In unincorporated Buchanan County, the Planning and Zoning Department (411 Jules Street, Room 201, St. Joseph; 816-271-1528) issues building permits under the county Zoning Order, which requires one for any structure in every zoning district, whatever the acreage. A house costs $0.15 per sq ft of finished living space, and the Zoning Officer acts on an application within 30 days. Inside St. Joseph, the City’s Building Development Services issues permits instead.
Buchanan County building department: who handles permitting
The county’s Planning and Zoning Department works under the direction of the County Commission from Room 201 of the courthouse at 411 Jules Street, St. Joseph, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Besides building permits it runs rezonings and conditional use permits, assigns 911 addresses and supports the County Planning Commission, which meets at 6 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month, and the five-member Board of Zoning Adjustment.
The county permit is defined in the Zoning Order as a zoning (building) permit issued by the Zoning Officer to show that the plans comply with the Zoning Order. The county’s published orders do not adopt a model building code, so St. Joseph’s International Code reviews do not carry over to county land. Populations below are Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who permits building work |
|---|---|
| St. Joseph (71,001) | City of St. Joseph Building Development Services, City Hall, 1100 Frederick Avenue; Building Department 816-344-5117. Plans submitted since March 2025 are reviewed under the 2024 International Codes, the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and the 2023 NEC |
| Agency (651) | Village of Agency: building permit application filed online on the village website; the fee is the total square footage times $0.10, and the clerk calls for payment after review. Village Clerk 816-261-3066 |
| De Kalb (243) | The published sources do not say; ask the town clerk |
| Easton (226) | The published sources do not say; ask the city clerk |
| Rushville (221) | The published sources do not say; village floodplain contact (per SEMA) P.O. Box 187, Rushville, 816-262-8653 |
| Lewis and Clark Village (92) | The published sources do not say; village floodplain contact (per SEMA) 101 Lake Shore Drive, 816-294-6563 |
| Gower (30 here; 1,484 in Clinton County) | City of Gower: its Zoning Administrator issues all permits, and building without one carries a $100 fine. City Hall, 97 North 4th Street, 816-424-6617 |
| Dearborn (no Buchanan residents in the Census estimate) | Dearborn’s City Hall handles its permits; almost all of the city is in Platte County |
| Unincorporated Buchanan County | Buchanan County Planning and Zoning Department, under the Zoning Order |
What needs a county permit in Buchanan County?
The Zoning Order bars erecting, rebuilding, moving, altering or demolishing a building without a permit, and the county’s permit list covers:
Building and site
- New houses, manufactured and modular homes
- Additions and alterations
- Any building over 100 sq ft
- In-ground swimming pools
- Solar energy systems
- Demolition or removal
- Land disturbance
- Septic systems
Land use
- Rezoning
- Conditional use permits
- Temporary use permits
- Signs
- Retail fireworks stands
- Work in a county right-of-way (public utility and other right-of-way permit)
Lot size matters before a house permit is issued. Outside residential districts and county subdivisions, a building site needs at least 2 acres in a district that allows the use, or a conditional use permit or rezoning; tracts of 20 acres or more are not subject to rezoning but still need a building permit and septic approval. In the A-1 district a house can be permitted on 2 acres or more without rezoning for a sibling, parent, child or grandchild of the owner. A house on 2 acres or more in A-1 can also be permitted without rezoning when it replaces a house that will be demolished within a year of the application, or that was demolished or destroyed within the year before it (Section 206, as amended December 2025).
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Buchanan County permit fees
Fees come from Section 805 of the Zoning Order. They are not refundable, and a permit taken out after work has started costs double.
