City of Vandalia, MO Building Code

Section 500.010 Building Permit Commissioner.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.010; Ord. No. 514 § II, 7-3-1984; Ord. No. 781 §§ I – II, 6-13-1995; Ord. No. 1050 §§ I – II, 5-9-2006]

The City Administrator or his/her designee shall serve as the Building Permit Commissioner to carry out the duties presented in this Chapter. The Building Permit Commissioner, upon application for a building permit within the City of Vandalia, Missouri, shall insure that the proposed construction does not encroach City property or other private property, and that the applicant provides satisfactory surface drainage.

No building permit shall be issued until the execution of same by the Building Permit Commissioner.

The Building Permit Commissioner shall require the applicant to complete a building permit form, provided by the City of Vandalia, to be available at the City Hall in Vandalia, Missouri. The application shall be completed and filed with the City before the permit is issued.

In the event the Building Permit Commissioner declines to issue a permit, the applicant may appear before the Board of Aldermen who shall make the final decision regarding the issuance of a building permit.

Section 500.020 Building Permit.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.020; Ord. No. 514 § II, 7-3-1984]

Any person, partnership, organization, firm or corporation desiring to build a structure or an addition to an existing structure in the City of Vandalia shall make written application on forms furnished by the City Clerk. The following regulations, appearing on the application form, must be read by applicant prior to affixing his/her signature:

Each corner of the proposed structure is to be marked with a stake. Applicant is to inform City Clerk when staking will be completed.

If deemed necessary by the Building Permit Commissioner, plans for surface water drainage shall be provided by the applicant for his/her building site. Design of a satisfactory drainage system shall include maintaining any existing natural water course, elimination of low areas where surface water would collect and prevention of drainage onto adjoiner's properties. The minimum grade or elevation of the finished ground surface adjacent to the exterior walls of the structure shall be no lower than the elevation at the highest point at that portion of the street opposite the front corners of the proposed structure (taken on the center-line with adjustment for extraordinary peaks and valleys). If, however, the site is bounded by more than one (1) street, the minimum grade shall be the highest point of elevation existing on the street sections opposite the corners of the structure. The property owner shall be responsible for providing backfill material and grading necessary to carry water from his/her property to City's drainage system, be it an earth ditch or a curb and gutter. No surface water shall be drained into the sanitary sewer system.

If application is for a manufacturing or business structure in the Residential District, procedure as stated in Section 405.030 must be successfully accomplished prior to applying for building permit.

If building site is within the City's designated flood and mudslide area, compliance with Chapter 425, Flood Damage Prevention, is mandatory.

Building Permit Fees.

Residence	$10.00
Addition to Residence	$5.00
Duplex	$15.00
Multiple Unit	$5.00 per unit
Manufacturing and/or business building	$25.00
Addition to manufacturing or business building	$12.50
Accessory building in connection with residence or business building	$5.00

Section 500.030 Fee Waived — When.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.030; Ord. No. 514 § II, 7-3-1984]

The provisions of this Chapter relating to the fee provisions of said Chapter shall not apply to any non-profit, charitable or eleemosynary institution.

Section 500.040 through Section 500.050. (Reserved) [1]

[1]

Editor's Note: R.O. 1991 Section 500.040, Penalty, was removed and replaced with language referring to the general penalty during the 2023 codification. See now Section 500.230.

Ordinance No. 781 § I, adopted 6-13-1995, repealed former Section 500.050 with no replacement provisions. Section 500.050 formerly derived from Ord. No. 543 § 1, 6-10-1986.

Section 500.060 Fire Limits.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.060; CC 1978 § 45.010]

The following shall be and are hereby declared to be the fire limits:

"Begin at the southwest corner of Lot Five (5) in Block fifty-eight (58), Original Vandalia for a point of beginning; run easterly one hundred and twenty (120) feet; run northerly to the southeast corner of Lot six (6) in Block forty-two (42); thence easterly to the southeast corner of Lot eight (8), Block forty-two (42); thence northerly along the west line of Monroe Street to the Alley dividing Block fourteen (14) Original Vandalia; thence westerly to the east line of Lindell Street; thence southerly to the south line of Hwy. 54; thence westerly along the south line Hwy. 54 to the northwest corner of Lot four (4), Block twenty-one (21); thence southerly along the east line of Jefferson Street to the southwest corner of Lot five (5); Block twenty-one (21); thence easterly along the north line of Washington Street to Lindell Street; thence southerly along the west line of Lindell Street to Union Street; thence easterly along the north line of Union Street to the point of beginning."

