Adair County, Missouri Building Permit Guide

None of the ordinances Adair County publishes sets up a building code, building permit or zoning, so the county issues no building permits for unincorporated land. Inside Kirksville, the City’s Codes and Planning Division (660-627-1272) issues permits under the 2021 International Codes, and Novinger’s Board of Aldermen approves building plans itself. On county land, a new home still needs a 911 address from the County Clerk ($35 marker), a septic permit from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and County Commission approval for any work in a county road.

Adair County building department: who handles permitting

The Adair County Commission works from the courthouse at 106 W. Washington St., Kirksville (660-665-2283); the Commission office is open Monday to Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Its published ordinances cover burning, speed limits, stop signs, weight limits, utilities in road right-of-way and similar county business; none creates a building department. The figures after each town are its Census Bureau population estimate for 2025.

On September 1, 2026 the Commission adopted Resolution 2026-1, stating its intent to review rules for large-scale facilities such as data centers and renewable energy projects. The resolution notes that the county has no zoning regulations for such facilities and lists the topics under review, from districts, lot size and setbacks to height, noise and water use. The resolution itself adopts no rules.

What Adair County itself requires outside the cities

Building in Novinger

Novinger’s code makes the Board of Aldermen the permit authority. Plans must follow the BOCA Building Code under the City Code, and a City official inspects the building during construction. The rules for a home are specific:

• Write to the City Clerk with plans and a plot plan, including the lot’s legal description and owner, at least two weeks before the Board’s next regular meeting.
• Pay a $100 investigation fee with a dwelling application (not refunded), and place a $100 deposit with the City Collector toward utility connections.
• A dwelling needs at least 400 sq ft of living area, footings at least 36 inches deep, a bathroom and a kitchen, two off-street parking spaces, and its own direct connections to city water and sewer.
• No single-wide mobile home may be moved into the city, and a manufactured or modular home brought in may be no more than five years old.
• The Board may table an application for up to 60 days for more research, and it checks whether a building site is in a flood hazard area.

Addresses, county roads, septic and flood rules

911 addresses: request the address at the County Clerk’s office, second floor, southeast corner of the courthouse (660-665-3350), or by mail on the county’s request form. For new construction the driveway and the house site must be marked on the ground before an address is given, and the $35 address marker is paid to the County Treasurer in advance. The 2026 road policy charges the same $35 for a new or replacement 911 sign, post and installation.

Driveway tubes and road work: under the Commission’s Road Maintenance Policy for 2026, effective January 12, 2026, owners may buy a drainage tube for an entrance off a county road at the county’s purchase price, and the county delivers and installs it. Nobody but the Road and Bridge Department may work on a county road or put material on it without Commission approval.

Utilities in the right-of-way: Ordinance 2020-1, adopted March 11, 2020, sets a running line at least 12 ft from the center of county gravel roads, bans plowing across a road, and calls for bores at least 96 inches below roads, 60 inches under ditches and 30 inches when plowing in the roadway, with lines under roads and bored ditches in HDPE pipe. Work along county asphalt roads is judged case by case.

Septic systems: DHSS lists itself as the permitting authority for onsite systems in Adair County. Builders get a DHSS application number online or by calling (573) 751-6095 ext. 5 before the system goes in. For now no DHSS application fee is charged: the department suspended its fees on August 28, 2026, when a change to section 701.046 RSMo took effect, pending new fee standards.

Flood insurance: FEMA’s Community Status Book places Adair County, and Brashear, in its section of communities not in the National Flood Insurance Program; the county’s sanction date is November 16, 1984, and its current flood map is dated February 14, 2025. Kirksville and Novinger take part, with the same 2025 maps; Kirksville’s floodplain administrator is its Codes and Planning Division.

Steps for building in Adair County

Missouri building code

Missouri has no mandatory statewide building code for private construction: a county, fire protection district or municipality may adopt one (usually by reference under RSMo 67.280), and in parts of the state none has. Building codes in Missouri

Adair County permit FAQs

Does Adair County issue building permits?

No. None of the county’s published ordinances creates a building code or building permit; Kirksville and Novinger permit work inside their own limits.

How much is a building permit in Kirksville?

$25 plus $4.25 per $1,000 of construction cost, issued by the Codes and Planning Division at City Hall (660-627-1272).

How do I get a 911 address for a new house in rural Adair County?

Apply at the County Clerk’s office in the courthouse, pay $35 for the address marker to the County Treasurer, and mark the driveway and house site first.

Who issues septic permits in Adair County?

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which lists itself as the onsite wastewater authority for Adair County.

Can I put a culvert in at my county road entrance?

Work on a county road needs County Commission approval. Owners can buy the drainage tube at the county’s cost, and the county installs it.

Is Adair County regulating data centers or solar farms?

No rules have been adopted. Resolution 2026-1 of September 1, 2026 only declares the Commission’s intent to review rules for large-scale facilities.

Adair County permit search and official resources

• Adair County Commission
• Adair County ordinances and petitions
• Adair County E-911 address request
• Adair County Road Maintenance Policy for 2026
• Adair County Ordinance 2020-1, utilities in county right-of-way
• Adair County Commission minutes
• City of Kirksville building and remodeling permits
• City of Novinger Code of Ordinances
• Missouri DHSS onsite wastewater construction permit process
• FEMA Community Status Book: Missouri

Simplify Adair County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Missouri. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Adair County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.