What each job was filed at
"Usual" is the middle permit: half were filed for less, half for more. "Middle half of firms" takes every firm with three or more permits in the trade, finds each firm's usual job, and shows the band the middle 50% of firms sit in. A dash under days means we can't time that permit type from issue to final in the City's file.
| Job | Usual filed value | Middle half of firms | Permits (share priced) | Usual days to final | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radon mitigation | $1,000 | $1,000–$1,600 | 162 (99.4%) | 245 | cost · compare firms |
| Electrical work | $1,200 | $1,000–$3,250 | 15,800 (99.4%) | 59 | cost · compare firms |
| Plumbing | $2,500 | $2,000–$4,800 | 9,237 (99.8%) | 126 | cost · compare firms |
| Solar panels | $5,000 | $2,513–$10,032 | 634 (99.7%) | 69 | cost · compare firms |
| Stucco & plaster | $5,100 | $3,500–$8,000 | 236 (98.3%) | 159 | cost · compare firms |
| Fence | $6,500 | $4,356–$8,994 | 1,256 (99.7%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| HVAC & gas | $6,760 | $4,000–$8,000 | 14,174 (99.9%) | 164 | cost · compare firms |
| Windows & doors | $7,220 | $4,000–$10,000 | 3,977 (100.0%) | 147 | cost · compare firms |
| Fireplace & stove | $7,325 | $6,500–$8,037 | 221 (100.0%) | 55 | cost · compare firms |
| Drain tile & waterproofing | $8,650 | $6,818–$8,990 | 536 (100.0%) | 189 | cost · compare firms |
| Deck, porch & steps | $10,000 | $7,543–$15,000 | 442 (100.0%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| Roof replacement | $12,429 | $9,050–$16,000 | 8,566 (99.9%) | 106 | cost · compare firms |
| Siding | $15,000 | $11,000–$24,500 | 829 (99.9%) | 183 | cost · compare firms |
| Remodel & repair | $16,000 | $10,000–$45,250 | 2,797 (99.9%) | 364 | cost · compare firms |
| Garage | $17,472 | $14,784–$32,387 | 431 (100.0%) | 263 | cost · compare firms |
| Home addition | $120,000 | — | 189 (100.0%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| New home | $400,000 | $400,000–$635,000 | 133 (99.2%) | — | cost · compare firms |
Saint Paul's record joins two systems: the City's old approved-permits file up to June 2025 and its PAULIE permit system since 17 September 2025, so permits issued from July to mid-September 2025 are mostly missing.
What moves the price in Saint Paul
The home. Each cost page splits firms into thirds by the usual value of the homes they work on (Ramsey County parcel values, 2025). The city's single-family value figure is $276,000.
| Job | Firms on the least expensive third | Firms on the most expensive third |
|---|---|---|
| Remodel & repair | $10,154 | $40,000 |
| Roof replacement | $12,202 | $15,000 |
| Plumbing | $2,000 | $4,500 |
| Windows & doors | $8,057 | $6,766 |
Figures from each cost page, data of 22 October 2026. Remodels quadruple with home value; roofs move by about a quarter. Windows go the other way here, so don't assume a bigger house means a bigger window bill.
The firm. Electrical is the clearest case: the ten busiest electrical firms usually file $535 a permit, while the 514 firms with fewer than ten permits usually file $2,192 (Saint Paul electrical cost page). A busy firm's low usual figure means many small jobs, not a cheap rate. The middle half of all electrical firms sits between $1,000 and $3,250.
The trade's range. Remodels run from $10,000 to $45,250 across the middle half of firms; roofing from $9,050 to $16,000. A roof quote can be judged against the band; a remodel quote needs a written scope first.
What a Saint Paul building permit costs
The building permit fee is set by the job's value on the City's schedule (Saint Paul Legislative Code 33.04, effective 25 February 2023, read 22 October 2026):
| Job value on the permit | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $500 | $36 |
| $10,001 to $11,000 | $295 |
| $20,001 to $21,000 | $505 |
| $49,001 to $50,000 | $966 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,499 for the first $100,000 plus $8 for each additional $1,000 |
On top: a plan check fee of 65% of the permit fee for valuations over $1,000, and the Minnesota state surcharge of 0.0005 times the job value (Minn. Stat. 326B.148). The City notes the calculation is for the building permit only; SAC, parkland dedication, zoning and other fees can be added. Trade permits (plumbing, mechanical, electrical) have their own fees.
Filed value is not the price
- The fee rides on it. Because the fee rises with the value written down, an applicant has a reason not to round up. Treat the usual figures as the size of the job, not a ceiling.
- Solar is a special case. The usual solar permit here is $5,000, far below other cities (see home project cost by city). Read the solar permits on the compare page before using that number for a whole system.
- Small jobs pull the middle down. Electrical and HVAC permits include service calls and gas lines, so the usual figure is below a full replacement.
Check a quote in five minutes
- Find your job in the table and open its cost page.
- Put your quote against the "middle half of firms" band. Above it, ask what the extra covers.
- Open compare firms, find the contractor, and read its usual filed value, permit count and finished share.
- Ask who pulls the permit and whether the price includes it; on a $20,000 job the building permit fee alone is $505 before plan check.
Single-job guides: roof replacement cost, home remodel cost, window replacement cost. To check a firm's Minnesota licence, see Saint Paul contractor license lookup.
How we know this
Every row is a permit type the City of Saint Paul issued in the window 2023-10 to 2026-09 with at least 100 priced permits making up at least 80% of the type. Usual = median of the permits that carry a value; middle half of firms = 25th to 75th percentile of the usual value of firms with three or more permits in the trade (shown when at least eight firms qualify); days = median from permit issue to final inspection. Home-value thirds and busiest-firm figures are copied from each job's cost page and dated. Fees are quoted from the City's schedule linked under Sources.
Numbers come from City of Saint Paul building and trade permits (the City's old approved-permits file up to June 2025, and the City's PAULIE permit system since September 2025), with the contractor named on each permit, data through October 22, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Compare every Saint Paul roofer by usual job and finished share →
Questions
- How much does roof replacement cost in Saint Paul?
The usual roofing permit in Saint Paul was filed at $12,429, across 8,566 permits, and the middle half of 550 roofers usually file between $9,050 and $16,000. The usual roofing permit took 106 days from issue to final inspection.
- How much does HVAC replacement cost in Saint Paul?
Saint Paul's HVAC and gas permits were usually filed at $6,760, and the middle half of HVAC firms file between $4,000 and $8,000. The permit type includes gas work and smaller jobs, so a full furnace-and-air-conditioner replacement sits toward the top of that band.
- What is the cost of a home renovation in Saint Paul?
Remodel and repair permits were usually filed at $16,000, but the middle half of remodelers file anywhere from $10,000 to $45,250. Firms working on the most expensive third of homes usually file $40,000, against $10,154 for the least expensive third (Saint Paul remodel cost page).
- How much is a building permit in Saint Paul?
The building permit fee follows the job's value. On the City's schedule effective 25 February 2023, a $10,001–$11,000 job pays $295, a $20,001–$21,000 job $505 and a $49,001–$50,000 job $966, plus a plan check fee of 65% of that fee on jobs over $1,000 and a Minnesota surcharge of 0.0005 times the value. Other fees can apply.
- How much do plumbers charge in Saint Paul?
The usual plumbing permit was filed at $2,500 (9,237 permits), and the middle half of 293 plumbing firms usually file between $2,000 and $4,800.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
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