Plumbing Permit in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Permit required
Yes, a permit is required
Before installing new, altering, replacing, repairing, relocating, reinstalling or changing waste, vent, water or gas piping, fixtures, or water heating or treating equipment.
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
DSI states the rule plainly on its own plumbing page and there is no dollar or fixture floor: any new, altered, replaced, repaired, relocated or reinstalled waste, vent, water or gas work needs a plumbing permit. Sec. 33.03(b) of the Legislative Code says the same for plumbing, gas or drainage piping, standpipe and sprinkler systems, and any fixture or water heating or treating equipment, and requires a separate permit for each building or structure. Only licensed plumbing and gas fitter contractors and homesteading homeowners may apply, and homeowners must file a homeowner's affidavit. Related work is split into its own permit categories: sewer, storm or sanitary, gas fitting, radon mitigation systems, private disposal and septic systems each have their own application, and larger projects may trigger a plumbing plan review.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
When a permit is usually needed
Before installing new, altering, replacing, repairing, relocating, reinstalling or changing waste, vent, water or gas piping, fixtures, or water heating or treating equipment.
What a plumbing permit costs in Saint Paul
How to apply in Saint Paul
You apply for a residential plumbing permit at your local building department by filing an application that describes the scope of work and site, along with construction documents, before any regulated plumbing installation, alteration, or repair begins. Minor repairs that do not touch piping or fixtures are generally exempt, and once issued the permit only stays valid if work is started within its time limit.
What most plumbing permit applications include:
- A permit is required before any owner or authorized agent constructs, alters, repairs, removes, converts, or replaces a plumbing system regulated by the code (IRC R105.1).
- The application must identify and describe the work, describe the site, state the intended use and occupancy, and be signed by the applicant or an authorized agent (IRC R105.3).
- Two or more sets of construction documents must accompany the application, drawn with enough clarity to show the location, nature, and extent of the proposed plumbing work and how it will conform to code (IRC R106.1, R106.1.1).
- Minor plumbing repairs, such as clearing a stoppage or removing and resetting a water closet without rearranging pipes or fixtures, are exempt from permit (IRC R105.2).
- Once issued, a permit is only valid for a limited window, commonly 180 days, and becomes invalid if the work is not started or is abandoned within that time, though extensions can be requested (IRC R105.3.2, R105.5).
General submittal guidance from 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), Chapter 1 Scope and Administration, Sections R105 Permits and R106 Construction Documents. Source. City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) sets the exact checklist for Saint Paul.
Where to apply in Saint Paul:
City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI)
- Department of Safety and Inspections, 375 Jackson Street, Suite 220, Saint Paul, MN 55101-1806
- Phone: 651-266-8989
- Email: DSI-BuildingPlanReview@ci.stpaul.mn.us
Inspections and closing out your permit
Plumbing inspections are timed to whatever is about to hide the pipe: underground and under-slab piping is checked before concrete covers it, rough-in piping is pressure or water tested before walls close up, and a final inspection checks every fixture and backflow protection once the work is complete.
- Piping and equipment placed under a slab or floor must be in place and inspected before any concrete is poured or floor sheathing is installed over it (IRC R109.1.1.1).
- Rough plumbing, along with the mechanical, gas, and electrical rough-in, must be inspected prior to covering or concealment and before fixtures or appliances are set (IRC R109.1.2).
- Rough drain, waste, and vent (DWV) piping is tested with water, air, or (for plastic piping) a vacuum, and must show no evidence of leakage before it is closed in (IRC P2503.5.1).
- The water-distribution piping is tested and must hold tight under the system's working pressure, or under a 50 psi air test for non-plastic piping, before it is concealed (IRC P2503.7).
- The framing inspection cannot proceed until the plumbing rough inspection, along with the mechanical and electrical rough inspections, has been approved (IRC R109.1.4).
- At the final drainage test, each fixture is filled and then drained, and its traps and fixture connections must prove watertight by visual inspection (IRC P2503.5.2).
- Final inspection is made after all work required by the permit is complete, and includes confirming backflow protection, such as vacuum breakers on hose bibbs, is installed (IRC R109.1.6, P2902.4.3).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Saint Paul permit portal or by phone at 651-266-8989.
Inspection sequence from 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), Section R109 Inspections and Section P2503 Inspection and Tests. Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Plumbing Permit checklist for Saint Paul
- Confirm the requirement. Yes, a permit is required. Usually needed: Before installing new, altering, replacing, repairing, relocating, reinstalling or changing waste, vent, water or gas piping, fixtures, or water heating or treating equipment.