Section 500.070 Permit Required — Within Fire Limits.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.070; CC 1978 § 45.020]

No wall, structure, building, or part thereof, shall hereafter be built, enlarged, or altered within the fire limits, until a plan of the proposed work, together with a statement of the materials to be used, shall have been submitted in duplicate to the Chief of the Fire Department or other designated official, who shall, if in accordance with the provisions herein contained, issue a permit for the proposed construction. Structures hereafter erected without permit, or not in conformity with this Chapter, shall be removed. No building shall be moved until a permit has been obtained from the Chief of the Fire Department or other designated official; and such official shall not issue such permit if in his/her judgment the proposed new location of the building would seriously increase the fire hazard of the surrounding buildings. Each building permit shall recite this Section.

Section 500.080 Incombustible Walls, Cornices And Roofs Required Within Fire Limits.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.080; CC 1978 § 45.030]

Every building hereafter erected or enlarged within the fire limits shall be enclosed on all sides with walls constructed wholly of stone, brick, hollow building tile, concrete, or other equivalent incombustible materials, and shall have the roof, top, and sides of all roof structures, including dormer windows, covered with incombustible material. All cornices shall be of incombustible material.

Section 500.090 Roof Covering.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.090; CC 1978 § 45.040]

Every building hereafter erected within the corporate limits shall have a fire resistive roof covering, and no existing wood shingle roof, if damaged more than twenty-five percent (25%), shall be renewed or repaired with other than a fire-resistive roof covering. Buildings with wooden framework clad with sheet metal of stucco or veneered with brick shall be classed as frame buildings.

Section 500.100 Permissible Wooden Structures Within Fire Limits.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.100; CC 1978 § 45.050]

No frame or wooden structure shall hereafter be built within the fire limits as given herein, or as they may be hereafter established, except the following; and all roofs placed upon such buildings or structures shall have an incombustible covering:

Temporary one-story frame buildings for use of builders.

Wooden fences not over ten (10) feet high.

Piazzas or balconies not exceeding ten (10) feet in width, nor extending more than three (3) feet above the second story floor beams. No such structure shall extend beyond the lot line, or be joined to any similar structure of another building.

Bay windows when covered with incombustible material.

Small outhouses not exceeding one hundred fifty (150) square feet in area and eight (8) feet in height.

Wooden sheds or outhouses shall not be located within five (5) feet of any lot line, nor less than thirty (30) feet from any other building over one (1) story high. No frame building shall be moved from without to within the fire limits.

Section 500.110 Repairing Frame Buildings Within Fire Limits.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.110; CC 1978 § 45.060]

Any existing frame building within the fire limits, which may hereafter be damaged by fire, decay or otherwise to any amount greater than one-half (1/2) of its present value, exclusive of foundation, shall not be repaired or rebuilt, but shall be removed.

Section 500.120 Limits Of Area.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.120; CC 1978 § 45.070]

The floor area between fire walls of non-fireproof buildings shall not exceed the following: When fronting on one (1) street, five thousand (5,000) square feet; when fronting on two (2) streets, six thousand (6,000) square feet; and when fronting on three (3) streets, seven thousand five hundred (7,500) square feet. These area limits may be increased under the following conditions as indicated: For non-fireproof buildings, fully equipped with approved automatic sprinklers, sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%). For fireproof buildings, fifty percent (50%).

Section 500.130 Walls.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.130; CC 1978 § 45.080]

All exterior, or division walls of buildings hereafter erected in the fire limits shall be of masonry or concrete not less than twelve (12) inches in thickness. Walls, excepting party and fire walls, for all buildings of other than the dwelling house class, shall have the upper two (2) stories not less than twelve (12) inches thick, increasing four (4) inches in thickness for each two (2) stories or fraction thereof below. No two (2) story increment shall exceed thirty (30) feet in height. In all buildings, except dwellings, frame buildings and skeleton construction, party walls, and fire walls which serve as bearing walls on both sides, shall be not less than sixteen (16) inches thick in the upper two (2) stories or upper thirty (30) feet, increasing four (4) inches in thickness for each two (2) stories or fraction thereof below. No two (2) story increment shall exceed thirty (30) feet in height. Fire walls shall be continuous from foundation to three (3) feet above roof level and shall be coped.

Section 500.140 Smoke Pipes.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.140; CC 1978 § 45.090]

No smoke pipes shall be within twelve (12) inches of any woodwork, or any wooden lath and plaster partition or coiling unless the surface above the pipe be protected by metal lath and plaster. Where smoke pipes pass through a wooden lath and plaster partition, they shall be guarded by galvanized iron ventilated thimbles at least twelve (12) inches larger in diameter than the pipes, or by galvanized iron thimbles built in at least eight (8) inches of brick work or other incombustible material. No smoke pipe shall pass through any floor, or a roof having wooden framework or covering.

