St. Francois County, Missouri requires a building permit before any new development begins; the permit comes from the County Clerk's Office and costs $201. Development in a regulated floodplain also needs a separate floodplain development permit2. Septic permits go through the St. Francois County Health Center's Environmental Health Department3. We could not confirm county zoning, so ask the County Commission about parcel-specific use rules before buying45.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required before all new development; $20 from the County Clerk's Office1
- Zoning
- Not confirmed; ask the County Commission about the parcel45
- Septic permit
- Environmental Health issues permits for new systems and major repairs36
- Floodplain permit
- Required separately for development in a regulated floodplain2
- RV or tiny-home living
- Not confirmed; ask the County Commission before relying on either use45
- Private well
- Contractors need state permits; a landowner may install their own well or pump without one7
- State-highway driveway
- A new or modified driveway in MoDOT right-of-way needs a permit8
Who to call
Building permits
St. Francois County Clerk's Office
Maintains building permits and other county licenses
1 West Liberty Street, Annex Building, Suite 300, Farmington, Missouri 63640
Floodplain permits
St. Francois County Floodplain Manager
Provides floodplain maps and information on building and floodplain development permits
1 West Liberty Street, Annex Building, Suite 301, Farmington, Missouri 63640
Septic permits
St. Francois County Health Center, Environmental Health Department
Regulates onsite wastewater treatment systems and issues construction permits for new systems and major repairs
1025 West Main Street, Park Hills, Missouri 63601
Also useful
St. Francois County Commission
Handles county business and parcel-use questions not assigned to another county office
1 West Liberty Street, Annex Building, Suite 301, Farmington, Missouri 63640
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 28, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in St. Francois County, Missouri?
Yes. St. Francois County requires a building permit before work begins on all new development, and the County Clerk's Office issues the permit for $201. The county page does not say whether incorporated cities administer separate permits, so owners inside a city should also ask that city before starting work1. A project in a regulated floodplain needs a separate floodplain development permit/application2. New construction in those regulated floodplain locations must be elevated at least one foot above the Base Flood Elevation2. 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 project9.
Who issues St. Francois County building permits, and how do you reach them?
The St. Francois County Clerk's Office maintains building permits and other licenses9. Visit the office at 1 West Liberty Street, Annex Building, Suite 300, Farmington, Missouri 63640, or call 1-573-756-54119. The county's permit page says the building permit is obtained from the Clerk's Office on the third floor of the County Court Annex1. For flood questions, maps are available at the Floodplain Manager's office in the County Commission office, Room 3012. 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 71910. Ask the Clerk to identify any required inspections because the published county materials do not confirm an inspection schedule9.
Does St. Francois County have zoning?
We could not confirm that St. Francois County has adopted county zoning or published county zoning districts4. 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. Land inside an incorporated city can be subject to city rules; Farmington, for example, adopted the 2015 International Codes for city construction12.
How do septic permits work in St. Francois County?
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 repair36. 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 [email protected], or visit 1025 West Main Street, Park Hills, Missouri 636016. Missouri generally requires a construction permit before most onsite systems are installed or repaired, although some single-family residential lots may qualify for an exemption13. Residential property under three acres requires a permit under the state minimum, and the state warns that the acreage exemption does not apply in every county14. 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 site15.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home in St. Francois County?
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 land4. 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 ground16. 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 structure59.
Building a home in St. Francois County: the steps, in order
- Ask the County Commission whether zoning, setbacks, subdivision rules, or an occupancy restriction applies to the parcel45.
- Ask the County Clerk what plans and inspections are required, then obtain the $20 building permit before starting new development19.
- 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 Elevation2.
- If the home needs an onsite wastewater system, submit the application, design plan, and soil morphology to Environmental Health6.
- 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.
- Obtain a MoDOT permit before constructing or modifying a driveway in state right-of-way8.
- Before closing walls or occupying the home, ask the Clerk which inspections or completion documents apply because we could not confirm a published county schedule9.
What should you check before buying land in St. Francois County?
Start with wastewater feasibility: only about 13% of St. Francois County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field15. 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 requirement2. 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 topics45. For budgeting, the effective property-tax rate is about 0.7%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $1,1611718. If a private well is planned, decide who will install it and confirm the applicable state permit before work begins7.
Watch-outs
- A county building permit does not replace the separate floodplain development permit required for a project in a regulated floodplain2.
- We could not confirm county zoning, RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, setbacks, or minimum dwelling size; ask the County Commission about the parcel before buying45.
- The farm-structure exemption applies only to county fire-protection or fire-prevention ordinances, not automatically to building, floodplain, septic, zoning, or municipal requirements19.
Sources
- St. Francois County Floodplain, quoted and re-checked
- St. Francois County Floodplain, quoted and re-checked
- St. Francois County Health Center - Wastewater Treatment (2026 county census)
- (2026 county census)
- St. Francois County Commission (sfcgov.org)
- St. Francois County Health Center, Environmental Health Department (sfchealth.org)
- Water Wells - PUB2945, quoted and re-checked
- Permits | Missouri Department of Transportation (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- St. Francois County Clerk's Office (sfcgov.org)
- St. Francois County Floodplain Manager (sfcgov.org)
- RSMo § 64.090 — Planning and zoning powers of county commission (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Building Permits, quoted and re-checked
- OWTS Construction Permit Process (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- OWTS Construction Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Frequently Asked Questions (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
- RSMo Section 64.003 — Farm buildings and farm structures (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
Written September 28, 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.