Pool Permit in St. Louis, Missouri
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
Before installing an in-ground pool at or above the exempt size, before any pool with structural work or supports, and before any pool with a permanently equipped water circulating system.
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
The Building Division requires a permit for "swimming pools more than 24 inches deep or more than 30 inches wall height and with a surface area of 250 square feet or more", and separately for any pool involving structural work or supports and for all pools with a permanently equipped water circulating system. The matching exemption covers above-ground pools and in-ground pools under 24 inches of water depth with a surface area under 250 square feet. All pools, hot tubs and spas must still keep the setbacks in the Zoning Ordinance. The fence exemption does not travel here: the codified exemption for replacing an existing fence expressly does not apply when the fence encloses a swimming pool, hot tub or spa, so pool barrier work needs its own permit.
Typical threshold: inches of water depth, applied together with a 250 square foot surface area test.
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 an in-ground pool at or above the exempt size, before any pool with structural work or supports, and before any pool with a permanently equipped water circulating system.
What a pool permit costs in St. Louis
How St. Louis compares in Missouri
Closest pool permit thresholds outside Missouri
Jurisdictions we cover whose limit sits nearest St. Louis's 24 inches of water depth.
- Alameda County, California, Depth of a prefabricated pool at which the building permit exemption stops; the exemption also requires the pool to hold no more than 5,000 gallons and to be installed entirely above ground
- Arlington, Texas, depth of a prefabricated inflatable swimming pool
- Buffalo, New York, pool designed for that water depth or more, or installed other than entirely above ground, at a one- or two-family dwelling or townhouse
- Contra Costa County, California, depth of a prefabricated pool accessory to a one or two family dwelling that is installed entirely above ground and holds no more than 5,000 gallons
How to apply in St. Louis
A residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect.
What most pool permit applications include:
- Pool and spa design and construction fall under the residential code chapter that folds in the swimming pool and spa code, and permit review checks plans against that chapter (IRC R326).
- The site plan must show pool equipment such as pumps, filters, and heaters set back at least 36 inches from the outside of the required barrier (ISPSC 305.2.9).
- For an in-ground pool, engineered structural plans covering the shell and reinforcing steel, with the responsible structural engineer's license information, are a standard part of the submittal (per official pool submittal checklists).
- A barrier plan identifying the fence, pool structure, or dwelling wall that will enclose the pool must be submitted and must comply with the code's barrier chapter (ISPSC 305).
- Electrical plans must show the pool's equipotential bonding design, since the shell, perimeter surfaces, and metal fittings within 5 feet of the water must all tie into a common bonding grid (NEC 680.26).
- The electrical plan must also show a disconnecting means for the pool equipment that is readily accessible and within sight of the equipment (NEC 680.13).
General submittal guidance from 2021 IRC R326 (adopting the ISPSC), ISPSC 2021 Section 305, and NEC 2020 Article 680. Source. City of St. Louis Building Division, Permit Section (Department of Public Safety) sets the exact checklist for St. Louis.
Where to apply in St. Louis:
City of St. Louis Building Division, Permit Section (Department of Public Safety)
- Building Division Permit Section, City Hall, 1200 Market Street, Room 425, St. Louis, MO 63103
- Phone: (314) 622-3313
- Email: stlcitypermits@stlouis-mo.gov
Inspections and closing out your permit
Pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
- Before gunite or shotcrete is sprayed, the inspector checks the rebar against the engineered plans and confirms the equipotential bonding wire is stubbed out and tied into the steel, since it will be buried in concrete afterward (NEC 680.26).
- A bonding inspection separately confirms coping, decking, ladders, handrail cups, and any other metal within 5 feet of the water are tied to the bonding grid, and it must pass before coping is installed (NEC 680.26).
- A temporary barrier at least 4 feet high must enclose the site from the moment excavation starts until the permanent barrier is finished, and inspectors check for it throughout construction (ISPSC 305.1.1).
- A pre-plaster inspection confirms the circulation equipment's electrical work is installed and all bonding is complete before the pool's interior finish goes on (NEC 680.26).
- At final inspection the permanent barrier is checked against the code's requirements and the equipment and cover-mechanism bonding must be complete before the pool can be filled and used (ISPSC 305, NEC 680.26).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the St. Louis permit portal or by phone at (314) 622-3313.
Inspection sequence from NEC 2020 Article 680.26 (equipotential bonding) and ISPSC 2021 Section 305 (barriers). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Pool Permit checklist for St. Louis
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Typical threshold: inches of water depth, applied together with a 250 square foot surface area test. Usually needed: Before installing an in-ground pool at or above the exempt size, before any pool with structural work or supports, and before any pool with a permanently equipped water circulating system.
