Bolthole Index

St. Louis County, Missouri

Zoning, building permits and septic in Overland, Missouri

Inside Overland, Missouri, the city's own Chapter 400 zoning regulations apply1, and construction follows the city's Chapter 500 building code, based on the 2015 International Building Code2. The city's Department of Community Development handles permits and inspections3. Septic permits for St. Louis County sit with the county, and we could not confirm how that works inside Overland4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: the city's own Chapter 400 zoning regulations apply inside city limits1
Zoning districts
R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, C-1, C-2, M-1, PD and DAR5
Building code
2015 International Building Code with city amendments2
R-1 minimum lot
20,000 square feet for a single-family dwelling6
R-1 setbacks
40 feet front, 15 feet each side, 40 feet rear7
Public water
Buildings with plumbing fixtures must connect to a public water supply8
Septic
County-run in St. Louis County; not confirmed for Overland itself4

Who to call

Building permits

City of Overland Department of Community Development

Building permits, planning and zoning, and residential and commercial inspections inside Overland city limits

(314) 428-4677

9119 Lackland Road, Overland, MO 63114

Septic permits

St. Louis County Department of Public Health

Septic (onsite wastewater) permitting for St. Louis County; confirm whether it applies to an address inside Overland

(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 Overland means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Overland, Missouri have zoning?

Yes. The City of Overland adopts and enforces its own zoning in Chapter 400 of the city code, and it applies to land inside city limits1. The published districts are R-1, R-2 and R-3 (single-family), R-4 (two-family), R-5 (apartment), R-6 (condominium), C-1, C-2, M-1, PD and DAR5.

In the R-1 single-family district, a dwelling needs a lot of at least 20,000 square feet, 125 feet wide at the building line and 160 feet deep; smaller lots are possible only through the planned development district6. Required yards in R-1 are 40 feet in front, 15 feet on each side and 40 feet in the rear7. Buildings may cover no more than 40 percent of an R-1 lot9, and may rise to 35 feet10. We could only confirm the single-family district text, so check other districts with the city before you buy.

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

Overland's own Department of Community Development handles permits, planning and zoning, and residential and commercial inspections inside the city3. Construction in Overland follows the city's Chapter 500 building code, which adopts the 2015 International Building Code with city amendments2.

St. Louis County's building permit rules cover only unincorporated land, not addresses inside Overland11. Do not send your application to the county counter. We could not confirm Overland's permit fees, inspection schedule or any owner-builder provision, so ask the Department of Community Development before you plan a budget.

How do septic permits work inside Overland?

Septic permits in St. Louis County are handled by county authorities rather than by a city office4. Missouri requires a construction permit before installing or repairing most onsite wastewater systems12. The county's source notes that incorporated areas may be handled differently, and we could not confirm who permits a septic system at an Overland address, so call the St. Louis County Department of Public Health before you rely on one13.

The city's building code also requires any building with plumbing fixtures to connect to a public water supply8. That makes a private well on a city lot unlikely, though we could not confirm a specific well rule for Overland.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Overland?

We could not confirm whether Overland allows RV living, camping, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. Those rules sit in the city's supplementary district regulations and use tables, and we have not read them. Ask the Department of Community Development for the written rule for your zoning district before you buy or park anything on a lot3.

Building a home in Overland: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district with the city's Department of Community Development; the districts are listed in Chapter 4005.
  2. Check lot size, yards and coverage for that district; R-1 requires 20,000 square feet and 40 percent maximum coverage69.
  3. If you are dividing land, ask about the city's subdivision rules in Chapter 40514.
  4. Apply for building permits through the city under the Chapter 500 code2.
  5. Arrange the public water connection the code requires8.
  6. Ask the county health department about septic, if any wastewater system is proposed13.

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

Rules for land outside Overland's limits are different: unincorporated St. Louis County uses the county's own building permits and zoning review15. See the St. Louis County page for that. County-level flood rules also reach floodplain land in the county's unincorporated areas16; we could not confirm Overland's own floodplain rules, so ask the city before buying near a creek. Subdivision indentures can add private restrictions on top of city zoning15.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm minimum home size, permit fees, inspections, certificates of occupancy or owner-builder rules inside Overland; ask the Department of Community Development3.
  • The zoning figures here come from the R-1 single-family district only; other districts have different lot, yard and height rules6.
  • Missouri has temporarily suspended application fees for onsite septic permits from August 28, 2026, so confirm current fees with the county before you apply12.

