Jefferson County, MO Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

1690, using Table 5-4. Residential districts "RA-5", "LR-2", "R-40", "R-20", "R-10", "R-7" and "PR-1" are capped at 40 feet, while "PR-2" and "CC-2" allow up to 50 feet and "NC-1" stays at 40 feet. Public and commercial districts run higher: "PC", "PB" and "NPI" are each allowed up to 70 feet, with "PI" capped at 50 feet. In "PM" planned developments, height is set individually as part of the zoning approval rather than fixed by table. 1690(A) then carves out specific exemptions from these district height standards: agricultural buildings in "RA-5" districts such as barns, silos, windmills and grain elevators (but not dwellings) are exempt entirely, as are cooling towers, gas holders and similar industrial structures required for a manufacturing process, and public water storage tanks.

The section also allows public or semi-public buildings such as hospitals, hotels, churches, sanitariums and schools to be built up to 75 feet, provided that for every additional foot above the district's normal height limit, the required yard depth and width on all sides increases by one additional foot. Parapet walls and false mansards may extend up to 6 feet above the applicable height limit, and rooftop features such as flagpoles, chimneys, cooling towers, electric display signs, elevator bulkheads, penthouses and radio or television towers may be built taller under separate County orders governing those specific structures.