Ground-Up Construction in Arnold

The septic permit comes first. Most of Jefferson County, Missouri outside the incorporated cities is not on public sewer, so a ground-up build there runs on an onsite wastewater treatment system. The county Health Department reviews an Onsite Sewage Disposal Permit Application plus a plot plan and a preliminary soil investigation, an Environmental Health Specialist visits the site to do a soils examination, and only after that sewage permit issues does the building permit issue. Only a registered OWTS Onsite Soil Evaluator may perform the site and soil work, which is a scheduling dependency on a small pool of licensed evaluators, not a paperwork step you can rush. We size interest reserve for the soil evaluation, not for the framing.

Not that we could source. We looked for a Jefferson County permit fee schedule, a plan-review turnaround time, and any impact fee on new construction and could not find one from a primary source, so we do not print one here or promise a number in your term sheet. Bring us your actual quote from the county or from Arnold's Building Department and we size the draw schedule and interest reserve around it.

Yes, an occupancy sign-off, and it is enforced at the point of sale too. Arnold's Code of Ordinances Section 500.090 makes it unlawful to sell, transfer, mortgage or lease a structure until it has secured a Certificate of Compliance, issued after a Property Maintenance Inspection by the Arnold Building Department. Effective January 15, 2026 the city rewrote the ordinance to also require a certificate of occupancy at completion of construction activity. If you are building on spec inside Arnold and expect to sell or refinance on completion, plan for that inspection as part of your exit, not an afterthought after the last draw.

It adds a permit if your lot is in the mapped floodplain. Arnold participates in the NFIP, and the city's own floodplain page states that work in a Special Flood Hazard Area requires a Floodplain Development Permit before work begins, with an Elevation Certificate sometimes required on top of it. Arnold sits at the Meramec's confluence and was one of the country's original repetitive-loss flood buyout communities after the 1993 flood, so the city takes floodplain review seriously. Confirm your parcel's flood zone before we set the draw schedule; a permit that has to be pulled before ground is broken is a schedule item, not a formality.

Yes: the whole county sits inside a single Superfund site, and well testing is free. EPA's own fact sheet states the Southwest Jefferson County Mining NPL Superfund Site covers all of Jefferson County, Missouri, with lead as the contaminant of concern. Operable Unit 5 covers private drinking-water wells, and EPA offers free testing of a private well and residential yard soil under that unit. We are not saying any specific parcel is contaminated; we are saying a private well on a countywide NPL site should get that free OU-5 test before your loan funds, the same way you would order a survey.

Up to 70% LTV and 85% of cost, whichever binds first, on a 12 to 24 month term. That covers a lot purchase or a teardown, spec or build-to-rent, up to $5M, with draws released against your build schedule. On a lot outside the sewer service area, plan the schedule around the soil evaluation and septic permit ahead of the building permit; on a lot inside Arnold's Special Flood Hazard Area, plan around the floodplain permit as well. Experienced builders can access higher leverage on cost. Subject to underwriting.

We fund new construction up to 70% of value and up to 85% of total cost (land plus build), in most states, on loans up to $5M. Experienced builders reach the higher end of leverage. We finance both the lot and the vertical construction within those caps.

Yes. Lot acquisition is funded as part of your loan-to-cost. If you already own the lot, that equity can serve as your down payment, which often lets us fund most or all of the build cost.

Construction funds are released in draws as milestones are completed and verified, not handed over at closing. You submit your budget and scope of work up front, complete a phase, request a draw, and we release that portion after inspection. You pay interest on funds as they are drawn.

Our construction pricing starts around 10%, interest-only, on terms of 12 to 24 months. Market ground-up rates generally run 9% to 12% with 1 to 3 points. Your pricing and leverage depend on your build experience and the strength of the project.

We consider builders at all levels, though a track record helps your leverage and rate. A first-time builder should expect to bring a strong general contractor, a detailed budget, and typically a larger equity contribution. A well-documented project goes a long way.

The lot cost or current value, your construction budget and scope of work, the projected after-built value, and your build experience. With those we can size the loan against both cost and completed value and send you terms.