Bolthole Index

Ozark County, Missouri

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Village of Theodosia, Missouri

The Village of Theodosia, Missouri has municipal zoning, and building permits are issued only after village zoning-enforcement approval.12 We could not confirm the full range of projects requiring a general building permit; ask the Village Zoning Enforcement Officer before construction.2 Private sewage construction requires a Village Building Official permit, while Ozark County Health Department is the county onsite-wastewater ordinance authority.34

At a glance

Building permits
Village zoning-enforcement approval precedes issuance; ask which projects require an application2
Zoning
Village zoning districts apply inside corporate limits1
Private sewage
Village Building Official permit plus confirmation of county health requirements34
Minimum home size
R-1: 1,200 square feet of heated first-floor living space, excluding decks, porches and garages; Marina Hill exception5
New residential lots
R-1: at least 7,200 square feet and 70 feet wide for lots created after the chapter date6
Floodplain development
Village floodplain-development permit required where the floodplain chapter applies7

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Theodosia Zoning Enforcement Officer

Zoning review of building-permit applications

Zoning

Village of Theodosia Planning Commission

Proposed uses not explicitly permitted or prohibited by the zoning district; parcel zoning questions

Septic permits

Ozark County Health Department

Onsite wastewater permitting instructions for Ozark County under the county's own ordinance

(417) 679-3334

370 Third St. Gainesville, MO 65655

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

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Do you need a building permit in the Village of Theodosia, MO?

Theodosia’s zoning administration chapter makes village enforcement-officer approval a condition of building-permit issuance.2 A Theodosia building-permit application must include duplicate scale plans showing the lot dimensions, building size and building location, plus other information needed for zoning enforcement.2 Ask the Village Zoning Enforcement Officer which projects require an application and what inspections are needed; we could not confirm a complete general building-permit or inspection schedule.2 Theodosia also requires construction to comply with Missouri seismic construction requirements.8

Does the Village of Theodosia have zoning and minimum lot sizes?

Theodosia’s village zoning applies to land inside corporate limits, with districts shown on the official Zoning Districts Map.1 In Theodosia’s R-1 district, residential lots created after the zoning chapter’s date need at least 7,200 square feet and a minimum width of 70 feet.6 These are district-specific standards, so ask the village to identify the parcel’s district before selecting a house plan.1 For a proposed use that the district does not explicitly permit or prohibit, the Village Planning Commission decides compatibility and whether to authorize the use.1

How do septic permits work inside the Village of Theodosia?

Before constructing a private sewage-disposal system in Theodosia, obtain a written permit signed by the Village Building Official.3 The village application uses a village form supplemented by plans, specifications and other information the Building Official requires.9 Theodosia’s code publishes a $25 permit and inspection fee payable when the application is filed.10 Ozark County Health Department is also the county onsite-wastewater ordinance authority; contact the department at (417) 679-3334 to confirm the health-permitting route for the village address.11 Some incorporated areas are referred back to Missouri DHSS, so confirm jurisdiction before work begins.4

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Village of Theodosia?

A small house in Theodosia’s R-1 district faces a minimum of 1,200 square feet of heated living space on the first floor, excluding decks, porches and garages.5 The stated Marina Hill project exception allows 698 square feet; that exception does not establish a village-wide tiny-home allowance.5 We could not confirm private-lot residential RV occupancy or temporary camping rules; ask the Village Planning Commission about the exact proposed use and location before buying an RV for housing.1 For unlisted uses, the commission decides compatibility with the district.1

What are the steps for building a home in the Village of Theodosia?

Start by asking the village to identify the parcel’s zoning district and whether the proposed residential use is allowed.1 Next, take a scale site plan showing the lot and proposed building to the Village Zoning Enforcement Officer for building-permit review.2 Before designing private sewage disposal, establish whether public sewer is available: Theodosia permits private sewage systems under its sewer chapter where public sewer is unavailable.12 Obtain the Village Building Official’s written private-sewage permit before construction and confirm the health authority’s requirements with Ozark County Health Department.911 Check whether the site also needs village floodplain-development approval.7

What should you check before buying land in the Village of Theodosia?

