Bolthole Index

Boone County, Missouri

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Centralia, Missouri

Centralia, Missouri requires building permits for construction and structural alterations inside city limits, with exemptions for specified minor work.1 Centralia has its own zoning; Boone County Resource Management handles onsite wastewater approval for properties using septic.23 Start with the city’s building-permit application, and resolve sewer or septic service before designing a home.45

At a glance

Building permits
Required for construction and alterations, with specified minor-work exemptions1
Zoning
City zoning applies inside Centralia city limits2
Building code
2015 International Building Code with city amendments6
Septic approval
Boone County Resource Management; confirm public-sewer requirements first35
Floodplain development
Separate floodplain development permit required in covered city flood-hazard areas7
Building inspections
City permit number first; the City Clerk directs residents to Boone County for inspection scheduling8

Who to call

Building permits

Centralia City Clerk / City Hall

Building-permit application intake; contact point for City Administrator zoning and development questions

(573) 682-2139

114 South Rollins

Septic permits

Boone County Resource Management

Onsite wastewater applications, soil-evaluation requirements and septic inspections in Boone County

(573) 886-4330

[email protected]

801 E Walnut, Rm. 315

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Centralia, MO?

Centralia requires a building-permit application for construction, enlargement or alteration of buildings and structures inside city limits.1 Ordinary repairs and minor alterations costing no more than $2,000 are exempt only when major structural parts are unchanged.1 Siding, roofing and painting are exempt, but an alteration changing vertical or outside dimensions requires a building permit regardless of cost.1 Minor plumbing repairs lose the exemption when the work increases the number of fixtures.1 Centralia has adopted the 2015 International Building Code with city amendments.6

Who handles Centralia building-permit applications and inspections?

Centralia’s code directs written building-permit applications to the City Administrator; the City Clerk’s office supplies forms and accepts the original signed application before assigning a permit number.48 Contact City Hall at (573) 682-2139 to start the application and ask for the City Administrator on zoning questions.8 After the city issues the permit number, the City Clerk’s page directs residents to Boone County Planning and Zoning to arrange inspections.8 Centralia’s code requires construction inspections and allows work to be stopped for defective or illegal work.9

Does Centralia have zoning, and what should a homebuyer check?

Centralia has its own zoning chapter for land inside city limits.2 Ask the City Administrator to identify the parcel’s zoning district and provide the applicable lot-area, yard, setback and dwelling-floor-area requirements before choosing a house plan.4 In Centralia’s R-1 One-Family Dwelling District, the stated building-height limit is 35 feet and 2.5 stories, subject to the section’s exceptions.10 Dividing land also involves city subdivision procedures, including preliminary or sketch-plat approval, improvement plans and final-plat procedures; do not treat a proposed lot split as just a building-permit application.11

How do septic permits work inside Centralia?

For Centralia property in Boone County, onsite wastewater regulation is handled by Boone County Resource Management rather than the city’s building-permit counter.3 Centralia’s sewer provisions may require connection when public sewer is within 100 feet and accessible, so confirm sewer availability before planning private treatment.5 Boone County requires a septic permit for a new building using an onsite system or renovation of an existing system; do not assume the state acreage exemption settles local approval.125 New-system and upgrade applications require a soils morphology report, and permitted systems must use a certified installer.13 No backfilling is allowed before final inspection.13

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Centralia?

We could not confirm Centralia’s rules for living in an RV, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or an accessory dwelling; ask the City Administrator about the specific address, structure and proposed duration before buying.8 Centralia’s zoning and building-permit requirements still need to be resolved for a proposed dwelling.21 A private sewage treatment option under the city code is conditional on approved plans and the public-sewer requirement, rather than a blanket approval for off-grid living.145 Ask separately about manufactured-home occupancy, owner-builder exemptions and the certificate of occupancy; we could not confirm those city requirements.8

Building a home in Centralia: what are the steps in order?

