Saint Paul building department

The Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and demolition permits for property in Saint Paul. It also licenses the building trades, enforces zoning, and runs fire and property-code inspection programs. Ramsey County does not issue building permits for Saint Paul addresses. Its role on construction projects is the pre-demolition inspection required for full house demolitions and major commercial renovations.

PAULIE, the online permit system

DSI moved permits, licenses, inspections, code complaints and planning cases to PAULIE, a Tyler EnerGov self-service portal, on September 17, 2025. It replaced the city’s older AMANDA and ECLIPS systems. To register, choose “Create an Account,” enter an email address and password, and type in the verification code the system emails you. Then add a phone number, street address and preferred contact method. Applications are started in PAULIE’s Application Assistant, and the same account tracks reviews, pays invoices and schedules inspections. Water, sewer and garbage bills cannot be paid in PAULIE.

The permit desk is open 8 a.m.–4 p.m. weekdays. On the first Tuesday of each month it opens at 9 a.m. The phone line (651-266-8989) is answered 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Express permits vs. general building permits

Licensed contractors can get a Contractor Express permit online with no plan review for:

• re-roofing and roof repair (shingle, flat, slate or tile, tear-off or overlay)
• re-siding, soffit/fascia and trim
• window replacement (insert, sash, glass block, storm)
• gutters, chimney repair, tuckpointing and basement drainage systems

Structural work, a mix of express and non-express items, and any work on a designated historic property need a General Building Permit with plan review. Owners doing their own work always use the general application along with a Homeowner’s Building Permit Affidavit.

Permits expire if work does not start within 180 days, or if work stops for 180 days. Exterior work on a one- or two-family home, garages included, must be finished within one year of issuance. The same one-year limit applies to commercial permits valued under $500,000.

Project-specific rules

• Decks: No permit is needed for a deck 30 inches or less above grade that is not attached to a structure with frost footings and is not part of an accessible route. Zoning setbacks still apply above 24 inches. Attached decks need frost footings at least 42 inches deep. Submit a site plan, framing plan and cross-section.
• Fences: A fence plan review costs $45 for the first 200 lineal feet. Fences can be 4 feet tall in front yards and 7 feet in side and rear yards, and they must sit entirely inside the property line. Only fences over 7 feet, pool fences and barbed-wire fences are inspected. A height variance costs $85.
• Detached garages: A homeowner can build their own garage without a license, but only an owner-occupant may pour the slab. Contractors on one- to four-unit properties must show a general contractor license, and slab work needs a cement-finishing license.
• Grading: Moving more than 50 cubic yards of fill needs a grading permit, starting at $36. Disturbing more than 10,000 square feet, or a slope over 12%, triggers site plan review.
• Demolition: Only licensed wrecking contractors can demolish dwellings, though a homeowner can remove their own garage. Before DSI accepts the application it needs sign-offs from Public Works, Saint Paul Regional Water Services and the Heritage Preservation Office (for designated properties), plus rodent baiting.
• ADUs: One accessory dwelling unit is allowed per lot citywide. A detached ADU can be up to 75% of the main home’s floor area.

Fees

The building permit fee schedule DSI currently links, effective February 25, 2023, starts at $36 for projects valued up to $500 and climbs in valuation bands. Projects between $100,001 and $500,000 pay $1,499 for the first $100,000, plus $8 for each additional $1,000. The plan check fee is 65% of the permit fee for projects valued over $1,000. The state surcharge is $0.50 for projects up to $1,000 and 0.0005 times the job value up to $1 million. SAC, parkland dedication and zoning fees are charged separately. Card payments carry a 2.49% processor fee.

Inspections

Each permit lists an assigned area inspector. Building inspectors take calls only from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m., Monday–Friday, at 651-266-9002 or the number on the permit. PAULIE also books and tracks inspections. DSI does its own electrical inspections. Electrical permits pulled on or after August 17, 2026 are held to the 2026 National Electrical Code. Homeowners may get residential electrical permits by filing a homeowner affidavit.

Licensing

On top of state licensing, Saint Paul issues its own trade licenses. Cement finishing, concrete masonry, gas and oil burner, plumbing/gas fitting, refrigeration, steam fitting, warm air, ventilation and plastering licenses each cost $188 a year. They require a Saint Paul master certificate of competency, a $25,000 state mechanical bond, and $500,000 in combined liability insurance. Plumbers also need a $25,000 plumbing bond filed with DLI. A wrecking license costs $65 and requires a $10,000 surety bond.

Other DSI offices and programs

Need	Office	Phone
Setbacks, lot coverage, land use	DSI Zoning	651-266-9008
Building code and permit questions	Building Plan Review	651-266-9007
Historic districts and design review	Heritage Preservation Commission staff	651-266-9078

Truth-in-Sale of Housing applies to single-family homes, duplexes, condos and townhomes offered for sale. Before listing, the seller hires one of the city’s licensed private evaluators, who sets their own fee. The report only discloses conditions, except that a working hard-wired smoke detector is required. It is valid for 365 days and one sale. DSI Fire Safety inspectors check commercial buildings, buildings with three or more units, and all non-owner-occupied single-family homes and duplexes, more than 23,000 buildings in all.