What changes a site plan in Missouri
Missouri runs no statewide site plan review and has no statewide building code for private construction; counties adopt codes under RSMo 64.170, and the city or county that governs the parcel decides the plan [2]. Five Missouri conditions decide how a concept is drawn and taken through review.
The preliminary plan needs no seal. Licensees must "affix the seal to all final technical submissions," which include "drawings, specifications, plats, surveys, exhibits, reports," and subsection 4 adds: "Nothing in this section... shall require any professional to seal preliminary or incomplete documents" (RSMo 327.411) [1]. Concept site plans and renderings are preliminary documents; the sealed set comes later.
Check the building code jurisdiction first. First and second classification county commissions may adopt building regulations, and a county without a code by August 28, 2001 needs voter approval on the question "Shall ___ (insert name of county) have authority to create, adopt and impose a county building code?" (RSMo 64.170) [2]. Where no local code exists, new lodging shows design certification to "the 2002 Edition of a national code(s)" by a PE, architect or general contractor (19 CSR 20-3.050) [7]. For cabins at a rural RV park, that certification may be the only life-safety check.
In St. Louis the sewer district shapes the plan. MSD reviews "All public or private sewerage and drainage works" within its boundaries [8], and BMPs on new development must "reduce the volume of discharged rainfall to the site's pre-construction condition to the maximum extent practicable" [9]. Review costs $450 at submittal plus $375 per acre [4]. The BMP reserve areas are laid out on the concept; their design is the engineer's.
Kansas City puts the plan into the zoning. Chapter 88 sets plan review (88-516), development plans (88-517), project plans (88-518) and site plans (88-530), and the City Council acts on development plans [10, 11]. A development plan is required for a residential development of 50 dwelling units or more, and once approved it is treated as part of the zoning for the site (88-517-02-A, 88-517-09-A) [10].
MoDOT frontage fixes the entrances. Any work on Commission right of way needs a permit, districts approve entrances in normal access right of way through a "Permit to Work on Right of Way," and "Entrances within No Access Right of Way shall not be permitted" [12]. Sight distance is measured with 3.5 ft eye and object heights (EPG 233.1) [13]. On a state route, entrance locations are settled before internal circulation is drawn.
Approval layers
| Layer | Who acts | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Counties of the first and second classification | The county commission adopts building regulations and permits | RSMo 64.170 [2] |
| Charter counties | Charters for counties over 85,000 people, or first-class counties after two years; charter counties "shall be a separate class of counties," with legislative power over municipal-type services in unincorporated areas | Mo. Const. Art. VI §18(a), (c) [14] |
| The five charter counties | St. Louis County, Jackson, St. Charles, Jefferson and Clay; Clay's "county constitution" took effect January 1, 2021 | State Treasurer list [3, 15] |
| City of St. Louis | An independent city | [16] |
| St. Louis sewerage and drainage | MSD; planning and zoning stay with the 59 municipalities and St. Louis County under the shared Phase II permit | MSD [8, 9] |
| State routes | MoDOT district permits | EPG 941 [12] |
| Construction stormwater | Missouri DNR: MORA for private sites, MOR100 for city, county, state or federal land | 10 CSR 20-6.200 [5, 6] |
| Lodging | Department of Health and Senior Services license where five or more guest rooms are provided, with annual inspection | RSMo 315.005; 19 CSR 20-3.050 [7, 17] |
Who prepares and seals what
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Seal | On all final technical submissions; not required on preliminary or incomplete documents (RSMo 327.411, as amended by SB 1233 effective August 28, 2026) [1] |
| Exemptions | A dwelling house, a two-family dwelling, and a building for not more than nine persons under 2,000 sq ft (RSMo 327.101, 2025 text) [18] |
| Board guidance | Commercial exemptions are "very few. ONLY those that are under 2,000 square feet." [19] |
| MSD formal review | "One set of plans prepared and sealed by an engineer registered in the State of Missouri" starts project review [8] |
| MSD conceptual review | Basic or Detailed Conceptual Review at $470, with "no project number assigned" [4] |
The preliminary site plan is the preliminary document RSMo 327.411(4) describes: layout, buildings, drives, parking, pads, units and yield, with a site data table [1]. It suits a concept meeting with city or county staff and MSD's conceptual review [4]. The Missouri-registered engineer of record seals the MSD formal review set and the final technical submissions, building them on the preliminary plan [1, 8]. Do I need an architect for a site plan and who prepares a site plan cover the professions.
