Ramsey County, Minnesota Building Permit Guide

Ramsey County includes all or part of Saint Paul (the county seat), Arden Hills, Blaine, Falcon Heights, Gem Lake, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Maplewood, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, North Saint Paul, Roseville, Saint Anthony, Shoreview, Spring Lake Park, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Lake and White Bear Township. By the Census Bureau’s latest estimates the largest cities are St. Paul (306684), Maplewood (40717), Roseville (35663) and Shoreview (26906).

This guide covers the building offices of the four largest cities and the county’s pre-demolition inspection, road permits and development review.

What requires a building permit in Ramsey County?

The Minnesota State Building Code applies statewide and supersedes local building codes, but Ramsey County does not enforce it: the city’s building office does. What changes from place to place is the office, how it takes applications and what it adds locally.

One county-wide rule sits on top: Ramsey County requires a county pre-demolition inspection before any residential or commercial demolition, and some major commercial remodels may need one too. Hazardous-materials documentation is submitted before the inspection is scheduled.

Residential building contractors, remodelers and roofers, electricians and plumbers are licensed by the state Department of Labor and Industry, so the same credential is valid in Ramsey County as anywhere in Minnesota. Building without a required permit exposes a job to stop-work orders, penalties and delayed occupancy, and unlicensed residential contracting is a separate violation enforced by the state. How Minnesota’s statewide code works

Who handles permitting in Ramsey County?

Saint Paul, Maplewood, Roseville and Shoreview each run their own building office. The county runs the Pre-Demolition Program (651-266-1199), issues utility/right-of-way permits and oversize/overweight transportation permits online through Public Works, and reviews plats, site plans and traffic studies affecting county right-of-way at Local Development Review, 15 West Kellogg Boulevard, Suite 210, Saint Paul (Public Works: 651-266-7100), aiming to finish within 30 days.

Local rules in the largest Ramsey County cities

Saint Paul

DSI routes questions by topic: zoning (setbacks, lot coverage) to the Zoning Section, 651-266-9008; building plan review to 651-266-9007; historic districts to Heritage Preservation Commission staff, 651-266-9078.

Maplewood

Roofing, siding, window, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits may be issued in 1-3 days; residential permits needing plan review may take 3 weeks or more.

Roseville

Permits are applied for, paid and tracked online in the city’s ePermits system, and the contractor’s city license and certificate of insurance must be current when the permit is issued.

Shoreview

Permits needing plan review typically take 10 business days to process.

Electrical permits in Ramsey County

Saint Paul issues its own electrical permits; the 2026 National Electrical Code applies to permits obtained on or after August 17th, 2026. Maplewood, Roseville and Shoreview use Tokle Inspections for electrical inspections: Maplewood lists tokleinspections.com or 763-200-6334 between 7:00 am and 8:30 am, and Roseville 763-200-6334, Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Whether an electrical permit goes to the state Department of Labor and Industry or to the city depends on the area: if the state’s Authority Having Jurisdiction directory lists “State”, file with the state; if it lists “Local”, contact the city or township.

Electrical and plumbing work must be done by state-licensed trades, though an individual may do electrical work on a home they own and occupy if it has its own electrical service. Whether the electrical permit comes from the state or the local office depends on whether that city or township has taken on electrical inspection. Electrical and plumbing rules in Minnesota

Ramsey County permit costs and fees

Building permit fees are set by each city. Maplewood charges a flat $146.00 for residential roofing and siding permits, and its electrical permit fees include the state surtax plus a $9.50 administrative fee. Ramsey County applies its own fee schedule and right-of-way ordinance to road permits.

How to get a building permit in Ramsey County

A Minnesota municipality may require exterior work under a building permit to be finished within a set period, but not sooner than 180 days after the permit is issued, so confirm whether Ramsey County has adopted such a rule. Minnesota’s statewide code rules

Inspections in Ramsey County

Saint Paul’s Building Inspectors’ Office answers at 651-266-9002, 7:30 am-9:00 am. In Maplewood, roofing and siding inspections start with photos of underlayment/flashing or weather-resistive barrier uploaded to the city’s drop box, followed by a final in-person inspection. Roseville takes inspection requests at 651-792-7080. Shoreview prefers email requests, otherwise 651-490-4685, at least two to three working days before the date wanted.

On public buildings, state-licensed facilities and school district and charter school projects, plumbing permits and inspections generally run through the state Department of Labor and Industry rather than the local office. State plumbing review in Minnesota

Official Ramsey County permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Ramsey County pre-demolition inspections
• Ramsey County road permits
• Saint Paul DSI building permits
• Maplewood Building Inspections
• Roseville building permits
• Shoreview building permits
• Minnesota DLI electrical permits for homeowners

Frequently asked questions

Who issues building permits in Ramsey County?

The city’s own office, as in Saint Paul, Maplewood, Roseville and Shoreview. The county requires a pre-demolition inspection before any residential or commercial demolition.

Who issues electrical permits in Saint Paul?

The city does; the 2026 National Electrical Code applies to permits obtained on or after August 17th, 2026.

How much is a roofing permit in Maplewood?

Residential roofing and siding permits are a flat fee of $146.00.

Simplify Ramsey County permitting with Alliance Permitting

• Confirm which city or township issues the permit and whether electrical goes to the State or the city
• Line up the county highway, right-of-way, septic or well permits the site needs alongside the city permit
• File in each city’s own portal and book inspections the way that office takes them

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Minnesota. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Ramsey County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.