Yes, and in the St. Louis ring one city has: on June 17, 2021, the Arnold city council voted 7–0 to ban pole buildings and metal as a primary siding material on one- to four-family dwellings, after a moratorium that began in September 2020. County zoning and building codes govern unincorporated land; inside a city limit the city's code governs, and inside a platted subdivision a recorded covenant can prohibit what both would allow. Check all three before the land contract.
Arnold, Missouri
The sequence, as reported by the Jefferson County Leader: a six-month moratorium on pole-building homes adopted September 24, 2020 (5–0), extended March 4, 2021; then the ordinance of June 17, 2021 (7–0) prohibiting pole buildings and metal as primary siding on one- to four-family dwellings, limiting exposed foundation concrete to one foot on the front and three on the sides, and setting masonry requirements for apartment buildings. Arnold is the only municipality in the ring where we have found an outright ban. If your parcel is inside Arnold — or inside any city — ask the city before anything else.
Cities with design standards
Union, Washington, Pacific, Troy, Warrenton, Wright City, Wentzville, O'Fallon, Lake St. Louis, Foristell, Moscow Mills, Winfield and the rest each run their own zoning and, in most cases, their own building permits. Many have residential design standards on exterior materials, roof pitch, garage orientation or minimum floor area that a metal-sided post-frame home does not meet without variances. We have not verified each city's standard; the rule is simply that a city parcel is a city question, and the county's table in permits and codes by county does not apply there.
Subdivision covenants
A covenant is a private contract recorded against the land, and it binds regardless of what the county allows. In the subdivision belt of St. Charles County and the newer plats around Union, Washington, Troy and Wentzville, covenants can:
- require a minimum percentage of masonry on the front elevation, or on all elevations;
- prohibit metal siding or "pole-type construction" by name;
- set a minimum finished floor area;
- cap detached buildings or attached garage area, or require garage doors to face away from the street;
- require architectural review committee approval of plans.
How to find it: the covenants are recorded with the county Recorder of Deeds and referenced on the plat; the title company pulls them at contract; Wentzville's own FAQ walks residents through finding theirs. Read the actual document — a listing that says "no HOA" can still sit under recorded restrictions with no active association to enforce them, which does not make them unenforceable.
Rural land: what can still stop you
On unincorporated land with no covenant, the county's rules are the rules — and in Lincoln County there are none for the building. Three things still apply everywhere: the floodplain development permit in a mapped flood area; the septic permit and soil evaluation; and, in Warren and Lincoln, the fire protection district's own permit or sign-off within its boundaries. A barndominium that meets those is lawful to build in every ring county.
The check, before you sign
- Is the parcel inside a city limit? (County GIS or the assessor's map.) If yes, ask the city's planning office about metal siding, post-frame construction and minimum floor area.
- Is it in a recorded subdivision? Pull the covenants from the Recorder of Deeds or the title company.
- Is it in a mapped floodplain? (FEMA map or the county's floodplain office.)
- Which fire district is it in, and does that district issue permits?
- Then the county table.
Frequently asked questions
Can an HOA ban a barndominium if the county allows it? Yes. A recorded covenant is a private restriction the county does not enforce and does not override.
Is Arnold's ban still in effect? We have found no repeal. Confirm with Arnold's building department before planning anything there.
Does Jefferson County outside Arnold allow metal-sided homes? Unincorporated Jefferson County's development order has no metal-siding prohibition we found; RA-5 zoning needs five acres.
My listing says "no restrictions." Is that reliable? Only once the title commitment confirms it. Verify.
Next step
Custom barndominiums start with this check. Related: land, septic and well · the Jefferson County page · the complete guide.