Audrain County, Missouri Building Permit Guide

Asked whether it has planning and zoning, Audrain County answers simply “No”, and no county office issues building permits. The county permit most rural builders need is a sewage permit from the Audrain County Health Department (1130 S. Elmwood Dr., Mexico; 573-581-1332), which costs a one-time $200 and is required for every new or modified onsite system regardless of lot size. Work in a county road right-of-way needs a free Special Use Permit from Road and Bridge, and Mexico, Vandalia and Laddonia issue their own building permits.

Audrain County building department: who handles permitting

The County Commission (courthouse, 101 N. Jefferson St., Mexico; 573-473-5822) describes itself as having little legislative authority, and the county runs no building or zoning office. Each city or village decides for itself; populations below are Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates for the part of each place in Audrain County.

Town permit fees and rules

Vandalia: before a permit is issued, the City Clerk is told when each corner of the new building has been staked, and the Building Permit Commissioner checks that it does not encroach on city or neighboring property and that surface drainage is adequate. If the Commissioner refuses a permit, the Board of Aldermen makes the final decision. Fees in the city code are small flat amounts:

Laddonia: a permit is needed to put up a new building, set up a mobile home, add to or alter a building, or move one. Plans go to the Board of Aldermen in duplicate with a $10 fee, which is returned if the permit is refused, and the Board has 30 days to decide. Alterations or repairs costing $1,000 or less need no permit (the exemption does not cover roofing), and neither do repairs that restore storm damage to the original condition.

Septic, road and flood rules on county land

Sewage permits: under Ordinance 93-01, revised in March 2014, any construction, installation or modification of an onsite sewage system in the unincorporated county needs a Health Department permit, and the ordinance says no system is exempt because of acreage. A lot of less than 3 acres for a single home may be required to use an engineered system. Complete applications are decided within 15 business days. Work starts only after payment and the pre-construction site visit, which the owner or agent and the state-registered installer must both attend; call the Health Department at least 24 hours before backfilling, and finish within a year of the permit date.

County roads: any work in a county-controlled right-of-way, including fencing, ditching or dirt work, needs a Right of Way Special Use Permit from Road and Bridge (courthouse Room 206; 573-473-5895). It is free; allow up to a week for review. The right-of-way is usually 30 feet each side of the road’s center line. In the Common #1 road district the county installs driveway and field-entrance pipes for a fee, and pipes put in by the owner or a contractor need the permit. Roads in the #13 district around Mexico, the Vandalia and Laddonia-Farber special road districts and East Saling #2 north of Centralia are handled by each district’s road commissioners.

Floodplains: FEMA lists Audrain County in its section of communities not in the National Flood Insurance Program (sanctioned April 5, 2011). Laddonia, Mexico, Rush Hill, Vandalia and Vandiver do take part, and SEMA lists a floodplain contact for each of them.

Building on rural land in Audrain 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

Audrain County permit FAQs

Does Audrain County require a building permit?

No. The county has no planning and zoning and no building permit office; permits come from the cities.

Do I need a septic permit on a large rural tract?

Yes. The county sewage ordinance requires a Health Department permit for every new or modified system, whatever the acreage. The fee is $200.

Do I need a permit to put in a driveway on a county road?

Yes, a free Right of Way Special Use Permit from Road and Bridge, unless the county installs the pipe for you in the Common #1 district.

Is rural Audrain County in the flood insurance program?

No. FEMA lists the county among communities not in the program, although Mexico, Vandalia, Laddonia, Rush Hill and Vandiver take part.

How much is a building permit for a house in Vandalia?

$10 for a new residence and $5 for an addition, with a separate $10 electrical permit.

Audrain County permit search and official resources

• Audrain County FAQ (planning and zoning, sewer ordinance)
• Audrain County office phone numbers
• Audrain County Road and Bridge: right-of-way permits
• Audrain County Health Department environmental services
• Audrain County Sewage Ordinance 93-01
• FEMA Community Status Book: Missouri
• Vandalia City Code on eCode360
• Laddonia building regulations (Chapter 500)
• Laddonia licenses and forms

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