Farmington, Missouri Building Permit Guide

Inside Farmington city limits, building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire prevention permits are issued by the City’s Development Services Department at 101 South Jefferson Street (573-756-0608), through the online permit application or at the office. New construction costs $0.073 per square foot of floor area, with a $75 minimum and a $1,875 maximum, plus $30 for each trade permit, so a 2,000 sq ft house starts at $146.

What requires a building permit in Farmington?

You need a permit to build a new building, add on, alter or change the use of an existing building, and to install or change mechanical, electrical or plumbing systems. City Code Section 500.205 lists the other permits Development Services issues.

When trade work is part of a permitted new building, addition or alteration it does not need a separate permit of that kind under Section 500.205, but the fee schedule still requires the general contractor to apply and pay for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire prevention permits before the building permit is issued. Facilities with their own qualified staff can buy an annual permit for minor trade repairs.

Farmington building department: who handles permitting

Development Services reviews plans, issues permits and conducts inspections under the City’s building codes and zoning ordinance, and it works with the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Historic Preservation Commission, the Building Code Advisory Board and the Board of Adjustment. Tim Porter is the Development Services Director. Plans for most buildings are reviewed by the Building Inspector, the Fire Inspector and the Zoning Administrator; one- and two-family homes and their accessory buildings can be reviewed by the Building Inspector alone. The City permits only land inside its limits, in St. Francois County.

Applications and contractor licences in Farmington

Apply through the online permit application in the City’s self-service portal or at Development Services; zoning permits use the same portal. A complete application is the form, the required construction documents and the fees. No permit is issued without an official street address, while the applicant owes the City money, or for an unlicensed contractor.

Contractor licences: anyone working as a contractor in Farmington, including plumbing, electrical, mechanical, drainlaying and sprinkler contractors, needs a City licence under City Code Chapter 605, Article IV. A qualifying person must have passed the test approved by the Board of Examiners, and the contractor files liability insurance, workers’ compensation proof and a bond of $10,000 for commercial and industrial contractors or $5,000 for residential and light commercial contractors. Licences run from January 1 to December 31, and applications go to the Development Services coordinator rather than the City Clerk.

Owner-builders: since Ordinance 15-18 (January 8, 2026), an owner may act as general contractor for one single-family home a year, built for his or her own occupancy, without a contractor licence. The owner must pass the City’s contractor competency test for one- and two-family construction and sign an affidavit, and electrical, plumbing, mechanical, drainlaying and fire-protection work must still be done by licensed trade contractors. Selling the house within a year may be presumed to show speculative intent.

Farmington permit fees

Permit fees are set in City Code Section 500.250, last amended by Ordinance 15-16 on September 12, 2024. Square-foot fees apply to the total floor area within the scope of the permit.

For a 2,000 sq ft house the building permit is 2,000 × $0.073, or $146, and the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits add $30 each. The building permits page still shows a refundable demolition bond ($100 minimum or $0.052 per sq ft); the 2024 code amendment says no bond is required, and an unfinished demolition is handled as a nuisance or dangerous building instead. Development permits for land disturbance use the fee in Table O of the City Code, and zoning applications such as rezonings, plats and appeals cost $100.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Farmington

Each trade permit costs $30, and only licensed trade contractors may pull them. The Building Inspector and the Fire Inspector check underground and rough-in mechanical, electrical, plumbing and gas work before it is covered; electric meters and service equipment are inspected by the City’s Electric Department, and water and sewer taps by the Water and Sewer Department. Fire protection systems need a fire prevention permit and acceptance tests witnessed by the Fire Inspector where the code requires them. Farmington adopted the ICC Electrical Code administrative provisions with the 2014 National Electrical Code, and the 2015 plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas codes.

Alliance handles electrical permits for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.

