Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Ridgeway, Missouri

Ridgeway’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Buildings inside Ridgeway city limits exceeding 30 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 20 feet tall.

  • Buildings at or below those dimensions are exempt only when not intended for housing, meeting places, businesses, or family dwellings.
  • Improvements to pre-existing buildings and homes are exempt unless modifications extend beyond those dimensions.
  • The City requires plans, construction intent and purpose, and location; permits may be revoked if construction varies from the submitted plan.
  • The City may refuse permits for the stated safety, appearance, view-blocking, or municipal-benefit reasons.

  building length threshold: > 30 feet · building width threshold: > 15 feet · building height threshold: > 20 feet

  “Builders must submit a plan for a permit to the City Council for any building with dimensions exceeding 30 feet long, 15”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Mobile homes brought into Ridgeway city limits and buildings covered by the City's Building Ordinance 2002.

  • For mobile homes, the ordinance calls its requirements a building code and requires Board of Aldermen inspection before a permit is granted or denied.
  • For buildings exceeding 30 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 20 feet tall, the Building Ordinance requires plans and adherence to state and local building codes.

  “HAS ASSERTED A BUILDING CODE AS FOLLOWS:”

• InspectionsLimited

  Mobile homes brought into Ridgeway city limits.

  • The Board of Aldermen inspects mobile homes before granting or denying a permit.
  • Mobile homes five years and older are inspected for fire safety, skirting, anchors, length, and beautification.
  • The building inspector may inspect a job site at discretion under Building Ordinance 2002.

  older-mobile-home age: >= 5 years (Inspected for the listed conditions.)

  “Section 1. All mobile homes from this date on are to be inspected by the Board of Alderman”

• Living in an RVLimited

  RVs or motorhomes intended to be used as residences inside Ridgeway city limits.

  • The RV or motorhome must comply with the mobile home/trailer ordinance and its amendment.
  • The residence may be occupied solely by the property owner.
  • The resident must comply with the nuisance ordinance.
  • Noncompliance results in a 30-day warning and may be followed by a $250 monthly fine plus City maintenance costs.

  monthly fine: per 250 USD (May follow the 30-day warning; plus City property-maintenance cost.)

  “These residences shall be occupied solely by the owner of said property.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Residents inside Ridgeway city limits who do not procure City water, sewer, and trash service.

  • The resident must show proof that disposal complies with State Sanitation Laws.
  • The resident must not use City sewer or trash collection in any way.
  • Violation carries a $500 fee.

  violation fee: 500 USD (For violation of Ordinance No. 170609.)

  “they must show proof that they are discarding both according to State Sanitation Laws”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Residents inside Ridgeway city limits who do not procure City water service.

  • A resident may reside without water service.
  • A resident without City water must procure City sewer and trash service unless they show proof of disposal according to State Sanitation Laws and that they are not using City sewer or trash collection.
  • Violation carries a $500 fee.

  violation fee: 500 USD (For violation of Ordinance No. 170609.)

  “An individual may reside within the City Limits and not have water service.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Mobile homes inside Ridgeway city limits.

  • The mobile-home ordinance requires a driveway for parked cars, tubes for the driveway, and at least two inches of gravel.

  driveway gravel depth: >= 2 inches

  “Must establish driveway for parked cars and furnish tubes for said driveways with at least two inches of gravel.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Mobile-home permits inside Ridgeway city limits.

  • The no-cost provision applies when a new mobile-home permit is required after the three-year permit period.
  • Permit issuance remains subject to inspection and may be granted or denied.

  mobile-home permit renewal fee: 0 USD (A new permit is required after the three-year permit period.)

  “a new permit must be applied for, at no cost to the owner.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Buildings inside Ridgeway city limits exceeding 30 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 20 feet tall.

  • Blueprints, plans, or drafts, the construction intent and purpose, and location description must be submitted.
  • Permits may be revoked if construction varies from the submitted plan.
  • The City may refuse a permit for the enumerated safety, appearance, view-blocking, or municipal-benefit grounds.

  “Blueprints, plans, or drafts of said construction with its intent and purpose must also be submitted”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Residential construction inside Ridgeway city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Land inside Ridgeway city limits.
• Local zoning — Land inside Ridgeway city limits.
• Zoning districts — Land inside Ridgeway city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Ridgeway city limits.

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.