Bolthole Index

St. Louis County, Missouri

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Pagedale, Missouri

Pagedale, Missouri (St. Louis County) adopts and enforces its own zoning in Chapter 405 of the city code1. Building permits and inspections inside city limits come from the St. Louis County Department of Public Works under an agreement with the city2, while the city issues the certificate of occupancy3. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Pagedale; ask the St. Louis County Department of Public Health.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, Pagedale's own Chapter 405, with four districts (A, B, C, D)1
Building permit
Required; issued by St. Louis County Public Works under an agreement with the city2
Certificate of occupancy
Required; issued by the city building commissioner, $15 fee34
Single-family lot (A district)
At least 4,000 sq ft and 45 ft wide5
Front setback (A district)
At least 30 ft to the building line6
Septic
Not confirmed inside city limits; county Department of Public Health is the listed county authority7
Floodplain
Development permit required in mapped A and AE zones8

Who to call

Building permits

City of Pagedale City Hall (Code Enforcement and Permits)

Zoning, certificates of occupancy and floodplain development permits inside Pagedale

(314) 726-1200

1420 Ferguson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63133

Septic permits

St. Louis County Department of Public Health

County public health office listed by the state as a septic ordinance authority for 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 Pagedale means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Pagedale, MO have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and setbacks?

Yes. The City of Pagedale adopts and administers its own zoning regulations, and the city is divided into four districts: A residence, B four-family, C commercial and D industrial1. The district map is on file with the city clerk rather than published online9.

In the A residence district, a single-family dwelling needs a lot of at least 4,000 square feet, and a lot of record that existed when the code passed may hold one single-family home5. The minimum lot width is 45 feet5. A home in the A district needs a front yard of at least 30 feet, a rear yard of at least 40 feet, and interior side yards of at least 4 feet6. Buildings top out at 35 feet, except churches10.

Pagedale has no agricultural or rural-residential district in its zoning article5. This is a small-lot urban city, not acreage land.

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

Yes. Inside Pagedale city limits, the St. Louis County Department of Public Works issues building permits and carries out inspections under an agreement with the city, so the authority is the county, not the city211. Pagedale adopted the 2015 International Code Council model building codes12.

The city still has a step of its own. Where city rules are more restrictive than the county codes, or involve zoning, the city must approve plans before they go to the county for a permit2. Building permit and certificate-of-occupancy applications need a drawing or plat in duplicate showing the building location and dimensions13.

The city building commissioner issues the certificate of occupancy, which costs $1534. For a new building it must be applied for before excavation for the foundation begins13. We could not find the county's building permit fee schedule for Pagedale4.

How do septic permits work inside Pagedale?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Pagedale city limits; the city's health and sanitation chapter was not confirmed to address the question. Across St. Louis County, Missouri's state health agency lists both the county plumbing department and the St. Louis County Department of Public Health as septic ordinance authorities, and notes that incorporated areas may be handled differently7.

Statewide, a construction permit is required before installing or repairing most onsite wastewater systems, and work should not start until a permit is issued or an exemption is confirmed14. Application fees are temporarily suspended from August 28, 202614. Call the15 before planning any septic work, and ask the city whether a sewer connection is available, since we could not confirm whether public sewer connection is required in Pagedale.

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

We could not confirm any rule on tiny homes or on living in an RV on a residential lot in Pagedale, so ask the city's Code Enforcement and Permits office before buying a lot for either. The one RV rule we found applies only in mapped flood hazard areas: an RV there must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet the manufactured-home elevation and anchoring requirements16. Manufactured homes in those flood zones must be elevated and anchored17.

The A district allows accessory buildings customarily incident to a home, including servant quarters and one private garage, as long as no business is conducted18. Accessory buildings may cover no more than 20% of the required rear yard and must sit at least 3 feet from any lot line6.

Building a home in Pagedale: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district with the city clerk, since the district map is on file there9.
  2. Check the lot against flood maps; land in A and AE zones needs a floodplain development permit from the city8.
  3. Get city plan approval for zoning compliance before submitting to the county2.
  4. Apply to St. Louis County Public Works for the building permit, with a drawing or plat in duplicate213.
  5. Apply to the city for the certificate of occupancy before excavation begins13.
  6. Pass the county inspections the adopted codes require11.

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

Building permits and inspections inside Pagedale run through the county under the city's agreement2. The county's own residential rules, including its building code and zoning review, are written for unincorporated St. Louis County and do not replace Pagedale's zoning; see the St. Louis County page for land outside the city19.

