How to Get a St. Louis County Building Permit

When people started working more from home and spent more time in lockdown and quarantine, the number of home renovations skyrocketed. Some simply wanted a change in structure, while others experienced an increase in family size. The homeowners had to obtain a building permit, whether the renovation and remodeling projects involved building a new deck, adding a privacy fence, or a new pool.

This is because even though the project is on your property, you can't do any renovations without a . It may come as a surprise, but any remodeling project involving adjusting your home's structure requires a building permit.

While some homeowners decide to skip the permit part, violating the requirement can attract hefty loans from the St. Louis county department. Additionally, if you ever decide to sell your house, the new owner may sue you for unpermitted construction. If you have a remodeling project in mind and don't know how to get started on your St. Louis county building permit, DoNotPay can help.

Reasons to Get a Building Permit in St. Louis

It Protects Your Property's Value - If your project fails to comply with the codes in St. Louis, your home's value can reduce significantly.
Saves Money - Obtaining a building permit saves you money in case of a disaster such as a fire. Insurers don't necessarily cover any damages caused by work done without the proper permits. Additionally, conducting a project without a license leaves it susceptible to removal, meaning you lose all the money spent on the remodel.
Safety - When obtaining a , a code official will provide an inspection to ensure your project is up to standard with the county's health and safety codes. This reduces the likelihood of the project causing injury to you or your family.

Types of Work That Require Building Permits

Building permits are necessary for any project that makes significant changes to the property. Such changes can be structural, electric, or plumbing changes and include:

Removal or addition of walls
Addition or removal of an attached garage
Finishing of an attic, garage, or basement to turn into a living space
Changing the plumbing or electric work
Adding a swimming pool
Demolition or addition of a fence, deck, shed, or any other outdoor structure
Any outdoor project that may affect your property's grade level

How to Get a Building Permit in St. Louis

What Are the Required Documents for a Permit?

A filled-out permit application which you can download from the St. Louis government website or visit the St. Louis county offices.
Five sets of drawings and plans for the project. If you live in a local historic district, you might need to carry pictures.
Contractor's licensing information

Who Do I Need to Contact to Get a Building Permit?

Phone number: (314) 622-3313,
Address: 1200 Market, room 425
Contact info: stlcitypermits@stlouis-mo-gov

Fees

Estimated Project Cost	Application Fee	Permit Fee	Total Fee
$0-$1,000	$25	$19	$44
$1,0001-$2,000	$25	$23	$48
$2,001-$3,000	$25	$30	$55

Application Process

Read up on HOA requirements to ensure your renovation is fully compliant before asking for a permit.
Contact your local City Hall to find out more about residential construction permits and how you can apply them.
If your house is in a historic district, you may have to contact the local historical committee to learn about the changes you can and can't make.
Fill out your application, schedule meetings and inspections with an inspector.
Pay fees and wait.

The approval process in St. Louis usually takes 10-15 days, in which a design professional will assess whether or not your permit application can be approved or routed. This process can be frustrating and time-consuming, but DoNotPay offers an alternative solution that takes the stress out of your application.

How to Apply for a St. Louis County Building Permit With DoNotPay

At DoNotPay, we understand how intimidating the process of applying for building permits can be. Researching laws, contacting the relevant agencies, and figuring out the proper documents to fill out can frustrate you into giving up on your project, which is why we have made the process simpler. You only need to follow six easy steps, and you're done.

Go to the Planning Permissions product on DoNotPay.
Choose one of the following options:

Check whether your project needs a building permit or if it's exempt
Generate a permission request letter to send to your HOA
Generate a guide on how to complete the building permit application

Choose the focus of your project (new ADU, pool, shed, fence, etc.) and answer a few questions about your plans, including the size of the structure and estimated cost.
Indicate whether you're hiring a contractor and include the estimated start date and timeline for the project.
Indicate whether any public sidewalk/street space will be used during construction.
And that's it! DoNotPay will help guide you through the building permit process by checking if your project needs a building permit, contacting any HOAs you're a part of to request building permission, or generating detailed instructions on how to start and complete your building permit application process.

Why Use DoNotPay to Apply for a St. Louis County Building Permit

Fast - DoNotPay understands how valuable your time is. You, therefore, don't have to spend time applying for a permit.

Easy - You won't struggle filling out forms or keeping track of all the stages of applying for a permit.

Successful - You can rest assured knowing DoNotPay will make the best case for you to get your application approved.

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

DoNotPay can help you get a building permit not just in St. Louis County but also in other places like:

DoNotPay is committed to helping you live stress-free by helping you out with mundane tasks other than applying for a building permit. We also work on: