Kingdom City, MO Building Permits, Septic & Home Size Rules

The Village of Kingdom City, Missouri requires a village building permit before work begins, and new homes must have at least 1,400 square feet of living space¹². Septic systems inside the village need a permit signed by the village superintendent³. We could not confirm whether the village has a zoning ordinance, so ask the village office. Callaway County's no-permit rule covers only unincorporated land.

At a glance

Building permit: Required from the village; work may not begin first¹
Building code: 2018 International Building Code with village amendments⁴
Minimum home size: 1,400 sq ft of living space for new homes²
Setbacks: 20 ft from property lines and from other buildings⁵
Septic: Village superintendent permit; $25 fee³
Second home on a lot: One occupied residential structure per lot⁶
Zoning: Not confirmed; ask the village office⁷

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Kingdom City (village hall)

Village building permit applications, village code questions and the village septic permit

573-592-0588

contact@kingdomcitymo.gov

5584 Dunn Drive, Kingdom City, MO, 65262

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Kingdom City means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Kingdom City, Missouri?

Yes. The Village of Kingdom City requires a building permit for residential construction and remodeling inside village limits, and the village form states that no work may begin before the permit is obtained¹. The application needs a site plan, and permit fees are based on the dollar value of the work⁸.

Kingdom City has adopted the 2018 International Building Code with village amendments as its building code⁴. Remodeling may be approved without drawings, but all work is field inspected, and inspections must be scheduled at least 48 hours ahead⁹. We could not find the inspection steps for new homes, so ask the village office what to expect.

This is a village rule. Unincorporated Callaway County does not require building permits¹⁰, so a lot outside the village limits works differently. See the Callaway County page for that land.

Who issues building permits in Kingdom City, and how do you reach them?

The village itself issues building permits, using the Village of Kingdom City building permit application on kingdomcitymo.gov¹. Village hall is at 5584 Dunn Drive, and the phone number is 573-592-0588¹¹. The general building permit fee schedule was not located, so ask village hall for the fee on your project⁸.

Do not send a Kingdom City address to a county planning counter for a building permit: Callaway County states that it requires no building permits in unincorporated areas, and its rules do not cover village land¹⁰.

Does Kingdom City have zoning, and what about minimum size and setbacks?

We could not confirm whether the Village of Kingdom City has a zoning ordinance, so ask the village office before you buy for a specific use. Callaway County has not adopted planning or zoning, and the county names Kingdom City among the incorporated places that may have their own regulations⁷. The county's no-zoning answer does not tell you what the village requires.

The village does set building rules that act like land-use limits. New homes must have at least 1,400 square feet of living space, and homes built before August 2025 are exempt². No building may sit within 20 feet of a property line or within 20 feet of another building⁵. Only one occupied residential structure is allowed on a lot, so a detached second dwelling on the same lot is not allowed as the code is written⁶.

Because the minimum is 1,400 square feet, a tiny home built as a new residence in the village does not meet the size rule¹². We could not confirm village rules on RV living, camping or manufactured homes, so call village hall first¹¹.

How do septic permits work in Kingdom City?

Inside the village, a private septic system is allowed only where a public sanitary or combined sewer is not available, and it needs a written permit signed by the village superintendent before construction starts³. The permit and inspection fee is $25, paid when the application is filed³. No permit is issued for a subsurface soil absorption system on a lot under 10,000 square feet³.

The superintendent may inspect at any stage, and you must call for final inspection before any underground portion is covered¹³. Privies, cesspools and septic tanks are otherwise unlawful in the village¹⁴.

If a public sewer line runs within 150 feet of your property line, the village can require connection within 90 days of official notice, and a septic system must be abandoned once sewer becomes available¹⁵. The sewer tap charge is $250¹⁵. Missouri's septic rules also look to the local permitting authority, so ask village hall whether any county or state permit applies on top of the village permit¹⁶.

Building a home in Kingdom City: the steps, in order

Call village hall at 573-592-0588 to ask whether any zoning ordinance applies to your lot, since we could not confirm one¹¹.
Check the lot against the setback rule and the one-residence-per-lot rule⁵⁶.
Plan a home of at least 1,400 square feet of living space².
Check whether public sewer is within reach of the lot; if not, apply for the village septic permit³.
Submit the village building permit application with a site plan, and do not start work before the permit is issued¹.
Schedule inspections at least 48 hours ahead⁹.

What stays with Callaway County, and what to check before you buy

Land outside the village limits follows Callaway County's rules instead. Unincorporated Callaway County requires no building permit and has not adopted zoning¹⁰¹⁷. A county Right-of-Way Access permit is still required before building a driveway entrance onto a county-maintained road¹⁸, and the county issues a floodplain development permit for mapped flood zones¹⁹. Check the lot's flood status, since the village building permit form asks for it¹.