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| House, duplex, apartment, manufactured or modular home | $0.15 per sq ft of finished living space |
| Detached garage, shed or other accessory structure | $0.15 per sq ft |
| Farm or agricultural structure | $50 up to 500 sq ft, then $0.10 per sq ft, $500 maximum |
| Commercial or industrial building | $0.20 per sq ft |
| Telecommunication tower | $1,000 |
| Other structures | 1% of estimated cost, $50 minimum |
| Solar energy system | $100 |
| Land disturbance | $100 residential, $200 commercial |
| Demolition | $50 |
| Conditional use permit for a dwelling | $350 plus notice and advertising costs |
| Rezoning to a residential district | $350 plus notice and advertising costs |
| Septic permit | Set by the Environmental Inspector |
For example, a house with 1,800 sq ft of finished living space carries a $270 building permit fee. Churches, schools, charitable institutions and government bodies operating on a not-for-profit basis pay no building permit fee. The County Commission repealed the $50 annual mobile home permit fee on March 25, 2026.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How the county permit works
St. Joseph, Agency and Gower permit their own territory; check with the county office if unsure.
Make sure the use is allowed and the site meets the 2-acre rule, or apply for a conditional use permit or rezoning first.
Without sewer, the Environmental Inspector must approve the on-site system; if the site cannot meet the state minimum standards the Zoning Officer will not issue the building permit.
Use the county form with the map-block-parcel number, the size, shape and location of the structure and its intended use, and pay the fee.
Display it so it can be seen from the street, or on the structure if there is no street nearby, until 30 days after completion.
The Zoning Officer must act within 30 days of filing; if an application is refused or not decided in that time, the applicant can appeal to the Board of Zoning Adjustment. A permit expires after one year, with extensions possible where warranted, and may be revoked if the work departs from the approved plans. Each building needs its own permit, although accessory buildings built at the same time can be added to the main building’s permit for an extra fee.
Septic, floodplain and mobile home rules
Septic systems: the county adopted the state on-site sewage law (RSMo 701.025 to 701.059) and the state minimum construction standards, and every new, modified or repaired system on county land needs a permit from the Buchanan County Environmental Inspector, applied for with site plans and soil profile results. Inside St. Joseph, the City of St. Joseph Health Department is the permitting authority.
Rather not deal with the Buchanan County building department?
Get a free quote →Floodplain: building in a mapped flood hazard area needs a county floodplain development permit, and a new or substantially improved home must have its lowest floor, including the basement, at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation. FEMA’s Community Status Book shows new flood maps for Buchanan County, St. Joseph, Agency, Lewis and Clark Village and Rushville with an effective date of November 13, 2026, so check which map applies on your permit date. Easton is listed among communities not in the flood insurance program.
Mobile homes: under the County Commission’s order of March 25, 2026, a mobile home placed under a conditional use permit must have been built within the 10 years before the application, and no permit for a single-wide is issued until the owner shows the title. Rezonings and conditional use permits now lapse if substantial work has not started within 3 years.
Rights-of-way: utility and other work in a county right-of-way needs the county’s right-of-way permit, with three sets of plans, an erosion control plan and a traffic control plan, under the Chapter 1000 Right-of-Way Regulations.
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
Buchanan County permit FAQs
Do I need a permit to build in rural Buchanan County?
Yes. The Zoning Order requires a building permit for any structure in every zoning district, whatever the acreage, plus a septic permit where there is no sewer.
How much is a building permit for a house in Buchanan County?
$0.15 per sq ft of finished living space, so $270 for 1,800 sq ft. Starting work before the permit is issued doubles the fee.
Does the county issue permits inside St. Joseph?
No. St. Joseph’s Building Development Services handles permits inside the city (816-344-5117).
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Do I need a permit for a shed?
The county’s permit list includes any building over 100 sq ft; accessory structures are $0.15 per sq ft and farm buildings start at $50.
How long is a county building permit good for?
One year, and the Zoning Officer can extend it where warranted.
Who issues septic permits in Buchanan County?
The Buchanan County Environmental Inspector, through the Planning and Zoning office, everywhere except St. Joseph.
Buchanan County permit search and official resources
- Buchanan County Planning and Zoning Department
- Buchanan County permit and license list
- Buchanan County Zoning Order manuals and amendments
- Buchanan County Zoning Order (fee schedule in Section 805)
- County Commission order amending the Zoning Order, March 25, 2026
- Buchanan County right-of-way permit application
- Missouri DHSS onsite wastewater permitting authority by county
- City of St. Joseph Building Development
- Village of Agency building permit application
- City of Gower zoning and building permits
- FEMA Community Status Book, Missouri
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Buchanan County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.