Bolthole Index

St. Louis County, Missouri

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Olivette, Missouri

Olivette, Missouri (St. Louis County) sets its own zoning through Chapter 400 of the city code1, and building permits come from the city's Planning and Community Development Department2. New homes need design review before a building permit issues3. We could not confirm who handles septic inside city limits, so ask the St. Louis County Department of Public Health4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, city-administered (Chapter 400 of the Olivette code)1
Building permit
Required for new homes; design review comes first3
Minimum lot, SR district
15,000 sq ft, 100 ft wide, 150 ft deep5
Maximum home height, SR district
35 feet6
Front setback, SR district
25 feet minimum7
Septic
Not confirmed inside city limits; ask St. Louis County Department of Public Health4

Who to call

Building permits

City of Olivette Planning and Community Development Department

Building permits, zoning and land use, occupancy inspections, and subdivision permits inside Olivette city limits

314-993-0444

[email protected]

1140 Dielman Road, Olivette, MO 63132

Septic permits

St. Louis County Department of Public Health

County contact for septic (onsite wastewater) questions in St. Louis County; confirm whether it applies inside Olivette

(314) 615-0600

[email protected]

6121 N Hanley Rd, 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 Olivette means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Olivette, Missouri have zoning?

Yes. Olivette's zoning regulations are Title IV, Chapter 400 of the city code, and the city, not St. Louis County, administers them inside city limits1. Land divisions inside the city are also regulated, under Chapter 4058.

In the SR Single-Family Residential District, a lot must be at least 15,000 square feet, 100 feet wide and 150 feet deep5. After site plan review, a smaller lot of at least 6,000 square feet, 60 feet wide and 100 feet deep can be used for a detached house, if it is at least as wide and large as the average lot within 200 feet9.

In SR, the front setback matches the lot's platted setback and is never less than 25 feet7. A single-family house in SR cannot exceed 35 feet6. Buildings on SR lots between 6,000 and 20,000 square feet may cover 25 percent of the lot or 2,500 square feet, whichever is greater10.

We could not confirm Olivette's rules for RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum house size. Call the Planning and Community Development Department before relying on any of them2.

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

Yes for new homes. In the SR district, design review under Chapter 425 must be finished before the city issues a building permit for a single-family house3. The city's Planning and Community Development Department runs building permits, occupancy inspections and subdivision permits2.

The city's building rules are in Chapter 500 of its code, which adopts the International Building and Residential Codes11. The code edition in force is unconfirmed here, so ask the department which editions apply to your project.

We could not confirm the permit fee schedule, the inspection sequence or any owner-builder exemption. The department says it has two building inspectors and two planners and should answer inquiries the same day2.

How do septic permits work inside Olivette?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Olivette city limits, or whether a new home there must connect to public sewer. St. Louis County's onsite wastewater permitting is handled by the county, subject to the type of system and incorporated-area jurisdiction4. Missouri requires a permit for most onsite wastewater systems12.

Before buying a lot, ask the city's Planning and Community Development Department whether public sewer serves the address2, then the St. Louis County Department of Public Health if it does not13.

Building a home in Olivette: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and its lot size, setbacks and height with the Planning and Community Development Department2.
  2. Complete design review before applying for a building permit3.
  3. Apply for the building permit through the city's department2.
  4. Ask the department about sewer or septic and about wells; Missouri requires a permit for water well construction14.
  5. Schedule inspections through the department2.

What stays outside Olivette's control, and what to check before you buy

The city's rules apply only inside Olivette. For land outside city limits, St. Louis County runs building permits and zoning for unincorporated areas; see the St. Louis County page for that county's answers.

We could not confirm how floodplain development is handled inside Olivette. The city code has a floodplain chapter, but we have not read it, so ask the department whether a lot is mapped as flood hazard2. Septic and well questions go to the county or state offices above.

Watch-outs

  • Olivette's zoning limits above are for the SR district only; other districts have different lot sizes and setbacks, so confirm your parcel's district first5.
  • We could not confirm the current building-code edition, permit fees, RV or tiny-home rules, or driveway permits; call the Planning and Community Development Department2.
  • A lot or house that looks like it falls under the St. Louis County rules may be inside Olivette; check the city boundary before contacting the county1.

Sources

  1. City of Olivette, MO code of ordinances table of contents (eCode360) (Olivette), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Olivette Planning and Community Development Department (olivettemo.com)
  3. Article IV: SR Single-Family Residential District, City of Olivette Zoning Regulations (eCode360) (Olivette), quoted and re-checked
  4. OWTS Construction Permit Process — St. Louis County authorities, quoted and re-checked
  5. Article IV: SR Single-Family Residential District, City of Olivette Zoning Regulations (eCode360) (Olivette), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article IV: SR Single-Family Residential District, City of Olivette Zoning Regulations (eCode360) (Olivette), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article IV: SR Single-Family Residential District, City of Olivette Zoning Regulations (eCode360) (Olivette), quoted and re-checked
  8. City of Olivette, MO code of ordinances table of contents (eCode360) (Olivette), quoted and re-checked
  9. Article IV: SR Single-Family Residential District, City of Olivette Zoning Regulations (eCode360) (Olivette), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article IV: SR Single-Family Residential District, City of Olivette Zoning Regulations (eCode360) (Olivette), quoted and re-checked
  11. Division 1: Building Code Adoptions, Chapter 500 Building Regulations (eCode360) (Olivette), quoted and re-checked
  12. OWTS Construction Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
  13. St. Louis County Department of Public Health (stlouiscountymo.gov)
  14. Water Wells - PUB2945, quoted and re-checked

