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How Much Does a Building Permit Cost in City of St. Louis?
✓ Fee schedule checked against city sources
Fee math from Building Division, Department of Public Safety, not a national average
Data last verified: September 28, 2026
The City of St. Louis is separate from St. Louis County. A building permit is a $25 application fee plus $19 to $30 for work up to $3,000 and $10 per started $1,000 above that, and electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are separate, each with its own application fee.
Permit Cost by Project
Kitchen Remodel$370.00
Bathroom Remodel$300.00
Building Permit ($25K project)$275.00
Building Permit ($12K project)$145.00
Deck / Patio$105.00
Building Permit ($8K project)$105.00
Electrical Panel$85.00
Solar Panel Installation$85.00
EV Charger Installation$85.00
Electrical Permit$85.00
Fence Permit$75.00
HVAC Replacement$65.00
Water Heater$65.00
HVAC / Mechanical Permit$65.00
Demolition$55.00
Do You Need a Permit?
No: Paint, cosmetic updates, fixture swaps
Yes: Bathroom remodel ($300.00)
Yes: Kitchen remodel ($370.00)
Exempt: Roof replacement
Yes: HVAC replacement ($65.00)
Yes: Water heater ($65.00)
Yes: Deck / patio ($105.00)
Exempt: Window replacement (same size)
Yes: Electrical panel ($85.00)
Yes: Solar panels ($85.00)
Verified Permit Cost by Project Type
Kitchen Remodel
$370.00
Building, Electrical
Bathroom Remodel
$300.00
Building, Electrical, Mechanical
Building Permit ($25K project)
$275.00
Building
Building Permit ($12K project)
$145.00
Building
Deck / Patio
$105.00
Building
Building Permit ($8K project)
$105.00
Building
Electrical Panel
$85.00
Electrical
Solar Panel Installation
$85.00
Building, Electrical
Compare these permit costs across U.S. cities
Two Types of Permits
City of St. Louis issues building permits for structural work and separate trade permits for plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and roofing. Most remodels need both kinds. See the full breakdown of which projects need a permit and which are exempt.
City of St. Louis Permit Cost Calculator
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✓ EXEMPT per the City of St. Louis residential permit criteria: "roof replacement when done with like material and replacement of 25% or less of the roof sheathing". A change of material or more than 25% sheathing requires a permit.
Local sourceBuilt from Building Division, Department of Public Safety fee data, not a national average.
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The City of St. Louis prices each trade separately. The building permit is a $25 application fee plus a permit fee from the estimated construction cost: $44 in total up to $1,000, $48 up to $2,000, $55 up to $3,000, and above that $25 plus $10 for every $1,000 or part of $1,000. An $8,000 job pays $105. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits come on top, each with its own application fee. A water heater replacement is $65 and a panel replacement $85, the amounts the City bills on its own permits. A $25,000 kitchen remodel with its building, plumbing and electrical permits is $370, and a rooftop solar system takes one electrical permit at $85.
How the City of St. Louis Calculates Permit Fees
The building permit fee comes from the estimated construction cost. The city's Building Permit page lists a $25.00 application fee plus a permit fee of $19.00 up to $1,000, $23.00 from $1,001 to $2,000 and $30.00 from $2,001 to $3,000. Over $3,000 the permit fee is $10.00 per thousand or fraction thereof, so a started $1,000 counts in full. A $7,100 deck pays $25 plus 8 x $10, or $105. A $12,000 job pays $145 and a $25,000 job $275. The application fee is due when you file; the permit fee is due when the permit is ready to issue. Neither is refundable.
Trade permits are flat. Mechanical (Ordinance 70800) is a $25 application fee plus $40 for each residential furnace, condensing unit or combination unit, so a central air conditioner replacement is $65. Electrical (Ordinance 70802) is a $25 application fee plus $60 for alterations that add no new service, so an EV charger circuit is $85. Plumbing (Ordinance 71644) is a $30 application fee, $10 per fixture, and $25 for each rough and each finish inspection.
The City's own permit records settle two figures the fee pages leave open. Water heater replacements are billed the $30 application fee, one $10 fixture and one $25 finish inspection, with no rough inspection: $65. Panel replacements are billed the $25 application fee plus $60, not the $100 in the page's notes: $85.