Before buying, check flood status, septic or sewer service, and the city's zoning. Floodplain lots carry the city's development permit requirement8. St. Louis County's effective property tax rate is 1.2%20, and a typical county home is valued at about $293,45821.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Pagedale city limits, whether sewer connection is required, or what rules apply to tiny homes, camping or minimum home size; ask the Pagedale city clerk and the St. Louis County Department of Public Health7.
  • Zoning approval in Pagedale comes from the city, but the building permit comes from St. Louis County, so budget for two offices and a plan approval step in between2.
  • Pagedale's zoning district map is not posted online; request it from the city clerk before assuming a lot's district9.

Sources

  1. City of Pagedale, MO Table of Contents (eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 500 Article I: Building Codes and Regulations (County Codes) (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations, Article V: Building and Occupancy Permits (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations, Article V: Building and Occupancy Permits (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations, Article II: Districts and District Regulations (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations, Article II: Districts and District Regulations (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  7. OWTS Construction Permit Process — St. Louis County authorities, quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 415 Floodplain Management (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations, Article II: Districts and District Regulations (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations, Article II: Districts and District Regulations (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 500 Article I: Building Codes and Regulations (County Codes) (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 500 Article I: Building Codes and Regulations (County Codes) (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations, Article V: Building and Occupancy Permits (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  14. OWTS Construction Permit Process (Missouri statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. St. Louis County Department of Public Health (stlouiscountymo.gov)
  16. Chapter 415 Floodplain Management (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  17. Chapter 415 Floodplain Management (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  18. Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations, Article II: Districts and District Regulations (City of Pagedale, MO eCode360) (Pagedale), quoted and re-checked
  19. Chapter 1115 - Building Code, quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Typical home value (Zillow): 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 Pagedale

Pagedale’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside Pagedale city limits. The city adopts the 2015 International Code Council model building codes; the St. Louis County codes adopted under Section 500.010 are administered for the city under an agreement.

    • Section 500.020 authorizes the mayor to enter into an agreement with St. Louis County implementing Section 500.010 and the permits, inspections, licenses and approvals under it.
    • Section 500.032: where city provisions are more restrictive than county codes, the city must approve plans before submission to county for permits.
    • Section 500.036 requires the city to amend its ordinance to match county code amendments within 90 days.
    “the city of pagedale, missouri, hereby adopts the 2015 international code council model building codes”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Occupancy or use of any building or land in Pagedale city, issued by the city building commissioner.

    • Certificate of occupancy for a new building must be applied for before excavation for the foundation begins (section 405.150).
    • Section 405.165: no occupancy permit may be issued where bedrooms are inadequate for occupants by age and gender; occupancy in violation forfeits the permit.
    “no vacant land shall be occupied or used and no building or any part hereof hereafter erected, structurally altered, sold, leased or released shall be occupied or used until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the building commissioner of the city.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Pagedale city limits. The city adopts and administers its own zoning regulations (Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations of the city code), including four districts (A residence, B four-family, C commercial, D industrial).

    • Use and dimensional limits differ by district; see the district-specific claims.
    • Chapter 405 also contains a certificate of occupancy requirement administered by the city building commissioner.
    “the city is divided into districts of which there shall be four (4) known as:”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zoning districts of Pagedale city (A residence, B four-family, C commercial, D industrial).

    • The district map is not published on this page; it is on file with the city clerk.
    “being on file in the office of the city clerk of the city.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Main single-family residential district (A residence district) of Pagedale city. Pagedale has no separate agricultural or rural-residential district in Article II.

    • Two-family dwellings in the A district require 3,000 square feet per family or a total of 6,000 square feet.
    • Lot of record at time of passage of this code may be used for one single-family home.
    • Lot width: minimum 45 feet (section 405.030(b)(6)).

    minimum lot area per single-family dwelling: >= 4000 square feet (lot of record existing at code passage may hold one single-family home) · minimum lot width: >= 45 feet

    “every single-family dwelling hereafter erected or structurally altered shall provide a lot area of not less than four thousand (4,000) square feet per family”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Main single-family residential district (A residence district) of Pagedale city.

    • Front yard is reduced to the average where 20% or more of frontage has buildings with average front yard varying not more than ten feet (section 405.030(b)(2)).
    • Accessory buildings may occupy not more than 20% of the required rear yard and must be at least 3 feet from any lot line (section 405.030(b)(3)).
    • Corner lots: side yard on reversed corner lots is at least 30 feet, subject to exceptions (section 405.030(b)(4)).

    front yard to building line: >= 30 feet (average-front-yard reduction where 20% or more of frontage is developed) · rear yard depth: >= 40 feet (or 40% of lot depth, whichever is larger) · interior side yard: >= 4 feet (or 10% of lot width, whichever applies; minimum 4 feet)

    “there shall be a front yard of not less than thirty (30) feet to the front line of the building”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Main single-family residential district (A residence district) of Pagedale city.

