County Building Permits
Cape Girardeau County, MO - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
County offices serve unincorporated Cape Girardeau County. The county assessor expressly notes that building permits inside the cities of Cape Girardeau and Jackson are obtained from those cities, not from the county
- Department
- Cape Girardeau County Building; floodplain review handled by Cape Girardeau County Floodplain Management
- Address
- 1 Barton Square, Suite 301, Jackson, MO 63755 for Building; 1 Barton Square, Suite 202, Jackson, MO 63755 for Floodplain Management
- Phone
- (573) 987-5050 for Building; (573) 243-2468 for Floodplain Management
Online Permit Portal
Platform: None identified publicly • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Confirm the project parcel is in unincorporated Cape Girardeau County and not inside the City of Cape Girardeau or City of Jackson
- Contact Cape Girardeau County Building directly to confirm permit triggers, required forms, and current submission method because no public application packet was located on the county site
- If the site is in a special flood hazard area, coordinate with the county Floodplain Management office and obtain the required floodplain development approval before starting work
- Submit the county-requested plans, forms, and supporting approvals directly to county staff
- Wait for county review, satisfy any requested revisions, then obtain the issued permit before construction
Typical processing time: No public estimate located
General Requirements
Public county web content is thin for general building permits. At minimum, the county floodplain page states a floodplain development permit is required before erection, construction, reconstruction, placement, enlargement, alteration, repair, replacement, relocation, or improvement of any structure, and before mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, or drilling in a flood hazard area
Required Documents
- When a permit is required: Public county web content is thin for general building permits. At minimum, the county floodplain page states a floodplain development permit is required before erection, construction, reconstruction, placement, enlargement, alteration, repair, replacement, relocation, or improvement of any structure, and before mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, or drilling in a flood hazard area
- Required documents: No public countywide building permit checklist was located. Floodplain review requires a floodplain development permit application and supporting site/flood information
- Permit validity/expiration: No public county rule located
- Owner-builder rules if available: No public county rule located
- Contractor license requirements: No public county contractor licensing page located
- Building code adopted: No current county building code adoption page was located in reviewed county sources
- Permit validity
- No public county rule located
- Building code
- No current county building code adoption page was located in reviewed county sources
- Owner-builder
- No public county rule located
- Contractor requirements
- No public county contractor licensing page located
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- Not publicly posted
- Plan check fee
- Not publicly posted
- Permit fee formula
- Not publicly posted
- Reinspection fee
- Not publicly posted
- Payment note
- Not publicly posted
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Cape Girardeau County Building; floodplain review handled by Cape Girardeau County Floodplain Management to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- No public county inspection scheduling instructions located ()
- Inspection hours
- No public inspection hours located
Typical inspection sequence: No public sequence located
Additional Resources
- Building code: No current county building code adoption page was located in reviewed county sources
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- capecounty.us
- License lookup guide: Missouri Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Missouri Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Missouri hub: Missouri Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Cape Girardeau County Building; floodplain review handled by Cape Girardeau County Floodplain Management before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cape Girardeau County Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Cape Girardeau County, MO?
- Public county web content is thin for general building permits. At minimum, the county floodplain page states a floodplain development permit is required before erection, construction, reconstruction, placement, enlargement, alteration, repair, replacement, relocation, or improvement of any structure, and before mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, or drilling in a flood hazard area
- How much does a building permit cost in unincorporated Cape Girardeau County, MO?
- The minimum permit fee is Not publicly posted. Fees are calculated as: Not publicly posted. Plan check fee: Not publicly posted.
- How do I apply for a building permit in unincorporated Cape Girardeau County, MO?
- 1. Confirm the project parcel is in unincorporated Cape Girardeau County and not inside the City of Cape Girardeau or City of Jackson 2. Contact Cape Girardeau County Building directly to confirm permit triggers, required forms, and current submission method because no public application packet was located on the county site 3. If the site is in a special flood hazard area, coordinate with the county Floodplain Management office and obtain the required floodplain development approval before starting work 4. Submit the county-requested plans, forms, and supporting approvals directly to county staff 5. Wait for county review, satisfy any requested revisions, then obtain the issued permit before construction
- How long does it take to get a building permit in unincorporated Cape Girardeau County, MO?
- Typical processing time is No public estimate located.
- What work is exempt from building permits in unincorporated Cape Girardeau County, MO?
- The following work is generally exempt: No public county exemption list was located in reviewed sources.
- How do I schedule a building inspection in unincorporated Cape Girardeau County, MO?
- Inspections can be scheduled via: No public county inspection scheduling instructions located.
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