Shed Permit in Saint Paul, Minnesota
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
Before building a detached tool or garden shed larger than 200 square feet, and before building a shed of any size on a property in a heritage preservation district or on a designated historic site.
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
DSI exempts a one-story detached accessory structure used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar use from a building permit as long as the floor area does not exceed 200 square feet. Above 200 square feet it is a general building permit and the same track as a detached garage. The exemption is only from the building permit: an exempt shed still has to meet the zoning rules in Sec. 63.501, which set it back at least three feet from interior lot lines and at least one foot from an alley right of way, cap accessory building height at 15 feet for a flat or shed roof and 18 feet for other roof styles in RL through RM2 districts, and allow a maximum of three non-dwelling accessory buildings totaling no more than 1,200 square feet on a lot. Any accessory structure in a heritage preservation district or on a designated historic site requires Heritage Preservation Commission approval regardless of size.
Typical threshold: floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar use.
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 building a detached tool or garden shed larger than 200 square feet, and before building a shed of any size on a property in a heritage preservation district or on a designated historic site.
What a shed permit costs in Saint Paul
How Saint Paul compares in Minnesota
Closest shed permit thresholds outside Minnesota
Jurisdictions we cover whose limit sits nearest Saint Paul's 200 sq ft.
- Austin, Texas, one-story detached accessory structures used as tool or storage sheds with floor area no greater than 200 sq ft and no more than 15 ft in height and no plumbing and not in a floodplain are exempt
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana, floor area of a detached accessory structure
- Bellevue, Washington, detached storage sheds playhouses or gazebos with a floor area of 200 square feet or less do not require a building permit; structures over 200 square feet require a permit
- Clark County, Nevada, sheds over 200 sq ft require a building permit; storage sheds 200 sq ft or under may be exempt under Building Administrative Code Section 22.02.190
How to apply in Saint Paul
A residential shed permit application, once the shed is large enough to require one, is a set of construction documents that show what will be built and prove it meets the adopted residential code. In practice that means a written permit application, a scaled site plan locating the shed and its distances to the property lines, and construction documents covering the shed's foundation or anchoring system and its framing.
What most shed permit applications include:
- A written permit application identifying the proposed work and describing the property by its address or legal description, filed with the building department before construction begins (IRC R105.3).
- A scaled site plan showing the shed's size and location and its dimensioned distances to all property lines so required setbacks can be verified before the permit is issued (IRC R106.2).
- Construction documents showing the shed's foundation: freestanding accessory structures at or under the code's small-structure size and eave-height limits (600 square feet and a 10 foot eave height in the model code) are exempt from continuous footings but must still be shown supported on undisturbed soil or engineered fill and anchored to resist wind-induced uplift and overturning (IRC R403.1).
- Where the shed does sit on a continuous foundation with a wood sill plate, anchor bolt or approved strap details tying the sill plate to the foundation (IRC R403.1.6).
- Roof framing details showing the rafter-to-wall or truss-to-wall connections, since even a shed exempt from continuous footings must be anchored to resist wind-induced uplift and overturning (IRC R403.1; R802.11).
General submittal guidance from IRC R105.3 (permit application), R106.2 (site plan), R403.1 (footings and anchorage for accessory structures), and R403.1.6 (sill anchorage), 2021 IRC. 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
A permitted shed is inspected in stages as it goes up: the foundation or the anchors that hold it down before they are covered, the framing before it is enclosed, and a final inspection once the shed is finished. Each stage checks the items that would be hidden or unsafe if skipped.
- Foundation or anchor inspection: called after any required footings, piers, or ground anchors are set and any forms or reinforcing steel are in place, but before concrete is placed, so the foundation or anchoring system can be verified before it is covered (IRC R109.1.1).
- Frame inspection: after the shed is framed, sheathed, and braced, the inspector checks the framing, bracing, fasteners, and the roof connections that resist wind uplift, before those elements are covered (IRC R109.1.4 frame inspection; R403.1 anchorage).
- Final inspection: made after the permitted work is complete and before the shed is used; work may not proceed past any inspection stage without the building official's approval (IRC R109.1.6 final inspection; R109.4 approval required).
