Saint Paul, MN Building Safety: Scaffold & Sidewalk Shed (2026)

Sec. 04(a) of the Legislative Code puts every building wrecking or demolition job in Saint Paul under the supervision of the director of the department of safety and inspections, who can impose reasonable restrictions for safety and health. The section specifically requires that demolition work be kept sprinkled and that sufficient scaffolding be provided to ensure safety to human life, limb and property: the scaffolding duty sits inside the same licensing chapter that requires a wrecking license (Sec. 01), a $10,000 surety bond (Sec. 03(a)) and pest-extermination certification before a demolition permit issues (Sec.

03(b)). If DSI's director determines mid-project that wrecking isn't being done safely and efficiently, Sec. 04(b) lets the director give the contractor, firm or bonding company notice to comply; if the requirements still aren't met, the department can enter the premises, finish the work itself, and bill the wrecker for the cost. The city must be reimbursed within 10 days of a bill, and any unpaid balance becomes a lien on the property carrying 6 percent annual interest from the date notice expired. Because scaffolding sufficiency is judged against the standard of protecting life, limb and property rather than a fixed engineering spec, DSI's inspectors have discretion to require additional bracing, netting or shoring on a given site as conditions warrant, and a contractor's bond is the financial backstop if a scaffolding failure causes injury or property loss during the wrecking operation.