Ballwin, Missouri Building Permit Guide

Inside Ballwin city limits, the City’s Building Inspections Department issues building permits and the plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits that go with them, and all applications are filed in the MyGov portal. The building permit costs $6 for each $1,000 of work (minimum $75), and the 2024 International Codes apply to permits filed after Ordinance 26-18 passed on September 14, 2026.

What requires a building permit in Ballwin?

The City Code requires a permit before anyone builds, erects or alters a building or structure when the work costs more than $100, or when it enlarges the building or affects bearing walls or the roof. Fences and signs have their own permits. The City’s permit page gives these common examples:

A basement finish normally needs mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits as well as the building permit. The City warns that an unpermitted basement finish has to be permitted and approved before the house can be sold, which can mean opening walls for inspection.

Ballwin building department: who handles permitting

Ballwin enforces its own codes. Ordinance 26-18 makes the Building Commissioner of the City of Ballwin the code official for the building, residential, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, electrical and property maintenance codes, so trade permits and inspections come from the City rather than from St. Louis County. St. Louis County’s municipality contract list (revised August 3, 2026) agrees, showing the County handling only elevators and conveying systems, amusement rides and the explosives ordinance in Ballwin. Seth Pecoraro is the Building Commissioner.

Zoning petitions (development plans, special use exceptions, subdivisions, rezonings) and appeals to the Board of Adjustment use the City’s petition forms, published on the same permit page.

Ballwin permit types and the MyGov portal

Since November 1, 2025, every contractor registration and permit application in Ballwin has gone through MyGov. The City’s set-up steps are:

• Create a MyGov account (contractors who already use MyGov in another city log in with their existing account).
• Use Request Access to ask to collaborate with the City of Ballwin; approval is usually almost immediate.
• Choose the Contractor Registration you need. Staff review it and email an invoice; the credential is issued once the invoice is paid, and only then can you pull permits.
• Start each permit with Create New Project and the project template that matches the work.

Residential plumbing (backflow preventer, remodel, repair, new house, water heater), residential electrical (single-family and multi-family) and single-family mechanical permits are offered online. The City’s online-permit page lists only these residential templates and notes that commercial permits are not available online; call Building Inspections (636-227-2129) about commercial filings. Licence renewals for 2026 are handled in MyGov, while new licence applications are processed at the Government Center. The City may refuse a permit to a contractor without a City contractor’s licence or with an expired, unfinished permit.

Ballwin building permit fees

Fees are set by Section 7-86 of the City Code (last amended by Ordinance 22-07 in March 2022; no fee change appears on Board agendas or minutes through October 2026). The building fee is based on the cost of the work as valued from R.S. Means or an equivalent regional cost guide, not simply the contract price.

For example, if the City values a basement finish at $40,000, the building permit fee is $240 (40 × $6), before the separate plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits.

Cash deposits: on top of the fees, Section 7-105 requires a deposit to protect city streets and secure completion: $2,000 for each new single-family house; for most other work, 2% of the estimated cost of construction over $5,000 (never less than $500), or 10% for new construction under $5,000 (at least $250). Deposits over $5,000 may be replaced by a surety bond. The code keeps the deposit for room additions, basement finishes, decks, garages, in-ground pools, full remodels and demolitions, and drops it for kitchen and bath remodels, sheds, retaining walls, above-ground pools, spas, porches, pergolas and structural repairs. When a review is beyond staff expertise or there is a backlog, the Building Commissioner can send it to a private reviewer, whose charge is passed on to the applicant.

Plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits in Ballwin

All three trades are permitted and inspected by the City. Ballwin’s plumbing code is the 2024 International Plumbing Code, its electrical code the 2023 National Electrical Code and its mechanical code the 2024 International Mechanical Code, each administered by the Building Commissioner. Residential trade permits are priced in fixed steps ($75 to $175 depending on plan review and inspections) and commercial trade permits by the cost of the work, as shown in the fee table. Contractors register through MyGov before pulling trade permits.

Ballwin’s residential code amendments raise the kitchen makeup-air trigger to hoods exhausting more than 600 cubic feet per minute and delete the energy-efficiency chapter of the residential code. Builders of houses and small multi-unit buildings must still offer buyers the option of fire sprinklers, and townhouses must be sprinklered under RSMo 67.281.