For a Theodosia parcel in an applicable floodplain area, the village requires a floodplain-development permit.7 Ask the village about that approval before committing to a building location.7 A driveway constructed or modified within Missouri Department of Transportation right-of-way needs a MoDOT permit.13 Missouri well rules remain relevant to private water: landowners drilling their own well or installing their own pump are exempt from those installation-permit requirements but must follow the other well-construction rules.14 For an address outside village limits, use the Ozark County guide: the village zoning jurisdiction covers land inside corporate limits.1

Watch-outs

  • Theodosia’s $25 private-sewage permit and inspection fee is a municipal charge; Missouri’s temporary state onsite-sewage application-fee suspension does not establish that the village charge is waived.1015
  • Ask Ozark County Health Department about any septic acreage exemption; the county ordinance may impose requirements beyond state minimum standards.11
  • We could not confirm Theodosia’s general building-inspection or certificate-of-occupancy requirements; ask the Village Zoning Enforcement Officer before scheduling construction or move-in.2

Sources

  1. Village of Theodosia Planning Commission (ecode360.com)
  2. Village of Theodosia Zoning Enforcement Officer (ecode360.com)
  3. Chapter 700: Public and Private Sewers (Village of Theodosia), quoted and re-checked
  4. OWTS Construction Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
  5. Article II: District Regulations - Village of Theodosia, MO (Village of Theodosia), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article II: District Regulations - Village of Theodosia, MO (Village of Theodosia), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 415: Floodplain Management (Village of Theodosia), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 500: Building Regulations (Village of Theodosia), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 410: Subdivision Regulations (Village of Theodosia), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 700: Public and Private Sewers (Village of Theodosia), quoted and re-checked
  11. Ozark County Health Department (health.mo.gov)
  12. Chapter 700: Public and Private Sewers (Village of Theodosia), quoted and re-checked
  13. Permits | Missouri Department of Transportation (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Well Installation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - PUB2193, quoted and re-checked
  15. OWTS Construction Permit Process (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 Village of Theodosia

Village of Theodosia’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Construction inside Theodosia village limits; the code expressly adopts Missouri seismic construction requirements, but no comprehensive municipal building-code adoption was located.

    • All construction must comply with Sections 319.200 through 319.207, RSMo., and amendments.
    “All construction in the Village shall comply with the requirements of Sections 319.200 through 319.207, RSMo., and any amendments thereto, relating to earthquakes and seismic construction requirements.”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    Onsite sewage systems inside Theodosia village limits.

    • The Village Building Official issues the municipal private-sewage permit.
    • The zoning code requires Missouri State Board of Health standards and approval.
    • DHSS states that permitting authority may be DHSS, a local contract authority, or a local ordinance authority.
    “Before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the Building Official.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Privies, septic tanks, cesspools, and other sewage-disposal facilities inside Theodosia village.

    • Such facilities are unlawful except as provided by the municipal sewer chapter.
    • A private sewage disposal system is permitted where public sewer is unavailable and requires a written Building Official permit, state-health compliance, and approval.
    “Except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in applicable floodplain areas inside Theodosia village limits.

    • A floodplain-development permit is required where Chapter 415 applies.
    • Floodplain-specific standards, administration, and variance provisions may apply.
    “Section 415.110 Floodplain Development Permit (Required).”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Private sewage-disposal permit applications inside Theodosia village limits.

    • The municipal code states a $25 fee when the application is filed.
    • DHSS separately reports that, effective August 28, 2026, state application fees for onsite sewage construction, modifications, and repairs are temporarily suspended.

    private sewage permit and inspection fee: 25 USD (paid at application filing)

    “A permit and inspection fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) shall be paid to the Village at the time the application is filed.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Subdivision and private sewage-disposal permitting inside Theodosia village limits.

    • Subdivision applicants must appear before the Planning Commission before preparing a plat.
    • Private sewage applicants must obtain a written Building Official permit before construction and submit the Village form, plans, specifications, and other required information.
    • General building-permit process was not located.
    “Before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the Building Official. The application for such permit shall be made on a form furnished by the Village, which the applicant shall supplement by any plans, specifications, and other information as are deemed necessary by the Building Official.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Theodosia

Village of Theodosia does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in Village zoning District R-1.

    • Decks, porches, and garages are excluded from the calculation.
    • The Marina Hill exception applies to 80 proposed vacation homes.

    minimum heated first-floor living space: 1200 square feet (Marina Hill project of 80 proposed vacation homes may be 698 square feet)

    “Single-family dwelling shall have a minimum space of one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet of heated living space on the first floor living level of the home excluding decks, porches, and garages with the exception of Marina Hill project of eighty (80) proposed vacation homes which may be six hundred ninety-eight (698) square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Residential lots created after the date of Chapter 405 in District R-1.

    • Minimum lot width is 70 feet.

    minimum lot area: >= 7200 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 70 feet

    “The minimum lot area for lots created for residential uses after the date of this Chapter shall be seven thousand two hundred (7,200) square feet, and the lot shall have a minimum width of seventy (70) feet.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — General building permits for construction inside Theodosia village limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing inside Theodosia village limits.
  • Inspections — General building inspections inside Theodosia village limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Theodosia village limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Theodosia village limits.
7 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Village of Theodosia publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Ozark County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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