Zoning, building permits and septic rules in St. Paul, Missouri

St. Paul’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection, construction, reconstruction, conversion, alteration, enlargement, extension, razing, or moving of a building or structure inside St. Paul city limits.

  • The owner has primary responsibility for securing permits.
  • A separate permit is required for each building or structure, except simultaneously constructed accessory buildings may be included with the principal-building permit.
  • The City resources page states fences do not require a City permit.

  “It shall be unlawful to commence or to proceed with the erection, construction, reconstruction, conversion, alteration, enlargement, extension, razing, or moving of any building or structure”

• InspectionsLimited

  Building-permit and zoning-enforcement activity inside St. Paul city limits.

  • The City Engineer must inspect plans before approving plans or issuing permits or certificates.
  • The ordinance authorizes inspections of buildings or premises necessary to enforce the ordinance.
  • The City states Choinka Municipal Services performs building inspections.

  “All building inspections will be performed by Choinka Municipal Services, with checks payable to the city of St. Paul.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside St. Paul city limits.

  • The ordinance's regulations apply to uses, structures, improvements, and alterations approved by the City after enactment.
  • The official zoning map is the final authority as to current zoning status.

  “The purpose of this ordinance is to regulate and control the zoning of land and consequent use of said land within the City of St. Paul”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside St. Paul city limits.

  • The official zoning map is incorporated by reference and is the final authority on current zoning status.

  districts: R-1A; R-1B; OT; C-1; I-1; AG; P-R; T-G

  “R-1A Single Family Residential District R-1B Single Family Residential District OT Old Town District”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1A Single Family Residential District.

  • The listed minimums do not apply when approved by a PUD.

  ranch-style-minimum: 1700 square feet (Unless approved by a PUD.) · one-and-one-half-story-minimum: 2000 square feet (Unless approved by a PUD.) · two-story-minimum: 2200 square feet (Minimum first floor is 1,300 square feet; unless approved by a PUD.)

  “The minimum dwelling size shall be as follows, unless approved by a PUD”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-1B Single Family Residential District.

    “The minimum dwelling size shall be as follows, unless approved by a PUD”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1A Single Family Residential District.

  • Where not connected to public sewer or public water, City Engineer health-standards review and Planning Commission approval are required; lot area cannot be smaller than three acres.

  minimum-lot-area: 3 acres (Single-family dwellings.)

  “Single Family Dwellings shall be located on lots containing a minimum area of 3 acres.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-1B Single Family Residential District.

    “Single Family Dwellings shall be located on lots containing a minimum area of 1 acre.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1A Single Family Residential District.

  front-yard: >= 75 feet (Measured from centerline of road.) · side-yard: >= 30 feet · rear-yard: >= 50 feet

  “Front Yard: not less then seventy-five (75) feet (from centerline of road).”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-1B Single Family Residential District.

    “Front Yard: not less than sixty-five (65) feet from centerline of roadway.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1A Single Family Residential District.

  maximum-building-or-structure-coverage: <= 30 percent of lot area

  “The maximum lot coverage by buildings or structures shall not exceed thirty (30) percent of the lot area.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1B Single Family Residential District.

    “The maximum lot coverage by buildings or structures shall not exceed thirty (30) percent of the lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings and structures in the R-1A Single Family Residential District.

  • Detached accessory buildings have a 25-foot limit and may not be higher than the main building.

  maximum-building-height: <= 35 feet (Two and one-half stories maximum.)

  “No building or structure shall exceed a height of two and one-half (2 ½) stories, or thirty-five (35) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Buildings and structures in the R-1B Single Family Residential District.

    “No building or structure shall exceed a height of two and one-half (2 ½) stories, or thirty-five (35) feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  A mobile home used as a temporary residential or non-residential structure after a disaster inside St. Paul city limits.

  • The Mayor must determine that a disaster occurred.
  • The mobile home must be on a three-acre site and located to minimize impacts on adjacent residential areas.
  • It must be removed within six months after placement; the Mayor may extend that period six additional months for good cause.

  temporary-placement-period: 6 months (Mayor may extend six additional months upon good cause.) · minimum-site-size: 3 acres (Temporary disaster mobile home.)

  “Such mobile home shall be removed from its location within six (6) months after its original placement.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Single-family dwelling development in the R-1B Single Family Residential District inside St. Paul city limits.

  • If public sewer is not reasonably feasible as determined by the Commission, it may approve connection to a DNR/EPA-approved treatment facility.
  • If public water is not reasonably feasible as determined by the Commission, it may approve connection to an MDNR-approved water supply.

  “Public sewer is required [...] Public water is required”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land in the Old Town District inside St. Paul city limits.

  • The tract must be greater than three acres.
  • Each lot within the subdivided tract must be at least one acre.

  minimum-tract-before-subdivision: > 3 acres (Old Town District.) · minimum-lot-size-after-subdivision: >= 1 acre (Old Town District.)

  “No tract of land within this district shall be subdivided, unless said tract of land is greater than three (3) acres.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Residential lots less than five acres in the R-1A and R-1B districts inside St. Paul city limits.

  • The paving material must be asphalt, concrete, or concrete pavers.

  lot-size-threshold: < 5 acres (Residential lots.)

  “All lots less than five (5) acres used for residential purposes shall have a paved driveway”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside St. Paul city limits.

  • Applications are handled by Choinka Municipal Services.
  • Under the zoning ordinance, applications are in writing to the City Engineer and blank forms are provided at the City Engineer's office.

  “applications for permits are handled by Choinka Municipal Services. Please send applications to Choinka Municipal Services.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask St. Paul or St. Charles County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside St. Paul city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside St. Paul city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for land inside St. Paul city limits.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside St. Paul city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside St. Paul city 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.