  1. Ask the City Administrator to confirm the zoning district and review the proposed use and site layout.24
  2. Confirm public-sewer availability with the city; if onsite treatment is applicable, contact Boone County Resource Management for septic approval.53
  3. Submit the written building-permit application in duplicate, with scaled plans showing lot dimensions, building dimensions, location and intended use.4
  4. Obtain the city permit number before work begins and arrange construction inspections through the route City Hall provides.8
  5. Resolve a separate floodplain development permit if the site falls within Centralia’s covered flood-hazard areas.7

What stays with Boone County, and what should you check before buying in Centralia?

Boone County Resource Management remains the onsite wastewater authority for Centralia property in Boone County.3 Boone County’s building-permit requirement for unincorporated land is a separate rule; use the Boone County guide when the parcel is outside Centralia city limits.15 Inside Centralia, development in the city’s covered flood-hazard areas needs a floodplain development permit, including placement of manufactured homes.7 Before committing to a parcel, ask City Hall about driveway approval, current building-permit fees and private-well eligibility; we could not confirm those city requirements.8

Watch-outs

  • Centralia issues the building-permit number before the inspection scheduling described by the City Clerk; start at City Hall.8
  • Do not assume a large lot avoids septic approval: Boone County publishes its own septic permit requirement, and Missouri’s acreage exemption may not apply locally.125
  • We could not confirm RV, tiny-home or manufactured-home occupancy rules in Centralia; ask the City Administrator before relying on any of those living arrangements.8

Sources

  1. Article I: In General - City of Centralia, MO (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  2. Table of Contents - City of Centralia, MO (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  3. On-Site Wastewater Systems | Resource Management, quoted and re-checked
  4. Article I: In General - City of Centralia, MO (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  5. health.mo.gov (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article IV: Building Code - City of Centralia, MO (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 12: Flood Regulations - City of Centralia, MO (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  8. Centralia City Clerk / City Hall (centraliamo.gov)
  9. Article I: In General - City of Centralia, MO (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article II: R-1 One-Family Dwelling District - City of Centralia, MO (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  11. Table of Contents - City of Centralia, MO (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  12. On-Site Wastewater Systems | Resource Management, quoted and re-checked
  13. Boone County Resource Management (boonemo.gov)
  14. Article I: In General - City of Centralia, MO (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  15. boonemo.gov, quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 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 Centralia

Centralia’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, erection, enlargement, or alteration of walls, structures, buildings, or parts of buildings inside Centralia city limits.

    • A written application in duplicate must be submitted to the City Administrator.
    • Ordinary repairs and minor alterations not involving major structural parts and costing no more than $2,000 are exempt.
    • Minor electrical or plumbing repairs are exempt, except plumbing work increasing the number of plumbing fixtures.
    • Siding, roofing, and painting are exempt, but an alteration changing vertical or outside dimensions requires a permit regardless of cost.
    • Moving a building within the corporate limits separately requires a permit.

    minor alteration cost threshold: <= 2000 USD (Must not involve a change in major structural parts)

    “Except as otherwise exempted in this Section, no wall, structure (as defined in Code Section 31-1), building or part thereof shall hereafter be built, erected, enlarged, or altered within the corporate limits until an application for a building permit shall have been submitted in writing in duplicate, to the City Administrator”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Buildings and structures inside Centralia city limits.

    • The adopted code is the 2015 International Building Code, subject to the additions, deletions, and changes in Centralia Code §§ 5-26 and 5-27.

    edition: International Building Code — 2015 Edition (Subject to Centralia Code §§ 5-26 and 5-27)

    “A certain document, one (1) copy of which is on file in the office of the City Clerk of the City of Centralia, Missouri, being marked and designated as the “International Building Code — 2015 Edition,” as published by the International Code Council, Inc., be and is hereby adopted as the Building Code of the City of Centralia, Missouri”
  • InspectionsRequired

    All buildings or structures during construction inside Centralia city limits.

    • The inspector may order work stopped when defective or illegal work violates the City Code and may require correction before work resumes.
    “The City Administrator or his designated representative shall inspect all buildings or structures during construction to see that the provisions of the City Code are complied with.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Centralia city limits.

    • The City publishes Chapter 31, Zoning, in its adopted code.
    “Chapter 31 Zoning (Section 31-1 – Section 31-78)”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in Centralia's R-1 One-Family Dwelling District.

