Northern Missouri
Inside St. Joseph, building permits start with the city
For work inside St. Joseph, the city's Building Development office is the permit starting point, separate from Buchanan County's unincorporated planning and zoning path.
Inside St. Joseph, a building question belongs to the city before it belongs to Buchanan County. The city Building Development office is the starting point for city building questions. St. Joseph directs residents to discuss plans with the Building Department before construction to learn whether a permit is needed. City permit materials also route building permit and plan review work through the Building Division at City Hall, 1100 Frederick Avenue, Room 106.
Buchanan County has its own planning and zoning path for county-jurisdiction projects, so the city-limit line matters. A garage, addition, sign, demolition, or business buildout can slow down if it starts with the wrong government.
Sort the jurisdiction first. Then use the city building pages for St. Joseph projects and the county planning office for county projects.
References
More from Buchanan County: browse every local note for the county.
Last checked against the sources above: July 16, 2026.