Bolthole Index

Bates County, Missouri

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Charlotte Township, Missouri

For Charlotte Township in Bates County, Missouri, Bates County does not require a residential building permit in its unincorporated areas and does not have county zoning.12 We could not confirm a separate Charlotte Township building-permit requirement or zoning ordinance. Bates County Health Center handles onsite sewage permits in the township.3

At a glance

Building permit
No Bates County residential building permit; confirm that Charlotte Township has no separate requirement1
Zoning
No county zoning; no Charlotte Township zoning ordinance or no-zoning statement was confirmed2
Septic permit
Bates County requires one for covered new systems, major modifications and repairs4
RV living
Long-term occupancy and temporary-camping rules not confirmed; ask the township before using an RV as a dwelling5
Tiny home
Siting, minimum-size and occupancy rules not confirmed; septic requirements still apply4
Private well
Contractor-performed well work requires state permits; a landowner's own installation has a limited exception67

Who to call

Septic permits

Bates County Health Center - Environmental Health

Onsite sewage permits and inspections in Bates County through the Environmental Public Health Specialist

660-679-6108

P.O. Box 178, 501 N. Orange, Butler, MO 64730

Floodplain permits

Bates County Surveyor's Office

County surveying, county road engineering and floodplain management

(660) 386-7776 Opt 6

103 West Dakota St Rm 6, Butler, MO 64730

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Charlotte Township, Missouri?

Bates County does not require a residential building permit in unincorporated areas.1 We could not confirm whether Charlotte Township has adopted a separate building-permit rule, building code, inspection program or certificate-of-occupancy requirement, so ask the township clerk to confirm jurisdiction before starting work. Missouri uses local building-code adoption rather than one uniformly adopted statewide building code.8

Keep building approval separate from wastewater and floodplain approval. Bates County Health Center handles onsite sewage permits inside Charlotte Township.3 Development in a floodplain requires a floodplain development permit through the applicable community process.9

Who issues building permits in Charlotte Township?

We could not confirm a Charlotte Township building department, contracted inspector or Bates County office that issues residential building permits for township parcels. Start with the Charlotte Township clerk and ask for a written parcel-specific answer identifying any building official and controlling ordinance. Bates County's unincorporated-area record says a residential building permit is not required.1

A building-permit answer does not settle septic approval. The Bates County Health Center's Environmental Public Health Specialist handles sewage permits throughout the county.10 Ask that office about the wastewater application, site evaluation and inspection before choosing the house location. For mapped flood hazards, contact the Bates County Surveyor's Office, which serves as Flood Plain Manager.11

Does Charlotte Township have zoning?

Bates County does not have county zoning, but we could not confirm an official Charlotte Township zoning ordinance, zoning map or statement that the township has no zoning.2 Missouri law permits qualifying counties to zone unincorporated territory after voter approval, but that authority alone does not show that Bates County or Charlotte Township adopted zoning.12

Before buying, ask the Charlotte Township clerk for a written parcel-specific answer covering permitted residential use, setbacks, minimum lot size, minimum dwelling size, building height, manufactured homes, accessory dwellings and the number of homes allowed. Farm-structure protections under Missouri law are limited and do not remove septic, floodplain or every other applicable requirement.13

How do septic permits work inside Charlotte Township?

Bates County Health Center handles onsite sewage permitting inside Charlotte Township through its Environmental Public Health Specialist.3 A permit is required for a single-family homeowner on land under 3 acres and for commercial facilities, schools, churches, renters, new systems and specified major modifications or repairs.4 A single-family residence on more than 3 acres may qualify for the county permit exception, but the system must still meet county standards and a second system has separate conditions.4

Submit the county application with the required site drawing, certified percolation test or soil morphology, and applicable fee; covered construction starts only after the specialist issues the green construction permit.4 Arrange county inspection and approval before covering the system.14 Across Bates County, no mapped soil share is rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so evaluate the site early.15

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Charlotte Township?

We could not confirm a Charlotte Township rule that allows or prohibits long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. Ask the township clerk for the rule governing the specific parcel before buying a unit or using one as a residence. Missouri's requirement for state approval of campgrounds planning onsite wastewater does not answer whether one household may occupy an RV on private land.5

An RV or tiny home used as a dwelling still needs a lawful wastewater solution. Missouri allows onsite wastewater where central sewer service is unavailable, subject to applicable local or state approval and standards.16 Bates County's permit process applies to covered new systems and major repairs or modifications.4

Building a home in Charlotte Township: what are the steps?

  1. Ask the Charlotte Township clerk to confirm building-permit and zoning jurisdiction for the parcel, including setbacks and allowed dwelling types.
  2. Check flood mapping with the Bates County Surveyor's Office, which serves as Flood Plain Manager.11 Development in a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area requires a floodplain development permit before work proceeds.17
  3. Confirm the road owner. A driveway built or modified within MoDOT right-of-way requires a MoDOT permit.18
  4. Contact Bates County Health Center, complete the site evaluation and obtain the required green septic construction permit before starting covered work.4
  5. Confirm the applicable state well rules; contractor-installed wells require a permit, while a landowner's own installation has a limited exception.67
  6. Obtain every confirmed approval and keep the septic system uncovered until county inspection.14

What should you check before buying land in Charlotte Township?

