Smithville, Missouri Building Permit Guide

Smithville issues its own building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits through the City’s Development Department; Clay County does not permit inside city limits. A new house is charged $0.60 per square foot of finished space and $0.30 per square foot of unfinished space plus a plan review fee, and from November 1, 2026 the water impact fee for a standard 3/4-inch meter rises to $4,220.

What requires a building permit in Smithville?

A permit is needed to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or structure, or to change its occupancy. Minor non-structural work such as painting, wallpaper, cabinets and similar finish work is exempt.

Smithville building department: who handles permitting

The Development Department handles everything to do with building and subdividing land in Smithville through its Planning and Zoning, Building Inspection and Code Enforcement divisions. Jack Hendrix is the Development Director. The office is reached from the West Meadow Street entrance to City Hall. Almost all of Smithville lies in Clay County; the Census counts a single resident in its Platte County part. City permits apply across the whole city.

The department’s inspections are audited every five years under the Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule used by insurers; the 2021 audit rated Smithville 4 for commercial and 5 for residential work.

Smithville permit applications

Applications can be emailed to development@smithvillemo.org or brought to City Hall; permits and invoices are sent by email or picked up at City Hall. The City publishes separate forms for:

• Building permit for new houses, commercial buildings, additions, basement finishes and tenant finishes, with the project value (excluding the lot), finished and unfinished square footage, and the master licence numbers of the electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors.
• Incidental construction for fences, outbuildings, solar and stand-alone electrical, mechanical or plumbing work.
• Deck, pool, demolition, grading, lawn sprinkler and sign permits.
• Residential driveway approach and City sidewalk and right-of-way permits.
• Short-term rental and backyard hen permits.

Every application must include a site plan showing the buildings and property lines with dimensions, and projects with walls or floors, including decks, must show how the structural parts will be built.

Smithville permit fees

The Board of Aldermen sets fees in a Comprehensive Schedule of Fees during the budget process. The FY2026 schedule (Resolution 1520, October 21, 2025) took effect on November 1, 2025, and Resolution 1614, passed on September 1, 2026, sets the FY2027 schedule effective November 1, 2026. It leaves building permit fees unchanged.

For example, a house with 2,000 sq ft of finished space and a 1,000 sq ft unfinished basement pays $1,200 plus $300, or $1,500, in building permit fees before plan review, trade permits and impact fees. Work begun before a permit is issued is charged double.

Lots served by the North Force Main pay a further $279 connection fee per lot; Stonebridge connections are $3,900 per gallon per minute instead of impact fees.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Smithville

The Development Department issues trade permits, either as part of a new building permit or on the incidental construction application. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors must give a master’s licence issued by a city that proctors a nationally recognized exam.

Occupation licence: every business located in Smithville or doing work there, including contractors, needs a City occupation licence, valid December 1 to November 30. A new licence is $75, falling to $50 from March 1 and $25 after May 31; renewals are $75. City code bars issuing a building permit to an unlicensed contractor. Bill No. 3136-26, which would revise the business-licence rules, was on the Board’s October 20, 2026 agenda; its outcome is not yet in posted minutes.

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

How to get a Smithville building permit

Smithville inspections

Inspections are requested on the City’s online inspection request form and are done during business hours: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from April 15 to October 15, and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from October 16 to April 14. Allow at least 4 hours’ notice, or 24 hours for an all-trades rough-in inspection. Trade rough and final inspections are $10 each on the fee schedule, and each extra trade inspection is $25.

The City’s FAQ describes the occupancy permit as its way of enforcing the property maintenance code: an inspection checks that the house or apartment is safe to occupy, and “occupancy is illegal without an occupancy permit.”

Local Smithville rules

Floodplain: Smithville is in the National Flood Insurance Program on Clay County flood maps dated August 3, 2015. The City Administrator or a designee is the floodplain administrator, every structure in an A or AE zone needs its own floodplain development permit, and new or substantially improved homes must have the lowest floor, including the basement, at least 1 foot above the base flood level.

Short-term rentals: each short-term rental unit needs a City permit, with annual permits and inspections under Chapter 625 of the City Code.

Code cycle: the City says it updates its codes every six years to keep its insurance ratings; the 2018 codes have been in force since Ordinance 3077-20 of November 2, 2020.

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

Smithville building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Smithville?

The City of Smithville Development Department, for all property inside city limits.

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

$0.60 per square foot finished and $0.30 per square foot unfinished, plus $100–$150 plan review, trade permits ($125 electrical, $67 plumbing, $65 mechanical) and impact fees.

What are Smithville’s impact fees?

From November 1, 2026, $4,220 for water and $2,800 for wastewater on a 3/4-inch meter.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Not to replace shingles, but replacing roof decking needs a permit.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Smithville?

Yes, if the homeowner owns or occupies the home; contractors need a City occupation licence.

How much notice do inspections need?

At least 4 hours, or 24 hours for an all-trades rough-in inspection.

Can I email my permit application?

Yes. The Development Department accepts applications at development@smithvillemo.org.

Smithville 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.

• Missouri professional registration
• Smithville building inspections and adopted codes
• Smithville permit applications
• Smithville “When do I need a permit?” sheet
• Smithville building permit application
• Smithville Schedule of Fees page
• Smithville Resolution 1614, FY2027 Schedule of Fees (effective November 1, 2026)
• Smithville FY2026 Comprehensive Schedule of Fees
• Smithville inspection request form
• Smithville occupation licence
• Smithville City Code Chapter 500, building code
• Smithville floodplain overlay district regulations
• Smithville City Code Chapter 625, short-term rentals

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