Missouri relies on local county and municipal governments to adopt building codes which has resulted in 13 counties, 173 municipalities with a county and a city building code, and 179 municipalities with a city level code only. Some of these jurisdictions are still using code books that are over 20 years old.

Across the state, there are over 40 separate code books in use totaling more than 17,000 pages. That’s nearly double the IRS Code’s 9,000 pages.

Across the country, only 6 states (Missouri included) do not have a state level building code.

More information and links to this foundational research may be found here: Inconsistent Regulations – U.S. Peer Comparisons to St. Louis County, March 2022; and Inconsistent Regulations – Building Codes in St. Louis County, October 2021.