Bolthole Index

New Madrid County, Missouri

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Matthews, Missouri

Matthews, Missouri has an adopted building code and city zoning; we could not confirm the separate building-permit requirement, so ask the City Clerk before construction.12 Matthews requires an inspected certificate-of-occupancy endorsement for newly erected, changed or enlarged buildings and land uses.3 In New Madrid County, DHSS is the listed septic authority, while Matthews also requires Zoning Inspector approval of proposed private water and sanitary-waste arrangements.45

At a glance

Building permits
Adopted building code; ask the City Clerk about the separate building-permit requirement1
Zoning
City zoning applies inside Matthews city limits2
Occupancy
Inspection and certificate-of-occupancy endorsement for new or changed development3
Lot size and setbacks
District-specific; request the applicable dimensional chart from the Zoning Inspector67
Septic and private water
City approval of private arrangements; confirm septic permitting with DHSS54
Zoning certificate fee
$1 per $1,000 of valuation8

Who to call

Building permits

Matthews City Clerk / Code Enforcement

Contact the City Clerk for building-code copies and the current building-permit process; request Code Enforcement for zoning questions.

(573) 471-2541

Zoning

Matthews Zoning Inspector

Zoning certificates, private utility approval and occupancy inspections.

Septic permits

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program

State onsite-wastewater program; ask DHSS to confirm the permitting route for an address inside Matthews.

(573) 751-6095 ext.5

[email protected]

930 Wildwood Dr. Jefferson City, MO 65102

Online permits →

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 Matthews means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Matthews, MO?

Matthews adopts the BOCA Basic Building Code, 1996 edition, with copies kept in the City Clerk’s office.1 We could not confirm the separate building-permit requirement or an owner-builder exemption; ask the City Clerk which building application and inspections your project needs.1 A Matthews zoning certificate is required before using newly created, erected, changed, converted or enlarged structures or land.9 Occupancy also requires the Zoning Inspector’s endorsement after inspection, so zoning approval is not the last step before moving in.3

Who handles building-code and zoning questions in Matthews?

Start with the Matthews City Clerk and request the city’s Code Enforcement Officer for development questions; the municipal officials page lists both roles and the city contact number.10 Matthews designates the City Inspector as its Zoning Inspector.9 For a zoning-certificate application, prepare scaled plans showing the lot, building location, size, height and intended uses, with elevations where applicable.11 The Zoning Inspector must issue the certificate or give written reasons for refusal within 30 days after a complete compliant filing, unless the applicant agrees to an extension.11

Does Matthews have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Matthews has city zoning, including agricultural, residential, business, industrial, floodplain and mobile-home districts.212 Matthews lot area, lot width, building height and yard requirements depend on the district and can be tightened by other ordinance provisions.6137 Ask the Zoning Inspector for your parcel’s district and the dimensional chart before choosing a building footprint.6 The lot-of-record exception still has yard conditions: side yards cannot be less than 10% of lot width, and rear yards cannot be less than 10 feet; corner lots have an additional side-yard rule.7

How do septic permits work inside Matthews?

Matthews requires Zoning Inspector approval of proposed private water supply or sanitary-waste disposal when public service is neither provided nor proposed, plus proof of compliance with state and federal health and water-pollution codes.5 DHSS is the listed onsite-wastewater authority for New Madrid County; ask the state program to confirm the permitting route for your address inside Matthews.414 Most onsite-system installations and repairs require a construction permit, though some residential lots may qualify for an exemption; do not begin until the responsible authority issues the permit or confirms the exemption.15 State OWTS application fees are temporarily suspended effective August 28, 2026; that does not remove the permit requirement.1617

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

We could not confirm Matthews rules for residential RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask the Zoning Inspector about the exact proposed use before buying a unit or moving onto the lot.2 Matthews identifies a Mobile Homes and Courts district, but that district name alone does not establish permission for an RV or manufactured home on your parcel.12 A new or changed land use requires a zoning certificate, and occupancy of newly created or changed development requires an inspected certificate-of-occupancy endorsement.93

What are the steps to building a home in Matthews?

