether a container counts as a storage shed under this rule. The same subpart says a permit exemption does not authorize work that breaks the code or any local ordinance, so zoning still applies to a container that needs no building permit.

What the delivery truck needs

Container One arranges every delivery. Its published requirements are:

110 feet of straight, unobstructed space for a 20ft container, or 130 feet for a 40ft container
At least 15 feet of height for the truck to drive in
22 feet of height along the entire unloading path
10 feet of width

Container One publishes no fixed delivery window. Timing depends on your location, when payment is received, the weather and other factors, and its Delivery/Dispatch department contacts you to schedule a date and time.

Snow pushed aside by plows can narrow a driveway below the 10 feet the truck needs, so clear the full width before delivery day.

Minneapolis

In Minneapolis, Development Review answers zoning questions and Construction Code Services handles building permits. Both are part of Community Planning and Economic Development, and both answer at 612-673-3000.

The city's handout on detached accessory structures, written for lots with one to three dwelling units, sets these standards:

An accessory structure must be "subordinate in area to the principal structure on site."
The maximum footprint is 800 square feet or 10 percent of the lot area, whichever is greater.
A detached structure must stand at least 6 feet from habitable space or an attached garage on the same lot, and at least 10 feet from habitable space in a dwelling on the next lot.
A structure up to 13 feet tall, with walls no higher than 10 feet, needs no land use application.

The Minneapolis zoning code, Title 20, has no section written for shipping containers on private property. Before you order, describe the container, its size and its position to Development Review and ask which standards apply.

Keep the container off the street. The city requires an obstruction permit to block any part of a city street, lane or sidewalk. Its street use permits for storage containers in the right-of-way go only to licensed contractors, run for 30, 60 or 90 days, and are not valid during street cleaning or snow emergencies. The same page says no permit is needed for a storage unit in the driveway of a home you own.

If the truck will come through an alley, check the alley against the delivery clearances above, including wires and branches overhead. The city asks owners to keep alleys clear to their full 14-foot width.

St. Paul

The St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections states that zoning approval is required for building permits. Its Zoning Section answers questions about setbacks, lot coverage and land use at 651-266-9008, and its Building Plan Review Section answers building code questions at 651-266-9007.

St. Paul Legislative Code Sec. 34.08(6) prohibits accumulating and storing portable storage containers and intermodal cargo containers on residential property. Sec. 34.32(4) prohibits storing these containers on nonresidential, industrial, commercial and institutional properties in a manner that constitutes a nuisance or rodent harborage.

Zoning Code Sec. 60.217 defines placement of an intermodal cargo container for five or fewer days as parking. Sec. 60.220 defines placement of a portable storage container as storage without specifying a minimum number of days. It also defines placement of an intermodal cargo container as storage when the container has gone more than five days without being used.

Ask the Zoning Section at 651-266-9008 whether Sec. 63.501 on accessory buildings and uses applies to your container, and what setbacks and lot coverage your placement requires.

The city's guide "When is a permit required?" says detached accessory structures such as tool or garden sheds need a building permit when they are larger than 200 square feet. Smaller ones need no building permit but must meet the zoning rules for setbacks and lot coverage. Any such structure in a Heritage Preservation District or Site needs approval from the Heritage Preservation Commission. Ask the Building Plan Review Section at 651-266-9007 whether a building permit is required for your container.

Placement in the street takes a separate permit. Public Works requires a storage container permit "whenever the item is placed in the city's right of way," and says no permit is needed when the container sits "completely on private property." Ask the Zoning Section at 651-266-9008 how the Legislative Code and the parking and storage definitions apply on your private property, including what counts as use of a container holding belongings. The Right of Way Permit Desk answers at 651-266-6151.

The city's storage container policy sets an initial expiration of 120 days for a container permit in the street. It asks that containers be removed from the street during a declared snow emergency, and it does not allow them on streets too narrow for traffic or snowplows to pass.

Rochester

Rochester regulates storage containers by name. Its Unified Development Code, in effect since January 1, 2023, defines a storage container as a fully enclosed structure that is "not part of a primary building and is intended to be used for storage purposes." The definition describes individual units periodically removed by truck, without attached foundations or footings.

