Bolthole Index

St. Louis County, Missouri

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hanley Hills, Missouri

The Village of Hanley Hills, Missouri, in St. Louis County, runs its own zoning under Chapter 4051 and requires a construction permit from the village building commissioner before a building is erected, enlarged or structurally altered2. The residential district requires a 750-square-foot minimum dwelling3. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside village limits; ask the St. Louis County Department of Public Health4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the village building commissioner before building, enlarging or structurally altering2
Zoning
Village Chapter 405, with three districts (residential, church, commercial)15
Minimum lot
6,000 sq ft per single-family dwelling in the A district6
Minimum home size
750 sq ft in the A district3
Front setback
30 ft to the building, 25 ft to an open porch, in the A district7
Occupancy permit
$20 fee, with a $65 occupancy inspection fee89
Septic
Not confirmed inside the village; St. Louis County Department of Public Health is the county authority4
Tiny homes
Limited by the 750 sq ft dwelling minimum10

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Hanley Hills (village clerk and building commissioner)

Village zoning, construction permits and occupancy permit and inspection request forms for land inside Hanley Hills

314-626-0025

[email protected]

7713 Utica Drive, Hanley Hills, MO 63133

Septic permits

St. Louis County Department of Public Health

County health department; the county lists it as an onsite wastewater (septic) authority, so call to confirm who permits septic work at a Hanley Hills address

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 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Hanley Hills means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Hanley Hills, Missouri have zoning?

Yes. The Village of Hanley Hills adopts and administers its own Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations for land inside village limits1. The code divides the village into three districts: A residential single-family, B institutional church, and C commercial5.

In the A district, a single-family dwelling needs a lot of at least 6,000 square feet6, and no building under 750 square feet may be used as a dwelling3. That 750-square-foot floor is the only rule the code states that bears on tiny homes; we found no separate tiny-home definition10.

Setbacks in the A district: the front yard must be at least 30 feet to the building and 25 feet to an open porch or paved terrace, side yards are at least 4 feet, and buildings on adjacent lots must be 8 feet apart7. We could not find a rear-yard setback, so ask the village before you draw a site plan.

We could not confirm whether the code allows living in an RV on a lot in Hanley Hills; ask the village clerk at11.

Do you need a building permit in Hanley Hills, and who issues it?

Yes. No building may be erected, converted, enlarged, reconstructed or structurally altered until the village building commissioner issues a construction permit2. The application must include a plat in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the lot dimensions and the size, shape and location of the building and its intended use12.

The construction permit fee scales with project cost, starting at $50 for work from $1.00 to $999.99, and reaching $150 for work of $7,000.00 and above, plus $30.00 for each additional $1,000.00 or part thereof over $7,999.9913. The village code also contemplates some permits being issued by St. Louis County, with a $10.00 zoning approval application fee13. We could not confirm from an official page whether the county issues Hanley Hills permits, so ask the village first at11.

We could not confirm which building code edition the village enforces, or whether it has an owner-builder exemption; ask the village.

How do septic permits work in Hanley Hills?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Hanley Hills village limits; the village zoning code we read contains no septic chapter. St. Louis County lists the St. Louis County Department of Public Health and the county plumbing department as its onsite wastewater authorities, subject to the type of system and to incorporated-area jurisdiction4. Missouri requires a construction permit before installing or repairing most onsite wastewater systems14.

Most lots this close to the St. Louis area are served by public sewer, and we could not confirm whether a new home must connect; ask the village clerk at11 and the county at15 before you assume a septic system is an option.

Building a home in Hanley Hills: the steps, in order

  1. Call the village at11 to confirm your lot is in the A district and ask about the rear setback, which we could not confirm.
  2. Check the lot against the 6,000-square-foot minimum and the 30-foot front setback67.
  3. Prepare a plat in duplicate, drawn to scale, and apply to the building commissioner for a construction permit12.
  4. Pay the construction permit fee from the village schedule13.
  5. Settle water, sewer or septic with the village and15.
  6. Request occupancy: the occupancy permit costs $208, and an occupancy inspection costs $659.

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

The county's building permit and zoning rules apply to unincorporated St. Louis County, not inside Hanley Hills; for land outside the village see the St. Louis County page. Septic and well questions may still involve the county health department, and Missouri's water well installation permit rule applies statewide16.

Before buying, confirm that the village has no unpaid property taxes, garbage or other assessments on the property: the village does not issue an occupancy permit while those are owed8. For county-level context, St. Louis County's effective property tax rate is 1.2%17.

Watch-outs

  • No occupancy permit is issued while village property taxes, garbage and rubbish assessments or other village-assessed monies are due on the property8.
  • The fee amounts come from the village code as published online through mid-2025, so confirm current fees with the village clerk before you budget13.
  • We could not confirm who handles septic permits inside Hanley Hills; call the St. Louis County Department of Public Health4.
  • We could not confirm whether the village allows an RV, accessory dwelling or manufactured home on a lot; ask the village clerk at11.

