Bolthole Index

St. Louis County, Missouri

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Creve Coeur, Missouri

Creve Coeur, Missouri adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance, so zoning questions inside city limits go to the city, not to St. Louis County.1 The city's own Building Division handles building permits, plan review and inspections.2 Electrical and plumbing permits inside the city come from St. Louis County.2 We could not confirm which office issues septic permits for a Creve Coeur address; start with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health.3

At a glance

Zoning
Creve Coeur adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Code Chapter 405)1
Building permits
City Building Division handles building permit submittal, plan review, issuance and inspections2
Single-family districts
Districts A, B, C and D, plus attached district AR4
Minimum new lot, district A
One acre (43,560 sq ft), 150 ft wide and 150 ft deep5
Maximum height
35 feet or 2½ stories, whichever is less6
Septic permits
Start with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health; city-limit handling not confirmed3
RV and tiny home living
Not confirmed; ask the city Planning Division7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Creve Coeur Building Division

Residential and commercial building permits, plan review, field inspections and enforcement of the city's building, property maintenance, nuisance and zoning codes

314-872-2500

300 N New Ballas Road, Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Building permits

City of Creve Coeur permit applications (Community Development)

Building, demolition, fence, site improvement, temporary use and other city permit applications, including the city's online permitting portal

314-872-2500

300 N New Ballas Road, Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Zoning

City of Creve Coeur Planning Division

Zoning questions for Creve Coeur properties: what district a parcel is in and whether a proposed use is permitted

314-872-2501

300 N New Ballas Road, Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Septic permits

St. Louis County Department of Public Health

County public health office; first call for onsite wastewater (septic) questions in St. Louis County

314-615-0600

[email protected]

6121 North Hanley Road, Berkeley, MO 63134

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 23, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Creve Coeur means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Creve Coeur, Missouri have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Creve Coeur adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 405 of the city code, for land inside city limits.1 The single-family districts are A, B, C and D, plus an attached single-family district, AR.4

The rules change by district, so find your parcel's district first. In district A, a new lot needs at least one acre (43,560 square feet), 150 feet of width and 150 feet of depth.5 In district D, a new lot needs 10,000 square feet, 70 feet of width and 100 feet of depth.8

Setbacks follow the same pattern. District A requires a 50-foot front yard, a 15-foot side yard and a 30-foot rear yard for permitted uses.9 District D requires a 20-foot front yard, an 8-foot side yard and a 15-foot rear yard.10

Houses also have a size floor: 1,600 square feet of enclosed living area in district A, and 1,200 square feet in district C or D.1112 Dwellings top out at 35 feet or 2½ stories, whichever is less.6

Do you need a building permit in Creve Coeur, and who issues it?

Yes for construction work. The City of Creve Coeur says a building permit is required when a building or structure is altered, constructed, converted, demolished, enlarged, erected, moved, removed, repaired or changes occupancy.13 The city's own Building Division administers residential and commercial building permit submittal, plan review, permit issuance and field inspections.2

To check whether a specific project needs a permit, call the Building Division at 314-872-2500 or use the city's list of common projects that do and don't need one.13 Work found underway without a permit has its permit fees doubled, with an additional penalty of up to $500.13

One split to know: inside the city, St. Louis County provides permit issuance and field inspection for electrical, plumbing and commercial mechanical work.2 The city's code adoption notice lists the 2021 building codes as effective April 1, 2025.2 Dollar fees sit in the city's Community Development and Public Works fee schedule, Appendix B to Title IV of the city code.14

How do septic permits work inside Creve Coeur?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits for a Creve Coeur address, so ask before you plan around one. Creve Coeur's Building Division page describes building, zoning and property maintenance enforcement, not septic.2

For St. Louis County as a whole, the state lists the St. Louis County Plumbing Department and the county Department of Public Health as the local authorities for onsite wastewater, and notes that incorporated areas may be handled differently.3 A permit is required before installing or repairing most onsite wastewater systems, and some single-family lots may be exempt.15

A parcel inside Creve Coeur on public sewer would not need a septic system at all, but we could not confirm sewer availability for any particular lot. Call the St. Louis County Department of Public Health at 314-615-060016 and the city Building Division at 314-872-25002 before closing.

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or accessory dwelling in Creve Coeur?

We could not confirm the city's rules on living in an RV, camping on private land, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. The zoning ordinance is long and its use tables were not fully reviewed, so silence in our review is not a yes or a no.

