ADU Pass
Clinton
Henry County portion
Also in: Johnson County
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Clinton, Henry County, Missouri navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 1 ZIP code.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: unclear
Missouri leaves ADU regulation to local municipalities under home-rule or Dillon-rule authority. Clinton permits ADUs subject to local conditions per its zoning ordinance.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $1,700 | $33,000 | $34,700 |
| 600 | 600 | $1,700 | $132,000 | $133,700 |
| midpoint | 525 | $1,700 | $115,500 | $117,200 |
| maximum | 900 | $1,700 | $198,000 | $199,700 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Read Chapter 36 Article IV (zoning) (~4d)
Review the parcel's residential district and accessory-use language in Clinton Code of Ordinances Chapter 36 Article IV on Municode; ADU-equivalent uses get reviewed under accessory-use definitions, not a separate ADU article. - Reach out to Community Development (~7d)
Confirm with Clinton Community Development Department (City Planning + Building Permits + Inspections + Code Compliance) that the proposed scope is permissible and whether a conditional-use permit is needed. - Submit through Online Community Development Portal (~1d)
Submit the building-permit application and supporting drawings through the City of Clinton Online Community Development Portal; pay fees through the City of Clinton Online Payment Site. - Building Division plan review (~25d)
Building Division regulates construction and development to safeguard public health and safety; reviews against IRC with Missouri state amendments (no R313 sprinkler mandate). - Permit issuance and inspections (~70d)
Issued permit returned through portal; inspections at footing, framing, rough-in trades, insulation, drywall, final by Clinton Building Inspections. - Final and Certificate of Occupancy (~5d)
Final inspection by the Building Division produces the C of O; Code Compliance signs off where business-licensing or rental-registration applies.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU generally permitted; landlord-tenant law and any city rental-registration ordinance apply.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Clinton regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check local STR ordinance and HOA covenants.
- Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home occupation permit or rezoning.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
- Agriculture: with-restrictions Limited urban agriculture permitted in residential zones; livestock varies by district.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted in single-family zones.
Contacts
Staff: Clinton City Hall switchboard (General municipal services), Henry County floodplain / Truman Lake coordination (Henry County Courthouse)
Utilities
- Water: Clinton Water Utility · 30d connect · $4,500
- Sewer: Clinton Sewer / Wastewater · 30d connect · $5,500
- Electric: Clinton Electric Utility · 21d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Clinton Gas Utility · 30d connect · $1,500
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 10mo · worst 16mo
Financing
State ADU loans:
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
Missouri has no HOA-ADU preemption; HOA covenants restricting ADUs are enforceable.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Clinton, MO Code of Ordinances Chapter 36 (Planning and Zoning), Article IV, adopted 1976-01-01, last amended 2024-04-01
- 1976-01-01 — Clinton Code of Ordinances Chapter 36 (Planning and Zoning), Article IV (city-ordinance)
Clinton's zoning regulations have been codified as Chapter 36 Article IV of the Clinton Code of Ordinances since the city's mid-century adoption of municipal zoning; accessory uses, including dwelling-unit conversions, are reviewed here rather than through a separate ADU article.
Effect: Set the long-running framework that any ADU-equivalent (carriage house, mother-in-law unit, garage apartment) must satisfy under accessory-use definitions. - 2018-01-01 — Adoption of IRC / IBC base codes by Clinton Building Division (city-ordinance)
Clinton's Community Development Department / Building Division adopted current International Code Council family with Missouri amendments removing the IRC R313 sprinkler mandate.
Effect: Building permits for any new dwelling unit on a single-family lot review against IRC; sprinklers not required under Missouri amendments. - 2023-06-01 — Online Community Development Portal launch (city-ordinance)
Clinton Community Development moved building-permit and business-license intake to an online portal with online-payment integration through the City of Clinton Online Payment Site.
Effect: Reduced paper filings; ADU-equivalent permits now submitted through the portal alongside standard one- and two-family applications.
Missouri state — ADU law and programs
State financing programs
Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC), the state housing finance agency under the Department of Economic Development, does not operate an ADU-specific loan or grant product as of 2026-04-26. Construction or rehab of an ADU on a primary residence may be financed indirectly through MHDC's First Place Program (first-time-homebuyer mortgage with below-market rate) or Next Step Program (mortgage paired with a forgivable second of up to 4% of loan amount). Both are mortgage-purchase products and require the property to be the borrower's primary residence; an existing ADU on the property is permitted under standard agency guidelines. MHDC also administers Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, the Affordable Housing Assistance Program (AHAP) tax credit, and federal HOME funds — none of which is a homeowner-facing ADU instrument.
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.
ZIP Code
- 64735
Post Office
- 101 S 2nd St, 64735