Gasconade County’s government in Hermann lists no building, planning or zoning department among its offices, and its published sources describe no county building permit or plan review. Two approvals do apply on unincorporated land: a floodplain development permit for work in the mapped floodplain, handled by the county’s Emergency Management Director (573-486-3621), and a septic permit from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Hermann and Owensville issue building permits inside their own limits.
What needs a permit outside the cities
Permit needed
- Development in the mapped floodplain: floodplain development permit
- New or repaired onsite septic systems: DHSS permit
No county office
- No building department among the county offices
- No planning and zoning office among the county offices
Even county projects follow the floodplain rule: in April 2025 the County Commission noted a state notice that a CDBG hard-surface road program needed a floodplain development permit, which it passed to the Emergency Management Director who handles floodplain management.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who to contact in Gasconade County
County offices are in the Gasconade County Courthouse, 119 East First Street, Hermann. The County Commission (573-486-5427) meets weekly and posts its agendas and approved minutes on the county website. The Emergency Management Director works from Room 2 of the courthouse (573-486-3621).
Populations below are Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates for the part of each place in Gasconade County.
| Place | Who permits building work |
|---|---|
| Owensville (2,802) | City Building Code Official; all electrical, plumbing and general construction needs a city permit. The City enforces the 2003 International Codes; call City Hall, 573-713-2812, to schedule inspections. County Commission minutes of August 6, 2026 record that the City is working on an ordinance to move from the 2003 to the 2021 codes |
| Hermann (2,221) | City of Hermann, on its Building & Construction Permit Application; the City Code adopts the 2015 International Codes and the 2014 NEC. City Hall, 1902 Jefferson Street, 573-486-5400 |
| Bland (503 here; 2 in Osage County) | The City Code adopts only the 2003 International Property Maintenance Code; a $200 City occupancy inspection is required before water or sewer service to a new house and when a home changes occupant. City Hall 573-646-3252 |
| Rosebud (396), Gasconade (168), Morrison (94) | The published sources do not say; ask the city clerk (Morrison City Hall: 573-294-7000) |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Septic permits from the state
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services lists its own Onsite Wastewater Program as the septic permitting authority for Gasconade County (573-751-6095, ext. 5). Start by sending the department’s OWTS Application Number Request Form; work should not begin until a permit or a confirmed exemption is in hand. The department suspended its application fees from August 28, 2026 while new state fee standards are set.
Permit fees
The county posts no building permit fee schedule. Floodplain permit questions go to the Emergency Management Director, and septic application fees are currently suspended by the state, as described above. Inside the cities, fees are set by each city: Bland, for example, charges $200 for an occupancy inspection with one re-inspection.
How to build in unincorporated Gasconade County
Inside Owensville, Hermann or Bland, follow the city’s permit rules.
Ask the Emergency Management Director whether the site is in the floodplain; if it is, get the floodplain development permit before any building, filling or grading.
Request an application number from DHSS and have the system permitted before installation.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Floodplain and data center notes
Floodplain: Gasconade County takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated July 18, 2011, and so do Bland, the City of Gasconade, Hermann, Morrison and Owensville. In the unincorporated county the Emergency Management Director handles floodplain management and signs floodplain development permits.
Data centers: asked at its July 2, 2026 meeting whether any data center developer had approached the county, the Commission said it had not heard anything; commissioners had attended a statewide county and city officials’ meeting on data centers in June 2026.
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
Gasconade County permit FAQs
Rather not deal with the Gasconade County building department?
Get a free quote →Does Gasconade County issue building permits?
The county lists no building, planning or zoning office, and its published sources describe no county building permit. Floodplain and septic permits still apply outside the cities.
Who handles floodplain permits?
The county Emergency Management Director at the courthouse in Hermann, 573-486-3621.
Who issues septic permits in Gasconade County?
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Onsite Wastewater Program, 573-751-6095, ext. 5.
Who issues building permits in Owensville?
The City of Owensville; call City Hall at 573-713-2812 for permits and inspections by the Building Code Official.
Which codes does Hermann use?
The 2015 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Fire, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2014 National Electrical Code.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Gasconade County permit search and official resources
- Gasconade County official website: Commission agendas and minutes
- Gasconade County officials and offices
- County Commission minutes, April 17, 2025 (floodplain permits)
- Missouri DHSS onsite wastewater permits: Gasconade County
- FEMA Community Status Book: Missouri
- City of Owensville building codes
- City of Hermann forms and permit applications
- City of Hermann building codes (Chapter 530)
- City of Bland building regulations (Chapter 500)
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Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Gasconade County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.