St. Louis County, MO Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Required inspection points
- 14, Sections 110.3.1-110.3.14.2
- First inspection
- Soil inspection before footing concrete
- Framing check
- After rough-in approval, before closing walls
- Scheduling duty
- Permit holder must request each inspection
- Final step
- Final inspection required before occupancy
Summary
Every building permit issued in unincorporated St. Louis County comes with a fixed sequence of inspections the county's building official has to perform before work can proceed to the next stage. Section 110.3 lists fourteen required inspection points, from the soil inspection before footings are poured through the final inspection before anyone can occupy the finished structure.
110.3 Required inspections. The building official, upon notification, shall make the inspections set forth in Sections 110.3.1 through 110.3.14.2. These inspections may be made in conjunction with other inspections and are not necessarily required to be conducted as an individual inspection. ... 110.3.1 Soil inspection. A soil inspection shall be made after excavation for the structure is complete, and trenches for footings, column pads, spread footings, or other types of footings are ready for concrete. No concrete is to be poured without this inspection. ... 110.3.6 Frame inspection. Framing inspections shall be made after the roof deck or sheathing, all framing, fireblocking and bracing are in place and pipes, chimneys and vents to be concealed are complete and the rough electrical, plumbing, heating wires, pipes and ducts are approved. ... 110.3.14 Final inspection. No permit shall be completed until all work required by the permit is completed and approved by the building official.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Traffic: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
2, and it allows several of them to be combined into a single site visit rather than scheduled separately. 1 requires a soil inspection after excavation is complete and footing trenches are ready, and it bars pouring any concrete before that inspection happens. 1 requires a registered design professional's elevation certificate for the lowest floor before that foundation inspection can be approved. 6 requires the frame inspection only after the roof deck, framing, fireblocking and bracing are all in place and the rough electrical, plumbing and heating work is already approved, which means a contractor who closes up walls before that rough-in approval has built out of sequence.
9, covering insulation, fenestration, duct systems and HVAC efficiency. 13 allows extra or re-inspection fees when work was not ready when originally requested. 1 requires a final inspection before occupancy; skipping that step is itself a violation of the code even if the underlying construction passed every earlier check.
Violations & Fines
Pouring concrete before the Section 110.3.1 soil inspection, closing in framing before the rough electrical, plumbing and heating work passes its Section 110.3.6 inspection, or occupying a structure without the Section 110.5.1 final inspection are each treated as violations of the Building Code, separate from any underlying construction defect. Failing to request a required inspection, or letting an inspection placard go missing from the job site under Section 110.1.1, brings additional inspection fees under Chapter 1100 on top of any other penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first inspection required on a new building in St. Louis County?
Who is responsible for scheduling required building inspections?
Can inspections be combined into one visit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
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