Saint Paul, MN Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- Any construction, alteration, repair, move or demolition
- Repair exemption
- Maintenance-only repairs $500 or less need no permit
- Enforcing agency
- Department of Safety and Inspections building official
- Permit expiration
- Void after 180 days without starting work
- Working without permit
- Standard fee plus equal penalty fee
- Violation penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine, 90 days jail
Summary
Saint Paul requires a building permit from the Department of Safety and Inspections before anyone constructs, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves, demolishes or changes the occupancy of a building or structure. Only maintenance-only repairs and minor alterations costing $500 or less are exempt under Legislative Code § 33.03(a).
(a)Building and general construction. No person shall construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure without first obtaining a building permit from the building official. Permits for building or general construction are not required for repairs for maintenance only or for minor alterations provided they are not required under the state building code, this chapter or other pertinent provisions of the Saint Paul Legislative Code, and provided the cost of such repairs and minor alterations does not exceed the present market value of five hundred dollars ($500.00).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 133 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
03(a) of the Legislative Code sets the trigger: any construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, move, demolition or occupancy change on a building or structure needs a permit from the building official before work starts. The only carve-out is for repairs done purely for maintenance, or minor alterations, that are not otherwise required under the state building code or the Legislative Code and that cost no more than $500 in present market value. 04 on a sliding valuation scale: $36 for the first $500 of value plus $5 per additional $100 up to $2,000, rising to $8,463 for the first $1,000,000 plus $5 per additional $1,000 on large jobs.
Plan review, required once valuation exceeds $1,000, costs 65 percent of the permit fee, with a minimum $85 pre-application deposit due before review begins. A permit is void if work does not start within 180 days of issuance or is abandoned for 180 days, and DSI may grant one 180-day extension on written request. If work is performed before a permit is obtained, DSI collects the normal fee plus an equal penalty fee. 06 is completed, and those applications require a $5,000 deposit or bond. 05 caps a misdemeanor fine at $1,000 with up to 90 days in jail.
Violations & Fines
Working without a permit under § 33.03 triggers double fees. DSI charges the standard permit fee plus a matching penalty fee before signing off on the job, and unpermitted work is a misdemeanor under § 33.09. Citywide, § 1.05 caps a Legislative Code misdemeanor at a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail; petty misdemeanors specifying only a fine top out at $200. DSI may also revoke a permit issued in error.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Saint Paul really require a permit for small repairs?
What happens if I start work before getting a permit?
How long is a Saint Paul building permit good for?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Saint Paul
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