La Grange, MO Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Chapter 575, Excavations, opens with a blanket prohibition in Section 575.010: no person, firm or corporation may disturb, mar or break the surface of, or dig in, any street, alley, sidewalk, drainage ditch or other City-owned property without first submitting a written application specifying the place and purpose and obtaining the Street Commissioner's express written permission. Section 575.020 turns that into a concrete process, requiring the application in writing to the City Clerk along with a $25.00 fee before any excavation into a street, alley or public right-of-way.

Once the Street Commissioner issues a permit, Section 575.030 requires the applicant to do the digging under the Commissioner's supervision and keep the excavation to the minimum size the purpose requires. Section 575.040 caps how long a cut may stay open: it must be backfilled as soon as practicable and, in no event, remain open longer than 36 hours. While it is open, Section 575.050 requires barricades and warning flares at all times, and Section 575.060 bars completely blocking a street, requiring at least one lane of through traffic at all times.

Section 575.070 sets the backfill material itself, sand topped with at least eight inches of white rock fill where the hard-top surface was destroyed, with the City doing the surface restoration and the applicant paying for it. If the applicant does not properly restore the site, Section 575.090 lets the Street Commissioner make the repairs and bill the excavating party a reasonable fee. For larger facilities work, Section 575.100 requires a performance bond scaled to the length of the cut: $500 under 20 linear feet, $5,000 for 20 to 100 feet, and $10,000 beyond that, or a $50,000 blanket bond for ongoing permit holders.