Boone County, Missouri
Building Inspections

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Online Permit Applications

Permit applications will not be processed until all required information/documentation is received. A site drawing is required to be submitted with all new buildings. A soils report is required to be submitted with all new onsite waste water systems. Processed applications must be paid within 10-days of notification of the application being processed. Failure to pay within 10-days will result in the application being voided and you will need to reapply and resubmit all required documentation.

If you are having problems submitting an application online, make sure you have entered all required fields and have uploaded an attachment, if you have done so you can try to use a different browser (ie: Chrome, Fire Fox, Edge). If you are still unable to submit online you will need to apply in person at our office, we do not accept screen printouts of the application. Our staff does not have the ability to assist in determining why you are unable to submit online.

Building Division Overview

The Boone County Inspections Division is responsible for building inspections in Boone County, Missouri, outside the city limits of Columbia. If you are located inside the City of Columbia please contact their office.

The Boone County Commission adopted building codes in 1985. A program of inspection services began in March 1986 following the adoption of the National B.O.C.A. codes. Boone County adopted 2015 International Codes which will be effective April 1, 2017. All permits issued on and after that date will be subject to the 2015 codes. The addendums to this code may be found under our "regulations" link on the left menu.

All applications for building permits are reviewed for compliance with land use regulations, floodplain regulations, and address requirements. Inspections take place throughout the construction process.

The County Commission adopts regulations on the recommendations of the Building Code Commission. The Code Commission meets as needed to review proposed code changes and amendments. Structures that meet the building code are issued a Certificate of Occupancy. Please allow three business days for the Certificate to be processed and issued.

Types of construction requiring a building permit

Residential Building Permits

To apply for a building permit the applicant will need the following information in order to complete the online permit application:

  • Copy of recorded deed or survey showing proof of ownership;
  • Estimated Cost of Construction;
  • Current property owner information (how the property is listed on the deed), address and phone number;
  • Number of feet from all property lines;
  • Square footage of basement (separate finished and unfinished areas);
  • Square footage of main floor, second floor, garage, carport, breezeway, porch, and decks (all separate);
  • Site drawing showing location of structure, driveway, wastewater system, and any other buildings on the site;
  • Type of foundation;
  • Number of bedrooms and bathrooms;
  • Type of waste water system, either existing or proposed;
    • If a new on-site system is proposed, a soils test will be required to be submitted with the permit application.
    • If you are adding bedrooms or bathrooms, you will need to submit documentation regarding your current on-site wastewater system. (ie: final inspection report, soils tests).
    • Please allow up to seven days for your wastewater permit application to be processed. You will be unable to schedule inspections until processing is complete.
  • Height of building from finished grade to peak;
  • Name of the road that the driveway connects to;
  • Directions to the site from a major highway; and,
  • Total square footage of disturbed area including area being cleared and leveled for new driveway, waste water system, home area, ponds, etc.

If any of the above information is not submitted, a building permit will not be accepted. We must receive payment at the time of application if applying in person. If applying online, you will be emailed once the permit has been processed informing you of the required fee. Acceptable forms of payment are cash, check, or credit/debit card. Permit applications are accepted between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Our offices are closed on all State holidays.

Apply Online

To apply for a permit online click "Apply for Building Permit" at the top of this page. A plot plan is required with every submission. Please note, County email restricts the size of emails to 25 MB or less; if your attachment is larger than this, you will be unable to submit the application. In addition, any field with a red asterisk is required; if any required field is not completed, you will be unable to submit the application. Incomplete forms will not be processed. Once your application is processed you will receive an email with payment information. All applications must include the address, or at minimum, the street name of where the work is taking place and directions to the site from a major highway.

Important Information

  • If an onsite wastewater system is proposed, the wastewater permit application will need to be approved and a site inspection performed before any other inspections are scheduled, this includes footing inspections. For permits without an onsite wastewater system, an inspection may be scheduled 24 hours after Resource Management processes you completed application. An application is not considered complete until ALL required documentation has been received by our office.
  • If you are installing a new driveway on a county maintained road, a pre-site inspection will need to be performed on the proposed driveway location.
  • Permit card must be on site for inspection to take place. Inspectors reserve the right not to inspect if card is not on site.
  • Inspections must be scheduled by calling Resource Management. Inspection requests are not accepted via email and inspectors do not schedule inspections in the field. We do not do inspections prior to 8:00 a.m. or after 3:00 p.m. unless agreed to by the inspector who will perform the inspection. You must have your permit number when scheduling.
  • One inspection per site, per day, unless otherwise agreed to by an inspector.
  • 24-hour notice is required for ALL inspections. You must request an inspection on the previous business day. Inspections are scheduled for AM or PM, we do not set specific times.
  • If a re-inspection is necessary a re-inspection fee of $25 may be charged. This fee must be paid at the Building Inspections Office or online prior to any further inspections being scheduled. The re-inspection fee may be charged if an inspector needs to return to the site for any reason. (examples are: work is not completed when the inspector arrives; deficient items from previous inspection are not corrected; inspector could not gain access to building, property, or specific areas such as attic or crawl space).
  • You must reference your permit number when you call for inspections. NO EXCEPTIONS.
  • Please allow three business days for a temporary or certificate of occupancy to be processed and issued. If you have an upcoming closing where the C.O will be required please schedule your inspection accordingly.

Commercial Building Permits

Please see the links below for information regarding commercial projects in Boone County. All commercial projects must meet zoning, building, fire, health, road, and parking requirements. Please note: All plans have a minimum review time of three weeks.

Our office requires three sets of paper plans as well as a digital copy. In addition, a $300 plan review fee as well as the Fire Marshal plan review fee, if applicable, and a fully completed commercial building permit application must be submitted before the plans will be assigned to an inspector for review. At this time we DO NOT accept emailed plans.

Health Department Requirements

Any daycare or establishment that serves or prepares food in Boone County requires inspection by the Columbia/Boone County Environmental Health Department.

Health Department forms:

You may contact the health department at:

Columbia/​Boone County Environmental Health Department
1005 W. Worley St.
Columbia, MO 65201
(573) 874-7346