Manufactured Homes in Custer County, SD: Placement Rules

Custer County has no zoning ordinance to define a manufactured-housing district, but it does have specific physical conditions a factory-built home must meet to be placed here, plus a separate state-required, county-administered permit for moving one in.

This page covers what's specific to Custer County. For the general explanation, see the national guide.

Three conditions for placing a factory-built home outside a mobile home park

Custer County Ordinance #2 allows factory-built homes in the county subject to specific physical conditions rather than a zoning-district restriction (since the county has no zoning ordinance to define districts in the first place). A factory-built home must have any wheels removed, and it must either be blocked and leveled with skirting applied around its base, or be placed on a permanent foundation. In practice that means a home simply parked and left on its axles, without skirting or a foundation, does not meet the county's standard for placement -- confirm with the Planning and Economic Development office which of the two paths (skirted-and-blocked, or permanent foundation) your specific unit and plan will follow, since that choice also affects how the home is classified for tax and financing purposes (see below).

Moving a home in requires a separate, state-mandated relocation permit

Physically moving a mobile home or HUD-code manufactured home -- whether bringing one onto a Custer County parcel from elsewhere or relocating one within the county -- requires a relocation permit obtained from the County Treasurer, at a $15 fee. This permit is valid for a single trip from the point of origin to a specific point of destination within the state; it is not a standing authorization to move the same home again later or to a different site without a new permit. Because this permit is issued by the Treasurer's office rather than Planning and Economic Development, plan for two separate county contacts when bringing a factory-built home onto raw land: the Treasurer for the relocation permit before the move, and Planning and Economic Development for placement conditions, any building permit, and septic approval once it's sited.

Manufactured (HUD-code) vs. modular/sectional: the classification affects more than placement

South Dakota draws a state-level distinction that matters here even though Custer County has no building code of its own: a manufactured or mobile home is built to the federal HUD Code and historically retains a wheeled chassis (even after the wheels are removed for placement), while a modular or sectional home is built off-site specifically for permanent placement on a continuous, engineered foundation designed to resist wind, snow, and rain loads -- and is generally treated, once placed, closer to site-built construction for classification purposes. Which category a given unit falls into affects how the South Dakota Department of Revenue classifies and taxes it (real property versus a separately assessed structure) and can affect financing options, since some mortgage products distinguish between the two categories. Before purchasing a unit or a placement plan, confirm with the manufacturer or dealer which classification applies, and confirm with the Custer County Director of Equalization how that classification will be assessed once placed on your parcel.

Manufactured & Modular Homes in Custer County, South Dakota

Three conditions for placing a factory-built home outside a mobile home park

Moving a home in requires a separate, state-mandated relocation permit

Manufactured (HUD-code) vs. modular/sectional: the classification affects more than placement

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