The Minneapolis rule
The City's Building Requirements by Project page sends siding questions to Minnesota DLI's Re-siding and the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code sheet (read 23 October 2026). What it requires:
| Step | Permit or inspection | The wording |
|---|---|---|
| Re-siding | Building permit | "Building permits are required for the re-siding of existing dwellings and structures." |
| Meter socket, AC disconnect, lights and outlets taken off the wall | Electrical permit | Required "for the replacement or reinstallation" of each |
| Rotted sheathing, framing or insulation found | Repair, possible inspection | "must be replaced. Contact the municipality for possible inspection of these repairs before proceeding." |
| Water-resistive barrier (WRB) and flashing | Inspection | "Inspection is required for WRB and flashing installation." |
| Electrical reinstalled | Final electrical inspection | Required "prior to the final siding inspection" |
| Siding complete | Final re-siding inspection | Includes house numbers reinstalled "in compliance with the code and local ordinance" |
Two code points matter to the bid: "Fan-fold foam insulation products are not a substitute for the WRB" unless the building official approves, and existing mechanical intake and exhaust vents "may not be altered or replaced". The electrical reinstallation must be done by "The homeowner or Minnesota-licensed electrical contractor who obtained the electrical permit", so the siding crew cannot rehang the meter socket on the siding permit.
Who can pull it
The City's Construction permit applicants page (read 23 October 2026): an owner who lives in a 1- to 4-unit building "can apply for a permit to do their own construction work", with a valid photo ID, but not as a corporation, LLC or partnership. Contractors must show a City residential specialty contractor license or a State Residential Building Contractor, Residential Remodeler or Residential Roofer license. Check the number with the Minneapolis contractor license lookup.
How to apply
- Pre-approved contractors use the City's express permits tool, which lists "Siding" and "Stucco/plaster" repair or replacement on existing one- and two-family homes. The contractor must have "contacted us to confirm the work you are doing is eligible."
- Everyone else fills in the Building Permit Application and emails it to Development@minneapolismn.gov; owner applicants attach a valid ID.
- Pull the electrical permit separately if fixtures, outlets or the meter socket come off.
- Book the WRB inspection before siding goes on, then the final. Development Review is on 612-673-3000.
What it costs
Minneapolis prices the building permit by job value. From the City's building permit fee schedule as read on 23 October 2026:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Job value $2,001 to $25,000 | $104.20 for the first $2,000, plus $20.60 per added $1,000 |
| Job value $25,001 to $50,000 | $578.00 for the first $25,000, plus $14.90 per added $1,000 |
| Plan review fee | 65% of the building permit fee |
| Minnesota state surcharge | Job value × 0.0005 |
| Minimum fee | $84.20 |
Worked through that formula: a $10,000 re-side is $269.00 + $174.85 plan review + $5.00 surcharge, about $449; a $14,000 one is $351.40 + $228.41 + $7.00, about $587. The schedule does not say whether plan review is charged on an express permit, so the invoice is the final word. The electrical permit is billed separately.
What 1,823 Minneapolis siding permits show
| Measure | Minneapolis siding |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,823 |
| Firms that pulled them | 462 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the window | 160 |
| Usual filed value | $13,500 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value (160 firms) | $10,000 to $19,229 |
| Closed (permits a year or more old) | 88.9% |
| Usual days from issue to close | 113 |
| Firms with one permit only | 222 (48.1%) |
| Firms whose matched license is expired, suspended or similar | 38 (8.2%) |
| Busiest / quietest month | September (140) / January (47) |
Siding is a fragmented trade here: the five busiest firms hold only 14.0% of permits, 48.1% of firms pulled a single permit in three years, and 32 firms with five or more filed none in the last 12 months of the window. With so many one-time filers, the license check matters more than our record: 38 firms in the file match a license that is no longer active. The season is short, from index 47 in January to 140 in September; a re-side booked in winter or early spring competes with fewer jobs. Prices by home value are on Minneapolis siding cost.
See every Minneapolis siding contractor by permits closed →
Related
Look a contractor up on the Minneapolis siding list. Re-siding often comes with windows and a roof: Minneapolis window replacement permit and Minneapolis roofing permit. Past permits on your address: Minneapolis building permit search. Other places' rules: do I need a permit for siding; national prices: siding replacement cost; the checklist: hiring a siding contractor; statewide license rules: how to check a contractor's license in Minnesota. Counts by year: Minneapolis permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
The filed value is what the contractor wrote on the permit, not your invoice, and stucco jobs are counted with siding. A closed permit means the final passed, not that the siding was installed to the manufacturer's spec. The inspection steps come from the state sheet the City links; the City's own siding page is that link, so call Development Review on 612-673-3000 for a case it does not cover. Our license match is by license number or business name, and 11.7% of firms did not match.
How we know this
Permit and inspection requirements are quoted from Minnesota DLI's Re-siding and the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code sheet, linked from the City of Minneapolis Building Requirements by Project page; applicant and express-permit rules from the City's Construction permit applicants and Express Limited Permits pages, all read 23 October 2026; fees from the City's building permit fee schedule as published that day, with the worked examples applying its formula. Counts are City of Minneapolis CCS permits classified as siding, October 2023 to September 2026; closed share uses permits a year or more old, and days to close is the median from issue to completion date.
Numbers come from City of Minneapolis construction permits (CCS), data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace siding in Minneapolis?
Yes. Minnesota DLI's re-siding sheet, which the City links for siding, says 'Building permits are required for the re-siding of existing dwellings and structures.' Siding and stucco repair or replacement is also on the City's express permit list for pre-approved contractors.
- How much is a siding permit in Minneapolis?
It is priced by job value: $104.20 for the first $2,000 plus $20.60 per extra $1,000 up to $25,000, a plan review fee of 65% of that, and a state surcharge of 0.05% of value. By that formula a $14,000 re-side comes to about $587 and a $10,000 one about $449.
- What inspections does re-siding need in Minneapolis?
Under the state code sheet the City links: an inspection of the water-resistive barrier and flashing before siding goes on, a final electrical inspection if fixtures or the meter socket were removed, and a final re-siding inspection. Rotted sheathing found under old siding must be replaced, and the City may inspect it.
- How long does a siding permit take to close in Minneapolis?
The usual Minneapolis siding permit in our file closed 113 days after it was issued, and 88.9% of permits a year or more old were closed.
- Can a homeowner pull a siding permit in Minneapolis?
Yes, if you own and live in a 1- to 4-unit building: the City says owner-occupants can apply to do their own construction work with a valid photo ID, but not as a corporation, LLC or partnership.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a permit to replace siding? The rule in 13 cities, and how many get filed
- Do I need a siding permit in Colorado Springs? PPRBD's 100 sq ft rule and the $115 and $135 flat fees
- Hiring a siding contractor: 5 red flags and 8 questions, checked against siding permits in 8 cities
- Minneapolis contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
For one city
- Re-siding and the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code — Minnesota DLI (linked from the City's Building Requirements by Project page) (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building Requirements by Project — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Limited Permits for Contractors — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Construction permit applicants — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building permit fee schedule — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building Permit application — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)