St. Louis County, Kansas City and MSD
| Jurisdiction | Process | Fee | Approval | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis County (unincorporated) | Site Plan Review, Zoning Ordinance §1003.179 [20] | $300 review fee with the initial submission [20] | Staff for straight-zoned "S.P." plans; the Planning Commission for "P.C." plans tied to rezoning [21] | A weekly Wednesday parking, circulation and landscaping meeting; "If on MoDOT right-of-way, review/permits may be required." [20, 21] |
| Kansas City, MO | Chapter 88 plan review, development plan, project plan and site plan [10, 11] | Not stated | The City Council for development plans [10] | The City Plan Commission meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays [22] |
| MSD (St. Louis City and County) | MSD rules, regulations and engineering design requirements [8] | $450 submittal; $375 per acre review; $470 conceptual [4] | MSD Engineering [8] | Initial review "within two to three weeks" [23] |
| Unincorporated Jackson County | Unified Development Code, County Code ch. 240, effective June 1, 1995; §24001.4 applies to all unincorporated land [24, 25] | Not stated | The County Legislature makes the final decision on planned developments (§24003.18) [24] | |
| Lee's Summit | Preliminary development plan and final development plan [26] | Commercial PDP $2,175 (2024 record); FDP $600 (2019 record) [27, 28] | PDP: Commission, then Council; FDP: administrative [26] |
The MSD fee table still posts rates "On or after February 1, 2018" [4]. The Kansas City metro page covers both sides of the state line, and the Kansas page sets out the Johnson County and Overland Park rules.
Statewide overlays
| Overlay | Rule |
|---|---|
| Construction stormwater | Permit coverage under 10 CSR 20-6.200 for one or more acres disturbed, or less than one acre in a common plan; MORA for private sites, MOR100 for public land [5, 6] |
| Single home lots | An individual building a home on their own lot is not part of the common plan unless the lot is 1 acre or more [29] |
| Applications | MORA applications go through DNR ePermitting on Form G [30] |
| St. Louis post-construction | BMPs reduce discharged rainfall volume to the pre-construction condition to the maximum extent practicable [9] |
| Streambank buffers in St. Louis | MSD has no streambank buffer rules; buffers are municipal [31] |
| Lodging life safety | An occupancy permit, or where no local code exists, design certified to "the 2002 Edition of a national code(s)" [7] |
| State highway access | Controlled access changes carry a $100 application fee; traffic impact analysis is suggested at 100 or more peak hour driveway trips or a 20% increase (EPG 905.3.2) [12, 32] |
Asset rules that reach the plan
| Asset class | Jurisdiction | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels, motels, resorts and cabins | Statewide | A lodging license where five or more guest rooms are provided, with annual inspection (RSMo 315.005, 19 CSR 20-3.050) [7, 17]; the license expires September 30 each year (RSMo 315.015) [33] |
| RV parks and private campgrounds | Statewide | RSMo 537.328 defines a "private campground" as 5 or more campsites, RV parks included, for liability purposes only [34] |
| Cabin RV resort wastewater | Example | DNR permit CP0002233 (Getaway Osceola, LLC): 45 micro cabin RVs on 331 acres, 119 PE, a 4,940 gpd design flow and a $300 operating permit application fee [35] |
| Gas stations | Kansas City | No new gas station within 2,000 ft of another fuel sales use or within 200 ft of an R district (§88-347-02-A, Ordinance 240861, September 26, 2024); approval through a development plan without a special use permit; canopy lighting 10 to 45 fc; poles 22 ft maximum [36] |
| Car washes | Kansas City | The code counts car washes as drive-through facilities (§88-805-04) [37] |
| Car washes | Lee's Summit | A special use permit is required; Bill 23-207 granted a 20-year SUP in CP-2 [38] |
| Self storage | Kansas City | All units gain access from the interior of the building or site; doors may not face the street or be visible from right of way, with exceptions for state highway frontage at 100 ft or more with screening, and may not face an abutting R or DR district unless 100 ft away and screened (88-369-02) [39] |
| RV and boat storage with self storage | Kansas City | Up to 25 percent of the site for outdoor storage of operational RVs, commercial vehicles and watercraft, not adjacent to right of way or R and DR districts, and screened (88-369-02) [39] |
Kansas City's gas station spacing followed a moratorium that ran until August 8, 2024 [40]. Layout standards for each class sit on the gas station, car wash, self storage, RV storage, hotel and RV park hubs.