Sources

  1. City of Overland, MO Chapter 400 Zoning Regulations, Article IV Schedule of District Regulations (Overland), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Overland, MO Chapter 500 Building Codes and Regulations, Article II Code Adoptions and Amendments (Overland), quoted and re-checked
  3. City of Overland Department of Community Development (overlandmo.org)
  4. OWTS Construction Permit Process — St. Louis County authorities, quoted and re-checked
  5. City of Overland, MO Chapter 400 Zoning Regulations, Article IV Schedule of District Regulations (Overland), quoted and re-checked
  6. City of Overland, MO Chapter 400 Zoning Regulations, Article IV Schedule of District Regulations (Overland), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Overland, MO Chapter 400 Zoning Regulations, Article IV Schedule of District Regulations (Overland), quoted and re-checked
  8. City of Overland, MO Chapter 500 Building Codes and Regulations, Article II Code Adoptions and Amendments (Overland), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Overland, MO Chapter 400 Zoning Regulations, Article IV Schedule of District Regulations (Overland), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Overland, MO Chapter 400 Zoning Regulations, Article IV Schedule of District Regulations (Overland), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 1115 - Building Code, quoted and re-checked
  12. OWTS Construction Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
  13. St. Louis County Department of Public Health (stlouiscountymo.gov)
  14. City of Overland, MO code of ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Overland), quoted and re-checked
  15. Single-Family Dwelling Design Checklist, quoted and re-checked
  16. Bill No. 82, 2022 — Section 1003.101 FP Flood Plain District Regulations, 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 Overland

Overland’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside Overland city limits under the City's Chapter 500 building code.

    • Adopted building code is the 2015 International Building Code with City amendments (section 500.070).
    • Mechanical code adopted is the St. Louis County Mechanical Code as amended (section 500.060).
    • Plumbing, property maintenance and residential code sections also appear in Article II (not opened in full).
    “a certain document, one (1) copy of which is on file in the office of the city clerk of the city of overland, being marked and designated as "the 2015 international building code" as published by the international code council, inc., is hereby adopted as the building code of the city of overland, missouri”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Overland city limits, where the City of Overland's own Chapter 400 Zoning Regulations apply.

    • Chapter 400 is Overland's adopted zoning ordinance (eCode360 Title IV Land Use).
    • Only the R-1 district text was opened for this record; other districts were not read in full.
    “chapter 400 zoning regulations (section 400.010”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Overland city limits: the district list in Overland's Chapter 400 Article IV.

    • Districts listed: R-1, R-2, R-3 (single-family), R-4 (two-family), R-5 (apartment), R-6 (condominium), C-1, C-2, M-1, PD, DAR.
    “section 400.230 "c-2" general commercial district.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Overland city limits (main single-family residential district).

    • Smaller lots are allowed only through the planned development district (section 400.250).
    • Non-dwelling uses must have at least 20,000 square feet.

    minimum lot area: >= 20000 square feet (smaller lots only via planned development district (section 400.250)) · minimum lot depth: >= 160 feet · minimum lot width at building line: >= 125 feet (cul-de-sac lots need 35 feet width at right-of-way line)

    “a. single-family dwellings shall be located on lots containing an area ranging from twenty thousand (20,000) square feet and up.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Overland city limits.

    • Corner lots carry a 40-foot front yard on every street frontage.
    • Accessory building height and placement follow Article V supplementary district regulations (not opened).

    front yard setback: >= 40 feet (corner lots: 40 feet on all street frontages) · side yard setback: >= 15 feet (each side of the dwelling) · rear yard setback: >= 40 feet

    “4. yard requirements. a. front yards. not less than forty (40) feet. on corner lots, a front yard setback of forty (40) feet will be required on all street frontage. b. side yards. not less than fifteen (15) feet on each side of the dwelling. c. rear yard. not less than forty (40) feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Buildings and structures on R-1 lots inside Overland city limits.

    • Applies to buildings or structures in the R-1 district.

    maximum lot coverage by buildings or structures: <= 40 percent of lot area

    “3. lot coverage. the maximum lot coverage by buildings or structures shall not exceed forty percent (40%) of the lot area.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings and structures in the R-1 district inside Overland city limits.

    • Detached accessory buildings in R-1 may not exceed 25 feet or the main building height (article V governs other accessory rules, not opened).

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet (building may instead be limited to two and one-half stories per the same regulation) · maximum detached accessory building height: <= 25 feet (not higher than the main building)

    “5. height requirements. a. buildings and structures. no building or structure shall exceed a height of two and one-half (2½) stories, or thirty-five (35) feet.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Any building inside Overland city limits in which plumbing fixtures are installed.

    • Requirement is stated without a distance or availability test in the amendments read; no distance rule was found.
    • Applies to buildings with plumbing fixtures under the adopted building code amendments.
    “2901.2 public water supply. the water distribution system of any building in which plumbing fixtures are installed shall be connected to a public water supply.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Division of land inside Overland city limits.

    • Chapter 405 Subdivisions exists; its substantive requirements were not read.
    “chapter 405 subdivisions (section 405.010”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Overland city limits.
  • Inspections — Inspections for new single-family construction inside Overland city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Overland city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for a dwelling inside Overland city limits.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Overland city limits.
15 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • 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 Overland 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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