Sources

  1. Chapter 405: Zoning Regulations, Village of Hanley Hills, MO (eCode360) (Village of Hanley Hills), quoted and re-checked
  2. Article V: Construction and Occupancy Permits, Village of Hanley Hills, MO (eCode360) (Village of Hanley Hills), quoted and re-checked
  3. Article II: Districts and District Provisions, Village of Hanley Hills, MO (eCode360) (Village of Hanley Hills), quoted and re-checked
  4. OWTS Construction Permit Process — St. Louis County authorities, quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 405: Zoning Regulations, Village of Hanley Hills, MO (eCode360) (Village of Hanley Hills), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article II: Districts and District Provisions, Village of Hanley Hills, MO (eCode360) (Village of Hanley Hills), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article IV: Height and Area Regulations, Village of Hanley Hills, MO (eCode360) (Village of Hanley Hills), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article V: Construction and Occupancy Permits, Village of Hanley Hills, MO (eCode360) (Village of Hanley Hills), quoted and re-checked
  9. Article V: Construction and Occupancy Permits, Village of Hanley Hills, MO (eCode360) (Village of Hanley Hills), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article II: Districts and District Provisions, Village of Hanley Hills, MO (eCode360) (Village of Hanley Hills), quoted and re-checked
  11. Village of Hanley Hills (village clerk and building commissioner) (hanleyhills.org)
  12. Article V: Construction and Occupancy Permits, Village of Hanley Hills, MO (eCode360) (Village of Hanley Hills), quoted and re-checked
  13. Article V: Construction and Occupancy Permits, Village of Hanley Hills, MO (eCode360) (Village of Hanley Hills), quoted and re-checked
  14. OWTS Construction Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
  15. St. Louis County Department of Public Health (stlouiscountymo.gov)
  16. Water Wells - PUB2945, quoted and re-checked
  17. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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 Village of Hanley Hills

Village of Hanley Hills’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New construction, enlargement, reconstruction or structural alteration of buildings inside Hanley Hills village

    • Construction may proceed only after a construction permit is issued by the village building commissioner.
    • Section 405.150(b): if the permit is to be issued by St. Louis County, a $10.00 fee is charged for completing the zoning approval application.
    • A third-party permit aggregator says the village is served by a St. Louis County code-enforcement contract, but no official county or village page was opened to confirm that, so it is not relied on here.
    “no building shall hereafter be erected, converted, enlarged, reconstructed or structurally altered, nor shall any work be started on the same until a construction permit for the same has been issued by the building commissioner of the village”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Change of use or occupancy of a building inside Hanley Hills village, where the applicant requests an occupancy permit

    • Inspection is performed by the village to determine compliance with the village building and maintenance codes.
    • The village may contract with St. Louis County for inspection services, charged at the county's rates.
    • Reinspection of the same property requested for an extension of a passed inspection or after a failed inspection carries no charge; a second required reinspection costs $27.50.
    • Reinspection of non-compliant property must be requested within sixty (60) days of notice of non-compliance; otherwise a new inspection and fee are required.

    occupancy inspection fee: 65 USD · second reinspection fee: 27.5 USD (charged only for a second required reinspection)

    “before an inspection will be performed by the village to determine whether a building is in compliance with the building and maintenance codes of the village, the applicant must pay to the village the sum of sixty-five dollars ($65.00)”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Change in use or occupancy of land or of an existing building, or occupancy of a new building for a purpose other than single-family dwelling use, inside Hanley Hills village. The village calls this an occupancy permit.

    • Application is made to the building commissioner by the owner or tenant.
    • A $20.00 occupancy permit fee is paid before the permit is issued.
    • No occupancy permit is issued to a resident or tenant if village property taxes, garbage and rubbish assessments, special assessments or other village-assessed monies are due and owing.

    occupancy permit fee: 20 USD

    “until an application shall have been made to the building commissioner by the owner of the premises or by the tenant and until an occupancy permit has been issued by the building commissioner.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Hanley Hills village limits. The village's own Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations apply.

    • Use is allowed only as the Chapter 405 district regulations permit (Article II use regulations, Article IV height and area, Article V permits).
    • Village zoning is administered by the village building commissioner under Article V; section 405.150(b) also contemplates permits issued by St. Louis County with a $10.00 zoning approval application fee.
    “chapter 405 zoning regulations article i in general section 405.010 short title.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts and zoning map for land inside Hanley Hills village

    • Three districts appear in the code: A residential single-family dwelling, B institutional church, and C commercial business (Sections 405.080 to 405.100).
    • Section 405.070 covers the zoning map and district boundaries; the map itself was not opened.
    “for the purposes of this chapter, the village of hanley hills, missouri, is hereby divided into districts, of which there shall be three (3) in number, as follows: "a" residential – single-family dwelling district "b" institutional – church district "c" commercial – business district”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in the A residential single-family dwelling district inside Hanley Hills village

