In unincorporated St. Francois County, every new development needs a county building permit before work starts. It costs $20 and comes from the County Clerk’s office on the third floor of the County Annex in Farmington (573-756-5411); in a mapped floodplain a floodplain development permit is also required. The county publishes no construction code or inspection program for this permit; plan review and building inspections are run by the cities that have their own programs.
St. Francois County building department: who handles permitting
The county’s permit is a short rural building permit form, issued by the County Clerk at 1 W. Liberty St., Suite 300, Farmington. The form cites Section 137.177 RSMo and asks for the owner, the location and directions to the site, whether the building is a residence, commercial building or factory, the builder, the square footage, the acreage or lots, the estimated cost and the expected completion date. It also asks whether the site is in a floodplain, because a floodplain permit is then needed as well. Septic systems are a separate permit from the St. Francois County Health Center.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| City | Who permits building work |
|---|---|
| Farmington (19,226) | City Development Services Department, 101 S. Jefferson St.; 573-756-0608. Enforces the 2015 International Codes and has proposed moving to the 2024 editions |
| Park Hills (8,753) | City Community Development Department, 9 Bennett St.; 573-431-3577 ext. 32. 2012 International Building and Residential Codes, 2011 National Electrical Code; applications at City Hall with photo ID |
| Bonne Terre (6,636) | City Building Inspector at City Hall, 118 N. Allen St.; 573-358-2254 |
| Desloge (4,819) | City Building Department, City Hall, 300 N. Lincoln St.; 573-431-3700. 2006 International Codes |
| Leadwood (1,158) | City Clerk issues a construction permit for any new structure or addition; City Hall, 708 Bank St., 573-562-7125 |
| Leadington (785) | Board of Aldermen approves each building, structure or lagoon and sets the fee (city code Section 500.020); the written application with two sets of plans goes to the Zoning Administrator (Section 405.1070) |
| Iron Mountain Lake (647) | City Hall issues building permits under Ordinance 85; a city building inspector does the inspections |
| Bismarck (1,224) | Zoning Administrator issues building permits under city code Section 405.140: a written application with two sets of plans, after a utility locate; permits lapse after 6 months without work or 2 years without completion |
Permit fees in the county and its cities
The county permit is a flat $20. City fees vary widely, so a project on the edge of a city should first confirm which side of the line it is on.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Jurisdiction | Fee for a new house or addition |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated county | $20 rural building permit, plus a floodplain permit in mapped flood areas |
| Farmington | $0.073 per sq ft, $75 minimum, $1,875 maximum |
| Park Hills | No fee on the floor area of a single-family home; detached garages $0.075 per sq ft; two-family homes $0.075 per sq ft ($50 minimum); trade permits $30 each |
| Desloge | $0.075 per sq ft, $75 minimum, plus $30 for each footing, foundation, trade and final inspection |
| Bonne Terre | $1 per $1,000 of construction cost, $10 minimum |
| Leadwood | Residential under $25,000: $5; over $25,000: $10 |
| Iron Mountain Lake | $125 for a home or addition, inspections included |
| Bismarck | $25 application fee for a new dwelling or a major remodel (Section 405.145, 2023); fence permit $10 |
Other city charges worth knowing: Desloge charges $50 for each re-inspection and $50 for a driveway permit; Park Hills licenses every contractor ($25 a year with a $10,000 bond under a May 2026 ordinance) and caps City Engineer plan review at $500; Bonne Terre charges $25 for a residential occupancy inspection; and new owners in Iron Mountain Lake pay $50 for an occupancy permit.
Floodplain and septic rules
Floodplain: the county’s Floodplain Management Ordinance 2011-01, adopted March 29, 2011, uses the June 16, 2011 flood insurance study. New or substantially improved homes in A and AE zones must have the lowest floor, basement included, at least 1 ft above the base flood elevation; other buildings are raised 1 ft or floodproofed with an engineer’s or architect’s certificate. A detached garage or storage building of 400 sq ft or less may be built at grade and wet-floodproofed only with a variance and a floodplain permit. Flood maps can be viewed at the Floodplain Manager’s office, 1 W. Liberty St., Suite 200 (573-431-6505 ext. 105, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), and the floodplain administrator presented revised flood maps to the County Commission on October 5, 2026.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →The county and Bonne Terre, Desloge, Farmington, Iron Mountain Lake, Leadwood and Park Hills take part in the National Flood Insurance Program; FEMA lists Bismarck among communities not in the program. Each participating city has its own floodplain administrator.
Septic systems: the St. Francois County Health Center’s Environmental Health Department, 1025 W. Main St., Park Hills (573-431-1947), issues construction permits for new septic systems and major repairs under the county’s ordinance; its FAQ asks owners installing a system on less than 3 acres, or putting more than one system on 10 acres, to call the environmental office first. The application goes in with a system design plan and a soil morphology report, and both the soil scientist and the installer must be registered with the state health department.
Getting a rural building permit
Farmington, Bonne Terre and Desloge annexed land in 2025 and 2026, so check the parcel before choosing the office.
View the maps at the Floodplain Manager’s office; in a mapped area, file the floodplain development application with the building permit.
Submit the design plan and soil report to the Health Center before installing a system.
Fill in the rural building permit form and pay $20 at the Annex, third floor, before work starts.
Rather not deal with the St. Francois 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
St. Francois County permit FAQs
Do I need a building permit in unincorporated St. Francois County?
Yes. All new development needs the county building permit, which costs $20 at the County Clerk’s office in the County Annex, Farmington.
Does the county inspect new houses?
The county publishes no building code or inspection schedule for its $20 permit. Building inspections are run by the cities that issue their own permits, such as Farmington, Park Hills, Desloge and Bonne Terre.
How high must a house in the floodplain be built?
Under the county ordinance, the lowest floor, including a basement, must be at least 1 ft above the base flood elevation, and a floodplain development permit is required.
Who issues septic permits?
The St. Francois County Health Center in Park Hills (573-431-1947), which needs a design plan and soil morphology report with the application.
Is a new house permit free in Park Hills?
The city code charges no fee on the floor area of a single-family home, but detached garages, trade permits and other permits still have fees.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →St. Francois County permit search and official resources
- St. Francois County floodplain and building permit information
- St. Francois County Clerk forms and permits
- St. Francois County rural building permit form
- St. Francois County Floodplain Management Ordinance 2011-01
- Local floodplain administrators in St. Francois County
- St. Francois County Health Center wastewater treatment
- St. Francois County Health Center FAQs
- City of Bismarck zoning code (building permits, Sec. 405.140)
- FEMA Community Status Book: Missouri
- City of Farmington buildings and permits
- City of Park Hills Community Development
- City of Bonne Terre building inspector
- City of Desloge Building Department
- City of Iron Mountain Lake permits and forms
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about St. Francois County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.