St. Louis permit search

The St. Louis Building Division issues building permits for property inside the City. Past permits are searchable by City address. Its published goal is 80% issued within 30 days; the City reports performance short of that goal. The City’s residential rule says: “A building permit is required when any structural change or major alteration is made to an existing building or when any new construction is undertaken.” Search City permits by address

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Sources read: 2026-11-03Updated 2026-11-03

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How to search a permit by address in St. Louis

Use St. Louis’s address search for permits already issued for a property. The field accepts a street address or parcel. This lookup is described as a way to find past permits; it is a different task from submitting drawings for a new building permit. The City’s search page gives this instruction:

Enter a City address to find past permits issued for that property.

Source: Building Permits Search by Address, read 2026-11-03

For a new project, use the City’s Apply for a Building Permit page, which describes the online and in-person application choices.

St. Louis permit targets and application quantities

Issuance target share — City authority; source updated October 30, 2026	80% of building permits; performance below goalBuilding Division Data, City of St. Louis (authority grain), read 2026-11-03
Issuance target window — City authority; source updated October 30, 2026	Within 30 days; target, not a published individual turnaroundBuilding Division Data, City of St. Louis (authority grain), read 2026-11-03
In-person plan submission — City authority; read November 3, 2026	5 copies of plans for reviewApply for a Building Permit, City of St. Louis (authority grain), read 2026-11-03

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Do I need a permit for a fence in St. Louis?

St. Louis’s fence rule distinguishes new fencing from a specific replacement case. The exception depends on keeping the height, material and location in a rear or side yard. A replacement that changes those details does not fit the exception quoted here. Historic-district and flood-area rules also need attention; the City publishes separate exceptions for those properties.

all new fences of any type, except the replacement of existing fencing, of the same height, material and location in the rear or side yard;

Source: When a Residential Building Permit is Needed, read 2026-11-03

For historic districts and landmarks, the Cultural Resources Office can require a building permit to protect the exterior appearance even where the Building Code does not require one.

In most instances a building permit is required by the Cultural Resources Office even though it is not required by the Building Code. This is done to protect the exterior appearance of the building.

Source: When a Residential Building Permit is Needed, read 2026-11-03

Do I need a permit to repair or replace a roof in St. Louis?

St. Louis ties its roof requirement to the material and the amount of sheathing replaced. Read the requirement together with the ordinary-work exception: the City separates an entire new roof and certain sheathing work from replacement using like material. The threshold refers to roof sheathing, rather than a share of the project budget or an application fee.

an entire new roof, when roof work is not replacement of like material, and/or when more than 25% of the roof sheathing is removed and replaced.

Source: When a Residential Building Permit is Needed, read 2026-11-03

roof replacement when done with like material and replacement of 25% or less of the roof sheathing; new aluminum, steel or vinyl exterior siding with no change to existing openings;

Source: When a Residential Building Permit is Needed, read 2026-11-03

Historic-district and flood-area exceptions can change how the ordinary roof rule applies to the property.

Can a homeowner pull their own permit in St. Louis?

St. Louis’s building-permit preparation list expressly contemplates an application submitted by the owner of record. Where someone else submits it, the list calls for an authorization letter. This application rule should be read separately from the City’s trade-permit description, which says contractors and, in some cases, homeowners receive permits for specialized work.

A letter of authorization for the property owner, if the application is not being submitted by the owner of record

Source: Apply for a Building Permit, read 2026-11-03

Trade permits are issued to contractors (and in some cases homeowners) to perform specialized work like electrical, plumbing and demolition.

Source: Building Division Permits Section, read 2026-11-03

What work does not need a permit in St. Louis?

The City labels its ordinary-work list as work that usually does not require a permit. Window repairs depend on leaving the opening unchanged. Small accessory buildings have both an area condition and a zoning-setback condition. These are conditional examples from the list, rather than a determination that a particular property or planned project qualifies.

“replacement or repair of existing windows and frames, whenever no modification is made to the opening; installation of storm windows and doors, glazing and glass replacement;”
“small accessory buildings 50 square feet in area or less, provided such accessory buildings maintain setbacks required by the Zoning Ordinance;”

Source: When a Residential Building Permit is Needed, read 2026-11-03

The residential criteria separately flag historic districts and flood areas. For flood areas, the City requires a Floodway Development Permit even when the Building Code may not require a building permit.

For all construction projects in an area designed as a flood area per the FEMA Floodway or FIRM maps , a Floodway Development Permit must be issued even though a building permit may not be required by the Building Code.

Source: When a Residential Building Permit is Needed, read 2026-11-03

How much is a permit and how long does it take in St. Louis?

The October 30, 2026 CityStat update sets an issuance goal of 80% within 30 days and reports performance below it. That target describes the Building Division’s performance measure; it does not establish when an individual application will be issued. For a fee calculation tied to a proposed project, use the City’s building-permit application information.

The Building Division has a goal of 80% of building permits issued within 30 days. The Division has been underperforming this goal over the past three quarters, despite a shift to online permit processing in February.

Source: Building Division Data, read 2026-11-03

Apply for a Building Permit

Before you apply in St. Louis: checklist

Prepare the project location and project plans for a City building-permit application. The City offers online submission and an in-person route with drawings brought to the Permit office during business hours. Its preparation list calls for an authorization letter when the applicant is someone other than the owner of record. For paper submissions, the plans requirement is:

In-person submissions should bring 5 copies of the plans for review

Source: Apply for a Building Permit, read 2026-11-03

Keep the drawing-copy requirement distinct from the owner authorization requirement. Both appear in the City’s preparation instructions, while the online application is offered as an alternative to bringing drawings in person. The application page is the source for the filing choices and project preparation details.

Apply for a Building Permit

How do I contact the St. Louis building department?

For questions about whether a residential project falls within the listed permit rules, the City directs readers to the Building Division Permit Section. Use its contact page for the department’s current contact options. This is the same Permit Section identified on the City’s residential criteria and application pages.

Contact the Permit Section

Contact the Building Division Permit Section if you have questions.

Source: When a Residential Building Permit is Needed, read 2026-11-03

Sources

When a Residential Building Permit is Needed (stlouis-mo.gov), read 2026-11-03
Building Permits Search by Address (stlouis-mo.gov), read 2026-11-03
Apply for a Building Permit (stlouis-mo.gov), read 2026-11-03
Building Division Permits Section (stlouis-mo.gov), read 2026-11-03
Building Division Data (stlouis-mo.gov), read 2026-11-03