Bolthole Index

Bates County, Missouri

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Hume, Missouri

The Town of Hume in Bates County has not published enough information to confirm its general residential building-permit or zoning requirements, so ask Hume City Hall before buying land or starting work. Hume does publish a fire-safety and public-health ordinance for replacement mobile, manufactured and modular homes, while Bates County Health Center handles onsite sewage permits countywide.12

At a glance

Building permit
Not confirmed for general residential construction; ask Hume City Hall3
Zoning
No Hume zoning ordinance or no-zoning statement was confirmed; ask City Hall3
Replacement homes
A town ordinance addresses fire-safety and public-health standards for replacement mobile, manufactured and modular homes1
Onsite sewage
Bates County Health Center handles sewage permits; permit need depends on the project and parcel24
RVs and tiny homes
No Hume-specific occupancy rule was confirmed; ask City Hall before purchase or placement3

Who to call

Building permits

Hume City Hall

Questions about Hume ordinances, zoning, building permits, land use and municipal utilities

(660) 643-7111

[email protected]

12636 SW Main St, Hume, MO 64752

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

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 Town of Hume means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Hume, Missouri?

We could not confirm a general Hume residential building-permit requirement, building-inspection program or certificate-of-occupancy rule. Contact Hume City Hall at (660) 643-7111 with the parcel address and scope of work before demolition, construction or placement begins.3

Hume does identify a town ordinance concerning fire-safety and public-health standards for replacement mobile homes, manufactured homes and modular homes.1 That published ordinance list is incomplete, so a project not named there may still be governed by another town ordinance; City Hall is the place to request the current ordinance text.3

Does Hume have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

We could not confirm that Hume has adopted zoning, and we also could not confirm an official statement that the town has no zoning. Ask Hume City Hall to confirm the parcel's allowed use, setbacks, lot requirements and any site-plan approval before treating it as buildable.3

We could not confirm Hume-specific rules for living in an RV, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, accessory dwellings or minimum dwelling size. Ask City Hall about the exact structure, intended duration, utility plan and parcel before purchase or placement.3 A replacement manufactured, mobile or modular home deserves particular review because Hume identifies an ordinance setting fire-safety and public-health standards for that category.1

How do septic permits work inside Hume?

Bates County Health Center says its Environmental Public Health Specialist handles sewage permits in Bates County, but the available official material does not expressly confirm whether that office or another authority issues every onsite wastewater permit inside incorporated Hume.2 Call the Health Center at 660-679-6108 before designing an onsite system, and ask Hume City Hall whether municipal sewer service or a connection requirement applies to the parcel.53

Under the Bates County process, a permit is required for a single-family residence on a lot under 3 acres and for listed nonresidential uses, new systems and major modifications or repairs.4 A qualifying single-family residence on more than 3 acres may avoid that permit, but the system must still meet county standards and the second-system exception can restore the permit requirement.4 Before covering a governed new or replacement system, arrange for the Environmental Public Health Specialist to inspect and approve it.6

Building a home in Hume: what should you do first?

  1. Give Hume City Hall the parcel address, proposed use and structure type, then ask for the current zoning, building-permit, inspection, setback and occupancy rules in writing.3
  2. Ask City Hall whether public water and sewer serve the parcel and whether connection is mandatory; we could not confirm a town connection rule.3
  3. If an onsite wastewater system is proposed, confirm the permitting authority and permit status with Bates County Health Center before paying for a final design or starting excavation.24
  4. If a private well is planned, confirm whether the landowner exception or Missouri contractor-permit requirements fit the work; Missouri requires the applicable installation permits for contractor-performed well and pump work, while a landowner may install the landowner's own well or pump without a permit under the cited state rules.78
  5. If the driveway work enters MoDOT right-of-way, obtain the state driveway permit before construction or modification.9

What should you check before buying land in Hume?

