Bolthole Index

Ray County, Missouri

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Richmond, Missouri

Richmond, Missouri requires building permits for home construction and administers its own zoning inside city limits.12 Richmond Community Development handles building permits and inspections; Ray County’s planning counter is not the city building office.3 Private sewage permitting authority inside Richmond remains unconfirmed: ask Community Development and Missouri’s Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program before planning septic.45

At a glance

Building permits
Required for home construction; local work exemptions apply1
Zoning
City zoning districts and maps govern land inside Richmond26
Minimum home size
R-1 single-family homes need 900 square feet of habitable floor area7
Minimum lot size
R-1: 8,000 square feet; R-A: 3 acres, or 30,000 square feet with public sanitary sewer available89
Manufactured homes
Permitted in R-4 subject to district development requirements10
Septic permits
Most Missouri systems require a construction permit; confirm the administering agency for a Richmond address11

Who to call

Building permits

Richmond Community Development — Building Permits & Inspections

City building permits, plan requirements and inspection scheduling

816-776-5304 x1114

[email protected]

205 Summit Street Richmond, MO 64085

Zoning

Richmond Community Development — Planning and Land Use

City zoning map, land-use applications and water/sewer impact-fee information

816-776-5304 x1114

[email protected]

205 Summit Street Richmond, MO 64085

Septic permits

Missouri DHSS Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program

Permitting questions and help identifying the appropriate onsite wastewater authority

573-751-6095

[email protected]

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

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Do you need a building permit in Richmond, MO?

Richmond requires building permits for new homes, residential additions and basement finishing; the city also lists electrical, mechanical and plumbing work among work requiring permits.3 Richmond adopted the 2021 International Building Code with local amendments, so a proposed home must satisfy both the adopted code and the city’s zoning rules.122

Richmond’s code includes exemptions for certain work, including detached accessory structures, but ask Community Development to confirm the exemption for your exact project before starting.1 Starting construction before issuance carries a penalty equal to 100% of the usual permit fee, in addition to the required fee.1

Who issues building permits and handles zoning in Richmond?

Richmond Community Development is the city office responsible for building permits and inspections; contact the department using the building office listing above.3 The same department publishes Richmond’s zoning map and applications for rezoning, conditional uses and variances.4 Ask the city to identify the parcel’s district before choosing a house footprint or buying a manufactured home.6

For a new dwelling, Richmond’s building-permit page lists a site plan drawn by a registered surveyor, complete building plans, the contractors doing the work and the property owner as required information.3 Richmond requires at least 24 hours’ notice for inspections except in an emergency; request the project’s inspection schedule when submitting the application.3

Does Richmond have zoning, minimum lot sizes and setbacks?

Richmond has city zoning, and the district matters: R-1 Single-Family Dwelling lots require at least 8,000 square feet, a width of 70 feet and a depth of 110 feet.28 R-1 yards are 30 feet at the front, 7.5 feet at the side and 10 feet at the rear; accessory buildings have a 3-foot side/rear yard requirement, and structures may not encroach on utility easements.13 R-1 maximum lot coverage is 25%.14

Richmond’s R-A Agricultural District instead specifies 3 acres, with a 30,000-square-foot minimum where public sanitary sewer services are available.9 R-A yards are 50 feet front and rear and 20 feet at the side, with separate accessory-building provisions.15 Sewer availability therefore changes the R-A lot-size answer; get the district and service availability confirmed together.9

How do septic permits and sewer connections work in Richmond?

Missouri requires a construction permit before installing or repairing most onsite wastewater treatment systems, although some single-family residential lots may be exempt.11 Missouri’s permitting process requires identifying the agency with authority over the site and waiting for an issued permit or confirmed exemption before beginning work.11 Ask the Missouri DHSS Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program to identify the appropriate authority for a Richmond address, and ask Richmond Community Development about city sewer service.54

Richmond publishes water/sewer impact fees for construction not currently connected to city service, but we could not confirm the city’s private sewage administrator or the rule requiring sewer connection; resolve both before choosing a septic design.4 State-administered onsite wastewater application fees are temporarily suspended effective August 28, 2026; local authorities may operate different permitting processes, so confirm the applicable charges.16

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Richmond?