What the preliminary plan carries in Missouri
A Missouri preliminary plan is drawn unsealed under RSMo 327.411(4) [1] and is checked first against the body that governs the parcel: the county code, or none, under RSMo 64.170 [2]; MSD in St. Louis City and County [8]; Chapter 88 in Kansas City [10]; and MoDOT where the site fronts a state route [12]. Its site data table shows disturbed acreage against the one-acre DNR line [5], MSD review acreage [4], unit counts against Kansas City's 50-unit development plan threshold [10], and, for fuel sites, the distance to the nearest fuel use and R district [36]. A developer uses it with staff, lenders and the general contractor before the engineer of record seals the final set.
Missouri borders Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky; service areas lists every state page.
Frequently asked questions
Does Missouri have a statewide building code?
Not for private construction. Counties may adopt one under RSMo 64.170, with voter approval if not adopted before August 28, 2001 [2].
Which Missouri counties are charter counties?
St. Louis County, Jackson, St. Charles, Jefferson and Clay, on the State Treasurer's list [3].
Must a preliminary site plan be sealed in Missouri?
No. RSMo 327.411(4) says nothing in the section requires a professional to seal preliminary or incomplete documents. Final technical submissions are sealed [1].
What does MSD charge for plan review?
$450 at submittal plus $375 per acre for review, and $470 for a conceptual review [4].
How long is MSD's first review?
MSD says initial review takes place within two to three weeks [23].
When is a land disturbance permit required in Missouri?
What does St. Louis County site plan review cost?
A $300 review fee with the initial submission (Zoning Ordinance §1003.179) [20].
When does a hotel or cabin resort need a state lodging license?
Where five or more guest rooms are provided (RSMo 315.005) [17].
Sources
- 1)RSMo 327.411, Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 2)RSMo 64.170, Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 3)List of eligible cities and counties (charter counties), Missouri State Treasurer. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 4)Development review fees, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 5)PUB0223, land disturbance permits, Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 6)Construction land disturbance permits, Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 7)Requirements for obtaining a lodging license (existing, new or renovated), 19 CSR 20-3.050, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 8)Development review, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 9)Stormwater quality, BMP toolbox, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 10)Kansas City Zoning and Development Code 88-517, development plan review and approval, City of Kansas City, Missouri (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 11)Kansas City Zoning and Development Code 88-516, plan review, City of Kansas City, Missouri (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 12)Engineering Policy Guide, Category 941, permits and access requests, Missouri Department of Transportation. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 13)Engineering Policy Guide 233.1, at-grade intersections, driveways and entrances, Missouri Department of Transportation. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 14)Missouri Constitution, Article VI (text as of August 28, 2015), Missouri Senate. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 15)Government, Clay County, Missouri. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 16)Counties in Missouri, Ballotpedia. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 17)RSMo 315.005, definitions, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 18)RSMo 327.101 (2025 text), Missouri Revisor of Statutes (text via Justia). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 19)Brochure regarding the use of professional seals, Chapter 327, Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors and Professional Landscape Architects. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 20)Review process, St. Louis County Department of Planning. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 21)Site development plan review process, St. Louis County Department of Planning. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 22)About the City Plan Commission (CPC), City of Kansas City, Missouri. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 23)Development review FAQs, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 24)Jackson County Unified Development Code, Jackson County, Missouri. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 25)Unincorporated Jackson County building permits (August 2022), Jackson County, Missouri, Public Works. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 26)Department of Planning and Development document, City of Lee's Summit. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 27)Planning application status, PL2019238, City of Lee's Summit. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 28)Planning application status, planning ID 7356, City of Lee's Summit. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 29)Construction or Land Disturbance Master General Stormwater Permit MORA00000, Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 30)Form G, land disturbance stormwater general permit application, Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 31)What we do FAQs, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 32)Engineering Policy Guide 905.3, transportation impact analysis, Missouri Department of Transportation. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 33)RSMo 315.015, Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- 34)RSMo 537.328, Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 35)Permit No. CP0002233, Getaway Osceola WWTF, Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 36)File 240861 (gas station location standards, Ordinance 240861), City of Kansas City, Missouri, City Clerk. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 37)File 230310 (car wash and drive-through definitions), City of Kansas City, Missouri, City Clerk. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 38)Bill No. 23-207, City of Lee's Summit. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 39)Kansas City Zoning and Development Code 88-369, self-storage warehouse, City of Kansas City, Missouri (via Municode). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 40)Gas station moratorium record, City of Kansas City, Missouri, City Clerk. Accessed 2026-10-10.