Bolthole Index

Bates County, Missouri

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

Howard Township is in unincorporated Bates County, Missouri, where a residential building permit is not required.1 We could not confirm a Howard Township zoning ordinance or an official no-zoning statement. Bates County Health Center administers onsite sewage permitting under the county ordinance.2

At a glance

Building permit
Not required by Bates County for residential construction in this unincorporated township1
Zoning
No official Howard Township zoning ordinance or no-zoning statement was confirmed3
Septic permit
Required for covered new systems, major modifications and repairs; a limited larger-lot exception applies4
RV or tiny home
Occupancy and siting rules were not confirmed; ask the township and county before relying on either as a dwelling5
Private well
Contractor-performed well work requires state permits; a landowner's own installation has a limited exception67
Floodplain
Development in a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area requires a floodplain development permit8

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

Roads & driveways

Howard Township

Grading, gravel application and maintenance for township roads

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 Howard 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 Howard Township, Missouri?

Bates County does not require a residential building permit for construction in unincorporated Howard Township.1 Missouri does not impose one uniformly adopted statewide building code; building and fire codes are adopted locally under the state's statutory framework.9

The county answer does not settle every approval. We could not confirm a Howard Township building code, inspection program, certificate-of-occupancy rule or owner-builder rule. Before construction, ask the Howard Township clerk and Bates County Commission whether any township-specific rule, utility approval or separate trade requirement applies to the parcel. Missouri's farm-structure protections are limited and do not erase septic, floodplain or other applicable requirements.10

Does Howard Township have zoning?

We could not confirm an official Howard Township zoning ordinance, zoning map or statement that the township has no zoning. Missouri law allows qualifying counties to regulate land use in unincorporated territory after voter approval, but that authority alone does not prove that a local zoning program was adopted.3

Before buying, ask the Howard Township clerk and Bates County Commission for a written, parcel-specific answer on permitted residential use, setbacks, minimum lot size, dwelling size, building height, accessory dwellings and manufactured homes. Long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy and short-term-rental rules also could not be confirmed for Howard Township.

How do septic permits work inside Howard Township?

Bates County Health Center is the local onsite-wastewater authority for Howard Township under the county ordinance.2 A single-family homeowner on land under 3 acres must obtain a permit before installing a new system or making a major modification or repair; permits also apply to commercial facilities, schools, churches, renters and other persons or entities covered by the county rule.4

A single-family residence on more than 3 acres may qualify for the county permit exception, but its system must still meet county standards, and a second system has separate conditions.4 Submit the application, site drawing, certified percolation test or soil morphology and other required material; covered construction starts only after the Environmental Public Health Specialist issues the green construction permit.11 Arrange county inspection and approval before covering a new or replacement system.12

Bates County's mapped soils show 0% rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make the soil evaluation an early purchase contingency rather than assuming a conventional system will work.13

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

We could not confirm a Howard Township rule that allows or prohibits long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. Ask the Howard Township clerk and Bates County Commission for the rule governing the parcel before buying or occupying a unit.

An RV or tiny home still needs a lawful wastewater solution. Wastewater may not be discharged into a road ditch or onto the ground, and any applicable permit exception does not remove county construction standards.5 Missouri's requirement for DNR approval of campgrounds planning onsite wastewater does not answer whether one household may occupy an RV on private land.14

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

  1. Ask the Howard Township clerk and Bates County Commission for written confirmation of any parcel-specific zoning, setbacks, dwelling rules or local approvals.
  2. Confirm that the site lies outside a mapped flood hazard area, or contact the Bates County Surveyor's Office before development; the office serves as Flood Plain Manager.15 Development in a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area requires a floodplain development permit before work begins.8
  3. Identify the road owner. Howard Township maintains its township roads, but we could not confirm a township driveway-entrance permit rule.16 Construction or modification of a driveway in MoDOT right-of-way requires a MoDOT permit.17
  4. Contact Bates County Health Center for the soil evaluation and septic determination, then obtain the green construction permit if the project is covered.11
  5. Confirm the state well rules. Contractor-installed wells require a permit, while a landowner's own installation has a limited exception and must still comply with applicable standards.67
  6. Keep the septic system uncovered until the county inspection and approval are complete.12

What should you check before buying land in Howard Township?

Get written answers on zoning, setbacks, legal dwelling types, RV occupancy and township-road access before closing because those Howard Township rules could not be confirmed. A Bates County residential building permit is not required in this unincorporated township, but septic, floodplain, state-road and well requirements remain separate.12817

Make the septic site evaluation a priority because Bates County's mapped soils show 0% rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field.13 Bates County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.6%, and its median annual property-tax bill is about $962.1819

Watch-outs

  • Do not read the lack of a confirmed Howard Township zoning page as proof that every use, dwelling type or placement is allowed; Missouri's zoning authority is conditional and does not establish Howard Township's actual rules.3
  • Bates County's septic permit exception for some larger single-family tracts does not waive county installation standards.4
  • Missouri temporarily suspended state onsite-sewage application fees effective August 28, 2026, while the Bates County rules list local fees; ask the Health Center what is currently collected.20

