What the City's list says
From the Building Division's When a Residential Building Permit is Needed page, read 23 October 2026. The rule of thumb is that "A building permit is required when any structural change or major alteration is made to an existing building", and "Separate permits for plumbing, mechanical and electrical work are also required when applicable."
| Needs a building permit in St. Louis | Usually does not |
|---|---|
| "the removal or installation of any partition in a habitable or occupiable space" | "Ordinary repairs to residential buildings and structures up to four (4) units" |
| "any work which involves the installation, removal or cutting of any structural beams, joist replacement or bearing support" | Tuckpointing, plaster patching, painting, floor sanding, tile, carpeting, "cabinet installation" |
| "the conversion of basement or below-grade space to living quarters, conversion of attic space to living quarters" | "replacement or repair of existing windows and frames, whenever no modification is made to the opening" |
| "any work that changes the class of construction of the building" | Exterior doors and non-fire-rated interior doors with no change to the opening |
| Room additions, porches, decks, retaining walls, foundation repair | Wall paneling, ceiling tile, battery smoke detectors |
A kitchen that keeps its walls needs no building permit, but the new circuits and the moved sink still need electrical and plumbing permits. Opening up a wall between kitchen and dining room is a building permit.
Historic districts and landmarks. Property "within a City Historic District or is a City Landmark requires approval" for gutters, downspouts, awnings "and similar exterior work", and "In most instances a building permit is required by the Cultural Resources Office even though it is not required by the Building Code." Design standards for the 14 historic districts and 112 landmarks come from the Cultural Resources Office, (314) 657-3865. In a FEMA flood area, a Floodway Development Permit is needed "even though a building permit may not be required".
Who pulls it, and how
The City's Building Permits page lists what you need: the address, "A $25 application fee per application", and "A letter of authorization for the property owner, if the application is not being submitted by the owner of record". So an owner can file directly; a contractor files with your letter. Contractors also need the City's Construction Industry Contractor Graduated Business License (License Collector); Missouri has no state remodeler license.
- Apply online at STL City Permits, or bring five copies of the plans to the Permit office in City Hall (check or cash only in person). Plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits can be entered in the same online application.
- Review. City staff from the agencies your project touches send feedback; complex projects can take several review meetings.
- Pay and post. When every agency has approved, you pay the permit fee and print the permit, "which needs to be displayed onsite during construction."
What it costs
From the City's Building Permits page:
| Estimated construction cost | Application fee | Permit fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $1,000 | $25.00 | $19.00 | $44.00 |
| $1,001 to $2,000 | $25.00 | $23.00 | $48.00 |
| $2,001 to $3,000 | $25.00 | $30.00 | $55.00 |
| Over $3,000 | $25.00 | $10.00 per $1,000 or fraction |
The application fee is paid at filing; the permit fee when the permit is ready to issue, and "All fees paid to the City of St. Louis for building permits are non-refundable." Applied to our numbers: the usual remodel at $30,000 pays $325; the middle half of remodelers' usual jobs ($14,425 to $76,000) pays $175 to $785. The online application has a Permit Cost Estimator.
What 1,904 St. Louis remodel permits show
| Measure | St. Louis remodel and alteration |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,904 |
| Firms | 984 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the window | 290 |
| Usual estimated cost (middle half of firms with 3+ permits) | $30,000 ($14,425 to $76,000) |
| With a completed date (permits a year or more old) | 65.2% |
| Usual days from issue to completed date | 361 |
| Firms with 10+ permits under 70% completed | 12 of 22 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 29.3% / 91.0% |
| Firms on a single permit | 72.9% |
| Busiest / quietest month | October (132) / March (76) |
St. Louis remodeling is a long tail: 72.9% of firms appear on one permit, and the five busiest hold only 8.4%. Most names have no track record to read; for those that do, it varies: among the 22 firms with 10 or more permits, 12 had a completed date on under 70%, and the 10th-percentile firm 29.3%. A remodel permit takes about a year to reach its completed date (361 days). Prices by home value are on St. Louis remodel cost; national figures in home remodel cost.
See every St. Louis remodeler by permits completed →
Next steps
Compare remodelers on the St. Louis remodeler list, check the business license with St. Louis contractor license lookup, and look up past permits with the City's address search or St. Louis building permit search. Counts by year: St. Louis permit statistics. Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for a home remodel, for a kitchen remodel and for a bathroom remodel.
What this does not tell you
St. Louis's permit file has no status column; we count a permit as finished when it has a completed date, which is when the City records completion rather than when the work stopped. Estimated cost is the applicant's figure. Trade permits for the same remodel are not in our remodel count.
How we know this
Permit criteria, historic-district and flood-area rules are quoted from the City of St. Louis Building Division's When a Residential Building Permit is Needed page, and the application requirements and fee table from its Building Permits page, both read 23 October 2026; the fee examples apply that table. Our figures are City of St. Louis residential remodel and alteration permits, October 2023 to September 2026; completion uses permits a year or more old, days run from issue to the City's completed date, and cost is the median per firm.
Numbers come from City of St. Louis building permits, data through October 14, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen in St. Louis?
Only if the work is structural or changes the layout. The City's criteria require a permit to remove or install any partition in a habitable space or to cut or replace beams and joists, while cabinets, countertops, flooring with like materials, tile and painting do not. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical work need their own permits.
- How much is a remodel permit in St. Louis?
A $25 application fee plus a permit fee of $10 per $1,000 of estimated construction cost for jobs over $3,000; smaller jobs pay $19 to $30. At the usual St. Louis remodel value of $30,000, that is $325 in total.
- Do I need a permit to finish my basement in St. Louis?
Yes. The City lists 'the conversion of basement or below-grade space to living quarters, conversion of attic space to living quarters' as work that requires a building permit.
- Do historic districts need extra approval for a remodel in St. Louis?
Yes, for exterior work. A property in one of the City's historic districts or a City Landmark needs Cultural Resources Office approval, often a permit, even for gutters, downspouts and awnings that the building code would not require one for. The office is on (314) 657-3865.
- How long does a remodel permit take to close in St. Louis?
The usual St. Louis remodel permit in our file reached its completed date 361 days after issue, about a year, and 65.2% of those a year or more old had one.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Ames building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Austin building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Foundation repair in Austin: the 128 sq ft permit line, the one-day Express permit, and who does the leveling
For one city
- When a Residential Building Permit is Needed — City of St. Louis Building Division (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building Permits (apply, fees) — City of St. Louis Building Division (accessed 2026-10-23)
- STL City Permits (online applications) (2026-10-23)
- Building Permits Search by Address — City of St. Louis (2026-10-23)
- Construction Industry Contractor Graduated Business License — City of St. Louis License Collector (2026-10-23)