Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Crane, Missouri

Crane’s own rules

• InspectionsLimited

  Construction, installation, or repair activity requiring an inspection inside Crane city limits.

  • Unless another ordinance provision specifies otherwise, at least 48 hours' notice to the City is required before commencement of activity requiring inspection.

  advance inspection notice: >= 48 hours (Unless otherwise specified under other provisions of the ordinance.)

  “Unless otherwise specified under other provisions of this Ordinance, a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours' notice shall be given to the City prior to the commencement of any construction, installation or repair activity requiring inspection.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of a building, addition, or part of a building inside Crane city.

  • Also applies after a building sale changing the occupant or a change of premises use.
  • The certificate states compliance with Chapter 400 and applicable code provisions, including building and safety codes.
  • The Board of Aldermen establishes the application fee.

  “No person shall occupy, nor shall any owner or agent thereof permit the occupancy of any building or addition thereto or part thereof, for any purpose until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the building official.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land, buildings, structures, uses, and infrastructure improvements inside Crane city corporate boundaries.

  • Title IV also applies outside city limits only where an area contracts with Crane for public services.

  “The regulations codified in this Title shall be known and may be cited as the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Crane, Missouri.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Crane city limits.

  • The official zoning map is kept at Crane City Hall.
  • Area not shown in a district on the map is automatically R-1 Single-Family Residence District.

  “There shall be an official map known and designated as the City of Crane Zoning Map which shall show all the boundaries of all zoning districts within the City limits. This map shall be kept in the Crane City Hall.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  A-1 Agricultural District lots inside Crane city.

  • Only lots of five acres or more may be approved for an individual sewer system.
  • System must meet Department of Health and Human Resources standards and be approved by Stone County Health Department.

  lot size: >= 5 acres (Individual sewer system may be approved instead of public sewerage supply.)

  “All lots shall be served by a public sewerage supply, except lots of five (5) acres or more may be approved for an individual sewer system that must meet Department of Health and Human Resources standards and be approved by the Stone County Health Department.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Lots in Crane's A-1 General Agricultural District.

  • Individual sewer systems are an exception only for lots of five acres or more, subject to Department of Health and Human Resources standards and Stone County Health Department approval.

  “All lots shall be served by a public sewerage supply, except lots of five (5) acres or more may be approved for an individual sewer system that must meet Department of Health and Human Resources standards and be approved by the Stone County Health Department. b. Water. All lots shall be served by a public water supply.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Conditional uses inside Crane city.

  • Adequate access roads or entrance and exit drives must be designed and provided to prevent traffic hazards and minimize congestion.

  “Adequate access roads or entrance and exit drives will be designed and provided to prevent traffic hazards and to minimize traffic congestion at the site.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction of structures or alteration of land in FEMA-established 100-year flood zones in Crane's A-1 Agricultural District.

  • City Engineer approval is required before issuance of a building permit.

  “Construction of any structures or alteration of land which occurs in the 100-year flood zone as established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall require approval from the City Engineer prior to issuance of a building permit.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Applications for Crane zoning amendments, special or conditional uses, sign permits, appeals, and variances.

  • Fees may cover administration, inspection, publication of notice, and similar matters.

  “Reasonable fees to cover the costs of administration, inspection, publication of notice and similar matters may be charged to applicants for zoning amendments, special use permits, conditional use permits, sign permits, appeals and variances.”

• Permit processPartial

  Site-plan review applications inside Crane city.

  • Application must be submitted at least 15 working days before the Commission meeting.
  • Commission has 60 days to act; absent action, the site plan is deemed approved.
  • The cited process does not establish a complete process for every permit type.

  submission before Commission meeting: >= 15 working days · Commission action period: <= 60 days (If no action is taken, site plan is deemed approved.)

  “The application for site plan review shall be submitted no less than fifteen (15) working days prior to the Commission meeting at which the site plan will be considered. [...] The Commission shall have sixty (60) days to take action on the site plan. If no action is taken within the sixty (60) day time period, the site plan shall be deemed to be approved.”

Rules another office applies inside Crane

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings erected in Crane's A-1 General Agricultural District.

  • Excludes garage space and area over open porches.
  • Livable floor space must be completely above grade.

  minimum livable floor area: >= 1000 square feet (Excludes garage space and area over open porches; must be completely above grade.)

  “Every single-family detached dwelling hereafter erected shall contain a floor area, exclusive of garage space and area over open porches, of a minimum of one thousand (1,000) square feet of livable floor space completely above grade.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Zoning lots in Crane's A-1 General Agricultural District.

  • Public utility facilities may be located on smaller lots with administrative approval.

  minimum lot area: >= 5 acres (Public utility facilities may be on lesser area with administrative approval.)

  “The lot area of each zoning lot shall not be less than five (5) acres, except that public utility facilities may be located on lots of lesser area with administrative approval.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings in Crane's A-1 General Agricultural District.

  • Front building line otherwise conforms to average building lines in a developed block.

  front setback: >= 50 feet · side setback: >= 25 feet (Two side yards, one on each side.) · rear setback: >= 50 feet

  “Front building lines shall conform to the average building lines established in a developed block. In all cases, this front building line shall be set back a minimum of fifty (50) feet from the front property line. c. Side Yard - There shall be two (2) side yards, one on each side of the building, having a minimum width of twenty-five (25) feet each. d. Rear Yard - There shall be a rear yard having a depth of not less than fifty (50) feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Principal and accessory buildings on a zoning lot in Crane's A-1 General Agricultural District.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 15 percent

  “The lot coverage of all principle and accessory buildings on a zoning lot shall not exceed fifteen (15) percent of the total area of the lot.”

• Manufactured homesProhibited

  Trailer, manufactured-home, or mobile-home use as a farmhouse or single-family detached dwelling in Crane's A-1 General Agricultural District.

  “h. Farmhouses and Single-family detached dwelling, but not including trailer or manufactured homes or mobile homes. (This subsection updated by Ordinance 2063, 10/21/2024)”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Garage apartment or guest house in Crane's A-1 General Agricultural District.

  • Must not be rented or otherwise conducted as a business.
  • Habitable floor space must be under 1,200 square feet.

  habitable floor space: < 1200 square feet (Garage apartment or guest house.)

  “b. Garage apartment or guest house, not rented or otherwise conducted as a business, under 1200 square feet of habitable floor space.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Individual sewer systems on A-1 Agricultural District lots of five acres or more inside Crane city.

  • The system must meet Department of Health and Human Resources standards and receive Stone County Health Department approval.

  lot size: >= 5 acres (Individual sewer system exception to public sewerage requirement.)

  “All lots shall be served by a public sewerage supply, except lots of five (5) acres or more may be approved for an individual sewer system that must meet Department of Health and Human Resources standards and be approved by the Stone County Health Department.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Crane or Stone County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Crane city.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Crane city limits.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Crane city.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Crane city.
• Septic permit — On-site wastewater systems inside Crane city.

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.