Cooper County does not publish a building code, zoning rules or a building permit for its unincorporated land, and its website lists no building or planning office. Septic systems there are permitted directly by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Inside the towns, Boonville’s City Building Inspector and Pilot Grove’s inspector handle permits, while Otterville’s and Windsor Place’s codes contain no building code.
Cooper County building department: who handles permitting
The County Commission meets every Monday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at its office, 527 High Street, Boonville, which is otherwise open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (660-882-2228). Its official agenda is posted on the board in the office windows. The county and County Clerk websites post no building, zoning or floodplain ordinance, application or fee. 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 |
|---|---|
| Boonville (7,867) | City of Boonville City Building Inspector (660-882-5124); City Hall, 401 Main Street (660-882-2332) |
| Pilot Grove (693) | City of Pilot Grove: a permit under the 2009 International Building Code, $35 for a new home plus $50 for each of five inspections |
| Otterville (450) | The city’s building chapter regulates excavation permits, culverts and moving houses but adopts no building code; ask City Hall about other work |
| Windsor Place (361) | The village code reserves its land use and building chapters and contains no building code; village clerk, 660-882-8061 |
| Bunceton (338) | The published sources do not say; SEMA lists the city’s floodplain contact at 103 E. Main Street, 660-427-5515 |
| Prairie Home (268) | The published sources do not say; ask City Hall |
| Blackwater (192) | The published sources do not say; SEMA lists the city’s floodplain contact at 125 Main Street, 660-846-4411 |
| Wooldridge (27) | The published sources do not say; ask the village |
| Unincorporated Cooper County | No county building permit is published; DHSS septic permits apply |
Boonville and Pilot Grove permit fees
Boonville’s code adopts the 2006 International Building, Residential, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes and the 2005 National Electrical Code, and sets its fees in Section 5-4.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New building or addition under 3,000 sq ft, finished areas | $0.06 per sq ft, $20 minimum |
| Attached garage and unfinished areas of that building | $0.04 per sq ft |
| Building of 3,000 to 10,000 sq ft | $250 plus $0.06 per sq ft over 3,000 (garages and unfinished areas at $0.04) |
| Unfinished building (not insulated or heated) | $0.025 per sq ft, $20 minimum; residential storage under 100 sq ft free |
| Remodeling up to $1,000 / $5,000 / $10,000 | $25 / $40 / $75, plus $5 per $1,000 over $10,000 |
| Residential swimming pool | $75 |
| Demolition, residential / commercial | $25 / $40 |
Plumbing and electrical work carry their own fees under the same section. For example, a 1,800 sq ft finished house with a 500 sq ft attached garage pays $108 plus $20, or $128.
In Pilot Grove, a new home permit is $35 plus five inspections (foundation, construction, electrical, plumbing and final) at $50 each, $285 in all; additions and outbuildings pay $35 plus two to four inspections, and any extra inspection after a failed one is $50. Replacing roofs, windows, doors, siding or heating and air conditioning on an existing building is exempt from a Pilot Grove permit.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Septic, floodplain and planning
Septic systems: Cooper County has no local onsite wastewater authority, so the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services issues permits itself: request an application number through its online OWTS application number request form, or call 573-751-6095, ext. 5.
Floodplain: Cooper County is in the National Flood Insurance Program on flood maps dated May 3, 2011, and SEMA lists the county’s floodplain administrator at 200 Main Street, Room 911, Boonville (660-882-0400). Boonville, Blackwater, Bunceton, Otterville, Pilot Grove and Wooldridge also take part. Boonville’s floodplain contact is at 1200 Locust Street (660-882-5124).
Boonville planning: the Planning and Zoning Commission meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 525 East Spring Street. The city posts its city limit and zoning maps (June 2024) and an Access Management Manual for street design in new developments.
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
Cooper County permit FAQs
Rather not deal with the Cooper County building department?
Get a free quote →Do I need a county building permit in Cooper County?
Cooper County publishes no building code, zoning or building permit for unincorporated land. Septic systems still need a state permit, and work in a mapped flood area involves the county floodplain administrator.
Who issues septic permits in Cooper County?
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, directly; request an application number online or call 573-751-6095, ext. 5.
Who issues building permits in Boonville?
The City of Boonville’s City Building Inspector (660-882-5124), under the 2006 International Codes adopted in the city code.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Boonville?
$0.06 per sq ft of finished space under 3,000 sq ft, plus $0.04 per sq ft of attached garage, with a $20 minimum.
How much is a new home permit in Pilot Grove?
$35 for the permit plus $50 for each of five inspections, $285 in all.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Cooper County permit search and official resources
- Cooper County Commissioners Office
- Cooper County Emergency Management
- Missouri DHSS onsite wastewater permitting authority by county
- SEMA emergency management and floodplain contacts, Cooper County
- FEMA Community Status Book, Missouri
- City of Boonville planning and zoning and building inspector
- City of Boonville code of ordinances
- City of Pilot Grove building code amendments and fees (Sec. 151.17)
- City of Otterville building regulations (Chapter 150)
- Village of Windsor Place municipal code
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Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Cooper County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.