Bolthole Index

Pottawatomie County, Kansas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in St. Marys, Kansas

St. Marys is a city in Pottawatomie County, Kansas. St. Marys adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits St. Marys’s rules apply, not the county’s. 3 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on November 3, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Pottawatomie County page.

Answers from the rulebook for St. Marys

St. Marys’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building construction inside St. Marys city limits under the city's permits & zoning rules.

    • The city page names the 1991 Uniform Building Code and the 1993 edition of the National Electric Code; it does not name a current International Residential Code or International Building Code edition, so the code edition is dated and should be confirmed with the city.

    adopted building code edition: 1991 Uniform Building Code · adopted electrical code edition: 1993 National Electric Code

    “the 1991 uniform building code, and the 1993 edition of the national electric code are in effect.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land administered by St. Marys city under its own zoning ordinance (the St. Marys Unified Development Code), including the city's extra-territorial zone (ETZ) zoning compliance review.

    • The city's permit page lists a zoning compliance review in the extra-territorial zone, so zoning review reaches beyond the city limits; the UDC's exact territorial reach was not verified on an opened page.
    • The UDC PDF named on the city's code page (smks.info/uploads/.../2026_udc_012426__current_.pdf) returned HTTP 404 on this run, so zoning district contents were not read.
    “the regulations pertaining to the commission are included in the st. marys unified development code, as amended.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Permit applications for work inside St. Marys city limits.

    • The city publishes application forms for building, zoning, floodplain, fence, sign, and plat work, but the opened pages do not describe review steps, timelines, or who must sign off.
    “permit applications & forms download planning, zoning, building, special event, and related city forms.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask St. Marys or Pottawatomie County directly.

  • Building permit — New residential construction inside St. Marys city limits
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside St. Marys city limits
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside St. Marys city limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates for new buildings inside St. Marys city limits
  • Zoning districts — Zoning district map and district list for land inside St. Marys city limits
22 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that St. Marys publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Pottawatomie County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in St. Marys means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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