On unincorporated Taney County land, Taney County Planning & Zoning, 207 David Street, Forsyth (417-546-7225), issues the construction permit for houses, additions, non-farm accessory buildings over 100 sq ft and commercial buildings, and it is also the state’s septic permitting office for the county. A house permit is $75 per lot and a complete application is processed within 10 working days. The county permit checks zoning rules such as setbacks, height and access; the county’s posted regulations adopt no model building code.
What needs a county permit in Taney County?
The Zoning Regulations apply to all public and private development in unincorporated Taney County, and no structure may be built, moved, altered or reconstructed without a construction permit from the Planning Administrator. The department’s permit list:
Permit needed
- New houses, manufactured homes and additions (residential building permit)
- Accessory buildings over 100 sq ft that are not agricultural
- Commercial, church, industrial and multi-family buildings and commercial additions
- Telecommunication towers, which also need a conditional use permit in the cases the regulations list
- Land disturbance of more than 1 acre that is not agricultural
- Off-premise signs over 32 sq ft
- Nightly rentals (in some districts), home occupations and temporary structures (conditional use permit)
No county permit
- Agricultural structures (a house is never treated as one)
- Residential above-ground pools that are not inside a structure
- Repairs and maintenance that do not enlarge the footprint by more than 100 sq ft
Taney County building department: who handles permitting
Planning & Zoning, led by Administrator Cody Stice, handles zoning, subdivisions, construction permits, land disturbance, signs and onsite sewage permits, and is the county floodplain administrator listed by the state emergency agency. Office: 207 David Street, Forsyth; mail to P.O. Box 383, Forsyth, MO 65653; phone 417-546-7225, fax 417-546-6861. The Planning Commission holds the public hearings on rezonings and major subdivisions.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who permits building work |
|---|---|
| Branson (12,921 in Taney; part in Stone County) | City Planning & Development, Building Division, 110 W. Maddux St., Suite 215 (417-337-8549): 2018 International codes and 2017 National Electrical Code; every application goes through Citizenserve |
| Hollister (4,690) | City Building and Planning (417-337-9756), with a Building Permit Portal on iWorQ: 2024 International Building and Residential Codes (adopted September 19, 2024) and 2023 National Electrical Code (Ordinance 23-22, August 2023) |
| Forsyth (2,752) | City Building Department at City Hall, 15405 US Highway 160 (417-546-4763): 2021 International codes and 2020 National Electrical Code; applications are picked up and returned at City Hall |
| Merriam Woods (2,084) | City Hall, 4417 State Highway 176 (417-561-4341); the city code on eCode360 adopts the 2003 International Building and Residential Codes and sets its own permit fees, and the state lists the city floodplain administrator at 4401 State Highway 176 (417-561-1001) |
| Rockaway Beach (816) | City Inspector (417-594-1214); the city code adopts the 2000 International codes |
| Bull Creek (405) | No village code or permit form is published online; the state lists the village floodplain administrator at 1886 State Highway F (417-561-1111) |
| Saddlebrooke (41 in Taney; mostly Christian County) | Village Hall, 776 Saddlebrooke Dr., Suite A-1 (417-443-6500): plans go to the village Zoning Administrator, then Christian County issues the building permit and its inspectors check the work (village Ordinance 2011-06, revised August 14, 2019); work may not stop for 90 days in a row and must be finished within 12 months |
| Kirbyville (205), Taneyville (270) | The published sources do not say; ask the village |
| Unincorporated county | Taney County Planning & Zoning: construction, land disturbance, sign and conditional use permits, septic permits and floodplain |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Taney County permit fees
Fees come from the Application Fees page attached to the county’s building permit application (March 2025) and are paid by check or cash.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| House or manufactured home | $75 per lot |
| Addition to a house or manufactured home | $75 |
| Accessory building (decks, storage and similar) | $25 |
| Commercial building permit | $150 per footprint |
| Land disturbance permit | $75 |
| Sign permit | $50 |
| Rezoning, conditional use permit, variance, appeal, planned unit development or major subdivision | $200 each |
| Minor subdivision, amended or final plat, replat | $50 |
The state septic application form the county posts still shows a $90 state fee; the state health department suspended that fee from August 28, 2026 until it sets new fees.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Applying for a Taney County construction permit
Make sure the lot is outside Branson, Hollister, Forsyth, Merriam Woods, Rockaway Beach and the villages, and check its zoning district.