Given that Creve Coeur zones every parcel by district, the answer for any one lot depends on its district and on the city's use rules.4 Ask the Planning Division at 314-872-25017 which district your parcel is in and whether the use you want is permitted there. Get the answer in writing before you buy, because a house smaller than the district minimum may not be allowed on a new lot.17

Building a home in Creve Coeur: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district of the parcel with the Planning Division, and check lot size, width and depth against that district's minimums.718
  2. Check the setbacks, site coverage and height limit for the district. District B allows 35 percent site coverage and a 45-foot front yard for permitted uses.1920
  3. If any part of the lot is in a mapped flood hazard area, check the city's flood hazard control regulations in Chapter 415 of the code.21
  4. Ask about subdivision rules if you are splitting land; the city has a subdivision and development chapter, Chapter 410.22
  5. Submit a building permit application to the city Building Division for plan review.2
  6. Arrange electrical and plumbing permits through St. Louis County, which handles that work inside the city.2
  7. Settle sewer or septic with the county health office before you design the house.16

What stays with St. Louis County, and what to check before you buy in Creve Coeur

The county's own building and zoning rules apply to unincorporated St. Louis County, not inside Creve Coeur. For land outside the city, see the St. Louis County page.23

Inside Creve Coeur, the pieces that stay with the county are electrical and plumbing permits and inspections2 and, most likely, septic and health questions3. Water well work is covered by Missouri's well rules, which require a non-restricted installation permit to construct or repair a well.24

On cost, St. Louis County's effective property tax rate is 1.2 percent25 and the median property tax bill is $3,193 a year.26 These are county-level figures, not Creve Coeur's alone. The USDA rates about 5.4 percent of St. Louis County's soils as not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so a lot without sewer will need a site evaluation.27

Watch-outs

  • Do not use the St. Louis County planning counter for zoning inside Creve Coeur; the city adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance.1
  • Chapter 405 was recently amended by ordinances 5997 and 6004, so ask the Planning Division for the current text before relying on a lot-size or setback figure.1
  • Electrical and plumbing permits inside the city come from St. Louis County, not the city Building Division.2
  • Starting work without a permit doubles the permit fees and can add a penalty of up to $500.13
  • We could not confirm septic, sewer connection, owner-builder, RV, tiny home or accessory dwelling rules for Creve Coeur; call the Planning Division at 314-872-2501 and the Building Division at 314-872-2500.72

Sources

  1. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Creve Coeur Building Division (crevecoeurmo.gov)
  3. OWTS Construction Permit Process — St. Louis County authorities, quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Creve Coeur Planning Division (crevecoeurmo.gov)
  8. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Creve Coeur permit applications (Community Development) (crevecoeurmo.gov)
  14. Ord. No. 5931 (2025), International Existing Building Code amendments, City of Creve Coeur (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  15. OWTS Construction Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
  16. St. Louis County Department of Public Health (stlouiscountymo.gov)
  17. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  18. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  19. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  20. Chapter 405 Zoning Ordinance, City of Creve Coeur, MO (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  21. City of Creve Coeur, MO code of ordinances table of contents (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  22. City of Creve Coeur, MO code of ordinances table of contents (eCode360) (Creve Coeur), quoted and re-checked
  23. Single-Family Dwelling Design Checklist, quoted and re-checked
  24. Water Wells - PUB2945, quoted and re-checked
  25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  27. 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

Written October 23, 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 Creve Coeur

Creve Coeur’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Existing buildings in Creve Coeur city, under the 2021 International Existing Building Code as amended by city ordinance

    • Confirmed here: the International Existing Building Code (2021) adopted with city amendments by Ord. No. 5931; chapters 2 to 16 are adopted without modification.
    • Adoption of the 2021 International Building Code and 2021 International Residential Code (Chapter 500 articles I and II) was reported in search snippets but not verified on an opened official page.
    • Ordinance adoption date is shown as 3-10-2025 in the bracketed source note.
    “chapter 2 of the international existing building code is adopted without modification.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Creve Coeur city limits; the city adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Code Chapter 405).

    • Chapter 405 was amended per the eCode360 listing by Ord. No. 5997 (listed 2026-09-14) and Ord. No. 6004 (listed 2026-10-12); those amendments were not opened.
    “for the above purposes and to promote the public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the city of creve coeur, the following districts are hereby authorized:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts of Creve Coeur city (Chapter 405, sections 405.250 to 405.290 for single-family and attached districts)

    • The official zoning district map is adopted by section 405.190; the map itself was not opened.
    • Only the single-family and attached districts (A, B, C, D, AR) were read in detail.
    “the following districts are hereby authorized: "a" single-family residential district "b" single-family residential district "c" single-family residential district "d" single-family residential district "ar" attached single-family residential district”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the 'A' single-family residential district (section 405.250) inside Creve Coeur city limits

    • Area is enclosed living area excluding accessory structures.

    minimum dwelling unit floor area: >= 1600 square feet (enclosed living area excluding accessory structures)