Richmond’s R-1 district requires single-family dwellings to have at least 900 square feet of habitable floor area, excluding basements, garages, attics and other areas not designed for living space.7 A smaller tiny-home plan therefore does not meet the stated R-1 dwelling-size requirement; ask Community Development about the district and classification of the proposed home.74

Richmond permits manufactured homes in R-4, subject to site-plan, utility, setback, parking and other district requirements; R-4 development has a minimum area of 5 acres.10 That district provision does not establish permission to occupy an RV on an ordinary residential lot.10 We could not confirm a parcel-specific RV-living or temporary-camping allowance inside Richmond; ask the city planning office before relying on an RV during construction.4

Building a home in Richmond: what are the steps, in order?

Start with Richmond’s zoning map and district requirements, then fit the proposed dwelling and accessory buildings within the lot’s dimensional limits.61315

  • Ask Community Development to confirm the district, permitted use and any zoning application needed.4
  • Confirm city water/sewer availability and impact fees; if proposing septic, identify the onsite wastewater authority and obtain a permit or confirmed exemption before installation.411
  • Prepare the surveyor’s site plan and complete building plans for the new dwelling, and identify the owner and contractors.3
  • Obtain the building permit and pay the applicable fees before starting construction.1
  • Arrange required inspections with Community Development and ask what approval is needed before moving in.173

What should you check before buying land in Richmond, Ray County?

Confirm that the parcel is inside Richmond’s city limits before applying city district requirements; for land outside the city, use the Ray County guide for the county’s building and zoning answers.21819 Richmond’s subdivision rules require approval of a final plat before a subdivision lot can be conveyed, so ask the city about plat approval when buying a newly divided tract.20

Missouri requires a permit for development in a floodplain, with an engineering No-Rise Certificate required for proposed development in a regulatory floodway; ask Richmond which office administers the parcel’s floodplain approval.21 Ray County’s soil figures are countywide, not a Richmond parcel assessment: only 4.3% of soils rate “not limited” for a conventional septic drain field, which supports obtaining a site evaluation rather than assuming septic is impossible.22

Watch-outs

  • Richmond building-permit fees follow the City Council’s schedule; request the current schedule before budgeting, and check renewal requirements if construction pauses.23
  • We could not confirm an owner-builder exemption or the complete occupancy-approval requirements inside Richmond; ask Community Development before doing the work yourself or moving in.3
  • Confirm private sewage authority and sewer availability for the actual Richmond address before committing to an off-grid sanitation plan.54

Sources

  1. Article I: Building Code - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  2. Article II: Establishment Of Districts - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  3. Richmond Community Development — Building Permits & Inspections (cityofrichmondmo.org)
  4. Richmond Community Development — Planning and Land Use (cityofrichmondmo.org)
  5. Missouri DHSS Onsite Wastewater Treatment Program (health.mo.gov)
  6. Article II: Establishment Of Districts - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article II: Establishment Of Districts - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article II: Establishment Of Districts - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  9. Article II: Establishment Of Districts - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article II: Establishment Of Districts - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  11. OWTS Construction Permit Process (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Article I: Building Code - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  13. Article II: Establishment Of Districts - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  14. Article II: Establishment Of Districts - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  15. Article II: Establishment Of Districts - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  16. OWTS Construction Permit Process (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Article X: Permits And Inspections - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  18. Platting & Building Info Sheet (2026 county census)
  19. County Planning & Zoning (2026 county census)
  20. Chapter 410: Subdivisions - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), quoted and re-checked
  21. Floodplain Forms (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Article X: Permits And Inspections - City of Richmond, MO (Richmond), 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 Richmond

Richmond’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Building, plumbing, and electrical work inside Richmond city.

    • Permit fees must be paid before issuance.
    • The City code exempts one-story detached accessory structures and certain other work from permits unless located within a right-of-way.
    • Construction begun before permit issuance is subject to penalties of 100% of the usual permit fee in addition to required permit fees.

    permit fee penalty for work before issuance: 100 percent (of usual permit fee, in addition to required permit fees)

    “Section 105.2 Work exempt from permit unless located within a right of way.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    All property, buildings, and structures inside Richmond city.

