Andrew County, Missouri Building Permit Guide

Andrew County’s commission says the county has no zoning ordinances and therefore no authority to issue building or occupancy permits. Building permits come from the towns that run a program: the City of Savannah through its Planning & Zoning Administrator at City Hall (816-324-7560) and the Village of Country Club through its Planning and Zoning Office (816-232-4621). On county land the permit you are most likely to need is an on-site sewage permit from the Andrew County Health Department, from $90 for a conventional system.

Andrew County building department: who handles permitting

The county offices are in the courthouse at 411 Court Street, Savannah, open 8 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. (individual offices keep their own hours). The three-member County Commission (816-324-5716, ext. 4, option 2) meets on Mondays and Thursdays and oversees Road & Bridge, the Health Department, Emergency Management and 911 addressing, but it runs no planning, building or inspection office. Whether a project needs a building permit therefore depends on the town it sits in. Town phone numbers below are the ones on the county’s Cities & Villages page or the town’s own site; populations are Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates.

Savannah and Country Club permits stop at their own limits: a lot outside them is county land, where no building permit is issued.

What the county itself regulates outside the towns

The Health Department’s summary of the exemption: residential lots of 3 acres or more are generally exempt; with two or more systems on one property, each needs 10 acres and the systems must be at least 360 feet apart to stay exempt; and lots divided into seven or more tracts may fall under Missouri Department of Natural Resources rules instead. The order itself also withholds the exemption from lots next to lakes run by the Corps of Engineers or a public utility, and keeps it only while every part of the system is more than 10 feet from the property lines and no effluent reaches neighbouring land or pollutes surface water or groundwater.

Andrew County septic fees and town building permit fees

The only county construction-related fee schedule is the Health Department’s on-site wastewater schedule, adopted by the County Commission and in effect since October 16, 2014.

Savannah’s fees are in Section 500.160 of its city code (last amended October 2, 2023); fees double if work starts before the permit, and permits expire one year after issue. Country Club posts a schedule it says is current as of June 16, 2026.

For example, a 2,000 sq ft house in Savannah works out at $200 by the square-foot rate, so the $300 minimum applies.

Steps for building in Andrew County

Floodplain, roads and addresses in Andrew County

Flood insurance and floodplain: FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Andrew County as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, along with Amazonia, Bolckow, Country Club, Rosendale and Savannah. Cosby is in FEMA’s section of communities not participating, and Fillmore and Rea are not listed. Because the county takes part, building in a mapped flood zone on county land needs floodplain approval; ask the County Commission (816-324-5716, ext. 4, option 2) who handles it.

County roads: the Road & Bridge Department maintains about 435 square miles of county roads and some 128 bridges. Dust control applications come from the Road & Bridge office (816-324-4012), the County Clerk’s office or the county website.

Addresses: the Andrew County 911 Coordinator, 400 East Main, Savannah (816-273-7046; mail to P.O. Box 162), handles address requests on the county’s form. Addresses are measured from where the driveway meets the road, so the driveway site must be settled first, and a lot on a state highway needs a MoDOT driveway permit before an address is assigned.

Savannah accessory buildings: the city’s guidelines allow one accessory building or garage per lot up to 720 sq ft without approval from the Planning and Zoning Board and Board of Aldermen, one utility shed up to 200 sq ft, and no metal sheds. A Savannah building permit is valid for one year and is issued only after the utility connection application has been approved and paid.

Country Club land disturbance: clearing more than 1,000 sq ft inside the village needs a $60 land disturbance permit, and no building inspection takes place until it has been issued. A village permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days or stops for more than 180 days, unless a written extension is granted.

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

Andrew County permit FAQs

Does Andrew County issue building permits?

No. The County Commission states that because the county has no zoning ordinances it has no authority to issue building or occupancy permits on county land.

Do I need a permit to build a house in Savannah?

Yes. Savannah issues building permits at City Hall, 402 Court Street; a new house costs $0.10 per sq ft with a $300 minimum under Section 500.160 of the city code, and plans are reviewed under the 2024 International Codes.

How much is a septic permit in Andrew County?

$90 for a conventional system and $100 for a professionally designed one, or $100 and $110 when the permit is required by a violation notice.

Is my rural lot exempt from the septic permit?

Residential lots of 3 acres or more are generally exempt, with conditions on system setbacks, multiple systems and lakeside lots; commercial properties always need a permit. Call the Health Department at 816-324-3139 to confirm.

Who issues permits in Country Club?

The Village of Country Club’s Planning and Zoning Office at 6601 North Belt Highway (816-232-4621), using fees current as of June 16, 2026.

Who assigns a new address on county land?

The Andrew County 911 Coordinator at 400 East Main, Savannah (816-273-7046).

Andrew County permit search and official resources

• Andrew County Commission (no county building or occupancy permits)
• Andrew County Cities & Villages contacts
• Andrew County 911 Addressing
• Andrew County address request form
• Andrew County Health Department sewage inspection and permitting
• Andrew County Order 14-1, On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems Order
• Andrew County on-site wastewater fee schedule (2014)
• Andrew County on-site sewage construction permit application
• Missouri DHSS onsite wastewater permitting authority by county
• City of Savannah Building and Zoning
• City of Savannah municipal code (Chapter 500, building codes and fees)
• Village of Country Club building permits
• Village of Country Club schedule of fees
• FEMA Community Status Book, Missouri

Simplify Andrew 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 Andrew County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.