First, ask the Zoning Inspector to identify the parcel’s district and applicable lot-area and yard rules.67 Next, ask the City Clerk for the adopted building code and the current building-permit procedure.1 Submit scaled zoning plans, resolve proposed private water or wastewater arrangements, and stake the lot and building location before construction starts.115 The zoning-certificate fee is $1 per $1,000 of valuation; the city also has valuation-based code-enforcement fees.8 Arrange the occupancy inspection and endorsement before moving in.3 For land outside Matthews city limits, use the New Madrid County guide for the county’s building-permit answer; the county appears not to require a residential building permit in unincorporated areas.18

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Matthews RV, tiny-home or owner-builder rules; request an answer from the Zoning Inspector for the proposed use.2
  • Matthews private water and wastewater approval is an additional city requirement, not a substitute for applicable state onsite-wastewater approval.515
  • Missouri requires a permit for all floodplain development; ask Matthews which office administers floodplain development approval for your parcel.19

Sources

  1. Chapter 500: Building Regulations (Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Matthews, MO Code — Table of Contents (Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  3. ecode360.com (Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  4. OWTS Construction Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
  5. ecode360.com (Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  6. City of Matthews Height and Area Regulations (Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Matthews Height and Area Regulations (Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  8. ecode360.com (Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  9. Matthews Zoning Inspector (ecode360.com)
  10. Matthews City Clerk / Code Enforcement (cityofmatthews.org)
  11. ecode360.com (Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 405: Zoning Regulations (Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Matthews Height and Area Regulations (Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  14. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program (health.mo.gov)
  15. OWTS Construction Permit Process (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. OWTS Construction Permit Process fee update, quoted and re-checked
  17. OWTS Construction Permit Process (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. State of Missouri - County Building Codes dataset (data.mo.gov) (2026 county census)
  19. Floodplain Forms (Missouri statewide rule), 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 Matthews

Matthews’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building-code regulation inside Matthews city limits.

    • The adopted code identified in the ordinance is the BOCA Basic Building Code, Thirteenth Edition, 1996.
    • The ordinance states that three copies are on file in the City Clerk's office.
    “A certain document, three (3) copies of which are on file in the office the City Clerk of the City of Matthews, being marked and designated as "The BOCA Basic Building Code, Thirteenth Edition, 1996", as published by the Building Officials Conference of America, Inc., be and is hereby adopted as the Building Code of the City of Matthews in the State of Missouri;”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Occupancy of structures, buildings, or land inside Matthews city limits.

    • Inspection is by the City Zoning Inspector before the certificate-of-occupancy endorsement.
    • The certificate must show compliance with Chapter 405, applicable codes and ordinances, and any Board of Adjustment or other-authority conditions.
    “It shall be unlawful for any owner, lessee or tenant to occupy any structure, building or land, or part thereof, hereafter erected, created, changed, converted or enlarged until an endorsement of the certificate of occupancy shall have been accomplished by the Zoning Inspector after inspection.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    A structure, building, land, or part thereof newly erected, created, changed, converted, or enlarged inside Matthews city limits.

    • The certificate-of-occupancy endorsement must be accomplished by the Zoning Inspector after inspection.
    • The certificate must certify compliance with Chapter 405 and all other applicable codes or ordinances, plus any stipulated conditions.
    “It shall be unlawful for any owner, lessee or tenant to occupy any structure, building or land, or part thereof, hereafter erected, created, changed, converted or enlarged until an endorsement of the certificate of occupancy shall have been accomplished by the Zoning Inspector after inspection.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Matthews city limits; Matthews adopts and administers Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations.

    “Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations (Section 405.010 – Section 405.440)”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Matthews zoning districts inside city limits.

    • The code lists A-1 Agricultural, R-1 Single-Family Residential, R-2 Multiple-Family Residence, R-3 Multiple-Residence, C-1, C-2, I-1, F-1 Flood Plain, and M-1 Mobile Homes and Courts districts.
    “Section 405.080 "A-1" Agricultural Zoning District. Section 405.090 "R-1" Single-Family Residential District. Section 405.100 "R-2" Multiple-Family Residence District. Section 405.110 "R-3" Multiple-Residence District. Section 405.120 "C-1" General Business District. Section 405.130 "C-2" Highway Commercial District. Section 405.140 "I-1" Industrial District. Section 405.150 Zoning District "F-1" Flood Plain District. Section 405.160 "M-1" Mobile Homes and Courts.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Minimum lot area in Matthews zoning districts, including A-1 Agricultural and R-1 Single-Family Residential districts; exact chart values were not available in the opened text.

    • The ordinance says the chart applies unless another chapter section is more restrictive.
    • Lots of record have a dwelling exception subject to applicable yard and open-space requirements.
    • Where public sewerage and/or public water are not accessible, additional private-facility rules apply; A-1 is excepted from that increase.
    “All regulations concerning the height of buildings; lot area; lot width; front yard, side yard and rear yard dimensions; off-street parking and off-street loading in all zoning districts shall be as stated in the following chart unless otherwise stated more restrictively in other Sections of this Chapter.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Front, side, and rear yards in Matthews zoning districts, including A-1 and R-1; exact chart values were not available in the opened text.

