Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Wildwood, Missouri

Wildwood’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New construction and alterations inside Wildwood city limits under the city's adopted building/swimming pool and spa code.

  • The city adopts the St. Louis County building/swimming pool and spa code by reference, not a state-model code edition directly.
  • The city's building code may be enforced under a contractual arrangement between the city and St. Louis County (section 500.020(a)).
  • Editor's note: the 2019 St. Louis County building code was adopted with no city amendments.
  • Residential code (section 500.035) and existing building code (section 500.037) are separate adoptions not verified here.

  “the st. louis county building/swimming pool and spa, building code, chapter 1115, including the swimming pool and spa code, chapter 1118, slcro 27,654 (approved 12/18/19, adopted 04/01/20), as amended, is hereby adopted as the building/swimming pool and spa code, as amended, of the city of wildwood, missouri”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Wildwood city limits; the city's own Chapter 415 Zoning Regulations govern residence district dimensional standards there.

  • Chapter 415 is the city's adopted zoning code and contains residence, park, non-urban, floodplain and other district regulations.
  • Zoning-only topics that were not separately verified remain unknown.

  “the minimum lot area and yard requirements for land uses and developments in the "r-1a" residence district as well as the maximum density of nursing home self-care units shall be as set out below:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Residence, park, non-urban and other zoning districts of Wildwood city limits

  • Districts are published in Chapter 415; the zoning map was not opened.

  “section 415.060 district regulations. section 415.070 "fp" floodplain district regulations. section 415.080 "ps" park and scenic district regulations. section 415.090 "nu" non-urban residence district regulations.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwelling in the NU non-urban residence district inside Wildwood city limits (rural-residential/agricultural-type district)

  • Figure is the minimum lot area in the NU non-urban residence district table for a single-family dwelling.
  • Lots in this district are subject to the chapter's other conditions, which were not verified.

  minimum lot area, single-family dwelling, NU: >= 3 acres

  “administrative offices and educational facilities — religious 4 acres child-care center 3 acres church 3 acres dwelling, single-family 3 acres”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family dwelling on a lot in the R-1A residence district inside Wildwood city limits (main single-family residential district)

    “use minimum area child-care center 30,000 square feet church 3 acres dwelling, single-family 22,000 square feet”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  A new home inside Wildwood city limits, with plumbing fixtures or drainage piping, where a public sanitary sewer is available

  • Connection is required only if a public sanitary sewer is available; availability is defined as a sanitary sewer line within 200 feet of any part of the property.
  • Connection must comply with the plumbing code and regulations adopted under it.
  • Water connection requirements were not verified.

  sanitary sewer availability distance: <= 200 feet (measured to any part of the property to be connected)

  “a sanitary sewer shall be deemed available when a sanitary sewer line is within two hundred (200) feet of any part of the property to be connected to the sewer.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Wildwood city limits

  • Subdivision and development rules are in Chapter 420 of the city code; the approval steps and standards were not opened.

  “chapter 420 subdivision and development regulations (section 420.010 &ndash; section 420.410)”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Wildwood or St. Louis County directly.

• Building permit — New single-family construction inside Wildwood city limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Wildwood city limits
• Inspections — Inspections of new homes inside Wildwood city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new homes inside Wildwood city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area for single-family homes inside Wildwood city limits

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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