Section 500.150 Stoves And Ranges.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.150; CC 1978 § 45.100]

No kitchen range or stove in any building shall be placed less than three (3) feet from any woodwork or wooden lath and plaster partition, unless the woodwork or partition is properly protected by metal shields; in which case the distance shall be not less than eighteen (18) inches. Metal shields shall be loosely attached, thus preserving an air space behind them. Combustible floors under coal ranges and similar appliances without legs, such as mentioned in Section 500.160 in which hot fires are maintained, shall rest upon six-inch foundations built of incombustible materials supported within the thickness of the floor framing. Such hearths shall extend at least twenty-four (24) inches in front and twelve (12) inches on the sides and back of the range or similar heating appliances. All coal stoves or ranges, with legs, shall be set on incombustible material which shall extend at least twelve (12) inches in front.

Section 500.160 Heating Furnaces And Appliances.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.160; CC 1978 § 45.110]

Any woodwork, wooden lath and plaster partition or ceiling within four (4) feet of the sides or back, or six (6) feet from the front of any heating boiler, furnace, bakery oven, coffee roaster, fire-heated candy kettle, laundry stove or other similar appliances, shall be covered with metal to a height of at least four (4) feet above the floor. This covering shall extend the full length of the boiler, furnace, or heating appliances, and at least five (5) feet in front of it. Metal shields shall be loosely attached thus preserving an air space behind them. In no case shall such combustible construction be permitted within two (2) feet of the sides or back of the heating appliances, or five (5) feet in front of same. No furnace, boiler, range or other heating appliance shall be placed against a wall furred with wood. Heating boilers shall be encased on sides and top by an incombustible protective covering not less than one and one-half (1 1/2) inches thick.

Section 500.170 Chimney Walls.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.170; CC 1978 § 45.120]

The walls of all chimneys to which this Chapter applies, whether the fuel used be wood, coal, gas or oil, shall be built of solid brick, of such thickness and construction as is hereafter specified. The walls of chimneys shall be not less than three and three-fourths (3 3/4) inches thick (width of standard size brick), and shall be lined with fire clay flue lining. All brick work shall be laid in spread mortar, with all joints push-filled. Exposed joints shall be struck smooth. All mortar used in chimney construction shall be cement mortar proportioned as follows: Two (2) bags of Portland cement, not less than one hundred eighty-eight (188) pounds, and one (1) bag of dry hydrated lime, fifty (50) pounds; thoroughly mixed dry. To this mixture shall be added three (3) times its volume of clean, sharp sand with sufficient water to produce proper consistency.

Section 500.180 Flue Lining.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.180; CC 1978 § 45.130]

Fire clay flue linings shall be manufactured from suitable refractory clay, either natural or compounded, which has a softening point not lower than one thousand nine hundred ninety-four degrees Fahrenheit (1,994° F), and shall be adapted to withstand high temperatures and flue gases. They shall be of standard commercial thickness, but not less than three-fourths (3/4) inch. The flue sections shall be set in mortar of quality herein before specified and shall have the joints struck smooth on the inside. The masonry shall be built around each section of lining as it is placed, and all spaces between masonry and linings shall be completely filled with mortar. No broken flue linings shall be used. Flue linings shall start at least four (4) inches below the bottom of smokepipe intakes of flues, or from the throats of fireplaces, and shall be continuous the entire height of the flues and project at least four (4) inches above chimney top to allow for a two (2) inch wash and a two (2) inch projection of lining. The wash or splay shall be formed of a rich cement mortar. To improve the draft the wash surface should be concave wherever practical. Instead of the wash, a special chimney cap or coping may be used.

Section 500.190 Chimney Heights.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.190; CC 1978 § 45.140]