    • The City adopted the 2021 International Building Code including Appendix Chapters C, E, H, and I.
    • Local amendments in Section 500.020 apply.
    • The ordinance history lists Ordinance 2636 adopted 2024-02-13.
    “International Building Code, 2021 Edition, including Appendix Chapters C, E, H and I”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Building, plumbing, and electrical work inside Richmond city.

    • The code provides for building, plumbing, and electrical inspections and inspection fees; the available text does not establish a complete inspection schedule.
    “The fee for each building, plumbing and electrical inspection”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Richmond city, Missouri; the City administers its own zoning regulations and zoning districts.

    • District boundaries are established by the City's zoning district maps maintained by the City Clerk and Community Development Director.
    “The City is hereby divided into the following districts:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Richmond city.

    • District boundaries are maintained on the City's zoning district maps.
    “Boundaries of the districts [...] are hereby established as shown on the maps hereby designated as the "Zoning District Maps,"”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land within Richmond city's corporate area.

    • A final plat must be approved before a lot in a subdivision may be conveyed.
    • The chapter covers street, open-space, utility, access, lot, and public-facility standards.
    “No lot in a subdivision, as defined herein, may be conveyed unless a final plat of the property has been approved”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Building, plumbing, electrical, demolition, plan-review, inspection, reinspection, and renewal fees inside Richmond city.

    • Fees are set by City Council schedule adopted by resolution.
    • The Comprehensive Fee Schedule is on file in City offices.
    • Renewal fees apply after inactivity and may require a new permit after two years.

    permit validity inactivity threshold: 180 days (failure to commence or suspension/abandonment after commencement) · new permit threshold: 2 years (if construction has not commenced or renewal request is not made)

    “The plan review fee and other inspections and fees shall be as per the schedule of fees established by the City Council”

Rules another office applies inside Richmond

Richmond 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 Richmond city's R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District.

    • Basements, garages, attics, and other areas not designed for living space are excluded from the calculation.

    minimum habitable floor area: >= 900 square feet (excluding basements, garages, attics and other areas not designed for living space)

    “Single-family dwellings shall have a minimum of nine hundred (900) square feet of habitable floor area”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family lots in Richmond city's R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District.

    • Minimum lot width is 70 feet and minimum lot depth is 110 feet.

    minimum lot area: >= 8000 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 70 feet · minimum lot depth: >= 110 feet

    “Minimum lot area | 8,000 square feet Minimum lot width | 70 feet Minimum lot depth | 110 feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family lots in Richmond city's R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District.

    • No structure may encroach upon a utility easement.
    • Double-frontage lots require 20 feet on the side street.

    side yard: 7.5 feet · front yard: 30 feet · rear yard: 10 feet · accessory building side/rear yard: 3 feet

    “Side yard | 7.5 feet Accessory building | 3 feet Front yard | 30 feet Rear yard | 10 feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Single-family lots in Richmond city's R-1 Single-Family Dwelling District.

    maximum lot coverage: 25 percent of total lot area

    “Maximum lot coverage | 25% of total lot area”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    Structures in Richmond city's R-A Agricultural District.

    • No structure may encroach upon a utility easement.
    • Double-frontage lots require 20 feet on the side street.

    maximum height: 35 feet

    “Maximum Height | 35 feet * | No structure or any part thereof shall encroach upon a utility easement. ** | Where lots have a double frontage, the side yard shall be twenty (20) feet on side-street.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured-home occupancy in Richmond city's R-4 Manufactured Homes District/Recreational Vehicle Park.

    • Manufactured homes are permitted in R-4.
    • R-4 development must satisfy the district's acreage, site-plan, utility, setback, space-size, stormwater, parking, licensing, and registration requirements.

    minimum R-4 development area: >= 5 acres · single-wide space area: >= 5000 square feet · double-wide space area: >= 6000 square feet

    “Permitted Uses. The following uses shall be permitted in the R-4 districts. Manufactured homes.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders seeking permits inside Richmond city.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Richmond city.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Richmond city.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Richmond city.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Richmond city.
10 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Richmond publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Ray County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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