    • Source text: a dwelling having less than seven hundred fifty (750) square feet may not be erected, converted, enlarged, reconstructed or structurally altered; the first sentence of section 405.080(c) prints the figure as 'seven hundred fifty (750) feet', a typo, and the second sentence states square feet.
    • Applies to the A district only; the C commercial district and B church district are not residential dimension districts.

    minimum dwelling floor area: >= 750 sq ft

    “no building containing less than seven hundred fifty (750) square feet shall be used as a dwelling.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in the A residential single-family dwelling district inside Hanley Hills village

    • The 6,000 square foot minimum applies to erection, conversion, enlargement, reconstruction or structural alteration of a single-family dwelling on the lot.
    • No separate lot-size rule for the C or B district was reviewed; those districts are not residential dimension districts.

    minimum lot area per single-family dwelling: >= 6000 sq ft

    “no single-family dwelling shall hereafter be erected, converted, enlarged, reconstructed or structurally altered upon a lot containing less than six thousand (6,000) square feet of area”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Buildings in the A residential single-family dwelling district inside Hanley Hills village (front and side yards)

    • Front yard: not less than thirty (30) feet to the front line of the building and not less than twenty-five (25) feet to the front line of any open porch or paved terrace.
    • Side yard: a garage located on the rear one-third of a lot is exempt from the side yard restriction; corner-lot garages must comply with front yard setbacks from all street lines.
    • No rear-yard setback was found in the sections read (Article IV, sections 405.120 to 405.140); the rear setback is not established.

    front yard setback: >= 30 ft (to front line of building; 25 ft to open porch or paved terrace) · side yard setback: >= 4 ft (does not apply to a garage located on the rear one-third of a lot) · distance between buildings on adjacent lots: >= 8 ft

    “in the "a" residential – single-family dwelling district and in the "c" commercial – business district, there shall be a front yard of not less than thirty (30) feet to the front line of the building and not less than twenty-five (25) feet to the front line of any open porch or paved terrace.”
  • Tiny homesLimited

    Single-family dwellings in the A residential single-family dwelling district inside Hanley Hills village, as applied to small homes

    • Applies through the A-district minimum dwelling size of 750 square feet; a building under 750 square feet may not be used as a dwelling.
    • No separate tiny-home definition or rule was found in the sections read.

    minimum floor area for a dwelling: >= 750 sq ft

    “no building containing less than seven hundred fifty (750) square feet shall be used as a dwelling.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit, occupancy permit, and inspection fees for work inside Hanley Hills village

    • Construction permit fee is based on project cost per the Section 405.150(a) schedule.
    • If the permit is to be issued by St. Louis County, a $10.00 fee is charged for the zoning approval application (Section 405.150(b)).
    • Occupancy permit fee $20.00 (Section 405.160(a)(3)); occupancy inspection fee $65.00 with a $27.50 second reinspection fee (Section 405.160(a)(2)).
    • Fees come from the code text as adopted through the date in the code home page (legislation through 06-26-2025); no later fee schedule was found.

    construction permit fee, project cost $1.00 to $999.99: 50 USD · construction permit fee, project cost $1,000.00 to $1,999.99: 60 USD · construction permit fee, project cost $2,000.00 to $2,999.99: 70 USD · construction permit fee, project cost $3,000.00 to $3,999.99: 80 USD · construction permit fee, project cost $4,000.00 to $4,999.99: 90 USD · construction permit fee, project cost $5,000.00 to $5,999.99: 130 USD · construction permit fee, project cost $6,000.00 to $6,999.99: 140 USD · construction permit fee, project cost $7,000.00 and above: 150 USD (plus an additional $30.00 for each $1,000.00 or part thereof over $7,999.99) · zoning approval application fee when permit is issued by St. Louis County: 10 USD · occupancy permit fee: 20 USD

    “said permit shall be issued at the charge based upon the following schedule:”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit and occupancy permit applications for work inside Hanley Hills village

    • Building permit application must include a plat in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the lot dimensions, building size, shape and location, and intended use (Section 405.170(a)).
    • Building permit and plat records are kept at village hall by the building commissioner and are public records (Section 405.170(b)).
    • Occupancy permit records are kept at village hall (Section 405.160(a)(1)).
    • Occupancy permits are not issued while village property taxes or assessments are unpaid (Section 405.160(b)).
    “every application for a building permit pursuant to this chapter shall be accompanied by a plat in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the actual dimension of the lot to be built upon”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Hanley Hills or St. Louis County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Hanley Hills village
  • Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Hanley Hills village
  • Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage in Hanley Hills village
  • Building height — Maximum building height for single-family dwellings in the A district inside Hanley Hills village
  • Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Hanley Hills village
14 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Village of Hanley Hills publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. St. Louis County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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