How to get or transfer an Ameren dock permit

Permit first, then build

Ameren says construction may not start until a permit is issued, and it can order an unpermitted dock removed and charge enforcement fees. Additions and modifications need a permit too. All dock building, additions, changes and refoaming must be done by an Ameren Certified Dock Builder or by the property owner. Once a permit is issued, a new dock or modification has one year to be finished, with one six-month extension available.

• Are you on Ameren's current Certified Dock Builder list?
• Will you submit the Ameren permit application for me, or do I apply myself?
• Does this job count as a modification that needs a permit?
• Can the work be finished within the one-year permit term?

What goes in the application

You apply online through Ameren's permit system, and you can authorize a certified dock builder or a realtor to apply from your account. Expect to give the lake address, county, parcel number and nearest lake mile. Ameren also wants a drawing to scale showing the dock's size, its distance to your property lines extended out into the lake, the docks on either side and across the cove, and the distance to the center of the cove or channel. Docks of 3,000 square feet or more need an engineer-sealed drawing. Fees are due when you apply, and Ameren's fee schedule lists the current amounts. A complete application that doesn't need review by another agency can take up to six weeks.

• Who draws the scaled dock plan, and does it show every distance Ameren asks for?
• Does my dock size need an engineer-sealed drawing?
• Could this project need review by another agency, and how would that change the timeline?

Electrical is a separate permit

If the dock has power, the local fire protection district or the Village of Four Seasons requires its own electrical permit and inspection, with its own fee. In participating fire districts, Ameren needs that approval with every new or modified dock permit. It is a different step from the Ameren permit, so settle who is handling it before the job starts.

• Which fire district covers my property?
• Will you pull the fire district electrical permit and schedule the inspection?
• What happens if the dock fails the inspection?

Buying a Lake house: transfer the permits

When a lakefront property sells, the new owner has to transfer the existing Ameren permits into their name. Ameren asks for a transfer application, the deed and a processing fee, and one transfer covers all valid permits on the property except a breakwater. In the Lake Ozark, Mid-County, Osage Beach, Rocky Mount, Sunrise Beach and Northwest fire districts, the fire district has to inspect the dock's electrical system within the 12 months before the transfer. Osage Beach Fire asks for its inspection application 30 days before closing. Waiting more than two years after the sale to transfer adds a late fee.

• Does every dock, seawall and lake water pump on this property have an Ameren permit?
• Is the dock in a fire district that requires an electrical inspection before transfer?
• Who is ordering the inspection, and will it be done before closing?
• If the dock needs electrical repairs to pass, who handles them?

Post the permit number on the dock

When a dock is finished or moved, the Ameren permit number and the 911 street address go on the lake side of the dock where they can be seen from the cove or channel. Ameren's guidelines call for numbers at least 3 inches tall in a color that contrasts with the background, and it does not recommend script lettering. Ameren says Missouri law requires the posting, and it helps the water patrol and fire department find your dock in an emergency.

• Will you put up the permit number and address when the dock is done?
• Can the numbers be read from the water?

Common questions

Related planning guides

• Before you call a dock repair business
• Finding the right electrician for your dock
• Plan a riprap or shoreline project