Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Clinton, Missouri

Clinton’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Foundation and placement of manufactured homes in the R-1/MH district inside Clinton city

  • General permit rule for other construction not located in sections reviewed
  • Small houses in R-1 SH also require permits for site work, foundations and off-site-built houses

  “Building permits are required for both foundation and placement of manufactured home.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Small houses in the R-1 SH district inside Clinton city; the code refers to a current city adopted building code

  • Exception for units constructed and sealed as HUD certified
  • Edition of the building code not identified in the sections reviewed

  “House must meet current city adopted building code, utilizing min. standard building materials unless constructed and sealed as HUD certified.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Small houses in the R-1 SH district inside Clinton city

  • Applies to site work, foundations and houses built off-site not HUD certified
  • General inspection rule for other construction not found

  “Building permits and inspections are required for site work, foundations and houses built off-site (if not HUD certified).”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Clinton city, Henry County, MO

  “The following are permitted uses in the A-1 Agricultural Rural Residential District:”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Clinton city (A-1, R-1, R-1/MH, R-1 SH, R-2/MH, C-3 and others in Chapter 36, Article IV)

  “The following are permitted uses in the A-1 Agricultural Rural Residential District:”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Clinton city

  • Also main floor may not exceed 175 percent of main floor of the four nearest homes

  minimum living space: >= 900 square feet (or 80 percent of average of four nearest homes, whichever greater)

  “each single-family dwelling shall have living space the greater of 900 square feet or 80 percent of the average amount of living space of the four homes nearest the dwelling.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — A-1 Agricultural Rural Residential District inside Clinton city

    “each single-family dwelling shall have a minimum of 1,000 square feet of living floor area.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  A-1 Agricultural Rural Residential District inside Clinton city

  • With dog kennels, horses, cattle, chickens or similar livestock: 200,000 square feet
  • Agricultural uses with livestock: five acres
  • Not connected to public water or sewer: 60,000 square feet or larger per county health department engineering analysis
  • Minimum lot width and depth 150 feet

  minimum lot area, single-family without livestock: >= 40000 square feet

  “single-family detached residence without dog kennels, horses, cattle, chickens or similar livestock: 40,000 square feet land area.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Clinton city

    “minimum lot area: 6,000 square feet. any use requiring sewer service, but not connected to the public sewer will require 40,000 square feet minimum or larger depending on an engineering analysis approved by the county health department.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Clinton city

  • Front setback may be averaged with neighbors (not more than 40 ft nor less than 18 ft)
  • Interior lots combined side yards at least 15 feet
  • Corner lots 15 feet from street rights-of-way
  • Accessory buildings: 5 ft side, 3 ft rear

  front yard: >= 25 feet (averaging rule) · side yard (interior): >= 7 feet · rear yard (primary building): >= 30 feet

  “no primary building shall be located closer than 30 feet from a rear property line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — A-1 Agricultural Rural Residential District inside Clinton city

    “front yard. no building shall be located within 50 feet of the front property line.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  A-1 Agricultural Rural Residential District inside Clinton city

  • Accessory buildings not more than 20 percent of required rear yard
  • At least 40 percent of lot as open space

  maximum building coverage: <= 25 percent of lot area

  “the combined area occupied by all main and accessory buildings or structures shall not exceed 25 percent of the total lot area.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Clinton city

    “the combined area occupied by all main and accessory buildings or structures shall not exceed 25 percent of the total lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  A-1 Agricultural Rural Residential District inside Clinton city

  • Exceptions for agricultural storage bins and public or quasi-public buildings
  • Not applicable to public water towers

  maximum height: <= 45 feet (three stories)

  “buildings and structures shall not exceed 45 feet or exceed three stories in height”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Clinton city

    “maximum structure height. buildings and structures shall not exceed 45 feet, and shall not exceed three stories in height except for churches or other public or quasi-public buildings which shall not exceed 75 feet provided that all yard requirements shall be increased by one foot for each foot the building exceeds 45 feet.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  RVs and travel trailers on lots with a dwelling in residential districts inside Clinton city

  • No more than one RV or travel trailer per family living on the premises
  • Not for permanent residential purposes
  • Must be in side or rear yard, not street side of a corner lot; not on public street
  • Flood zones: RV must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, be road-ready, or meet manufactured-home requirements (Sec. 24-122)

  RVs per family: <= 1 count (additional ones only in enclosed garage)

  “not more than one recreational vehicle or travel trailer per family living on the premises shall be permitted, provided that no such vehicle shall be used for permanent residential purposes.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Small houses in the R-1 SH district inside Clinton city

  • Must meet adopted city building code unless HUD certified
  • Storage buildings converted to small houses are not accepted
  • Foundation, anchoring to 90 mph wind load, pitched roof required
  • Small houses not built on site must be new
  • Platting required for new developments of two or more lots

  maximum living space: <= 900 square feet · minimum living space: >= 128 square feet

  “Maximum square footage including all floors: 900 square feet. Minimum square footage including all floors: 128 square feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured housing in the R-1/MH district inside Clinton city (R-2/MH has parallel rules)

  • Home must be new (current year); no previously owned homes
  • Permanent foundation, footings 30 inches deep, wheels, axles and tongue removed
  • Pitched roof not less than one to four slope
  • Utilities underground; anchored per manufacturer
  • Building permits required for foundation and placement

  minimum width: >= 24 feet · minimum length: >= 32 feet

  “Minimum width shall be 24 feet; minimum length shall be 32 feet.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  R-1 district lots inside Clinton city not connected to public sewer

  • Larger minimum lot area, possibly more per engineering analysis approved by the county health department

  minimum lot area without public sewer: >= 40000 square feet (or larger depending on engineering analysis)

  “any use requiring sewer service, but not connected to the public sewer will require 40,000 square feet minimum or larger depending on an engineering analysis approved by the county health department.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  New developments in the R-1 SH district inside Clinton city; general subdivision chapter not reviewed

  • Applies to developments containing two or more lots

  “Requires platting or re-platting of the property under standard platting/re-platting guidelines for developments containing two or more lots.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveways and parking areas in the R-1 district inside Clinton city

  • Design standard only; no driveway permit requirement found

  “driveways and parking areas shall be located, designed and of sufficient size so no vehicle when parked in said driveway or parking area will encroach on any public right-of-way.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Manufactured homes placed or substantially improved in A and AE zones on Clinton's FIRM

  • Elevation to one foot above base flood elevation on permanent foundation, anchored
  • Existing manufactured home parks may alternatively use piers at least 36 inches high
  • RVs in A/AE zones: under 180 consecutive days, road-ready, or meet manufactured-home rules (Sec. 24-122)

  lowest floor above base flood elevation: >= 1 foot

  “are required to be elevated on a permanent foundation such that the lowest floor of the manufactured home is elevated to one foot above the base flood elevation”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Clinton city
• Certificate of occupancy — Clinton city
• Camping on your land — Clinton city
• Accessory dwellings — Clinton city
• Septic permit — Clinton 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.