    • The ordinance chart governs front, side, and rear yard dimensions unless another section is more restrictive.
    • For lots of record, side yards cannot be less than ten percent of lot width; corner side yards adjoining a side street have the stated eight-foot or thirty-percent-of-frontage minimum, whichever is greater; rear yards cannot be less than ten feet.
    • No building or structure may be erected closer than five feet from any lot line in the stated alley-computation context.

    minimum side yard on lot of record: >= 10 percent of lot width (Corner side-yard rule may require 8 feet or 30 percent of frontage, whichever is greater.) · minimum rear yard on lot of record: >= 10 feet

    “In no case shall the width of any side yard be less than ten percent (10%) of the width of the lot, and provided; that on a corner lot, the width of the side yard adjoining the side street lot line shall not be less than eight (8) feet or thirty percent (30%) of the frontage, whichever is the greater. In no case shall the depth of the rear yard be less than ten (10) feet.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Building height in Matthews zoning districts, including A-1 and R-1; exact chart values were not available in the opened text.

    • The ordinance chart governs height in all zoning districts unless another section is more restrictive.
    • Height limitations do not apply to listed farm buildings and structures, specified architectural and utility structures, or qualifying places of public assembly, subject to the stated conditions.
    • Certain structures above otherwise permitted heights may not occupy more than twenty-five percent of lot area and must be at least fifty feet from every non-street lot line.

    maximum lot occupancy for certain exempt above-height structures: <= 25 percent of lot area (Applies to structures described in Section 405.260(B).) · minimum distance for certain exempt above-height structures: >= 50 feet from non-street lot line (Applies to structures described in Section 405.260(B).)

    “All regulations concerning the height of buildings; lot area; lot width; front yard, side yard and rear yard dimensions; off-street parking and off-street loading in all zoning districts shall be as stated in the following chart unless otherwise stated more restrictively in other Sections of this Chapter.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    New or altered development inside Matthews city limits when public water and/or public sewer is not provided or proposed.

    • If public water and/or public sewer is not provided or proposed, the zoning application must include Zoning Inspector approval of the proposed private method.
    • The applicant must prove conformance to State and Federal public-health and water-pollution codes.
    “In every case where the lot is not provided and is not proposed to be provided with public water supply and/or the disposal of sanitary wastes by means of public sewers, the application shall be accompanied by certificate of approval by the Zoning Inspector of the proposed method of water supply and/or disposal of sanitary wastes and proof of conformance to State and Federal public health and water pollution Codes.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision inside Matthews city limits.

    • The Matthews code contains Chapter 410 Subdivision Regulations; substantive provisions were not opened in this run.
    “Chapter 410 Subdivision Regulations (Section 410.010 – Section 410.410)”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Matthews code-enforcement permits and inspections, plus zoning certificates, inside Matthews city limits.

    • The code-enforcement fee schedule is based on project valuation.
    • The zoning-certificate fee is one dollar per one thousand dollars of valuation.

    zoning certificate fee: per 1 USD per 1000 USD valuation · code-enforcement fee for valuation 1-500: 25 USD · code-enforcement fee for valuation 501-2000: $25.00 for the first $500.00 plus $3.00 for each additional $100.00 or fraction thereof up to and including $2,000.00 USD

    “No zoning certificate shall be issued until a fee of one dollar ($1.00) per one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) valuation shall have been paid.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning-certificate applications for development inside Matthews city limits.

    • Applications require duplicate plans drawn to scale showing lot dimensions, building location, size and height, elevations where applicable, existing and intended uses, number of families or housekeeping units, and other information needed for enforcement.
    • The lot and building location must be staked before construction starts.
    • The Zoning Inspector acts within thirty days after a complete compliant filing, by issuing the certificate or giving written reasons for refusal; failure to notify of refusal within thirty days entitles the applicant to a certificate unless the applicant consents to an extension.

    decision period: 30 days after complete compliant filing (Applicant may consent to an extension.)

    “The Zoning Inspector shall act upon all such applications on which he/she is authorized to act by the provisions of this Chapter within thirty (30) days after they are filed in full compliance with all the applicable requirements. He/she shall either issue a zoning certificate within said thirty (30) days or shall notify the applicant in writing of his/her refusal of such certificate and the reasons therefore.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Matthews or New Madrid County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Matthews city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Matthews city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Matthews city limits, including A-1 and R-1 districts.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Matthews city limits.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on land inside Matthews city limits.
12 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

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 Matthews publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. New Madrid County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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