- For a pre-fabricated or kit shed, the manufacturer's installation instructions must be on site at the time of inspection so the inspector can confirm the anchoring and assembly match the design (IRC R106.1.2).
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 IRC R109.1.1 (foundation inspection), R109.1.4 (frame inspection), R109.1.6 (final inspection), and R106.1.2 (manufacturer's instructions on site), 2021 IRC. Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Shed Permit checklist for Saint Paul
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Typical threshold: floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar use. Usually needed: Before building a detached tool or garden shed larger than 200 square feet, and before building a shed of any size on a property in a heritage preservation district or on a designated historic site.
- Budget the fee. A shed over 200 square feet is a general building permit priced from the valuation table in Sec. 33.04(a) of the Legislative Code, reproduced in DSI's Building Permit Fee Schedule (Section 33.04 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code, Effective: 2/25/2023): "Up to $2,000.00 ..... $36.00 for the first $500.00 plus $5.00 for each additional $100.00 or fraction thereof" and "$2,001.00 to $25,000.00 ..... $106.00 for the first $2,000.00 plus $21.00 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof". A plan review fee of 65 percent of the permit fee applies to any valuation over $1,000. The Minnesota state surcharge under Minn. Stat. 326B.148 is $0.50 for jobs valued $1.00 to $1,000 and 0.0005 times job value above that. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. A residential shed permit application, once the shed is large enough to require one, is a set of construction documents that show what will be built and prove it meets the adopted residential code. In practice that means a written permit application, a scaled site plan locating the shed and its distances to the property lines, and construction documents covering the shed's foundation or anchoring system and its framing. 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. A permitted shed is inspected in stages as it goes up: the foundation or the anchors that hold it down before they are covered, the framing before it is enclosed, and a final inspection once the shed is finished. Each stage checks the items that would be hidden or unsafe if skipped.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a shed permit in Saint Paul?
- DSI exempts a one-story detached accessory structure used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar use from a building permit as long as the floor area does not exceed 200 square feet. Above 200 square feet it is a general building permit and the same track as a detached garage. The exemption is only from the building permit: an exempt shed still has to meet the zoning rules in Sec. 63.501, which set it back at least three feet from interior lot lines and at least one foot from an alley right of way, cap accessory building height at 15 feet for a flat or shed roof and 18 feet for other roof styles in RL through RM2 districts, and allow a maximum of three non-dwelling accessory buildings totaling no more than 1,200 square feet on a lot. Any accessory structure in a heritage preservation district or on a designated historic site requires Heritage Preservation Commission approval regardless of size. Floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar use. Always confirm with the office before starting.
- How much does a shed permit cost in Saint Paul?
- A shed over 200 square feet is a general building permit priced from the valuation table in Sec. 33.04(a) of the Legislative Code, reproduced in DSI's Building Permit Fee Schedule (Section 33.04 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code, Effective: 2/25/2023): "Up to $2,000.00 ..... $36.00 for the first $500.00 plus $5.00 for each additional $100.00 or fraction thereof" and "$2,001.00 to $25,000.00 ..... $106.00 for the first $2,000.00 plus $21.00 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof". A plan review fee of 65 percent of the permit fee applies to any valuation over $1,000. The Minnesota state surcharge under Minn. Stat. 326B.148 is $0.50 for jobs valued $1.00 to $1,000 and 0.0005 times job value above that. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a shed 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 shed 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. |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Not specified | DSI's Plumbing Application, Inspection and Fees page (last edited March 3, 2026) and Sec. |
| 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. |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Two fees. |
Shed 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.
- IRC R105.3 (permit application), R106.2 (site plan), R403.1 (footings and anchorage for accessory structures), and R403.1.6 (sill anchorage), 2021 IRC
- IRC R109.1.1 (foundation inspection), R109.1.4 (frame inspection), R109.1.6 (final inspection), and R106.1.2 (manufacturer's instructions on site), 2021 IRC
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 Shed Permit requirements across Minnesota localities
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Shed Permit across Minnesota