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 Olivette

Olivette’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Single-family detached dwellings in the SR district inside Olivette city limits

    • Design review under Chapter 425 must be completed before a building permit issues; the section does not state the permit fee or application process.
    • Other building permit triggers are not confirmed here.
    “prior to the issuance of a building permit, design review as required by article i,”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside Olivette city limits

    • Section 500.010 adopts the 2015 International Building Code, 2015 International Residential Code (one- and two-family dwellings), 2015 International Existing Building Code, and 2015 International Property Maintenance Code, plus St. Louis County mechanical, electrical, plumbing, explosives and weights and measures codes as amended by the county.
    • The code text cites Ord. No. 2582 (6-28-2016). The Chapter 500 index also lists later amendments (Ord. No. 2816, building code amendments, 2025-06-24; Ord. No. 2820, 2021 International Fire Code amendment, 2025-08-26) that were not opened, so whether the 2015 editions remain current is unverified.
    • "Code official" in the property maintenance code is the building official of the City of Olivette.
    “1. the 2015 international building code, first printing: may 2014, published by the international code council.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Olivette city limits (city-administered zoning; does not cover unincorporated St. Louis County)

    • Olivette's zoning regulations are codified as Title IV, Chapter 400 of the city code on eCode360 and the code page states it includes legislation through 10-08-2024.
    • Zoning districts such as the SR Single-Family Residential District are set by the city's own chapter, not by county zoning.
    “chapter 400 zoning regulations (section 400.010 – section 400.2190)”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Detached single-family dwellings in the SR Single-Family Residential District inside Olivette city limits

    • Section 400.235 minimum lot size requirements apply to the SR district.
    • Section 400.240 variation (see separate claim) allows smaller lots after site plan review.

    minimum lot width: >= 100 feet · minimum lot depth: >= 150 feet · minimum lot area: >= 15000 square feet (section 400.240 variation for lots of at least 6,000 sq ft)

    “section 400.235 lot size. [ord. no. 2575 § 1, 3-8-2016] a. minimum lot size requirements: 1. lot width: one hundred (100) feet. 2. lot depth: one hundred fifty (150) feet. 3. lot area: fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Smaller detached single-family lots in the SR district inside Olivette city limits, by site plan review
      “a. upon approval in accordance with site plan review procedures set forth in article xi, a lot having: 1. less than the minimum lot size requirements set forth in section 400.220(1); but 2. at least six thousand (6,000) square feet in area, sixty (60) feet in width and one hundred (100) feet in depth may be used for a detached single-family dwelling, provided th”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Principal detached single-family buildings in the SR district inside Olivette city limits

    • Front setback equals the front setback of the legal lot of record as shown on its plat, but never less than 25 feet.
    • Side setback is a percentage of lot width, with a 5-foot minimum.
    • Interior lot rear setback is 20% of lot depth, with a 20-foot minimum.
    • Accessory structure setbacks are in Article XVI and were not opened.

    minimum front yard setback: >= 25 feet (or the plat setback of the legal lot of record if that is greater) · side yard setback, lots wider than 60 ft: >= 12 percent of lot width (lots 60 ft or less wide use 10 percent) · minimum side yard setback: >= 5 feet · rear yard setback, interior lots: >= 20 percent of lot depth (minimum 20 feet)

    “the minimum front yard setback shall equal the front yard setback of the legal lot of record as set out on the plat thereof. in no event shall the front yard setback be less than twenty-five (25) feet.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Principal buildings on lots in the SR district inside Olivette city limits

    • Coverage limit scales with lot size; the SR article also sets a floor-area ratio (not extracted here).
    • Lots of 6,000 sq ft or less and lots of 20,000 sq ft or more are in separate tiers (search snippet only; the 40% and 20% figures were not verified in an opened page).

    maximum lot coverage, lots 6,000-20,000 sq ft: <= 25 percent (or 2,500 square feet, whichever is greater)

    “for lots greater than six thousand (6,000) square feet in area but less than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet, twenty-five percent (25%) or two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet, whichever is greater”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached residences in the SR district inside Olivette city limits

    • Applies to the residential building height of a single-family detached residence in the SR district.
    • Other district heights and non-residential heights were not opened.

    maximum residential building height: <= 35 feet

    “c. residential building height. in no case shall the residential building height of a single-family detached residence exceed thirty-five (35) feet.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Land divisions inside Olivette city limits

    • Chapter 405 (Subdivision Regulations, sections 405.010 through 405.510) exists in the city code; its approval thresholds and procedures were not opened.
    “chapter 405 subdivision regulations (section 405.010 &ndash; section 405.510)”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permitting for owner-occupied homes inside Olivette city limits
  • Inspections — Building inspections for new construction inside Olivette city limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Olivette city limits
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Olivette city limits
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Olivette city limits
16 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
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • 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 Olivette 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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