Bates County, Missouri Building Permit Guide

The Bates County Commission runs no building, planning or zoning office, so the county issues no building permits; the county seat, Butler, enforces the 2024 International Codes and Adrian the 2018 International Residential Code inside their limits. On rural land the main county rule is the wastewater ordinance: the Bates County Health Center in Butler (660-679-6108) issues septic permits, though a single-family home on more than 3 acres is exempt.

Bates County building department: who handles permitting

Bates County still has a township form of government. The Commission, which meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (appointments through the County Clerk, 660-386-7776 option 1, 103 W. Dakota St., Butler), manages county property and the culverts and bridges that cross county roads, while each township grades, gravels and maintains its own roads. None of the county offices reviews plans or inspects private construction. Town populations below are Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates for the part in Bates County.

Septic systems, roads and flood rules

Septic systems: the county’s Wastewater Treatment Systems Ordinance, enacted under section 192.300 RSMo and last revised in August 1996, states that it covers every wastewater system in the county except those connected to a system run by a city or a public sewer district. Under that ordinance and the Health Center’s posted on-site sewage rules, a permit from the Bates County Health Center, 501 N. Orange, Butler (660-679-6108, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), is needed before a new system or a major modification or repair for a single-family home on less than 3 acres and for businesses, schools, churches, rentals and anyone else; it costs $75 for a single-family home and $125 for a commercial facility. A single-family home on more than 3 acres needs no permit but must still meet county standards, and a second system on such a tract needs one unless that land is deeded in the owner’s name and is also over 3 acres. Repairing a crushed lateral or pumping a tank needs no permit, and the Health Center’s environmental public health specialist inspects a permitted system before it is covered. The county rules cover systems of up to 3,000 gallons a day; larger systems, lagoons that are not for single-family homes and any subdivision go to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources first.

Roads: ask the township for gravel, grading and maintenance on a township road, and the Commission about culverts and bridges crossing county roads or about opening and closing a road. The county posts a list of township officials for 2025 to 2027.

Flood rules: Bates County takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated May 3, 2010, and the state’s floodplain contact list gives the county floodplain administrator at 103 W. Dakota St., Butler, (660) 679-4031. Adrian, Butler, Drexel and Rich Hill also take part; Amoret, Amsterdam, Foster, Merwin and Rockville are in FEMA’s section of communities not in the program.

Building in Butler

Besides new construction, Butler requires permits for interior work that cuts structural members or changes required exits, and for plumbing and mechanical work. Carports count as buildings, and a second layer of shingles or a tear-off needs a $35 roofing permit. The City’s fee schedule of July 2, 2024 charges by project value:

For example, a $300,000 house costs $50 for the first $2,000 plus 298 × $5, or $1,540. Fees double if work starts before the permit is issued.

Steps for building in Bates 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

Bates County permit FAQs

Does Bates County issue building permits?

No. The county has no building, planning or zoning office; Butler, Adrian and Rich Hill handle permits in town.

Who issues septic permits in Bates County?

The Bates County Health Center, 501 N. Orange, Butler (660-679-6108), under the county’s wastewater ordinance.

How much is a building permit in Butler?

$50 for the first $2,000 of value plus $5 for each additional $1,000, so a $300,000 house pays $1,540; a roofing permit is $35.

Which code does Adrian use?

The 2018 International Residential Code, adopted on October 14, 2025.

Who maintains rural roads in Bates County?

Each township maintains its own roads; the county crews look after culverts and bridges that cross county roads.

Bates County permit search and official resources

• Bates County Commission
• Bates County township information
• Bates County Health Center environmental health
• Bates County Wastewater Treatment Systems Ordinance
• Bates County on-site sewage rules and regulations
• Missouri DHSS onsite wastewater construction permit process
• FEMA Community Status Book: Missouri
• City of Butler building permits
• City of Butler permit fee schedule (July 2024)
• City of Adrian building permit application
• City of Rich Hill ordinances

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