Sources

  1. Bates County Courthouse - Official County Website (department directory) (2026 county census)
  2. Environmental Health – Bates County Health Center (Howard Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. RSMo § 64.850 — County commission may prescribe zoning regulations (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  4. Bates County On-Site Sewage Rules and Regulations (Howard Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Bates County On-Site Sewage Rules and Regulations (Howard Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Water Wells - PUB2945, quoted and re-checked
  7. Water Wells - PUB2945, quoted and re-checked
  8. Bates County Surveyor’s Office – Bates County Courthouse, quoted and re-checked
  9. RSMo Section 64.170 (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. RSMo Section 64.003 — Farm buildings and farm structures (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. BATES COUNTY ON-SITE SEWAGE RULES AND REGULATIONS, quoted and re-checked
  12. Bates County On-Site Sewage Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  13. 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
  14. OWTS Construction Permit Process (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Bates County Surveyor's Office (batescounty.net)
  16. Howard Township (batescounty.net)
  17. Permits – Missouri Department of Transportation, quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  20. OWTS Construction Permit Process (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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 Howard Township

Rules another office applies inside Howard Township

Howard 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 septicLocal (with conditions)

    Onsite wastewater systems serving property inside Howard Township, subject to the Bates County Health Center's ordinance jurisdiction.

    • Bates County Health Center is listed by Missouri DHSS as the Bates County onsite-wastewater authority with authority type “Ordinance.”
    • Incorporated areas may be outside the local authority's jurisdiction; Howard Township applicability should be confirmed for a specific parcel.
    • Lagoons serving anything other than a single-family residence are under DNR jurisdiction.
    “Agency: Bates County Health Center Authority Type: Ordinance Address: 501 N. Orange PO Box 178 Butler, MO 64730 County: Bates.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation, major modification, or repair of on-site sewage systems inside Howard township.

    • A single-family homeowner under 3 acres must obtain a permit before installing a new system or making a major modification or repair.
    • Commercial facilities, schools, churches, renters, and other persons or entities must obtain a permit.
    • A crushed lateral may be repaired without a permit, but adding laterals requires a permit.
    • A single-family residence over 3 acres does not need a permit under the Bates County rule, but must still install its system to county standards.
    • The Bates County rule states that a second system on a tract over 3 acres requires a permit unless the land is deeded in the owner's name and is also over 3 acres.
    • The source states a $75 single-family and $125 commercial permit fee, but the current DHSS page states that effective August 28, 2026 application fees were temporarily suspended; fee applicability should therefore be confirmed with Bates County Health Center.

    single-family permit fee stated in Bates County PDF: 75 USD (Current DHSS fee-suspension notice may affect application fees after 2026-08-28.) · commercial permit fee stated in Bates County PDF: 125 USD (Current DHSS fee-suspension notice may affect application fees after 2026-08-28.)

    “Any single-family homeowner under 3 acres or commercial facility or schools, churches, renters, or any person or entity must get a permit before installing a new on-site sewage system or before major modification or repair of an existing system.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private wastewater disposal without connection to a public sewer inside Howard township.

    • Off-grid sanitation must use an approved on-site system and comply with Bates County or state permitting and construction requirements.
    • Wastewater may not be discharged into a road ditch or onto the ground.
    • Permit exemptions for certain single-family residences over 3 acres do not eliminate the requirement to meet county standards.
    “No. Your system cannot pose a threat to public health or to the environment.”
  • Well permitLimited

    Water-well construction inside Howard Township, under Missouri's statewide contractor-permitting program.

    • The official page states that individuals must be licensed/permitted to do business in Missouri to construct a water, heat-pump, or monitoring well.
    • This source establishes contractor permitting and does not establish whether a separate property-owner construction permit is required.
    “Individuals must test and become licensed/permitted in order to do business in Missouri to construct a water, heat pump or monitoring well.”
  • Subdividing landLimited

    Subdivisions inside Howard township proposing use of on-site wastewater systems.

    • DNR approval is required when a subdivision plans to use OWTS.
    • Additional residential development requirements may apply.
    • This claim addresses OWTS-related subdivision approval, not a complete subdivision code for Howard township.
    “DNR must approve subdivisions, mobile home parks and campgrounds if the use of OWTS is planned. Developers as well as property owners in unapproved developments should contact DNR regarding their residential housing unit requirements.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Limited — A subdivision inside Howard Township that plans to use onsite wastewater treatment systems.
      “DNR must approve subdivisions, mobile home parks and campgrounds if the use of OWTS is planned. Developers as well as property owners in unapproved developments should contact DNR regarding their residential housing unit requirements.”
  • Permit processPartial

    The onsite-wastewater construction-permit process inside Howard Township.

    • This is only the onsite-wastewater portion of the development-permit process.
    • Submit the completed application, soil evaluation report, engineer design if applicable, and other related documents to the appropriate permitting authority.
    “Submit the completed DHSS Construction Permit Application Form, the soil evaluation report, engineer design (if applicable) and other documents relating to the OWTS construction to the appropriate permitting authority.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Residential building construction inside Howard Township.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside Howard Township.
  • Building code adopted — Building construction inside Howard Township.
  • Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Howard Township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — New residential occupancy inside Howard Township.
19 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
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Howard 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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