Building permits, zoning and land rules in St. Francois County, Missouri

Yes. St. Francois County requires a building permit before work begins on all new development, including rural and unincorporated areas covered by the county, and the published fee is $20¹. The county materials do not say how city permits fit with the county permit, so owners inside a city should also ask that city before starting work¹. Inside Farmington, the city separately requires building permits for new buildings, additions, alterations, changes of use and mechanical, electrical or plumbing work, under the 2015 International Codes adopted in 2018⁹. A city notice has proposed updated 2024 codes, but final adoption was not confirmed⁹. Septic permits are a separate matter handled by the Health Center, not the Clerk⁴. A project in a regulated floodplain needs a separate floodplain development permit/application¹. New construction in those regulated floodplain locations must be elevated at least one foot above the Base Flood Elevation¹. We could not confirm an adopted county building-code edition, a building-inspection schedule, or a certificate-of-occupancy process; ask the County Clerk what plans, inspections, and closeout documents apply to the specific project¹⁰.

The St. Francois County Clerk's Office maintains building permits and other licenses¹⁰. Visit the office at 1 West Liberty Street, Annex Building, Suite 300, Farmington, Missouri 63640, or call 1-573-756-5411¹⁰. Permit forms are available from the Clerk's Office, and the building permit must be obtained there before work begins¹. For flood questions, maps are available at the Floodplain Manager's office in the County Commission office, Room 301¹. The Floodplain Manager is at 1 West Liberty Street, Annex Building, Suite 301, Farmington, Missouri 63640, and the phone number is 1-573-431-6505, extension 719¹. Ask the Clerk to identify any required inspections because the published county materials do not confirm an inspection schedule¹⁰.

We could not confirm that St. Francois County has adopted county zoning or published county zoning districts². Missouri allows qualifying counties to establish zoning for unincorporated territory only after the question is submitted to county voters and a majority favors zoning¹¹. That statewide authority does not prove St. Francois County adopted zoning¹¹. Ask the County Commission whether zoning applies to the parcel and whether there are rules for setbacks, minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, building height, lot coverage, accessory dwellings, manufactured homes, or subdivision⁵. The Commission is at 1 West Liberty Street, Annex Building, Suite 301, Farmington, Missouri 63640, and can be reached at 1-573-756-3623⁵. City rules differ: Farmington is divided into zoning districts, and uses in each district follow that district's regulations, with some uses allowed only by Special Use Permit after review by the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council³. Buildings inside most Farmington zoning districts must sit a minimum distance from each lot line, with the exact distance varying by property⁹. None of that applies to unincorporated land unless the county confirms its own zoning.

The St. Francois County Health Center's Environmental Health Department regulates onsite wastewater treatment systems and issues the construction permit required for a new system or a major repair^4,6. To begin, submit a construction permit application, an OWTS design plan, and a soil morphology; the soil scientist and installer must be registered with the Missouri health department⁶. Call 573-431-1947, email info@sfchealth.org, or visit 1025 West Main Street, Park Hills, Missouri 63601⁶. The Health Center administers permitting under a county onsite wastewater ordinance that may impose requirements beyond the state minimum, and a permit must be issued before construction begins⁴. A permit is required for residential property under three acres, and the state acreage exemption does not apply in every county, so confirm eligibility with Environmental Health before work⁴. Missouri's state health department temporarily suspended onsite wastewater application fees effective August 28, 2026, so ask Environmental Health what fee applies today⁴. Some incorporated cities fall outside the local septic permitting authority, and the state health department takes over the permit for work in those cities, so check the address before applying⁴. Missouri does not require a septic inspection for every real-estate transaction, but a lender or buyer may request one and any requested inspection must be performed by a licensed individual; ask Environmental Health whether St. Francois County adds a local sale requirement¹². Only about 13% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so settle the soil evaluation and system design before choosing a house site¹³.

We could not confirm a St. Francois County rule that specifically allows or prohibits living in an RV, temporary camping, or occupying a tiny home on private land². Ask the County Commission whether the parcel is subject to zoning or another occupancy restriction before relying on an RV or tiny home as housing⁵. A tiny home that constitutes new development still requires the county building permit before work begins¹. An off-grid arrangement also does not remove wastewater rules: Missouri generally requires an onsite wastewater construction permit, and wastewater may not be discharged into a road ditch or onto the ground¹². The Health Center requires an OWTS construction permit for a new onsite system or a major repair⁶. We also could not confirm a county minimum dwelling size, setback schedule, or owner-builder exemption, so ask the Commission about land use and the Clerk about permit treatment for the exact structure^5,10.

1. Ask the County Commission whether zoning, setbacks, subdivision rules, or an occupancy restriction applies to the parcel^2,5.
2. Ask the County Clerk what plans and inspections are required, then obtain the $20 building permit before starting new development^1,10.
3. Check the county floodplain maps; regulated-floodplain development needs a separate permit, and new construction there must be at least one foot above the Base Flood Elevation¹.
4. If the home needs an onsite wastewater system, submit the application, design plan, and soil morphology to Environmental Health⁶.
5. For a private well, confirm the installer has the applicable state permit; Missouri allows landowners to install their own well or pump without that permit⁷.
6. Obtain a MoDOT permit before constructing or modifying a driveway in state right-of-way⁸.
7. Before closing walls or occupying the home, ask the Clerk which inspections or completion documents apply because we could not confirm a published county schedule¹⁰.

Start with wastewater feasibility: only about 13% of St. Francois County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹³. Ask Environmental Health for the required soil and design process before fixing the house site⁶. Check the county floodplain maps because regulated-floodplain development needs an additional permit and new construction there has an elevation requirement¹. Confirm legal access, and remember that a new or modified driveway within MoDOT right-of-way requires a state permit⁸. Ask the County Commission about zoning, setbacks, subdivision, RV use, and tiny-home occupancy because we could not confirm county rules for those topics^2,5. For budgeting, the effective property-tax rate is about 0.7%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $1,161¹³. If a private well is planned, decide who will install it and confirm the applicable state permit before work begins⁷.