Cape Girardeau County lists no building, planning or zoning department among its offices, and none of the ordinances on its list adopts a building code, so the county issues no building permit for unincorporated land. The county does regulate floodplain development through its Floodplain Manager in Jackson (573-204-2512), and the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center permits and inspects septic systems under a 2003 county ordinance. The cities of Cape Girardeau and Jackson issue building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits inside their limits under the 2015 International Codes.
Cape Girardeau County building department: who handles permitting
The county’s offices include floodplain management, the highway department, stormwater management and GIS mapping, but no building, planning or zoning office. The County Commission meets on Monday and Thursday at 9 a.m. in the historic 1908 Courthouse, 100 Court St., Suite 302, Jackson (573-204-2494). Its ordinance list includes a 1994 ordinance on 911 address numbers, the floodplain ordinances of 1998, 2011 and 2015, and a 2003 ordinance letting the Assessor assess newly built property.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who permits building work |
|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau (40,977) | City Development Department, Inspection Services Division, City Hall, 44 N. Lorimier St.; 573-339-6327. Plans go through the City’s ePlans system; 2015 International Codes, 2014 National Electrical Code |
| Jackson (16,033) | City Building & Planning Department, City Hall, 101 Court St.; 573-243-2300. Online through the City’s CivicGov portal; every contractor needs a City licence; 2015 International Codes |
| Gordonville (626), Delta (382), Oak Ridge (239), Pocahontas (97), Allenville (94), Whitewater (86), Old Appleton (75) | None of these villages and towns publishes a building code or permit form online; ask the village or town board before building |
| Scott City | Lies in Scott County (no Census residents in Cape Girardeau County); its own building inspector issues permits |
Septic permits from the Public Health Center
The county’s on-site sewage ordinance, adopted October 30, 2003, covers every property producing 3,000 gallons or less of wastewater a day, except where the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has authority. Each new system or repair needs a permit and an inspection by an environmental public health specialist of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, 1121 Linden St., Cape Girardeau (573-335-7846).
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Pay the $125 permit fee by cash, money order or the Center’s online payment (no out-of-state checks); it is not refundable and the application expires one year after payment if no construction permit is issued.
The installer must hold a state licence and a Cape Girardeau County licence.
Return the construction application with a soil morphology report or percolation test at least 24 hours before the site visit.
No work may start until the specialist issues the permit; call the specialist before construction so the work can be inspected, and a final inspection form follows.
Floodplain and stormwater rules
Floodplain permits: the county manages the floodplain in unincorporated areas under its Floodplain Management Ordinance, first adopted as Ordinance 98-03 and updated in 2011 and 2015. Any development in the special flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit from the county Floodplain Manager, 1 Barton Square, Suite 202, Jackson (capecofloodplain@capecounty.us). The application asks for the value of the work, the pre-improvement value of the building, the base flood elevation and the site elevation, and in a designated floodway a certification that the project causes no increase in the 1% flood elevation must be provided before the permit is issued.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Community | Status |
|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau County (unincorporated) | In the program; flood maps dated January 20, 2016; county Floodplain Manager |
| Cape Girardeau, Jackson | In the program; each city has its own floodplain administrator |
| Allenville, Whitewater | In the program and manage their own floodplain; Allenville uses the county’s flood map panel |
| Delta, Gordonville, Old Appleton | Have flood-prone areas but are not in the program |
| Oak Ridge, Pocahontas | No flood-prone areas, according to the county |
Stormwater: the county holds a state municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit for its urbanized area around Cape Girardeau and Jackson, and its Assistant Highway Administrator (1 Barton Square, Suite 204; 573-204-2512) runs the stormwater program. Driveway and road questions go to the Highway Department in the 1908 Courthouse, second floor (573-243-5270).
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
Cape Girardeau County permit FAQs
Rather not deal with the Cape Girardeau County building department?
Get a free quote →Does Cape Girardeau County issue building permits?
The county lists no building department and its posted ordinances adopt no building code. It issues floodplain development permits, and its Public Health Center issues septic permits; building permits come from cities such as Cape Girardeau and Jackson.
What does the county septic ordinance cover?
The Public Health Center says the 2003 ordinance applies to all properties producing 3,000 gallons or less of wastewater a day, adopts the state law and health department rules, and requires a $125 permit and an inspection; work may not start until the construction permit is issued.
Who reviews floodplain development outside the cities?
The county Floodplain Manager at 1 Barton Square, Suite 202, Jackson (573-204-2512).
Are Delta, Gordonville and Old Appleton in the flood insurance program?
No. The county says all three have flood-prone areas but do not take part, and FEMA lists them as non-participating communities.
Which codes apply in Jackson and Cape Girardeau?
Both cities enforce the 2015 International Codes and the 2014 National Electrical Code.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Cape Girardeau County permit search and official resources
- Cape Girardeau County floodplain management
- Cape Girardeau County floodplain development permit application
- Cape Girardeau County Commission and ordinance list
- Cape Girardeau County stormwater management
- Cape Girardeau County Highway Department
- Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center on-site sewage permits
- SEMA emergency and floodplain contacts, Cape Girardeau County
- FEMA Community Status Book: Missouri
- City of Jackson Building & Planning
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Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Cape Girardeau County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.