Get written confirmation from Hume City Hall on allowed use, building approval, setbacks, manufactured-home rules, RV occupancy, utility availability and any floodplain review before relying on a listing description.3 Hume's published ordinance list specifically flags replacement mobile, manufactured and modular homes for fire-safety and public-health standards.1

Treat septic feasibility as a site question, not a formality: across Bates County, 0% of mapped soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field.10 The Bates County application process requires a percolation test or soil morphology from a certified person, and a governed system must be approved before construction begins.4 Bates County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.6%, with a median annual property-tax bill of $962.1112

Watch-outs

  • Do not apply Bates County's unincorporated-area building-permit or zoning status to land inside Hume; ask Hume City Hall because the town's own general requirements were not confirmed.3
  • Do not cover a governed new or replacement onsite sewage system before the Environmental Public Health Specialist inspects and approves it.6
  • Do not assume an RV, tiny home or replacement manufactured home can be occupied on a Hume parcel without town review; Hume's general occupancy rules were not confirmed, and replacement manufactured housing is addressed by a town ordinance.1

Sources

  1. City Info – City of Hume (Town of Hume), quoted and re-checked
  2. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  3. Hume City Hall (cityofhume.com)
  4. BATES COUNTY ON-SITE SEWAGE RULES AND REGULATIONS, quoted and re-checked
  5. Bates County Health Center - Environmental Health (batescountyhealthcenter.org)
  6. Bates County On-Site Sewage Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  7. Water Wells - PUB2945, quoted and re-checked
  8. Water Wells - PUB2945, quoted and re-checked
  9. Permits – Missouri Department of Transportation, quoted and re-checked
  10. 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
  11. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  12. 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 Town of Hume

Town of Hume’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Replacement of mobile homes, manufactured homes, and modular homes inside Hume town limits.

    • The City Info page describes its posted ordinances as not a complete list.
    • The referenced ordinance is described as fire-safety and public-health standards for replacement housing; the underlying PDF was not text-accessible during this research.
    “#100410 – An ordinance providing for fire safety and public health standards for the replacement of mobile homes, manufactured homes, and modular homes.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Hume

Town of Hume 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 septicMixed (with conditions)

    On-site wastewater systems inside Hume town limits, where an on-site system is used.

    • DHSS or a local agency typically the county health department regulates the listed domestic systems.
    • Missouri DNR regulates direct-discharge systems, most non-individual lagoons, systems above 3,000 gallons per day, and specified development systems.

    maximum daily flow for local/DHSS cluster or centralized subsurface systems: <= 3000 gpd (Under the same common promotional plan within the same operating location.)

    “The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) or a local agency, typically the county health department, is responsible for domestic wastewater treatment systems that include the following:”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Onsite wastewater systems inside Hume town to the extent Missouri's statewide OWTS requirements apply.

    • A construction permit is required before installing or repairing most OWTS.
    • Some single-family residential lots may be exempt from permitting.
    • The permitting authority must be determined for the location before work begins.
    • Effective August 28, 2026, application fees for on-site sewage disposal system construction, modifications, and repairs are temporarily suspended under the stated DHSS update.
    • Local authorities may impose stricter requirements by ordinance.
    “A construction permit is required before installing or repairing most onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). Some single family residential lots may be exempt from permitting. The first step of the permitting process is to determine the agency that has permitting authority where the work is being done.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Limited — Installation or repair of on-site wastewater treatment systems inside Hume town limits, if an on-site system is used.
      “A construction permit is required before installing or repairing most onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). Some single family residential lots may be exempt from permitting. The first step of the permitting process is to determine the agency that has permitting authority where the work is being done.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    On-site wastewater sanitation inside Hume town limits where a public sewer is not used.

    • Operation may not cause a nuisance, health hazard, or contamination of surface water or groundwater.
    • The applicable permit authority and system type must be determined.
    “No person or property owner may operate onsite systems in a manner as to cause a nuisance, health hazard or contaminate surface water or groundwater.”
  • Well permitLimited

    Water-well construction or repair inside Hume town limits.

    • A non-restricted installation permit is required for construction or repair.
    • Landowners may install their own well or pump without a permit under the cited law and rules.
    • Contractors or persons directing the work require a restricted permit.
    “A non-restricted water well installation permit is required to construct or repair a water well in Missouri. A non-restricted pump installation permit is required to install or replace a pump in a water well.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Hume town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from building requirements inside Hume town limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Hume town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Hume town limits.
  • Local zoning — Land inside Hume town limits.
20 more unanswered
  • 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
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Town of Hume publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bates County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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