Get written answers on township zoning, building permits, setbacks, minimum lot size, legal dwelling types, RV occupancy and road access before closing; those township-specific rules could not be confirmed. For wastewater planning, Bates County's soil data show no mapped share without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field.15 Budget for a certified soil or percolation evaluation before fixing the house site.4

Check the flood map and consult the Bates County Flood Plain Manager before placing a house, manufactured home, fill or other development in a mapped hazard area.17 Verify whether access meets a township, county or state road; work within MoDOT right-of-way has its own driveway permit.18 Bates County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.6%, and its median annual property-tax bill is about $962.1920

Watch-outs

  • Do not assume that the absence of a published Charlotte Township zoning or building page means a parcel is unrestricted; ask the township clerk for the controlling rules.12
  • Bates County's septic permit exception for some larger single-family tracts does not waive county installation standards.4
  • Development in a floodplain needs a floodplain development permit even when no residential building permit applies.9

Sources

  1. Bates County Courthouse - Official County Website (department directory) (2026 county census)
  2. Bates County Courthouse - Official County Website (department directory) (2026 county census)
  3. Environmental Health – Bates County Health Center (Charlotte Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. BATES COUNTY ON-SITE SEWAGE RULES AND REGULATIONS, quoted and re-checked
  5. OWTS Construction Permit Process (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Water Wells - PUB2945, quoted and re-checked
  7. Water Wells - PUB2945, quoted and re-checked
  8. RSMo Section 64.170 (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Floodplain Forms (Charlotte Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. Bates County Health Center - Environmental Health (batescountyhealthcenter.org)
  11. Bates County Surveyor's Office (batescounty.net)
  12. RSMo § 64.850 — County commission may prescribe zoning regulations (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. RSMo Section 64.003 — Farm buildings and farm structures (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Bates County On-Site Sewage Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  15. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  16. Onsite Wastewater Treatment (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Bates County Surveyor’s Office – Bates County Courthouse, quoted and re-checked
  18. Permits – Missouri Department of Transportation, quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 9, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Charlotte Township

Charlotte Township’s own rules

  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation or repair of onsite wastewater systems inside Charlotte township.

    • A permit is required for residential property under three acres.
    • The state page says some single-family residential lots may be exempt and that the exemption may not apply in some counties; Bates County's ordinance must be checked for the controlling exception.
    • Work should not begin until a permit is issued or an exemption is confirmed.
    • Bates County has its own onsite wastewater ordinance and may add requirements.

    residential property threshold: < 3 acres (State FAQ states the exemption does not apply in some counties; check Bates County authority.)

    “A construction permit is required to install or repair an onsite system on any residential property less than three acres. (This exemption does not apply in some counties; check with the county authority.) Regardless of the size of the property, a permit is necessary for all other onsite systems that serve non-residential structures.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Onsite sanitation where central sewer is unavailable inside Charlotte township.

    • An approved onsite wastewater system is required where the permit rules apply.
    • A permit may be required, including for residential property under three acres.
    • Wastewater may not be discharged into a road ditch or onto the ground.
    • Bates County's ordinance may be more restrictive.
    “Is it legal for wastewater to discharge into a road ditch or onto the ground? [...] No. Your system cannot pose a threat to public health or to the environment.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development located in a floodplain inside Charlotte township, administered through the Bates County floodplain authority.

    • The requirement applies when the development is in the floodplain.
    • Some type of permit must be issued for all development in the floodplain.
    • An engineering No-Rise Certificate is required for proposed development in the regulatory floodway before the floodplain development permit may be issued.
    • SEMA lists a Bates County floodplain administrator and directs users whose city is not listed to the county representative.
    “Regardless, some type of permit MUST be issued for ALL development in the floodplain. An Engineering “No-Rise” Certificate is required for all proposed development in the regulatory floodway, and must be obtained by the community before the floodplain development permit may be issued.”

Rules another office applies inside Charlotte Township

Charlotte Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Onsite wastewater permitting for land inside Charlotte township, as part of Bates County.

    • The Missouri DHSS page identifies Bates County Health Center as the ordinance authority.
    • The county ordinance may impose requirements beyond state minimum construction standards.
    • Incorporated areas may be handled differently; Charlotte township is treated here as township land, not an incorporated municipality.
    “Agency: Bates County Health Center Authority Type: Ordinance [...] County: Bates [...] Contact the agency above for onsite wastewater permitting instructions. This county has their own Onsite Wastewater Ordinance and may have additional requirements beyond the state minimum construction standards.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • County — On-site sewage permitting and related environmental-health administration inside Charlotte township.
      “Agency: Bates County Health Center Authority Type: Ordinance Address: 501 N. Orange PO Box 178 Butler, MO 64730 County: Bates”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Charlotte Township or Bates County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Charlotte township.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Charlotte township.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Charlotte township.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Charlotte township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Charlotte township.
21 more unanswered
  • Local zoning
  • Zoning districts
  • 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
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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 Charlotte Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bates County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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