Festus, Missouri Building Permit Guide

Building permits in Festus come from the City’s Building and Planning Department, not Jefferson County. Apply with the City’s online building permit form or the PDF application, with drawings and a site plan; review usually takes about two weeks or longer. The fee is worked out from the building’s construction type, its square footage and a factor of 0.003 for new construction.

What requires a building permit in Festus?

Sheds: the City’s shed page says any storage shed needs a building permit unless it is under 20 sq ft. The 2021 codes adopted by Ordinance 4785 in 2024 exempt one-story detached accessory buildings up to 200 sq ft from a building permit. Zoning still limits sheds to the rear yard, at least 5 feet from side and rear lines and 6 feet from the house, 15 feet high and 20% of the rear yard, and a shed of 400 sq ft or more needs a foundation or frost wall.

A land disturbance permit is needed whenever soil will be disturbed, and a right-of-way permit for street cuts or any work in the right-of-way. Signs need their own permits, including re-facing an existing sign.

Festus building department: who handles permitting

The Building and Planning Department handles building permits, construction plan review and inspections, pool and deck installations, subdivision and land use rules, floodplain management and property maintenance. Jim Walker is the Building & Planning Director.

Every contractor and subcontractor working in Festus needs an individual City contractor licence, and the permit application asks for the contractor’s licence.

Festus applications and forms

Apply for a building permit with the City’s online Building Permit Application, uploading drawings and a site plan with measurements, or with the PDF Application for Plan Examination & Building Permit. The same application covers new buildings, additions, remodels, repairs, demolition, moving a building, foundation-only work and electrical work, for houses, decks, pools, garages, sheds, carports and finished basements as well as commercial uses.

The City’s Applications page also carries separate PDF forms for land disturbance, floodplain development, right-of-way work, storm water review, dumpsters and drop boxes, subdivisions, planned unit developments and Board of Adjustment appeals. Water and sewer connection applications are filed in triplicate with Public Works.

Festus building permit fees

The City’s Building Fee Table sets the building permit fee by formula:

Building type construction value × square footage × modification factor = fee

The building type follows the International Building Code designation for the construction materials; the table does not publish the value per square foot for each type, so ask the department at 636-937-6646 for the figure that applies to your plans.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work in Festus

The City treats framing, plumbing and electrical work, and on commercial jobs mechanical systems, as permit work handled by the Building and Planning Department; electrical work is one of the improvement types on the City building permit application. Work must meet the 2021 plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code, and every contractor and subcontractor needs a City licence.

Commercial projects may need sprinkler drawings and calculations; for example, an A-2 assembly occupancy with an occupant load over 100 needs an automatic sprinkler system.

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

Application documents

A pre-application meeting before drawings are submitted is often helpful on commercial jobs. Basement finishes need plans that mark existing and new walls and name every room; a room that could serve as a bedroom is reviewed as one.

How to apply for a Festus building permit

Festus inspections

Call 636-937-6646 to book inspections, with at least 24 hours’ notice. The City lists these construction inspections:

• Footing and concrete foundation wall
• Basement plumbing ground rough, where there is one
• Building sewer tap and water tap
• Temporary or permanent electric (meter base and panel)
• Framing, electric and plumbing rough together, before insulation
• Final inspection, when the occupancy permit is issued

Pools need electrical cover, frame bonding and final inspections.

Local Festus rules

Occupancy inspections: a building must be inspected when it becomes vacant and before it is occupied again. A house being sold gets its certificate of occupancy once it meets the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code and 2021 NFPA Life Safety Code. Rental houses and apartments get a certificate listing any violations, which the owner must fix within 30 days; if no re-inspection is requested in time, the occupant is given 15 days’ notice before the water is turned off.

Floodplain: Festus is in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective October 2, 2025. Under Chapter 415 of the City Code the Building Official is the floodplain administrator, and new or substantially improved homes must have the lowest floor, including the basement, at least 1 foot above base flood elevation; non-residential buildings must reach the same height or be floodproofed.

Pools: pools must sit at least 5 feet from side and rear lines and 6 feet from the house, have a barrier at least 48 inches high with self-latching lockable gates, keep overhead power lines 10 feet away, and stay off utility easements.

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

Festus building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Festus?

The City of Festus Building and Planning Department, at 950 N. 5th Street (636-937-6646), not Jefferson County.

How is the Festus permit fee worked out?

Construction type value × square footage × a factor: 0.003 for new construction, 0.0022 for a basement finish and 0.0015 for a remodel.

Do I need a permit for a fence or a new roof?

No building permit is needed for a fence, which zoning limits to 7 feet in the rear yard and 4 feet in front, or for most standard re-roofing, though structural roof repairs can need a permit.

How long does plan review take?

The City says two weeks or longer, depending on volume and complexity.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 636-937-6646 at least 24 hours ahead.

Which building codes does Festus use?

The 2021 International Codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code, adopted by Ordinance 4785 in August 2024.

Festus 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.

• Festus Building and Planning Department
• Festus online building permit application
• Festus applications and forms
• Festus residential building permit requirements
• Festus commercial building permit requirements
• Festus building fee table
• Festus certificate of occupancy requirements
• Festus planning and building FAQs
• Festus Code Section 500.010, adopted building codes
• Festus Code Chapter 415, floodplain management

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