Section 60.300.020H.6 of the code includes the following requirements:

Before placement, Site Development Plan review must be completed and a Zoning Certificate issued, unless the container already appears on an approved Site Development Plan.
Containers may not be used for temporary or permanent human occupancy.
Site eligibility and annual limit under H.6.b: In Agricultural and Residential districts, containers are permitted only on sites containing a park, school or place of worship, for a maximum of six months per year.
In Agricultural and Residential districts, containers must be at least 50 feet from property lines abutting residentially zoned lots, 25 feet from public streets, and 50 feet from street-side property lines where residential dwellings are across the street. Containers must be earth tone; an identification sign may be no larger than two square feet.
Temporary placement under H.6.d: This provision also covers residential districts and sets a 14-day limit for temporary placement there and on properties with a residential primary use in Mixed Use districts. It sets a 90-day limit in special purpose districts or on properties with a nonresidential primary use in Mixed Use districts. For construction of a new primary building or a major addition to an existing primary building, H.6.d specifies a placement period from issuance of the first building permit to issuance of the last certificate of occupancy or use for that building.
For container storage supporting a permitted business on the same lot, the eligible districts are MX-G (Mixed Use General), LI (Light Industrial) and SI (Special Industrial), for use categories allowing exterior storage or display.
Under H.6.c, placement in the portion of a lot where building is allowed requires at least 25 feet of separation from each public right-of-way. The maximum height is nine and a half feet above finished grade. Containers may not connect to utility services. H.6.c.7 requires enough space on the lot to move the containers.
In MX-G and LI, the code requires containers to be completely enclosed by a 10-foot solid wall matching the primary structure's material and appearance, with a securable gate blocking the view. For uses classified as Large Retail or Heavy Commercial Services, H.6.c.6 allows an exception when containers sit in an exterior storage area regulated by the district and Section 60.400.090, Exterior Storage.

Before arranging placement, call Community Development at 507-328-2600 to confirm whether your property meets the H.6.b site requirements and which H.6.d time limit applies to your proposed use. Ask where placement is allowed on your lot and what space to leave for truck access and container removal. For a business, ask whether it is classified as Large Retail or Heavy Commercial Services and what exterior storage requirements apply to the proposed area.

A standard container is 8 feet 6 inches tall. A 40ft high cube is 9 feet 6 inches tall, so it reaches that height limit before any blocking is placed under it.

Rochester's Planning and Zoning page notes that a zoning certificate may be needed even when no building permit is. Anything placed in the city's right-of-way, including streets, sidewalks and alleys, needs an obstruction permit from Public Works, which answers permit questions at 507-328-2406.

Outside the city, Olmsted County says its 18 townships and eight cities "all operate differently in terms of how they administer their zoning ordinances and the state building code." For thirteen of those townships, the county sends zoning certificate questions to the Township Cooperative Planning Association. For a rural address near Rochester, start with Olmsted County Planning at 507-328-7100.

Farms and rural land

The State Building Code does not apply to agricultural buildings, apart from a few listed exceptions in section 326B.121. Minnesota Statutes, section 326B.103, subdivision 3, defines an agricultural building as a structure on land classified as agricultural by the municipal or county assessor. It must be designed, constructed and used to house farm implements, livestock or agricultural products. It must be used by the building's owner, tenant or subtenant, their immediate families, their employees, or people picking up or delivering agricultural products.

A container that stores farm equipment on agricultural land may meet that definition. The exemption covers the building code only, so ask the county or township whether its zoning ordinance applies before you order.

MnDOT sets seasonal load limits on state and federal trunk highways, including spring load restrictions with start and end dates for each part of the state. Every date is announced at least three days ahead. For county roads, MnDOT refers drivers to county weight information, and for city streets, to the city. If the route to your site has posted weight limits, mention it in your quote request.

Under Minnesota Statutes, section 160.095, a road authority may designate a road that is used only occasionally as a minimum-maintenance road. It must then post signs telling drivers that the public travels on the road at its own risk. Mention a signed minimum-maintenance road in your quote request as well.

Questions to ask before you order

Which office handles zoning for this address: the city, the township or the county?
How is a shipping container on this lot reviewed, and does it need a building permit, a zoning certificate or a site plan review?
How long may it stay, and how far must it sit from property lines, other buildings and the street?
Is the property in a heritage preservation district or another area with extra review?
Will the delivery or the container use any part of the street, alley or sidewalk?

For a container that will be heated or lived in, read the guides to insulating a shipping container in Minnesota and container homes in Minnesota. Delivery to each city is covered on the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Rochester pages.

Sources

This guide describes public rules in general terms and is not legal advice. The office that governs your parcel decides what your project needs.

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