Apply for a Building Permit

A building permit issued by the City of St. Louis Building Division serves as a formal and legal authorization to start construction work on a property located inside St. Louis City. The purpose is to ensure that all adopted City Building Codes are adhered to in a project’s design and construction.

Learn more about the online and in-person application process, fees, and expectations:

In order to make a Building Permit application, at a minimum, you will need:

• The address of the location where your construction project will be located
• A $25 application fee per application. If you are requesting a permit in-person, only check or cash payment is accepted.
• A letter of authorization for the property owner, if the application is not being submitted by the owner of record
• Project Plans
  • Online submission acceptable file types include: .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .bmp, .pdf, .doc, .docx
  • In-person submissions should bring 5 copies of the plans for review

You can apply in person by bringing your drawings to the Permit office in City hall during business hours, or you can apply online via the button below.

Begin online

Fees are based on total estimated project cost and are calculated as follows:  

All fees paid to the City of St. Louis for building permits are non-refundable. Only the application fee is payable at the time the building permit application is filed. The permit fee will be required when final approvals have been received and the building permit is ready to be issued by the Building Division - Permit Section.

A Permit Cost Estimator is available next to the Start Application button when you apply online.

• Following the submission of your application, you will begin to receive feedback from the various City staff assigned to your project. Which staff members and which City agencies will review your application depends on the specifics of the project itself. 
• Once all assigned City agencies have approved your application, you will receive notification that your permit has been approved. At this time, you will be able to pay your permit fee and print the permit document, which needs to be displayed onsite during construction.

No one package of information will be able to address every construction project, the specific needs of the owner or design professional, or the building code requirements for issuance of building permits. For complex projects, several review meetings may be necessary. 

• Residential Construction Guidelines
• Adopted City Building Codes