Separately, a state well permit is required to construct or repair a water well, though landowners may install their own well without one²⁰. We could not confirm well rules inside the village, so ask village hall.

For context on cost, Callaway County's effective property tax rate is²¹% and the median property tax bill is $²² a year.

Watch-outs

We could not confirm whether the Village of Kingdom City has a zoning ordinance, a certificate of occupancy rule, or rules on RVs and manufactured homes, so confirm each with village hall at 573-592-0588 before you buy¹¹.
The 1,400 square foot minimum applies to new residential buildings built after August 2025, and a tiny home or small cabin may not qualify².
A county or neighbor's "no building permit" answer does not apply inside Kingdom City, because the village requires its own building permit¹.

Sources

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of Kingdom City

Village of Kingdom City’s own rules

Building permitRequired
Residential construction and remodeling inside Kingdom City village limits
- A building permit application must be submitted and a site plan provided with the application (village application form).
- Construction may proceed only after the permit is obtained; the form states no work may begin before a permit is issued.
- Permit fees are based on the dollar value of the work.
- Plumbing and electrical permit numbers are tracked on the same village form.
- Private sewage disposal systems and building sewers need a separate village superintendent permit (see septic and utility claims).
“no work may begin prior to obtaining a permit.”
Village of Kingdom City Building Permit Application ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026
Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)
New construction and remodeling inside Kingdom City village limits
- Adopts the 2018 International Building Code with village amendments (Sec. 500.030, Ord. 138, 4-13-2021).
- Adopts the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (Sec. 500.040, Ord. 138).
- Adopts the 1997 edition of the International Plumbing Code (Sec. 500.020, Ord. 63, 1-11-2000); the plumbing edition is older than the building code edition, as written.
- All construction in the village must comply with RSMo 319.200 through 319.207 seismic requirements (Sec. 500.010).
“the 2018 international building code, published by the international code council, inc., is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the building code of the village of kingdom city, missouri”
Chapter 500: Building Regulations - Village of Kingdom City, MO ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026
InspectionsRequired
Residential remodeling inside Kingdom City village limits (as stated on the village form)
- Remodeling may be approved without drawings, but all work is field inspected for code compliance.
- Inspections must be scheduled at least 48 hours in advance.
- Interior systems affected by the permit must be inspected and tested before being covered.
- Inspection requirements for new residential construction are not stated on the form and were not found in Chapter 500.
inspection scheduling notice: >= 48 hours
“residential remodeling may be approved without submitted drawings, but all work will be field inspected for code compliance.”
Village of Kingdom City Building Permit Application ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026
Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified
All new residential buildings inside Kingdom City village limits (no zoning districts identified, so no district split)
- Applies after 8-6-2025 only (Sec. 500.210(a)).
- Living space counts only floor space above ground level, except a lower level with an exterior door and a fully exposed longest wall (Sec. 500.210(b)).
- Pre-existing homes are exempt; a damaged pre-existing home may be rebuilt to its prior size or larger (Sec. 500.210(c)).
minimum living space: >= 1400 sq ft (homes constructed before 2025-08-06 exempt; damaged pre-existing homes may be rebuilt to prior size or larger)
“after the date of this section (8-6-2025), no residential building shall be constructed within the village unless such home has no less than one thousand four hundred (1,400) square feet of living space.”
Chapter 500: Building Regulations - Village of Kingdom City, MO ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026
SetbacksSpecified
All buildings inside Kingdom City village limits (no zoning districts identified, so no district split)
- Applies to new buildings; the code states its purpose is fire protection.
- Applies after 8-6-2025 per the section heading (Ord. 168).
setback from property line: >= 20 ft · separation from any other building: >= 20 ft
“in order to protect against fire, no building shall be built within twenty (20) feet of a property line or within twenty (20) feet of any other building.”
Chapter 500: Building Regulations - Village of Kingdom City, MO ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026
Tiny homesLimited
New residential buildings used as homes inside Kingdom City village limits (tiny homes are not separately defined)
- No residential building may be newly constructed unless it has at least 1,400 square feet of living space (Sec. 500.210(a)).
- Living space counts only floor space above ground level, except that a lower level with an exterior door and a fully exposed longest wall counts (Sec. 500.210(b)).
- Homes built before the section date are exempt; a damaged pre-existing home may be rebuilt to its prior size or larger (Sec. 500.210(c)).
minimum living space for new residential building: >= 1400 sq ft (homes constructed before the section date are exempt)
“after the date of this section (8-6-2025), no residential building shall be constructed within the village unless such home has no less than one thousand four hundred (1,400) square feet of living space.”