- Budget the fee. DSI's Plumbing Application, Inspection and Fees page (last edited March 3, 2026) and Sec. 33.04(g)(7): initial permit fee $92, per plumbing fixture $36 whether set, rough-in or replaced, per water supply fixture $6, per gas device or appliance $34, plus $15 for each 100,000 BTUs or fraction thereof where a unit exceeds 100,000 BTUs, and a $1 state surcharge. The code adds a base gas fee of $85.00 that includes the first device or appliance up to 100,000 BTUs, a maximum of $1,007.00 per appliance, a building sewer permit at $85.00, a private waste treatment system at $257.00 and a radon mitigation system at $150.00. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. You apply for a residential plumbing permit at your local building department by filing an application that describes the scope of work and site, along with construction documents, before any regulated plumbing installation, alteration, or repair begins. Minor repairs that do not touch piping or fixtures are generally exempt, and once issued the permit only stays valid if work is started within its time limit. Start at the Saint Paul permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI). Phone: 651-266-8989. Address: Department of Safety and Inspections, 375 Jackson Street, Suite 220, Saint Paul, MN 55101-1806.
- Plan for inspections. Plumbing inspections are timed to whatever is about to hide the pipe: underground and under-slab piping is checked before concrete covers it, rough-in piping is pressure or water tested before walls close up, and a final inspection checks every fixture and backflow protection once the work is complete.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a plumbing permit in Saint Paul?
- DSI states the rule plainly on its own plumbing page and there is no dollar or fixture floor: any new, altered, replaced, repaired, relocated or reinstalled waste, vent, water or gas work needs a plumbing permit. Sec. 33.03(b) of the Legislative Code says the same for plumbing, gas or drainage piping, standpipe and sprinkler systems, and any fixture or water heating or treating equipment, and requires a separate permit for each building or structure. Only licensed plumbing and gas fitter contractors and homesteading homeowners may apply, and homeowners must file a homeowner's affidavit. Related work is split into its own permit categories: sewer, storm or sanitary, gas fitting, radon mitigation systems, private disposal and septic systems each have their own application, and larger projects may trigger a plumbing plan review. Always confirm with the City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) before starting.
- How much does a plumbing permit cost in Saint Paul?
- DSI's Plumbing Application, Inspection and Fees page (last edited March 3, 2026) and Sec. 33.04(g)(7): initial permit fee $92, per plumbing fixture $36 whether set, rough-in or replaced, per water supply fixture $6, per gas device or appliance $34, plus $15 for each 100,000 BTUs or fraction thereof where a unit exceeds 100,000 BTUs, and a $1 state surcharge. The code adds a base gas fee of $85.00 that includes the first device or appliance up to 100,000 BTUs, a maximum of $1,007.00 per appliance, a building sewer permit at $85.00, a private waste treatment system at $257.00 and a radon mitigation system at $150.00. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a plumbing permit in Saint Paul?
- You can apply through the Saint Paul permit portal or contact the City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit themselves in Saint Paul?
- Under Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 326B.805, subd. 6, clause (3)): Minnesota requires a license to work as a residential building contractor, remodeler, or roofer, but it exempts an owner who builds or improves their own residential real estate if the owner occupies it, or will occupy it, for residential purposes, or keeps it as a rental once the work is done. That exemption lets a homeowner act as their own contractor and pull permits without holding a contractor's license. The exemption does not apply to an owner building or improving property for resale or speculation, and the law presumes speculation if the owner builds or improves more than one property within any 24-month period, unless each property is retained for rental. This is a licensing exemption only; it does not remove the separate requirement to obtain a building permit for the work itself. Confirm how Saint Paul applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Saint Paul
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | height of a deck or platform above grade, where it is also not attached to a structure with frost footings and does not act as a landing outside an exterior door | A deck building permit is priced from the valuation table in Sec. |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Sec. |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Saint Paul Legislative Code Sec. |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Warm air, Sec. |
| Patio Permit | It depends | Not specified | There is no patio line item in the fee schedule. |
| Pool Permit | It depends | water capacity of an in-ground or above ground swimming pool; the prefabricated pool exemption additionally requires the pool to be no more than 24 inches deep and installed entirely above ground | The pool building permit is priced from the valuation table in Sec. |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Not specified | A reroof is a general building permit priced on valuation under Sec. |
| Shed Permit | It depends | floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar use | A shed over 200 square feet is a general building permit priced from the valuation table... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Two fees. |
Plumbing Permit in other Minnesota localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Saint Paul documents; the office above sets the local rules.
Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI). Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Compare Plumbing Permit requirements across Minnesota localities