    • Church structures are excepted from the height limit.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet (or two and one-half stories, whichever the code applies; churches excepted)

    “no building hereafter erected or structurally altered shall exceed two and one-half (2½) stories or thirty-five (35) feet, with the exception of structures to be used for churches.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed on sites in Pagedale's numbered and unnumbered A zones and AE zones (flood hazard areas) only.

    • RV must either be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet the manufactured-home permitting, elevation and anchoring requirements of the chapter (section 415.040).

    consecutive days on site: < 180 days (in flood hazard areas, alternative: highway-ready or elevated/anchored)

    “be on the site for fewer than one hundred eighty (180) consecutive days”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Placement of manufactured homes in Pagedale's flood hazard areas (numbered and unnumbered A zones and AE zones) only.

    • Manufactured homes must be installed using methods that minimize flood damage and be elevated and anchored (section 415.040(c)).
    • General manufactured-home occupancy outside flood zones not located.
    “all manufactured homes to be placed within all unnumbered and numbered a zones and ae zones on the community's firm shall be required to be installed using methods and practices that minimize flood damage.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory uses on single-family lots in Pagedale's A residence district. Servant quarters are the only accessory living use named.

    • Accessory uses must be customarily incident to the permitted residential uses and not involve the conduct of a business.
    • Accessory buildings are subject to the A district yard and height rules (section 405.030).
    “accessory buildings and uses customarily incident to the above uses, not involving the conduct of a business, including servant quarters and one (1) private garage.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Land in Pagedale city identified as numbered and unnumbered A zones and AE zones on the St. Louis County flood insurance rate maps (map panels 29189C0208K, 29189C0212K, 29189C0216K, dated February 4, 2015).

    • Permit is issued by the board of aldermen or its designee; the city clerk is the floodplain administrator (section 415.020(b) and 415.030(b)).
    • Manufactured homes and recreational vehicles in these zones are subject to elevation and anchoring requirements (section 415.040).
    • Applications must include plans and specifications and identify the flood fringe or floodway location (section 415.030(d)).
    “a floodplain development permit shall be required for all proposed construction or other development, including the placement of manufactured homes, in the areas described in section 415.020(a).”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Certificate of occupancy fee charged by Pagedale city only. Building permit fees are collected by St. Louis County and no county fee schedule was located.

    • Fees for county-issued building permits are collected and retained by St. Louis County (section 500.035).

    certificate of occupancy fee: 15 USD

    “a fifteen dollar ($15.00) fee shall be charged for a certificate of occupancy.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building and certificate-of-occupancy applications inside Pagedale city. City handles certificates of occupancy and floodplain permits; St. Louis County handles building permits, inspections and plan examination under the city's agreement.

    • Applications for building permits and certificates of occupancy must be accompanied by a drawing or plat in duplicate showing the building location and dimensions (section 405.170).
    • Certificate of occupancy for a new building must be applied for before excavation begins (section 405.150).
    “certificate of occupancy for a new building, the reconstruction, alteration of an existing building or any part hereof shall be applied for prior to the commencement of the excavation of the lot for a foundation for a building”

Rules another office applies inside Pagedale

Pagedale does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction inside Pagedale city limits, where St. Louis County Department of Public Works issues permits under an agreement with the city. Authority is St. Louis County, not the city, and applies only within Pagedale city.

    • Construction may proceed only after the permit is issued.
    • Section 500.032: city approval of plans is required first where city provisions are more restrictive than county codes.
    • Section 500.033: city must approve plans for compliance with zoning or other regulatory ordinances before submission to county.
    “the county through its department of public works shall issue all permits required by the codes as set forth in section 500.010 of this article.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction inside Pagedale city limits; inspections executed by St. Louis County Department of Public Works under the city's agreement.

    • Inspections are those required by the adopted codes under section 500.010.
    • Scope limited to Pagedale city by the agreement in section 500.020.
    “the county through its department of public works shall execute all inspections required by the codes as set forth in section 500.010 of this article.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from licensing or permits inside Pagedale city.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Pagedale city's residential districts.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits in Pagedale city's residential districts.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Pagedale city.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Pagedale city.
10 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Pagedale 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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