Chapter 500: Building Regulations - Village of Kingdom City, MO ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026
Accessory dwellingsLimited
A second occupied residential structure on the same lot inside Kingdom City village limits
- No more than one occupied residential structure is allowed on any single city lot (Sec. 500.220).
- A detached accessory dwelling is therefore not allowed as a second occupied residence on one lot, as written; the code does not define accessory dwelling.
maximum occupied residential structures per lot: 1 count
“no more than one (1) occupied residential structure shall be allowed on any single city lot.”
Chapter 500: Building Regulations - Village of Kingdom City, MO ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026
Septic permitRequired
New private sewage disposal (septic) systems inside Kingdom City village where no public sanitary or combined sewer is available
- Private disposal is allowed only where a public sanitary or combined sewer is not available (Sec. 700.580(a)).
- A written permit signed by the village superintendent is required before construction starts (Sec. 700.580(b)).
- No permit may issue for a subsurface soil absorption system on a lot under 10,000 square feet (Sec. 700.580(d)).
- Construction may not be effective until the installation is completed to the superintendent's satisfaction (Sec. 700.580(c)).
permit and inspection fee: 25 USD (paid at the time the application is filed) · minimum lot area for subsurface soil absorption: >= 10000 sq ft (no permit issued below this lot area)
“a permit and inspection fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) shall be paid to the village at the time the application is filed.”
Article VIII: Sewer And Wastewater - Village of Kingdom City, MO ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026
Septic inspectionRequired
Private sewage disposal systems inside Kingdom City village limits
- The superintendent may inspect the work at any stage of construction (Sec. 700.580(c)).
- The permit applicant must notify the superintendent when the work is ready for final inspection and before any underground portions are covered (Sec. 700.580(c)).
“the applicant for the permit shall notify the superintendent when the work is ready for final inspection, and before any underground portions are covered.”
Article VIII: Sewer And Wastewater - Village of Kingdom City, MO ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026
Off-grid sanitationLimited
Sewage disposal inside Kingdom City village limits without a public sewer connection
- Without public sewer, building sewers may connect to a private system only if it complies with Article VIII and has a superintendent permit (Sec. 700.580(a)-(b)).
- Privies, cesspools and septic tanks are otherwise unlawful, except as the article provides (Sec. 700.550).
- Septic tanks and cesspools may not discharge to a natural outlet (Sec. 700.580(d)).
- Owner must operate and maintain private facilities at no expense to the village (Sec. 700.580(f)).
“except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.”
Article VIII: Sewer And Wastewater - Village of Kingdom City, MO ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026
Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)
A new or existing house or building inside Kingdom City village that abuts a street or right-of-way with a public sanitary or combined sewer within 150 feet of the property line
- Connection is required within 90 days after official notice from the village (Sec. 700.560(a)).
- The owner pays all costs of the building sewer; the sewer tap charge is $250 (Sec. 700.590(c)).
- Once a public sewer becomes available to a septic-served property, a direct connection is required and the septic system must be abandoned (Sec. 700.580(e)).
- Water-service connection requirements were not verified; this claim covers sewer only.
- Ord. 162 (2025-04-02) amended Chapter 700 Water Regulations per the code index; the amended text was not opened.
distance from property line to public sewer that triggers connection: <= 150 ft · connection deadline after official notice: 90 days · sewer tap charge: 250 USD (village installs tap or authorized contractor installs)
“within ninety (90) days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within one hundred fifty (150) of the property line.”
Article VIII: Sewer And Wastewater - Village of Kingdom City, MO ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026
Permit feesVariable (with conditions)
Residential building permits inside Kingdom City village limits
- Building permit fees are based on the dollar value of the construction or remodel (village form).
- The general building permit fee schedule was not located; Chapter 500 Attachment 1 (plumbing permit fee schedule) was listed in the code index but not opened.
- The septic and building sewer permit fee is $25 (Sec. 700.580(b), Sec. 700.590(b)); the sewer tap charge is $250 (Sec. 700.590(c)).
“permit fees are based on the dollar value of the construction/remodel.”
Village of Kingdom City Building Permit Application ↗Re-checked Oct 23, 2026

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Kingdom City or Callaway County directly.

Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders in Kingdom City village limits
Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new or remodeled homes inside Kingdom City village limits
Local zoning — Land inside Kingdom City village limits
Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Kingdom City village limits
Minimum lot size — Lots inside Kingdom City village limits

11 more unanswered

Lot coverage
Building height
Living in an RV
Camping on your land
Manufactured homes
Well permit
Agricultural exemption
Subdividing land
Driveway access
Building in a floodplain
Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Kingdom City publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Callaway County’s page lists the county offices to call.