Plans and site plans for Farmington permits

Every building permit needs at least two copies of the construction documents. Homes, duplexes and accessory buildings need two copies of a plot plan showing property lines, setbacks, utilities, easements, rights-of-way and existing and proposed buildings. All other projects need two copies of a site plan prepared by a registered design professional, drawn at a scale between 1 in = 20 ft and 1 in = 200 ft, showing topography, utilities, finished floor and grade elevations, parking, screening, lighting and solid waste pickup; site plans can be waived for interior alterations and changes of use. Each reviewing official stamps the plans as approved or denied.

How to get a Farmington building permit

Farmington inspections

Call for each required inspection at least 24 hours ahead, post the permit on site, keep the approved plans there and cover no work before it is approved. City Code Section 500.290 lists the inspections: a preliminary site and setback check, footings and foundation, slab and under-floor, underground and rough-in mechanical, electrical, plumbing and gas, framing, masonry, gypsum board where it is part of a shear or fire-rated assembly, fire-resistant joints and penetrations, energy efficiency and the final. Best-management erosion controls such as silt fencing, straw bales and seeding must keep sediment on the site.

No building may be occupied until the Building Inspector issues a certificate of occupancy, and a temporary certificate with an expiration date can be issued for parts of a building that are safe to occupy. A permit expires if work does not start within 180 days of issue or stops for 180 days; the building official can grant written extensions of up to 180 days each.

Floodplain, fences, pools and code changes

Floodplain: Farmington takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, and FEMA lists its current flood map date as June 16, 2011. Under City Code Chapter 415 the Planning and Zoning Administrator is the floodplain administrator, and new or substantially improved buildings must have the lowest floor, including any basement, 1 ft above the base flood elevation (non-residential buildings may be floodproofed instead). An elevation certificate from a design professional or surveyor is due once the lowest floor is placed, before further vertical construction.

Fences: residential fences may be up to 8 ft tall, but no more than 4 ft forward of the house’s front line; barbed wire, woven wire, poultry fence and T-posts are not allowed, the finished side must face out and fences on City right-of-way are removed. A fence on a shared property line needs the signatures of both owners.

Pools: pools, spas and hot tubs go only in rear yards, at least 10 ft from property lines, inside a 48 in barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates, and are not allowed in Industrial districts.

Farmington building codes

Under Ordinance 15-11, Chapter 500 of the City Code adopts the 2015 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Existing Building, Property Maintenance and Fire codes, enforced since March 1, 2018, and the 2014 National Electrical Code through the ICC Electrical Code administrative provisions. The private sewage disposal article names the 2003 edition in its adopting section but amends the 2015 edition.

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

Farmington permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Farmington, Missouri?

The City’s Development Services Department at 101 South Jefferson Street (573-756-0608).

How much is a building permit for a new house in Farmington?

$0.073 per square foot of floor area, with a $75 minimum and $1,875 maximum: $146 for 2,000 sq ft, plus $30 for each trade permit.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Not for a storage building, shed or playhouse of 120 sq ft or less; larger ones need a $30 accessory structure permit.

Can I build my own house without a contractor licence?

Yes, once a year for a home you will live in, if you pass the City’s competency test and sign the owner-builder affidavit; licensed trade contractors must still do the electrical, plumbing and mechanical work.

How much notice does an inspection need?

At least 24 hours.

Is Farmington moving to the 2024 codes?

The City scheduled a public hearing for the October 8, 2026 Council meeting on adopting the 2024 International codes and the 2023 electrical code; until the ordinance takes effect, the 2015 codes apply.

Farmington permit search and official resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Farmington building permits, fees and codes
• Farmington Development Services Department
• Farmington online permit application (Tyler EnerGov)
• Farmington notice of proposed 2024 building code adoption
• Farmington business and contractor licences
• Farmington Planning and Zoning
• Farmington City Code Chapter 500, Building Codes and permit fees
• Farmington City Code Chapter 605, Article IV, Building Contractors
• Farmington City Code Chapter 415, Floodplain Management

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