Zoning, building permits and septic rules in St. Joseph, Missouri

St. Joseph’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Placement or occupancy of manufactured homes on individual lots inside St. Joseph city; general permit rule not verified

  • Only the manufactured-home permit requirement was verified

  “Manufactured homes shall not be placed or occupied on an individual lot without a building permit issued under these regulations.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Manufactured homes placed on individual lots inside St. Joseph city

  • Inspections of siting, foundations, anchors/utilities, and steps; permittee must give notice to chief building official and wait for approval

  “Each manufactured home approved for placement on a parcel shall be subject to the following inspections:”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside St. Joseph city limits

  • Business Park, planned unit and precise plan districts are handled by the planning office

  “The following land district use table outlines permitted, conditionally permitted, and non-permitted uses in the zoning districts outlined in Sections 31-018 through 31-035”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside St. Joseph city

  • Districts: A-1, A-OR, R-SH, R-1A, R-1B, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, C-0, C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1, M-2; B-P, P districts via planning office

  “The following land district use table outlines permitted, conditionally permitted, and non-permitted uses in the zoning districts outlined in Sections 31-018 through 31-035”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1SH Small House district inside St. Joseph city; other districts not verified

  • Maximum 900 sq ft

  minimum living space: >= 128 sq ft

  “Maximum square footage including all floors 900 square feet and minimum square footage including all floors 128 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  A-OR Agricultural, Outer Residential District inside St. Joseph city

  • Legal lots of record under 3 acres may still hold a single-family dwelling if sewage disposal requirements are met; minimum lot width 200 feet

  minimum lot area: >= 3 acres

  “Minimum lot area. a. For permitted uses: 3.0 acre.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — R-1B Detached Single-Family Residential District inside St. Joseph city

    “the minimum lot area shall be 6,000 square feet.”

  • Specified — A-1 General Agricultural District inside St. Joseph city

    “For permitted uses: agriculture uses, 40.0 acres; dwellings, 20.0 acres; and other permitted uses, 3.0 acre.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  A-OR district inside St. Joseph city

  • Accessory structures follow Sec. 31-050

  front yard: >= 50 feet · side yard: >= 15 feet · rear yard: >= 75 feet

  “The minimum rear yard setback from the property line or right-of-way line shall be 75 feet”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — R-1B district inside St. Joseph city

    “Rear yard setbacks. The minimum rear yard setback shall be 25 feet.”

  • Specified — A-1 district inside St. Joseph city

    “The minimum side yard setback from the property line or right-of-way line shall be 15 feet, except for farming structures in which case no minimum setback is required.”

• Building heightSpecified

  A-OR district inside St. Joseph city

  • Exceptions under Sec. 31-055

  maximum height: <= 35 feet (or two and a half stories)

  “The maximum building height shall be 35 feet or two and a half stories.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — R-1B district inside St. Joseph city

    “Buildings and structures shall not exceed 35 feet or two and one-half stories.”

  • None — A-1 district inside St. Joseph city

    “Height. No maximum building height is required.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping in parks or on public property inside St. Joseph city; private-land camping not verified

  • Allowed only with special event permit, parks director permit, written city agreement, or MoDOT authorization; bond may be required

  “It shall be unlawful for any person, individually or in concert with others to, at any time, take up temporary or permanent occupancy, camp, pitch tents, lay out sleeping blankets, cardboard boxes, or other sleeping gear, or remain overnight in a park or on public property in the city, except when authorized by the following: (1) a special event permit issued pursuant to chapter 25 of this code; (2) a permit issued by the director of parks, recreation, and civic facilities; (3) a written agreement with the city; or (4) the missouri department of transportation”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Small houses in R-1SH district inside St. Joseph city

  • Max 900 sq ft, min 128 sq ft; continuous frost-proof footing; 90 mph anchoring; pitched composite shingle roof; converted sheds not accepted

  living space: 128 to 900 sq ft

  “Maximum square footage including all floors 900 square feet and minimum square footage including all floors 128 square feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes on individual lots inside St. Joseph city

  • Same districts as single-family; building permit required; minimum width 22 feet; built after June 15, 1976; permanent foundation; mobile homes only in R-5

  minimum width: >= 22 feet

  “Be occupied only as a single-family dwelling and be permitted in the same districts as single family dwellings.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Manufactured homes on individual lots inside St. Joseph city; general new-home connection rule not verified

  • Water supply and sewage disposal must meet city requirements; underground public utilities required

  “Be served by a water supply and sewage disposal system meeting the established city requirements.”

• Short-term rentalsAllowed (with conditions)

  Short-term rental use by district inside St. Joseph city

  • Conditional use permit in A-1, A-OR, R-SH; permitted in R-1A through R-5 and C-0 through C-3; not permitted in M-1, M-2; table cell reading inferred from column order

  “short-term rental c c c p p p p p p p p p p - - -”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside St. Joseph city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside St. Joseph city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside St. Joseph city
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside St. Joseph city
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside St. Joseph city

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.