How to get a Ballwin building permit

Ballwin inspections and permit time limits

Inspections are scheduled by calling City Hall at 636-227-2129 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, or by emailing the Inspections Department through the City’s online permits page. An inspection cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice, or one the inspector cannot carry out through no fault of the City, costs $25, and a lost permit authorization card costs $50 to replace.

A permit expires six months after issue unless materials are on site and work has started, and it expires 12 months after issue if the work has not passed final inspection. The Building Commissioner can extend a permit by up to six months on a written request. After expiry, work must stop, deposits are forfeited, and a replacement permit costs 125% of the normal fees and deposits.

Ballwin occupancy inspections, flood rules and other local details

Occupancy inspection on every change of occupant: no house, condominium, apartment or commercial space may be occupied by a new resident, tenant or business until it has been inspected against the Ballwin Housing Code and an occupancy permit issued. The inspection costs $125 for a single-family house or condominium and $50 for each apartment unit; reinspections after the first reinspection cost $25 each. The Housing Code occupancy permit itself is free (a commercial occupancy permit under the zoning code is $15 per store or unit), and the certificate of compliance stays valid for one year from the last inspection. Applications and permits are handled in MyGov.

New code edition: the Board of Aldermen gave Bill 5057 its first reading on June 8, 2026, held it on file for the 90 days RSMo 67.280 requires, and passed it as Ordinance 26-18 on September 14, 2026. At the first reading the City Administrator said applications received before enactment would follow the 2015 codes and those filed afterwards the new ones.

Floodplain: the City’s floodplain chapter (Ordinance 15-05) names the building inspector / plans examiner as floodplain administrator, and new or substantially improved homes in mapped flood zones need the lowest floor, including any basement, at least one foot above the base flood elevation. The building code amendment ties flood hazard areas to the flood insurance study dated February 4, 2015.

Sewer laterals: the City’s Sewer Lateral Repair Program funds repairs of home sewer laterals up to $4,500 per job, with up to $7,500 reimbursed in special cases. Ballwin also posts a monthly archive of issued building permits.

Missouri building code

Missouri has no mandatory statewide building code for private construction: a county, fire protection district or municipality may adopt one (usually by reference under RSMo 67.280), and in parts of the state none has. Building codes in Missouri

Ballwin permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Ballwin?

The City of Ballwin’s Building Inspections Department, under the Building Commissioner. It also issues the plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits for work inside the city.

How much is a building permit in Ballwin?

$6 for each $1,000 of the cost of work, with a $75 minimum ($125 minimum for demolition). Work valued at $40,000 costs $240, plus trade permits and any cash deposit.

Can I apply on paper?

No. Since November 1, 2025 all contractor and permit applications are filed through MyGov; for commercial permits, call Building Inspections first, because the City notes they are not available as online templates.

Which building code does Ballwin use?

The 2024 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas and Property Maintenance Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, adopted by Ordinance 26-18 on September 14, 2026, with local amendments.

Do I need an inspection to sell or rent my house in Ballwin?

Yes. Every new occupant needs an occupancy permit, issued after a Housing Code inspection that costs $125 for a single-family house or condominium and $50 per apartment unit.

Do I need a permit to finish my basement?

Yes, a building permit plus, in most cases, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits. An unpermitted finish must be permitted and approved before the house can be sold.

How do I book an inspection?

Call 636-227-2129 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on a weekday, or email the Inspections Department. Cancelling with less than 24 hours’ notice costs $25.

Ballwin permit search and official resources

• City of Ballwin website
• Ballwin building permits and occupancy inspection information
• Ballwin online permits, contractor registration and licence renewal
• Ballwin MyGov permit portal
• Bill 5057, 2024 code adoption (became Ordinance 26-18)
• Board of Aldermen minutes, September 14, 2026
• Ballwin City Code, Chapter 7 permits, fees and deposits (Sec. 7-81 to 7-107)
• Ballwin City Code, Chapter 13 occupancy inspections and fees
• St. Louis County municipality contract list (codes the County enforces in each city)

Simplify Ballwin permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Missouri. 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 Ballwin permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.