What's Required in St. Louis
- No permit for cabinets, counter tops, flooring, wall coverings, paint or drywall replacement up to 25% of a room's wall or ceiling area (Ord. 70795 Sec. 105.2 items 12 and 13)
- Building permit for removing or installing any partition, cutting structural beams or bearing supports, or converting other space to living quarters
- Building permit fee: $25 application plus $10 per $1,000 of estimated cost or fraction thereof over $3,000 ($44 minimum)
- Plumbing permit for placing, moving or replacing fixtures or piping: $30 application, $10 per fixture, $25 rough and $25 finish inspection, by a city-certified plumber or certified homeowner
- Electrical permit for new circuits or outlets: $25 application plus $60 (no new service), by a city-licensed electrical contractor or tested owner-occupant
- Mechanical permit for an exhaust hood ($25 + $40) by a city-licensed mechanical contractor
- Like-for-like outlet, switch and single fixture swaps are minor repairs and need no electrical permit
- Rough plumbing and wiring inspected before walls close; finish inspections after fixtures are set
Do You Need a Permit to Remodel a Kitchen in St. Louis?
Only for the parts that touch walls, pipes or wires. Section 105.2 item 12 of the city's 2018 Residential Code ordinance (70795) exempts cabinet installation, counter tops, flooring, wallpaper and other finish work, and item 13 exempts plaster or drywall replacement up to 25 percent of a room's wall or ceiling area. The Building Division's web page lists cabinet installation, tile and flooring among the jobs that need no permit. The permit line is crossed when you remove or install a partition, cut a structural beam or bearing support, or do anything the ordinance excludes from "ordinary repairs": relocating or replacing water supply, drain, gas or vent piping, electric wiring, or mechanical work. Those pieces each need their own trade permit from a city-licensed contractor, or a tested owner-occupant for electrical and plumbing.
St. Louis Kitchen Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| New cabinets, counter tops, flooring, backsplash, paint; appliances on existing hookups | None | Ord. 70795 Sec. 105.2 item 12 |
| Replacing the sink or dishwasher in the same spot | Plumbing permit: $30 + $10 per fixture + $25 rough + $25 finish | Plumbing Code 107.2: minor repairs exclude setting or replacing fixtures |
| Moving the sink or adding an island sink or pot filler | Plumbing permit, city-licensed plumber or certified homeowner | Plumbing page: placement of new fixtures |
| New circuits for a range, microwave, dishwasher or GFCI outlets | Electrical permit, $85 ($25 + $60) | Electrical Code 80.8.1; residential repair or modify fee |
| Removing or adding a partition wall, $25,000 remodel | Building permit $275 ($25 + $250) plus trade permits | Criteria page: removal or installation of any partition |
| Patching drywall up to 25% of the room's wall or ceiling area | None | Sec. 105.2 item 13 |
| New exhaust hood ducted outside | Mechanical permit, $65 ($25 + $40), city-licensed mechanical contractor | Mechanical fee table: exhaust hoods |
How Much Do Kitchen Remodel Permits Cost in St. Louis?
Each trade has its own schedule. Electrical: $25 application plus $60 for residential repairs, modifications and additions with no new service ($100 if the service is changed at the same time). Plumbing: $30 application, $10 per fixture, $25 for the rough inspection and $25 for the finish inspection, so a two-fixture job is $30 + $20 + $50 = $100. Mechanical: $25 application plus $40 for an exhaust hood. A building permit is added only when walls or structure change; it is based on the estimated cost of the whole job, $25 plus $10 per $1,000 or fraction above $3,000. Worked examples: a cosmetic refresh files nothing; a new circuit and a relocated sink cost $85 + $100 = $185; a $25,000 remodel that opens a wall pays $275 for the building permit plus $100 plumbing and $85 electrical, about $460; a $40,000 gut with a hood pays $425 + $110 (three fixtures) + $85 + $65 = $685. Building permit application fees are paid at filing and the permit fee at issuance; trade fees are paid when the contractor applies. Starting plumbing before the permit adds a $35 to $95 surcharge; starting building work early adds $90 to $240.
Who Pulls Each Permit?
The building permit can be applied for by the owner, a lessee or an agent, and an owner-occupant of a one- or two-family home may draw the plans. Electrical permits go to electrical contractors licensed by the City of St. Louis, or to an owner-occupant of a single-family home who passes the Building Division's written test; the homeowner permit covers repairs, modifications and room additions, not service changes. Plumbing permits go to city-certified plumbing contractors or to a homeowner certified by the Board of Examiners, who may hold one permit at a time for up to four fixtures. Mechanical permits go to city-licensed mechanical contractors with a City business license, with a Homeowners Permit exception for an owner-occupant who shows sufficient knowledge. Trade permits are typically approved in 1 to 3 business days, 10 at most.
How Does the Building Permit Work?
Apply online at stlcitypermits.com (you can enter the plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits in the same application) or at Room 425, City Hall, with five sets of plans showing the existing and proposed layout. Removing a bearing wall is the kind of change the Plan Exam page says usually needs an architect's or engineer's seal. Small projects can be approved at the Hot Spot desk between 9 AM and 3 PM; routed reviews typically take 2 to 4 weeks. Permits run six months in the owner of record's name. Inspect rough plumbing and wiring before the walls close, and get the finish inspections before the cabinets go in over them.
How to Get a Kitchen Remodel Permit in St. Louis
Split the job by trade
Finishes and cabinets: nothing to file. Fixtures or pipes: plumbing permit. Circuits: electrical permit. Hood: mechanical permit. Walls or structure: building permit.
Line up licensed contractors or test as a homeowner
Electrical and plumbing homeowner permits need a passed exam at the Building Division; mechanical has a Homeowners Permit exception for an owner-occupant with sufficient knowledge.
Apply for the building permit if walls change
Online at stlcitypermits.com with the trade permits entered in the same application, or in Room 425 with five sets of plans and the $25 application fee.
Pay fees and post the permits
Building permit fee at issuance ($275 on a $25,000 remodel); trade fees when each contractor applies. Keep copies on site.
Rough-in, inspect, finish, inspect
Call rough inspections before drywall, then finish inspections after fixtures and devices are set; the building final closes the permit.