Rules below are from the City's Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) TISH page, read 23 October 2026. Minneapolis runs a different program with required repairs; see Minneapolis Truth in Sale of Housing.
Who needs one, and when
| Property | TISH needed? |
|---|---|
| Single-family home, duplex, townhome | Yes, before the property is marketed |
| Condo with its own PIN | Yes, even if the building has a Certificate of Occupancy (which covers only common areas) |
| 3+ unit building without individual PINs, commercial, mixed-use | No |
| Sale to immediate family (grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, siblings) | No |
| Category 1 vacant building | Yes; Categories 2 and 3 need a code compliance inspection instead |
The report must be available to any potential buyer within three calendar days of listing. It is valid for one year from issue and one sale by the named owner; a current Certificate of Code Compliance or Certificate of Occupancy can stand in, also for a year. Failing to comply with Chapter 189 is a misdemeanor (Sec. 189.19).
The one required fix: the smoke alarm
| Saint Paul rule | |
|---|---|
| Applies to | Single-family homes |
| Requirement | An operational hard-wired smoke detector/alarm |
| If missing or not working | Report marks it a Hazard; the Senior Electrical Inspector sends the owner or seller a letter |
| Who installs | A licensed electrical contractor, under a permit |
| Duplexes, condos, townhomes | Not required, but "highly encouraged" |
So a seller of a single-family house without a working hard-wired alarm needs an electrician before or soon after listing. The letter names a licensed electrical contractor, so plan on hiring one rather than using the homeowner permit route. Check the contractor's Minnesota license on DLI's lookup, linked from Saint Paul contractor license lookup; 71.2% of Saint Paul electrical firms in our file matched an active license.
Hiring the evaluator
Evaluators are private, City-licensed contractors, not City employees; you hire one directly or through your agent, and they set their own fees. The City publishes the list on its TISH page and does not recommend among them. The City also advises buyers to hire their own independent home inspector before closing.
What Saint Paul's electrical permits show
| Measure | Saint Paul electrical |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 15,800 |
| Firms | 750 |
| Usual filed value | $1,200 |
| Usual days from issue to final | 59 |
| Reached final (permits a year or more old) | 74.1% |
| Firms with one permit only | 192 |
| Busiest / quietest month | October / February |
A smoke alarm circuit is a small job, and Saint Paul's usual electrical permit is filed at $1,200. The record to watch is the final: only 74.1% of permits a year or more old reached one. A buyer reading a TISH can ask the seller for the final inspection result on any recent electrical work. The busiest electrical firm over the last 12 months was Spark Electric, with 387 permits.
Compare Saint Paul electricians by finished share →
Permit fees and the homeowner affidavit: Saint Paul electrical permit. Look up a house's permits before you buy: Saint Paul building permit search. Costs by firm: Saint Paul electrical cost. Totals by year: Saint Paul permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
We cannot see TISH reports, and our file does not separate smoke-alarm permits from other electrical work. Filed values are the contractor's estimate. The City's page lists no TISH fee; evaluators set their own, so compare quotes from the City's list.
How we know this
TISH rules, exemptions, validity and the smoke-alarm requirement are from the City of Saint Paul DSI Truth-in-Sale of Housing page, read 23 October 2026. Permit counts are City of Saint Paul electrical permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026; finished share uses permits a year or more old, and days to final is the median from issue to final.
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.
Questions
- Does Saint Paul require repairs after a TISH evaluation?
Generally no. The City describes the TISH as 'disclosure only'. The one required item is an operational hard-wired smoke alarm in a single-family home: if it is missing or not working, the report marks a Hazard and the City's Senior Electrical Inspector sends a letter requiring a licensed electrical contractor to install one under a permit.
- How long is a Saint Paul TISH good for?
One year (365 consecutive days) from issue, for one sale by the owner named on it. The sale counts from when an offer is accepted, so a closing after the TISH expires is fine if the offer was accepted within the 365 days.
- Do I need a TISH to sell a condo in Saint Paul?
Yes, if the condo has its own Parcel Identification Number, even when the building has a Certificate of Occupancy. Buildings of three or more units without individual PINs, commercial and mixed-use buildings do not need one.
- Is a TISH needed for a sale to family in Saint Paul?
Not for immediate family, which the City defines as grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren and siblings. Aunts, uncles and cousins do not count.
- When does the TISH have to be available to buyers?
Within three calendar days of listing the property. Failing to comply with Chapter 189 is a misdemeanor under Section 189.19.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- How to check a contractor's license in Minnesota
- What's a good completion rate for a contractor? The benchmarks from 12 trades and cities
- Contractor red flags, including the three you can see in the public record
- Do I need a permit for an electrical panel upgrade? Yes: the rule in 13 cities, and how long it takes
For one city
- Truth-in-Sale of Housing — City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (accessed 2026-10-23)