Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Preston, Missouri

Village of Preston’s own rules

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site wastewater systems inside Preston village limits that are not connected to the municipal sewer system.

  • The Hickory County ordinance excludes facilities connected to a sewage system operated by or for an incorporated municipality or incorporated public sewer district.
  • The ordinance excludes facilities with maximum daily sewage flow of 3,000 gallons or more.
  • A single-family lot of three acres or more is exempt only if every system point is at least 10 feet from a property line and no effluent enters adjoining property, contaminates surface or groundwater, or creates a nuisance; there is no lot-size exemption adjacent to a lake operated by the Corps of Engineers or a public utility.

  maximum daily flow excluded from county ordinance: >= 3000 gallons per day (Sewage treatment facilities at or above this flow are excluded.)

  “WITHIN THE COUNTY [...] Hickory County Health Department”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction, installation, or renovation of an on-site wastewater treatment facility below 3,000 GPD inside Preston village limits, when not connected to the municipal sewer system.

  • The rule excludes wastewater facilities connected to a sewage system operated by or for an incorporated municipality or incorporated public sewer district.
  • The applicant must provide the listed site information, individual-system sketch or commercial-system detailed design, and installer name and signature.
  • Individual systems require Department approval as to type and capacity before permit issuance and must meet current Missouri Department of Health construction standards, particularly 10 CSR 20-8.021.
  • The permit application must be signed by the property owner or authorized representative.
  • A homeowner exception from installer registration exists under section 5.03, but does not remove the construction-permit requirement stated in section 7.01.

  maximum daily flow: < 3000 gallons per day (Threshold for section 7.01 permit requirement.)

  “Any person engaged in the construction, installation or renovation of any wastewater treatment facilities of less than 3000 GPD shall obtain a construction permit from the Hickory County Health Department.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Privies, chemical toilets, single-family lagoons, and similar on-site sanitation systems inside Preston village limits when they are not connected to municipal sewer.

  • The ordinance includes privies, chemical toilets, single-family lagoons, and similar systems within the on-site-system definition.
  • Construction, installation, or renovation below 3,000 GPD requires a construction permit.
  • The ordinance excludes systems connected to municipal or public-district sewer and excludes systems regulated under Chapter 644, RSMo.

  “privies, chemical toilets, single-family lagoons”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  County on-site wastewater permits applicable to Preston properties that use an on-site system rather than municipal sewer.

  • Fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable and are due upon application submission.
  • The ordinance separately lists annual registration and operating-permit fees.
  • The connection-to-municipal-sewer exclusion applies.

  single-family on-site wastewater permit fee: 125 USD · non-single-family on-site wastewater permit fee: 200 USD · operating permit fee: per 25 USD (annually)

  “($125.00) [...] ($200.00) [...] (25.00), annually.”

• Permit processPartial

  County on-site wastewater construction permits applicable inside Preston village limits where an on-site system is used.

  • This is only the published process for on-site wastewater facilities below 3,000 GPD, not a general Preston building-permit process.
  • Applicant materials vary between individual and commercial systems.
  • The system must be approved as to type and capacity before construction-permit issuance.

  “Applicant shall provide the following information: 7.021 Legal description of the property to the nearest 1/4, 1/4 section. 7.022 Individual systems-a completed site evaluation information and sketch for the individual sewer treatment systems.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Preston or Hickory County directly.

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Preston village limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Preston village limits.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Preston village limits.
• Inspections — Building work inside Preston village limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of structures inside Preston village 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.