Chuck's Take
"I bid a lot of jobs in Missouri. In the City of St. Louis the permit never comes back as one number. It's a building permit plus a separate one for every trade. I price each one before the bid goes out. Homeowners get surprised when their contractor doesn't."
Leonard "Chuck" Thompson, LC Thompson Construction Co.
What Needs a Permit in the City of St. Louis?
The city's residential permit criteria page says a building permit is required for any structural change or major alteration and for new construction. It lists new structures, garages, room additions, accessory buildings over 50 square feet, porches, decks, foundation repair, basement and attic conversions to living space, removing or adding a partition in living space, and all new fences of any type. A new roof needs a permit when the material changes or more than 25 percent of the roof sheathing is replaced. Plumbing, mechanical and electrical work takes its own permit.
The same page lists work that usually needs no permit: ordinary repairs to homes of up to four units, a like-material re-roof replacing 25 percent or less of the sheathing, new aluminum, steel or vinyl siding with no change to the openings, window and exterior door replacement with no change to the opening, gutters, painting, flooring, cabinets, sidewalks and driveways within the property line, accessory buildings of 50 square feet or less, retaining walls 18 inches or less, and replacing a rear or side-yard fence at the same height, material and location. Fiber-cement or wood siding is not on that list.
Historic districts and city landmarks are different. There, exterior painting, gutters, windows, doors, tuckpointing, fences and awnings need Cultural Resources Office approval even when the building code does not require a permit. Work in a FEMA flood area needs a Floodway Development Permit.
Penalties for Starting Work Without a Permit in St. Louis
The plumbing fee schedule adds a surcharge for commencing work before the permit is issued. It scales with the permit fee: $35 on a permit of $50 or less, $95 up to $200, $245 up to $500, $365 up to $2,000, $485 up to $10,000 and $1,005 above that. A plumbing re-inspection is $30.
On the mechanical side, failing to request an inspection is $50 per permit and a re-inspection for faulty or incomplete work is $25. The electrical page says its re-inspection fee for faulty or incomplete work doubles with each occurrence. The building fee page does not print a penalty for starting without a permit. Pull the permit before the work starts.
How Long Is a Building Permit Good For in the City of St. Louis?
The city's permit pages we reviewed do not state how long a building permit stays valid. They do say the permit fee is collected once final approvals are in and the permit is ready to issue, and that the issued permit document must be displayed on site during construction. Ask the Permit Section at (314) 622-3313 about expiration and extensions before you schedule the job.
Who Pulls the Permit in the City of St. Louis?
A building permit application needs a letter of authorization from the property owner when someone other than the owner of record submits it. Electrical permits go to electrical contractors licensed by the City, and to owners of single-family homes who pass a short test from the Electrical Section, live in the home, and are doing a room addition, repair or modification. Homeowners cannot take out electrical permits for service changes, rehab or new construction.
The safest arrangement is a contract that makes your contractor responsible for every permit in their name. That keeps the inspections and the code compliance on the people doing the work.
Chuck's Take
"Never let a homeowner pull the permit on my jobs. I want my name on it. That way the inspector calls me when something fails. If your contractor fights you on this one, find someone else. It's not worth the headache."
Leonard "Chuck" Thompson, LC Thompson Construction Co.
Why St. Louis Uses Separate Trade Permits
The City of St. Louis is an independent city, not part of St. Louis County, and its Building Division runs its own permits. Building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work each take a separate permit with its own application fee. The city has adopted the 2018 International Residential Code (Ordinance 70795), the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (Ordinance 71644), the 2018 International Mechanical Code (Ordinance 70800) and the 2017 National Electrical Code (Ordinance 70802).
Only the building permit scales with project cost. Trade permits are flat per item, so a $50,000 kitchen and a $15,000 bathroom can pay similar trade fees. A fence shows the scaling: a $5,000 fence pays $75, a $1,500 fence $48.
