The Minneapolis table
This is the City's own table, from its exterior windows and doors bulletin under the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code (updated 15 April 2025, linked from the Windows and doors page, read 23 October 2026):
| Work | Permit required |
|---|---|
| Replace window (full frame and pocket windows) in existing wall opening | yes |
| Install window in new or enlarged wall opening | yes |
| Replace entry door in existing wall opening | yes |
| Install entry door in new or enlarged wall opening | yes |
| Replace skylight in existing roof opening | yes |
| Enclose existing porch with windows or doors | yes |
| Install or replace storm windows or storm doors | no |
| Replace insulated glass | no |
| Weatherstripping for existing window sash | no |
| Replace glass in an existing sash, screens, wood parts and other minor repairs | no |
The bulletin adds that "Inspections are required for all work requiring permits". Some cities exempt a same-size window swap; Minneapolis does not, so a window company that says "no permit needed for replacements" is wrong here.
What the inspector looks for
From the same bulletin: windows and doors "must meet the prescribed energy efficiency requirements"; windows and sliding doors must carry a label showing they were tested to AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440; units are anchored and flashed to the manufacturer's written instructions, with flashing per Section R703.4; and openings are "not permitted less than 3 feet from the lot line". That last rule matters on tight city lots: a new window on a side wall close to the neighbor may not be allowed at all. A basement bedroom window has its own egress rules (Minneapolis remodel permit).
Who can pull it, and how
The window company, usually. Contractors show a City residential specialty license or a Minnesota DLI license (Permit Applicants); owners who live in a one- to four-unit building can pull it themselves with a photo ID.
- Pre-approved contractors use express permits, which cover "Same-size windows" on existing one- and two-family homes. A new or enlarged opening is not on that list.
- Everyone else emails the Building Permit Application to Development@minneapolismn.gov. A new opening means a header and framing, so expect plan review.
- Inspection once the units are in. Development Review is on 612-673-3000.
What it costs
The fee follows job value, from the City's building permit fee schedule: building permit fee, plus plan review at 65% of it, plus a state surcharge of job value × 0.0005.
| Job value | Building permit fee | With plan review and surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| $4,500 | $166.00 | about $276 |
| $8,000 | $227.80 | about $380 |
| $11,500 | $310.20 | about $518 |
| $15,000 | $372.00 | about $621 |
Those values bracket the middle half of Minneapolis window firms' usual jobs (below). The schedule does not say whether an express permit is charged plan review; the invoice is the final word.
What 5,528 Minneapolis window permits show
| Measure | Minneapolis windows and doors |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 5,528 |
| Firms that pulled them | 478 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the window | 227 |
| Usual filed value (middle half of firms) | $8,000 ($4,500 to $11,500) |
| Closed (permits a year or more old) | 81.8% |
| Usual days from issue to close | 98 |
| Share of permits held by the busiest firm / five busiest | 23.6% / 46.3% |
| Busiest month / quietest month | October (index 135) / February (62) |
Window replacement in Minneapolis is concentrated: five firms hold 46.3% of the permits, and 61.3% of firms pulled just one. The wide value range is the other lesson: the middle half of firms' usual jobs runs from $4,500 to $11,500, a spread of more than double, partly because one permit can cover one window or a whole house. Compare quotes per window, not per job. Prices by home value are on Minneapolis window cost; counts by year on Minneapolis permit statistics.
See every Minneapolis window installer by permits closed →
Before you hire
Look the firm up on the Minneapolis window list and check its license (Minneapolis contractor license lookup). National prices are in window replacement cost; other cities' rules in do I need a permit for window replacement; past permits on your address in Minneapolis building permit search.
What this does not tell you
Our windows group includes entry doors and skylights. The filed value is the applicant's figure, and one permit can cover one window or twenty. A closed permit means the inspection passed, not how the installer finished the interior trim.
How we know this
The permit table and inspection points are quoted from the City of Minneapolis exterior windows and doors bulletin (updated 15 April 2025), read 23 October 2026, with applicant and express-permit rules from City pages read that day; fees from the City's building permit fee schedule as published that day, and the worked examples apply its formula. Permit counts are City of Minneapolis CCS permits classified as windows and doors, 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 windows in Minneapolis if they are the same size?
Yes. The City's windows and doors bulletin says a building permit is required to replace a window, full-frame or pocket, in an existing wall opening. Storm windows, insulated glass units, weatherstripping and glass in an existing sash do not need one.
- Do I need a permit to replace a front door in Minneapolis?
Yes: replacing an entry door in an existing opening needs a building permit. Installing or replacing a storm door does not.
- How much is a window replacement permit in Minneapolis?
It follows the City's job-value schedule: $104.20 for the first $2,000 plus $20.60 per extra $1,000 up to $25,000, plus a plan review fee of 65% of that and a state surcharge of 0.05% of the value under the published formula. On an $8,000 job that is about $380.
- Can a homeowner pull a window permit in Minneapolis?
Yes, if you own and live in a one- to four-unit building and install the windows yourself; you show a valid photo ID with the application. A contractor needs a City residential specialty license or a Minnesota DLI license.
- How long does a window permit take to close in Minneapolis?
The usual Minneapolis windows and doors permit in our file closed 98 days after it was issued, and 81.8% of permits a year or more old were closed.
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? 13 common home projects, checked against city rules and permit files
- Do I need a permit to replace windows in Cape Coral? Size-for-size vs new openings, fee and timing
- Do I need a permit to replace windows in Cleveland? Yes: the City calls it an alteration. The fee, who pulls it, and timing
- Do I need a permit to replace windows? The rule in 13 cities, and how many get filed
- Do I need a permit to replace windows in Miami? NOAs, the two inspections, fees and who can pull it
- Do I need a window replacement permit in Sacramento County? Yes, even for a retrofit: the policy, the energy sticker, two inspections
For one city
- Exterior windows and doors bulletin (updated 15 April 2025) — City of Minneapolis Construction Code Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Windows and doors — Building Requirements by Project, City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Limited Permits for Contractors — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building permit fee schedule — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Permit Applicants — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building Permit application — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)