Bring the permit from whoever approves the wastewater system: a sewer district or, for a septic system, Planning & Zoning itself.
Show the structure, its height, the point of access and the distance to every lot line; setbacks are measured to the outermost part, including decks and overhangs.
Attach a deed or tax statement naming the owner and the legal description; commercial projects also need the fire protection district’s permit.
The owner signs the application; complete applications are processed within 10 working days, and incomplete ones are not processed.
A permit lasts up to one year; send the county’s extension or reissue form before it runs out.
Septic, floodplain and nightly rentals
Septic permits: under a participation agreement with the state health department that the County Commission approved in June 2025, Planning & Zoning reviews onsite sewage applications, issues the permits and inspects new and repaired systems. Its page says a permit is needed for property under 3 acres, commercial systems below 3,000 gallons a day (larger ones go to the Department of Natural Resources), any lot bordering a Corps of Engineers or utility-controlled lake whatever its size, and more than one structure on onsite systems without 10 acres for each. The state rule behind it (RSMo 701.031) excludes a single-family lot of 3 acres or more only when every part of the system is more than 10 feet from the property lines and no effluent leaves the lot, pollutes water or causes a nuisance.
Pump-out program: the county pays to pump the septic tank of a single-family home, once per location every four years while funding lasts; homes that have sewer available and choose not to connect do not qualify.
Floodplain: Taney County takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program with flood maps dated March 15, 2012, under its Amended Floodplain Management Ordinance. The building permit application asks whether the lot is in the 100-year floodplain. FEMA’s status book lists Forsyth among Missouri communities that do not participate.
Rather not deal with the Taney County building department?
Get a free quote →Nightly rentals: a nightly rental always needs a zoning certificate; it is allowed outright in the NR-1, NR-3 and C-2 districts and needs a conditional use permit in the A-1, RR-1, RV-1 and C-1 districts. Occupancy is capped at two people plus two per bedroom (never more than 20), with one off-street parking space for every two guests; the owner must show a Missouri sales tax licence, pass an annual fire district inspection unless the district waives it, and name a 24-hour local representative based in Taney or a neighbouring county.
Land disturbance: non-farm grading of more than 1 acre needs its own $75 permit under the county’s stormwater and erosion control regulations.
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
Taney County permit FAQs
Does Taney County require a building permit?
Yes, on unincorporated land: Planning & Zoning issues a construction permit for houses, manufactured homes, additions, non-farm accessory buildings over 100 sq ft and commercial buildings. It checks zoning rules rather than a model building code.
How much is a Taney County building permit?
$75 per lot for a house or manufactured home, $75 for an addition, $25 for an accessory building and $150 per footprint for a commercial building.
Do I need a permit for a shed or barn?
A non-agricultural accessory building over 100 sq ft needs a $25 permit. Agricultural structures need no county permit.
Who issues septic permits in Taney County?
Taney County Planning & Zoning, 207 David Street, Forsyth (417-546-7225), which handles the state onsite sewage program for the county.
How long does a Taney County permit take and how long is it good for?
A complete application is processed within 10 working days, and the permit is valid for up to one year unless an extension is requested in writing before it expires.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Who permits building work in Branson, Hollister or Forsyth?
Each city runs its own building department: Branson Planning & Development (417-337-8549), Hollister Building and Planning (417-337-9756) and the Forsyth Building Department (417-546-4763).
Taney County permit search and official resources
- Taney County Planning & Zoning
- Taney County Planning & Zoning applications and forms
- Taney County building permit application and fee page (March 2025)
- Taney County zoning, subdivision and stormwater regulations
- Taney County onsite septic permitting
- Taney County septic tank pump-out program
- Missouri DHSS septic (OWTS) permit authority by county
- SEMA floodplain and emergency contacts, Taney County
- FEMA Community Status Book: Missouri
- City of Forsyth Building Department
- City of Hollister Building and Planning
- City of Hollister code of ordinances
- City of Merriam Woods code of ordinances
- City of Rockaway Beach municipal code
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Taney County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.