Quick Reference · City of St. Louis Permit Requirements
| Homeowner Task | Permit? | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Paint interior / exterior | NO | Cosmetic |
| Replace flooring | NO | Cosmetic |
| Replace kitchen cabinets (same layout) | NO | Cosmetic |
| Swap a light fixture (same location) | NO | Cosmetic |
| Replace a water heater | YES | $65.00 Plumbing |
| Upgrade an electrical panel | YES | $85.00 Electrical |
| Remodel a bathroom | YES | $300.00 Building, Electrical, Mechanical |
| Remodel a kitchen | YES | $370.00 Building, Electrical |
| Replace / repair roof | EXEMPT | Permit not required |
| Build a deck or patio | YES | $105.00 Building |
| Build a fence (≤6 ft) | YES | $75.00 Building |
| Install solar panels | YES | $85.00 Building, Electrical |
| Replace HVAC system | YES | $65.00 Mechanical |
| Replace windows (same size, same opening) | NO | Exempt |
∗ Costs are verified for City of St. Louis, MO from published fee schedule. Always confirm with your local building department.
Internal Comparison · separate trade permits
Compare City of St. Louis Permit Fees With Related Cities
Use these source-linked city pages to compare City of St. Louis against other Missouri markets and cities with similar permit fee structures.
Kansas City, MOSame-state Missouri cityBathroom remodel permit package: $217.30 · -$82.70 vs City of St. Louis
St. Louis County, MOSame-state Missouri cityBathroom remodel permit package: $208.00 · -$92.00 vs City of St. Louis
Springfield, MOSame-state Missouri cityBathroom remodel permit package: $490.00 · +$190.00 vs City of St. Louis
Orlando, FLAlso uses separate trade permitsBathroom remodel permit package: $297.69 · -$2.31 vs City of St. Louis
Charleston, SCAlso uses separate trade permitsBathroom remodel permit package: $308.00 · +$8.00 vs City of St. Louis
Oklahoma City, OKAlso uses separate trade permitsBathroom remodel permit package: $308.50 · +$8.50 vs City of St. Louis
Chicago, ILCross-market benchmarkBathroom remodel permit package: $325.00 · +$25.00 vs City of St. Louis
Fort Worth, TXCross-market benchmarkBathroom remodel permit package: $525.95 · +$225.95 vs City of St. Louis
Permit Guides
Permit Cost and Process Guides
Pricing a specific project in City of St. Louis? These guides cover what each permit runs and how the approval process actually works.
Building permit cost, every verified city ranked
How much does a building permit cost?
How long does a permit take to get?
When is a permit not required?
Deck permit cost
Roof replacement permit cost
HVAC permit cost
Kitchen remodel permit cost
Solar panel permit cost
EV charger permit cost
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater?
Do I need a permit for an electrical panel upgrade?
How to speed up a building permit
Getting an electrical permit online
What happens if you build without a permit
Before You Build
Budgeting the whole job? Compare granite countertop cost data at TheFatBook, our companion cost index.
Frequently Asked · City of St. Louis
How much does a building permit cost in the City of St. Louis?
It is a $25 application fee plus $10 for each $1,000 or part of $1,000 of estimated construction cost over $3,000. An $8,000 job pays $105 and a $25,000 job $275. Jobs up to $3,000 pay $44, $48 or $55. Trade permits are extra.
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in the City of St. Louis?
Yes, a plumbing permit. The fee is a $30 application fee, $10 for the water heater and one $25 finish inspection, $65, which is what the City billed on its own water heater permits.
How much is a mechanical permit to replace an air conditioner in the City of St. Louis?
A $25 application fee plus $40 for the condensing unit, $65 in total. A furnace is also $40 each, and a combination furnace and condensing unit is $40.
Do I need a permit to build a deck in the City of St. Louis?
Yes. Decks are on the city's list of work that requires a building permit. A $7,100 deck pays $105: the $25 application fee plus $10 for each of the eight started thousands.
Do I need a permit for a fence in the City of St. Louis?
Yes for a new fence of any type. Replacing an existing rear or side-yard fence at the same height, material and location is exempt. A $5,000 new fence pays $75 on the building fee table.
Do I need a permit for electrical work in the City of St. Louis?
Yes. Alterations with no new service, such as an EV charger circuit, are $85 with the application fee. A panel replacement on the existing service is also $85: the $25 application fee plus $60, the amount the City billed on most of its own panel permits.
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