    • The provision states an exception may apply as provided elsewhere in the section.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet (No more than 2 1/2 stories, except as provided in the section) · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories (Except as provided in the section)

    “Height. No building hereafter erected or structurally altered shall exceed two and one-half (2 1/2) stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height; except, as provided hereafter.”
  • Off-grid sanitationAllowed (with conditions)

    Private sewage treatment for residences or buildings with water-carrier sewage systems inside Centralia city limits where the public-sewer condition does not require connection.

    • The private sewage treatment plant must be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the State Division of Health.
    “A private sewage treatment plant constructed in accordance with plans approved by the State Division of Health.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside Centralia city limits.

    • Preliminary or sketch-plat approval is followed by improvement-plan submission and final-plat procedures.
    • The code includes streets, sidewalks, stormwater, easements, lot identification, design standards, recording, penalties, and related requirements.
    “Following the Board's approval of the preliminary plat or the Commission's approval of the sketch plat for a minor subdivision, four (4) copies and one (1) electronic copy in an acceptable electronic format of the improvement plans for a subdivision, or any part thereof, shall be submitted to the City Administrator.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in Centralia areas identified as numbered or unnumbered A Zones and AE Zones on the specified Boone County FIRM panels, as amended and revised.

    • No development in covered areas is permitted without a floodplain development permit.
    • The permit application must identify the land and work, intended occupancy, assessed and fair-market values, base-flood and proposed elevations, and include plans, specifications, and an authorized signature.
    • The code references Boone County FIRM panels 29019C0075D and 29019C0100D dated March 17, 2011, as amended and revised.

    FIRM panel date: 2011-03-17 (As amended and future revisions)

    “A floodplain development permit shall be required for all proposed construction or other development, including the placement of manufactured homes, in the areas described in Section 12-4.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Short-term rentals in legally permitted residential dwelling units or portions of such units in Centralia residence districts.

    • A short-term rental is for fewer than 30 consecutive calendar days.
    • The prospective owner must submit the City's application at least 30 days before the intended start.
    • The owner must comply with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and City Code Chapter 8.1.

    maximum rental period: < 30 consecutive calendar days · application lead time: >= 30 days (Before intended or prospective rental start)

    “Short-term rentals shall be permitted in those certain residence districts enumerated under Sections 31-19, 31-21 or 31-23 of the Centralia City Code and as otherwise permitted as provided in the Zoning Ordinance of City of Centralia, Missouri.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Centralia building-permit applications.

    • Application must be in writing and in duplicate.
    • It must be submitted to the City Administrator.
    • Plans must be drawn to scale and show lot location, lot and building dimensions, and intended use.
    • The City Administrator may require additional information.
    “The application shall be drawn to scale, correctly showing the location and actual dimensions of the lot to be occupied and the dimensions and location on the lot of the building, structure or wall to be built, erected, altered or enlarged.”

Rules another office applies inside Centralia

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

  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation or repair of onsite wastewater systems inside Centralia city limits when public sewer is unavailable or the system is otherwise applicable.

    • A construction permit is required for residential property under three acres.
    • The three-acre exemption may not apply in some counties; the local authority must be checked.
    • Work must not begin until a permit is issued or an exemption is confirmed.
    • City sewer-connection rules may require public sewer instead when sewer is within 100 feet and accessible.

    residential lot threshold: < 3 acres (The exemption does not apply in some counties)

    “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.”
  • Septic inspectionNot required (with conditions)

    State-law inspection or evaluation of an onsite wastewater system before a real-estate transaction inside Centralia city limits.

    • A lender or buyer may request an inspection or evaluation.
    • Some counties may require inspection or evaluation for every transaction; the local permitting authority must be checked.
    “No. However, if a lender or buyer requests an inspection/evaluation, it must be conducted by a licensed individual. Some counties may require an onsite system inspection/evaluation for every real estate transaction. Check with the local permitting authority.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Centralia or Boone County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemptions inside Centralia city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate-of-occupancy requirements inside Centralia city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential development in Centralia's R-1 district and other districts.
  • Lot coverage — Residential development inside Centralia city limits.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Centralia city limits.
8 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Centralia publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Boone County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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