    “c. minimum dwelling unit floor area. sixteen hundred (1,600) square feet enclosed living area excluding accessory structures.”
    3 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the 'B' single-family residential district (section 405.260) inside Creve Coeur city limits
      “c. minimum dwelling unit floor area. fourteen hundred (1,400) square feet enclosed living area excluding accessory structures.”
    • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the 'C' single-family residential district (section 405.270) inside Creve Coeur city limits
      “c. minimum dwelling unit floor area. twelve hundred (1,200) square feet enclosed living area excluding accessory structures.”
    • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the 'D' single-family residential district (section 405.280) inside Creve Coeur city limits
      “c. minimum dwelling unit floor area. twelve hundred (1,200) square feet enclosed living area excluding accessory structures.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    New single-family lots in the 'A' single-family residential district (section 405.250) inside Creve Coeur city limits

    • Existing lots of record smaller than the minimum may hold a single-family house in the a, b, c, d or ar districts, provided that if the owner owns adjoining vacant land, a boundary adjustment or lot consolidation must minimize lot-size non-conformities (general provisions before section 405.250, ord. no. 5563, 1-8-2018).

    minimum lot area: >= 43560 square feet (one (1) acre) · minimum lot width: >= 150 feet · minimum lot depth: >= 150 feet

    “2. lot size requirements. a. minimum lot area. one (1) acre (forty-three thousand five hundred sixty (43,560) square feet). b. minimum lot width. one hundred fifty (150) feet. c. minimum lot depth. one hundred fifty (150) feet.”
    3 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — New single-family lots in the 'B' single-family residential district (section 405.260) inside Creve Coeur city limits
      “2. lot size requirements. a. minimum lot area. twenty thousand (20,000) square feet. b. minimum lot width. one hundred (100) feet. c. minimum lot depth. one hundred (100) feet.”
    • Specified — New single-family lots in the 'C' single-family residential district (section 405.270) inside Creve Coeur city limits
      “2. lot size requirements. a. minimum lot area. fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet. b. minimum lot width. seventy-five (75) feet. c. minimum lot depth. one hundred (100) feet.”
    • Specified — New single-family lots in the 'D' single-family residential district (section 405.280) inside Creve Coeur city limits
      “2. lot size requirements. a. minimum lot area. ten thousand (10,000) square feet. b. minimum lot width. seventy (70) feet. c. minimum lot depth. one hundred (100) feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Permitted uses on lots in the 'A' single-family residential district (section 405.250) inside Creve Coeur city limits

    • Front yard is 50 feet except as modified by section 405.250(e)(3)(b) (not opened); conditional uses require larger yards.

    minimum front yard: >= 50 feet (as modified by section 405.250(e)(3)(b)) · minimum side yard: >= 15 feet (or 15% of lot width, whichever is less; 7.5 feet for non-conforming lots) · minimum rear yard: >= 30 feet (permitted uses)

    “a. minimum front yard. fifty (50) feet (except as modified by section 405.250(e)(3)(b)).”
    3 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Lots in the 'A' single-family residential district (section 405.250) inside Creve Coeur city limits

    • Floor area ratio is 0.3 (three-tenths) in district A.

    maximum site coverage: <= 25 percent

    “e. maximum site coverage. twenty-five percent (25%).”
    3 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    Structures in the 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D' single-family residential districts (sections 405.250 to 405.280) inside Creve Coeur city limits

    • Schools, churches and other places of worship: maximum 50 feet, plus a sky exposure plane requirement.
    • Same height text appears in each of districts A, B, C and D; the D text was read in the same opened page.

    maximum structure height (dwellings and other uses): <= 35 feet (two and one-half (2½) stories, whichever is less) · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories (whichever is less than 35 feet)

    “a. maximum structure height for all uses except schools, churches and other places of worship. two and one-half (2½) stories or thirty-five (35) feet, whichever is less.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and development of land inside Creve Coeur city limits

    • Chapter 410 (section 410.010 to 410.590) exists per the code table of contents; its requirements were not opened.
    “chapter 410 subdivision and development of land (section 410.010 &ndash; section 410.590)”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in flood hazard areas inside Creve Coeur city limits (chapter 415)

    • Applies only to land in mapped flood hazard areas; chapter 415 text not opened, so applicability thresholds are not recorded.
    “chapter 415 flood hazard control regulations (section 415.010 &ndash; section 415.120)”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Building permit, plan review, inspection and certificate of occupancy fees in Creve Coeur city

    • Fee amounts are in Appendix B to Title IV, Community Development and Public Works Fee Schedule, of the city code; Appendix B was not opened, so no dollar amounts are recorded.
    “the fees for plan reviews, issuing permits, making inspections, working overtime, issuing certificates of occupancy, establishing escrow funds and other administrative enforcement activities performed by the building department shall be paid in accordance with the fees established in appendix b to title iv, community development and public works fee schedule, of the city code of ordinances.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — New single-family construction inside Creve Coeur city limits
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Creve Coeur city limits
  • Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Creve Coeur city limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new homes inside Creve Coeur city limits
  • Living in an RV — Recreational vehicle occupancy on private land inside Creve Coeur city limits
14 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit process

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 Creve Coeur publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. St. Louis County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of St. Louis County: county rules, score and offices