Outside the cities, building in Camden County starts with Camden County Lake Area Planning & Zoning at 182 Ha Ha Tonka Cut Thru, Camdenton (573-317-3860), which issues construction permits under the county’s Unified Land-Use Code. The construction permit for a single-family house is $100, it doubles if footings go in before the permit is issued, and the application needs sign-offs from the county Wastewater Department, Road & Bridge and, in some areas, the fire protection district, which in the Lake Ozark and Sunrise Beach districts also issues its own building permit. Osage Beach, Camdenton, the Village of Four Seasons and the other cities permit work inside their own limits.
Camden County building department: who handles permitting
Camden County voters approved county planning and zoning in 1997, and the Unified Land-Use Code (in force since June 1, 2004; the current approved edition is dated January 1, 2022) applies to all land in the Camden County Zoning District as designated by the County Commission. Planning & Zoning is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (573-346-4440 ext. 1350; pz@camdencountymo.gov), and mail goes to 1 Court Circle NW, Suite 15. It issues construction (zoning) permits, land disturbance permits, floodplain development permits, plats and rezonings; its Planning & Zoning Commission meets on the third Wednesday and its Board of Adjustment on the fourth Wednesday of each month. The county’s permit instructions (revised 2012) require the sign-off of the Mid-County, Osage Beach, Sunrise Beach or Lake Ozark fire protection district for property in its district.
Fire protection districts: around the lake the fire district is also a building-code authority, with its own permit and fee separate from the county’s construction permit. The Lake Ozark Fire Protection District (573-365-3380) requires its permit before a home is built, wiring is upgraded or a dock is added, and posts residential and commercial building permit applications. The Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District’s fire marshal (573-374-4411) permits and inspects new residential and commercial construction, renovations, outbuildings and docks. The Mid-County Fire Protection District’s Fire Prevention Division (573-346-2049) carries out commercial and residential building inspections and dock inspections.
Town populations below are Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates for the part of each place in Camden County.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who permits building work |
|---|---|
| Osage Beach (4,666; 413 in Miller County) | City Building Department, 1000 City Parkway; 573-302-2030. Commercial permits need an Osage Beach Fire Protection District sign-off, and every contractor needs a City contractor’s licence |
| Camdenton (4,050) | City Office of the Building Official, City Hall, 437 W. U.S. Highway 54; 573-346-3600. Enforces the 2024 International Codes, adopted July 7, 2026; docks inside the city are permitted and inspected by the Mid-County Fire Protection District |
| Village of Four Seasons (2,473) | Village Building Official/Inspector, 133 Cherokee Road; 573-365-3833 ext. 105. Inspections need 24 hours’ notice; docks are inspected by the Lake Ozark Fire Protection District |
| Sunrise Beach (437; 96 in Morgan County) | Village Planning and Zoning Department; 573-374-8782. Permit needed for work over $3,000 |
| Linn Creek (223) | The City Code adopts the county’s 2004 Unified Land-Use Code as the City’s planning and zoning rules and says the City works with the county to enforce it; ask City Hall (573-346-6200) whether the county’s construction permit applies |
| Lake Ozark (78; 2,169 in Miller County) | City building inspector; 573-365-5378 |
| Laurie (18; 1,069 in Morgan County) | City Code adopts the 2000 International Residential, Plumbing and Mechanical Codes and the 2002 National Electrical Code |
| Richland (105; 74 in Laclede and 1,558 in Pulaski County) | The published sources do not say; City Hall 573-765-3532 |
| Stoutland (178; 29 in Laclede County), Friedenswald (3) | The published sources do not say; ask the town |
What needs a county permit
Construction permit
- One- and two-family homes, including modular and Class A manufactured homes
- Multi-family buildings
- Residential accessory structures: detached garages, pools, fences and retaining walls
- Sheds under 400 sq ft and agricultural buildings (listed on the application)
- Commercial and industrial buildings and RV parks
Other county permits
- Land disturbance permit for 1 acre or more
- Floodplain development permit, including every lake-front lot
- Septic permit from the Wastewater Department
- Road impact fee or access permit from Road & Bridge
- Plats, rezonings, conditional use permits and variances
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →No construction permit is issued for land that has not been properly subdivided under Article 400 of the code, which the county rewrote in February 2026.
Camden County planning and zoning fees
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single-family house | $100 |
| Single-family accessory structure | $50 |
| Multi-family building | $50 per unit |
| Commercial or industrial building | $250, plus $1 per 100 sq ft over 10,000 sq ft |
| Commercial or industrial accessory structure | $100, plus $1 per 100 sq ft over 10,000 sq ft |
| Land disturbance permit | $100, plus $5 per acre over 1 acre |
| Zoning permit | $75 |
| Variance, appeal or special use permit | $500 |
| Rezoning / conditional use permit | $800 / $600 |
| Preliminary plat / final plat | $250 plus $3 per lot / $100 |
| Septic permit (Wastewater Department) | $150 |
If a footing is poured before the construction permit is issued, the permit fee is doubled. A permit can be extended once for six months with the department’s permit extension form; after that a new application is needed. Road & Bridge decides whether a road impact fee or access permit applies (573-346-4471).