Chimneys shall be built at least three (3) feet above flat roofs, and two (2) feet above the ridges of peak roofs, and shall be properly capped with stone, terracotta, concrete, cast iron, or other approved material; but no such cap or coping shall decrease the required flue area. Chimneys shall not rest upon or be carried by wooden floors, beams or brackets, nor be hung from wooden rafters. Iron brackets or stirrups attached to wooden construction shall not be used to support chimneys. In frame buildings chimneys shall always be built from the ground up, or rest on basement walls. Chimneys shall be built upon concrete or masonry foundations properly proportioned to carry the weight imposed without danger of settlement or cracking. The foundation for an exterior chimney shall start below the frost line. The walls of brick buildings may form part of a chimney, but the walls of the chimney shall be securely bonded into the walls of the building, and the flue shall be lined the same as an independent chimney. Flues in the party walls shall not extend beyond the center of the walls, and their location shall be permanently indicated on the exposed side of the wall. No wall less than twelve (12) inches thick shall be used to support a corbeled chimney; such corbeling shall not project more than six (6) inches from the face of the wall, and in all such cases the corbeling shall consist of at least five (5) courses of brick. Irrespective of whether the fuel used be coal, coke, wood or oil, the minimum area inside of chimney flue linings for various heating devices shall be as follows: For warm air furnaces, or low pressure steam or hot water heating boilers, not less than seventy-five (75) square inches; for fireplaces, not less than one-tenth (1/10) the area of the fireplace opening, but never less than seventy-five (75) square inches; for stoves, ranges and other forms of room heaters, forty-nine (49) square inches for rectangular flues, or an inside diameter of seven (7) inches for round flues. In no case shall the short cross section dimension of a rectangular flue be less than two-thirds (2/3) the greater dimension. Smokepipe intakes to flues shall always enter the chimney through the side and shall consist of fire clay or metal thimbles securely set in the chimney wall with mortar, or the intake may be cast in concrete. Such openings shall be at least eighteen (18) inches below wooden lath and plaster or other combustible ceilings, or open joists. Neither the intake pipe or thimble shall project into the flue. No woodwork shall be placed within six (6) inches of the thimble. The thimble shall be surrounded by metal lath and plaster for a space of at least six (6) inches, or an open space of that width shall be provided on all sides.

Section 500.200 Wood Near Chimneys.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.200; CC 1978 § 45.150]

No wooden beams, joists, or rafters shall be placed within two (2) inches of the outside face of the chimneys, whether the same be for smoke, air or any other purpose. No woodwork shall be placed within four (4) inches of the back wall of any fireplace. All spaces between chimneys and wooden joists or beams shall be filled with loose cinders, loose mortar refuse, gypsum block, or other porous incombustible material to form a fire-stop. The incombustible material shall be supported by strips of sheet metal or metal lath set into the brick work and nailed to the wooden beams, forming a buckled flexible joint between, or by similar strips of metal nailed to the woodwork with the inner edge close to the chimney. No wooden studding, furring, lathing or plugging shall be placed against any chimney or in the joints thereof. Wooden construction shall either be set away from the chimneys, or the plastering shall be directly on the masonry or on metal lathing or on incombustible furring material. Wood furring strips placed around chimneys to support base or other trim shall be insulated from the masonry by asbestos paper, at least one-eighths (1/8) inch thick, and metal wall plugs or approved incombustible nail holding devices attached to the wall surface shall be used for nailing. The walls of fireplaces shall never be less than eight (8) inches thick, and if built of stone the minimum thickness shall be twelve (12) inches. All fireplaces and chimney breasts shall have trimmer arches or other approved fire-resistive construction supporting hearths. The arches and hearths shall be at least twenty (20) inches wide measured from the face of the chimney breast. The arches shall be of brick, stone or hollow tile, not less than four (4) inches thick. A flat stone or a reinforced concrete slab may be used to carry the hearth instead of an arch if it be properly supported and a suitable fill be provided between it and the hearth. The length of trimmer arches and hearths shall be not less than twenty-four (24) inches longer than the fireplace opening. Hearths shall be of brick, stone, tile or concrete as may be specified. Wood contouring under a trimmer arch shall be removed before plastering the ceilings beneath. No wooden mantel or other woodwork shall be placed within eight (8) inches of the side or within twelve (12) inches of the top of any open fireplace. No combustible summer piece or fire board shall be used.

Section 500.210 Geologic Hazard Preparedness.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.210; Ord. No. 613 § I, 12-11-1990]

All construction in the City of Vandalia shall comply with the requirements of Sections 319.200 through 319.207, RSMo., and any amendments thereto, relating to earthquakes and seismic construction requirements.

Section 500.220 Duties Of Enforcing Officer.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.220; CC 1978 § 45.160]

The Chief of the Fire Department or other designated official is hereby authorized and empowered:

To enforce all ordinances relating to the construction, equipment, management and condition of all property within the City.

To supervise the construction or reconstruction of all buildings.

To report monthly to the Mayor or Board of Aldermen regarding the condition of the City on all matters pertaining to fire prevention.

Section 500.230 Penalty For Violations.

[R.O. 1991 § 500.230; CC 1978 § 45.170]

Any person, partnership, firm or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this Chapter shall be deemed guilty of an ordinance violation and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine as set forth in Chapter 100, Article III, of this Code, together with the costs thereof. Each day that a violation is permitted to exist shall constitute a separate offense.