- Budget the fee. Charged as a building permit on estimated construction cost: $25.00 application fee plus $19.00 for $0 to $1,000.00 (total $44.00), $23.00 for $1,001 to $2,000.00, $30.00 for $2,001 to $3,000.00, and "$10.00 per thousand estimated construction cost or fraction thereof" above $3,000.00. A pool with a permanently equipped water circulating system will also need a separate plumbing permit ($30.00 application fee) and usually an electrical permit ($25.00 application fee). Official fee schedule.
- Apply. A residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect. Start at the St. Louis permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. City of St. Louis Building Division, Permit Section (Department of Public Safety). Phone: (314) 622-3313. Address: Building Division Permit Section, City Hall, 1200 Market Street, Room 425, St. Louis, MO 63103.
- Plan for inspections. Pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a pool permit in St. Louis?
- The Building Division requires a permit for "swimming pools more than 24 inches deep or more than 30 inches wall height and with a surface area of 250 square feet or more", and separately for any pool involving structural work or supports and for all pools with a permanently equipped water circulating system. The matching exemption covers above-ground pools and in-ground pools under 24 inches of water depth with a surface area under 250 square feet. All pools, hot tubs and spas must still keep the setbacks in the Zoning Ordinance. The fence exemption does not travel here: the codified exemption for replacing an existing fence expressly does not apply when the fence encloses a swimming pool, hot tub or spa, so pool barrier work needs its own permit. Inches of water depth, applied together with a 250 square foot surface area test. Always confirm with the office before starting.
- How much does a pool permit cost in St. Louis?
- Charged as a building permit on estimated construction cost: $25.00 application fee plus $19.00 for $0 to $1,000.00 (total $44.00), $23.00 for $1,001 to $2,000.00, $30.00 for $2,001 to $3,000.00, and "$10.00 per thousand estimated construction cost or fraction thereof" above $3,000.00. A pool with a permanently equipped water circulating system will also need a separate plumbing permit ($30.00 application fee) and usually an electrical permit ($25.00 application fee). See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a pool permit in St. Louis?
- You can apply through the St. Louis permit portal or contact the City of St. Louis Building Division, Permit Section (Department of Public Safety) directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a pool permit themselves in St. Louis?
- Under Missouri law (RSMo 701.055.1 and 701.055.2; RSMo 327.101.2(5)(a); RSMo 327.191.2(5)(a); RSMo 700.656.5): Missouri does not license general contractors at the state level and has no statewide owner-builder permit statute, disclosure affidavit, or resale restriction comparable to Florida's one year rule. Whether a homeowner may pull the permit and do the work is decided by the city or county that issues the permit. Where state law does speak, it is permissive: RSMo 327.101.2(5)(a) and RSMo 327.191.2(5)(a) let an unlicensed person render architectural and engineering services for the construction, remodeling or repair of a privately owned dwelling house, provided the drawings say the person is not licensed, so plans for a house do not have to be sealed by an architect or engineer. RSMo 701.055.1 expressly preserves a property owner's right to install, modify or repair their own on-site sewage disposal system as long as the state standard is met, and RSMo 701.055.2 adds that no permit or contractor registration is required simply to clean it. RSMo 700.656.5 exempts a person who installs a manufactured home on his or her own property for his or her own occupancy from the otherwise mandatory state installer license. None of these exemptions excuses a local permit where the local jurisdiction requires one. Confirm how St. Louis applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in St. Louis
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 | inches above adjacent grade for an uncovered wood deck or patio resting directly on the ground or a rock base with no permanent foundation | Charged as a building permit on estimated construction cost: $25.00 application fee plus... |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Not specified | Electrical permit fees are established by City Ordinance 70802. |
| Fence Permit | It depends | Not specified | A fence is permitted as a Miscellaneous Structures Permit under Section 109.2.3 of the... |
| HVAC Permit | It depends | Not specified | Mechanical permit fees are established by City Ordinance 70800. |
| Patio Permit | It depends | Not specified | A patio cover is charged as a building permit on estimated construction cost: $25.00... |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | Not specified | Plumbing permit fees are established by City Ordinance 71644. |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | percent of roof sheathing removed and replaced during a like-material roof covering replacement | Charged as a building permit for alterations and repairs on estimated construction cost:... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | square feet of floor area for a detached accessory building, which must also keep the setbacks required by the Zoning Ordinance | Charged as a building permit on estimated construction cost: $25.00 application fee plus... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Charged as a building permit on estimated construction cost: $25.00 application fee plus... |
Pool Permit in other Missouri localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not St. Louis documents; the office above sets the local rules.
Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with City of St. Louis Building Division, Permit Section (Department of Public Safety). Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Permit office
City of St. Louis Building Division, Permit Section (Department of Public Safety)
(314) 622-3313Permit portalCompare
Pool Permit across Missouri