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What to bring with the application
- Completed construction permit application and fee, with the parcel number and directions to the site
- Recorded warranty deed, plus a notarized property owner’s authorization form if someone else applies
- Site plan drawn to scale showing the whole lot with bearings and dimensions, existing and proposed buildings, distances from roof lines and decks to the nearest property line, road access, drainage, erosion control, the septic or sewer location and easements
- Floodplain development permit and elevation certificate or LOMA where the site is in the floodplain or on the lake
- Signed sign-off sheet: Wastewater Department septic permit or exemption (or a DNR operating permit for central sewer), Road & Bridge impact fee or access approval, and the fire protection district where it applies
Setbacks depend on the zoning district; in the R-1 district they are 25 ft front, 10 ft side and 15 ft rear, and on lake-front lots the front is the lake side, measured from the 662-foot elevation line.
Septic, lake-front and code-update details
Septic systems: the Camden County Wastewater Department, 186 Ha Ha Tonka Cut Thru (573-317-3810), permits onsite systems under the county’s own ordinance. A permit is required on residential lots under 3 acres, on any lot on the Lake of the Ozarks, on lots with more than one house, for businesses with flows under 3,000 gallons a day and for multi-family development. A soil morphology test comes first; the application, design and $150 fee go to the department, an inspector visits the site, and requests for variances go to a board that meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays. Permits last one year and systems must be installed by a county-registered installer.
Floodplains: Camden County is in the National Flood Insurance Program, with county flood maps dated April 18, 2018; Camdenton, Linn Creek, Osage Beach, Lake Ozark, Laurie, Sunrise Beach and the Village of Four Seasons also take part. A Missouri-licensed engineer or surveyor must complete the elevation certificate.
Rather not deal with the Camden County building department?
Get a free quote →Driveways: the owner supplies and installs corrugated metal culvert pipe for a new driveway onto a county road, between 24 and 30 feet long, and the county cuts the ditch line.
Recent code changes: rewritten agricultural (A-1) district rules and a new Appendix L on data centers were adopted on August 20, 2026, and rewritten plat, residential and business district rules on February 19, 2026.
How to get a Camden County construction permit
Check that the parcel is outside city limits and ask Planning & Zoning for its zoning district and whether it lies in a floodplain.
Arrange the soil test and apply to the Wastewater Department, or get its exemption letter.
Get Road & Bridge’s approval of the road impact fee or access permit.
Get the fire protection district’s sign-off on the county form, and its own building permit where the district issues one (Lake Ozark and Sunrise Beach do).
Submit the application, deed, site plan and fee; incomplete applications are not accepted.
Placing a footing before the permit is issued doubles the fee.
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
Camden County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in unincorporated Camden County?
Camden County Lake Area Planning & Zoning, 182 Ha Ha Tonka Cut Thru, Camdenton (573-317-3860), issues construction permits under the Unified Land-Use Code.
How much is a Camden County construction permit for a house?
$100 for a single-family house and $50 for an accessory structure; the septic permit adds $150, and the fee doubles if construction starts first.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Do I need a septic permit on a lake lot?
Yes. Any residential lot on the Lake of the Ozarks needs a county septic permit, whatever its size, as do residential lots under 3 acres.
Does the county issue permits in Osage Beach or Camdenton?
No. Osage Beach, Camdenton, the Village of Four Seasons, Sunrise Beach and Lake Ozark have their own building departments or officials.
How much is a building permit in Camdenton?
For a house, duplex or townhouse, $50 plus $2 per $1,000 of value over $5,000, with new space valued at no less than $65 per sq ft ($20 for garages). Commercial and other work under the International Building Code is $150 up to $20,000, then $6 per $1,000 to $200,000. Starting without a permit costs 150% of the fee.
Is the county changing its zoning rules?
Yes. A rewrite of Articles 500 to 900 was approved by the Planning & Zoning Commission on October 21, 2026 and awaits County Commission adoption.
Camden County permit search and official resources
- Camden County Planning & Zoning
- Camden County planning and zoning forms
- Camden County basic zoning provisions and fee schedule
- Requirements to obtain a construction permit
- Camden County Unified Land-Use Code (2022)
- Unified Land-Use Code revisions adopted in 2026
- Camden County floodplain development permit application
- Camden County Wastewater Department
- Camden County Road & Bridge
- FEMA Community Status Book: Missouri
- City of Osage Beach permits and fees
- City of Camdenton permit fees
- Village of Four Seasons Building Department
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Camden County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.