New Madrid County’s own permit is a floodplain permit: the county’s 2021 floodplain ordinance requires one for all construction or other development in a mapped flood zone outside city limits, including fill, grading and manufactured homes, and the county charges nothing for it. The Floodplain Administrator works at the courthouse, 450 Main St., New Madrid (573-748-2698 ext. 7010). Building permits are issued by the cities, and septic systems by the state health department.
New Madrid County building department: who handles permitting
The courthouse is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. (573-748-2524), and the County Commission meets there on Monday and Thursday mornings at 9:00. The county publishes no building code or county building permit; its posted forms cover floodplain development only.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who permits building work |
|---|---|
| Portageville (2,702; a part with no residents lies in Pemiscot County) | City Building Permits & Inspections office, City Hall, 301 E. Main St., 573-379-5789; plans go to the Fire Chief or another designated official. 2024 International Residential Code, adopted July 7, 2025 |
| New Madrid (2,586) | City administrator issues building permits for houses, sheds, garages, pools and shelters; the city adopts the most recent International Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fire codes and the National Electrical Code. City Hall, 573-748-2866 |
| Sikeston (1,921 in this county) | City Department of Community Development, City Hall, 105 E. Center St., 573-475-3743, for both its New Madrid County and Scott County parts |
| Morehouse (681) | City code enforcement under the 2021 International Codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code (Ord. 765, July 22, 2025) |
| Matthews (493) | City Code Enforcement Department; 1996 BOCA Basic Building Code and the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code with a permit fee schedule. City Hall, 573-471-2541 |
| Lilbourn (906) | Its code requires an inspection by a city building inspector and a $25 occupancy permit before a rental home takes a new tenant, and a set-up permit for a manufactured or mobile home: a $50 application to the City Clerk, Board of Aldermen approval at a public hearing, written approval from at least 75% of homeowners within 100 yards, and the building inspector’s approval of how it is set. Its building chapter sets no general building permit. City floodplain contact per SEMA: 573-233-9881 |
| Gideon (709), Parma (506), Marston (362), Risco (261), Howardville (250), Canalou (145), Tallapoosa (72), Catron (37), North Lilbourn (22) | No town code or permit form is published online; ask the town hall before building. City floodplain contacts listed by SEMA: Gideon 573-448-3500, Parma 573-357-4375, Marston 573-643-2416, Risco 573-396-5640, Howardville 573-688-2137, Canalou 573-667-3145, North Lilbourn 573-521-7294; SEMA lists only emergency coordinators for Tallapoosa (573-396-5305) and Catron (573-688-2222) |
Building permit fees in New Madrid County’s cities
The county’s floodplain permit is free. City fees come from each city’s code:
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| City and work | Fee |
|---|---|
| New Madrid: building permit | $25 for a residential lot, $100 for a commercial lot; plumbing inspections $20 each |
| Portageville: new construction | $0.10 per sq ft, $20 minimum, covering plumbing, electrical and mechanical |
| Portageville: pools, sheds, fences and other accessory structures | $10 up to $10,000 of value, rising to $100 at $75,000 to $100,000 |
| Portageville: contractor licence | $35 a year (an out-of-town contractor pays its home town’s licence fee instead), plus a $2,500 bond or liability insurance of $25,000 or the project cost, whichever is greater |
| Matthews: project valued $2,001 to $40,000 | $69 for the first $2,000 plus $8 per additional $1,000 |
| Matthews: project valued $40,001 to $100,000 | $487 for the first $40,000 plus $9 per additional $1,000 |
A 2,000 sq ft house in Portageville costs $200 (2,000 × $0.10), and the city issues no building permit until the water and sewer taps shown on the plan are installed and approved. In Matthews a $100,000 project costs $1,027 ($487 plus 60 × $9). New Madrid will not issue a permit sooner than four working days after the application, wants proof that city taxes are paid, and requires work to start within 180 days.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Floodplain, 911 address and septic rules on county land
Floodplain permits: the county’s Floodplain Management Ordinance (dated March 22, 2021, in force April 1, 2021) makes the Presiding Commissioner or a designee the floodplain administrator and requires a separate floodplain development permit for each structure or other development in the mapped flood areas, including filling, grading and the placement of manufactured homes. A new or substantially improved home must have its lowest floor, including any basement, 1 foot above the base flood elevation, certified by a Missouri licensed land surveyor, engineer or architect; non-residential buildings must be elevated the same way or floodproofed. The permit form is posted on the county site, and an engineer’s no-rise certificate is needed for a structure in a floodway. New Madrid County joined the National Flood Insurance Program with flood maps dated September 5, 1990; Canalou, Gideon, Howardville, Lilbourn, Marston, Matthews, Morehouse, New Madrid, North Lilbourn, Parma, Portageville, Risco and Sikeston also take part, while FEMA lists Catron and Tallapoosa as not participating.
911 addresses: to have an address assigned to a parcel, contact the county 911 Director by email; the 911 office is at 350 U.S. Highway 61, Suite A, New Madrid (573-748-2516).
Morehouse tiny houses: Morehouse bars portable tiny houses and sheds as dwellings; a tiny house there must be stick-built on site to the residential code.
Septic systems: the state health department’s Onsite Wastewater Treatment program (573-751-6095 ext. 5) is the permitting authority for New Madrid County; request an application number before work starts. Its application fee has been suspended since August 28, 2026, until new fees are set.
Starting a project in New Madrid County
Find whether the lot is inside a city and whether it lies in a mapped flood zone.
Apply at that city hall: Portageville’s permit office, New Madrid’s city administrator, Sikeston’s Community Development or the town clerk.
Get the free county floodplain permit before building, filling or removing a structure in a flood zone, and ask the 911 Director for an address.
Request a state application number before installing or repairing a system.
Rather not deal with the New Madrid County building department?
Get a free quote →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
New Madrid County permit FAQs
Does New Madrid County, Missouri issue building permits?
Not for general construction. The county issues floodplain permits outside city limits; cities such as Portageville, New Madrid and Sikeston issue building permits.
How much does a New Madrid County floodplain permit cost?
Nothing; the county says its floodplain permits are free.
When do I need a floodplain permit in New Madrid County?
For any construction or other development in a mapped flood zone on county land, including buildings, fences, fill, grading and manufactured homes; the county also says a permit is needed when a structure is removed.
How much is a building permit in Portageville?
$0.10 per sq ft for new construction, with a $20 minimum, including plumbing, electrical and mechanical work.
How do I get a 911 address in New Madrid County?
Email the county 911 Director; the office is at 350 U.S. Highway 61, Suite A, New Madrid.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →New Madrid County permit search and official resources
- New Madrid County floodplain forms, permits and ordinance
- New Madrid County Floodplain Management Ordinance (2021, PDF)
- New Madrid County 911 office (address requests)
- New Madrid County Commission
- New Madrid County road maps
- Missouri DHSS septic (OWTS) permit authority by county
- SEMA emergency and floodplain contacts, New Madrid County
- FEMA Community Status Book: Missouri
- City of New Madrid code of ordinances
- City of Portageville building permits and inspections
- City of Portageville code of ordinances
- City of Morehouse code of ordinances
- City of Matthews code of ordinances
- City of Sikeston Community Development
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about New Madrid County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.