Bridgeton, Missouri Building Permit Guide

In Bridgeton, building permits are issued by the City’s Public Works Department and applied for in its online permitting portal; electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are issued separately by St. Louis County. The City allows 10 to 15 business days for review, or four to six weeks when the Design and Review Board must approve the project.

What needs a building permit in Bridgeton?

The City’s permit page lists these projects:

The City’s building code exempts one-story sheds and playhouses up to 120 sq ft and retaining walls up to 4 feet that hold no surcharge. Up to three 8-foot fence sections (24 feet) can be replaced without a permit; longer runs need one.

Bridgeton building department: who handles permitting

Bridgeton keeps its own building department inside Public Works, which also handles housing and commercial occupancy permits, planning and zoning, engineering and inspections. The Public Works Director is Robert Gunn. Under the City’s county-code chapter, St. Louis County provides code enforcement for electrical, plumbing, mechanical and equipment inspections, elevators, fire-suppression systems, explosives and amusement rides, and its Department of Public Works reviews and issues all electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Bridgeton. Fire permits come from the fire protection district that serves the address.

Applying in Bridgeton: portal, Design and Review Board and site permits

Building, deck, fence, accessory-building, rental and occupancy applications are filed in the City’s online portal. Review is first come, first served, and the City does not offer expedited review. When an application is approved, the applicant is emailed the final permit fee and pickup instructions. Site Disturbance and Excavation permits cannot be filed online: submit them in person or by mail to Public Works.

Design and Review Board: the permit page sends additions, commercial fences, exterior alterations, signs, storage buildings and residential fences without signed neighbor consent to the Board, which adds four to six weeks. The City Code lets the Building Official approve swimming pools, residential additions and garage or carport additions administratively, and requires Board approval for commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family work and new house designs; the City’s accessory-building brochure adds accessory buildings over 120 sq ft. The Board must act within 60 days after the Building Official receives the application, or the application is treated as approved.

Plans: residential plans must be sealed by a Missouri architect or engineer when the estimated cost exceeds $30,000, and commercial plans always. Accessory buildings need a plot plan, construction plans (or a photo of a pre-engineered building) and a zoning certificate application; buildings over 150 sq ft need gutters and downspouts.

Bridgeton permit fees

Commercial, industrial and apartment fees are set in Section 108 of Chapter 500 of the City Code, and fees for houses, residential pools and other residential work in Section R108 of Chapter 501. Both are cost-of-construction tables whose figures include permit processing, plan review and ten inspections.

Starting work before the permit is issued costs $100 to $1,000 per day or double the normal fees. For example, a house addition with an estimated cost of $50,000 pays $273. The approval email states the final fee. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit fees are charged by St. Louis County, and fire permit fees by the fire district.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire permits

Every electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit for a Bridgeton address is reviewed, approved and issued by St. Louis County Public Works, and the City’s accessory-building brochure reminds applicants that those permits must be applied for with St. Louis County even when the building permit comes from Bridgeton. The City’s building code applies the St. Louis County electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes as adopted by the City.

Fire permits are applied for through whichever of the five fire protection districts covers the property; the City publishes a fire district map on its Fire Districts page.

Alliance handles electrical permit filing for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.

How to get a Bridgeton building permit

Bridgeton inspections and occupancy permits

For occupancy, rental and exterior inspections, the City’s inspector calls the applicant to set the date; questions go to Public Works at 314-739-7665. The fee table includes ten inspections on commercial and apartment permits; each further inspection costs $28 and a reinspection $50. Deck footings, for example, must reach at least 30 inches below grade, and guardrails are required where a deck is more than 30 inches above grade.

A business needs a Business Occupancy Permit for a new business, a change of ownership, extra space or a new location. The Planning and Zoning Administrator reviews the application, the inspector then inspects the space, and Public Works issues the Business Occupancy Permit and Zoning Certificate once corrections are made and a business licence application has been filed. Sign permits are released only after the occupancy permit is approved.

Home sales, rentals, grading and floodplain rules in Bridgeton

Selling a house: on a change of ownership, no one may occupy a house until Public Works has issued a Certificate of Occupancy (Existing Residential Structures). The seller is responsible for applying; the City makes a visual exterior inspection of the house, yards, roof, gutters, driveway and accessory structures such as sheds, decks, pools and fences. The fee is $40, including one reinspection, and each further inspection costs $28. When a house is bought “as is”, the buyer may be the one responsible for the exterior inspection, and the fee is not refunded if the purchase falls through. The certificate (called a Certificate of Exterior Appearance Compliance in the City’s brochure) is valid for six months, and the buyer then applies for a $30 Residential Occupancy Permit, which is approved only after the exterior inspection has passed. Apartments are reinspected every two years and condominiums every four years. The Existing Structures Code (2015 International Property Maintenance Code with City amendments) was restated by Ordinance 26-21 on April 15, 2026.

Renting: a rental occupancy permit is needed before each change of tenant. The inspection costs $75 for a single-family house and $60 per unit in two-family and multi-family buildings, including one reinspection, with $28 for each further visit; no new inspection is needed if the unit passed within the previous two years. Owner and tenant photo IDs are required.

Grading: a Site Disturbance Permit (City Code Chapter 550) is required when more than 3,000 sq ft of land is disturbed. Building one house, pool or accessory building on a lot of three-quarters of an acre or less with a building permit is exempt, although the City can still require erosion and sediment controls. Disturbed ground over 100 sq ft must be sodded.

Floodplain: the City Engineer is the floodplain administrator. Any development in a mapped A or AE zone on the County flood maps dated February 4, 2015 needs a separate floodplain development permit, and new or substantially improved buildings must have the lowest floor, including the basement, at least one foot above the base flood elevation (non-residential buildings may be floodproofed instead).

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

Bridgeton permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Bridgeton?

The City of Bridgeton Public Works Department, 12355 Natural Bridge Road (314-739-7665). Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits come from St. Louis County.

How long does a Bridgeton permit take?

About 10 to 15 business days, or four to six weeks when the Design and Review Board must approve the project. The City does not offer expedited review.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed in Bridgeton?

Yes for fences longer than three 8-foot sections and for storage buildings over 120 sq ft, which also go to the Design and Review Board. Smaller sheds are exempt.

What inspection is needed to sell a house in Bridgeton?

An exterior inspection leading to a Certificate of Occupancy (Existing Residential Structures). The seller applies and pays $40, which covers one reinspection, and the buyer then needs a $30 Residential Occupancy Permit.

Which building code does Bridgeton use?

The 2003 International Building Code and 2003 International Residential Code with City amendments, plus the St. Louis County electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes.

How much is a commercial building permit in Bridgeton?

It follows the City’s cost table, which includes plan review and ten inspections: $702 for work up to $100,000 and $4,987 for work up to $1 million.

Bridgeton permit search and official resources

• Bridgeton building permits page
• Bridgeton online permitting portal
• St. Louis County permits for Bridgeton (electrical, plumbing, mechanical)
• Bridgeton commercial occupancy permits and inspections
• Buying and selling residential property in Bridgeton (brochure)
• Bridgeton site disturbance permits
• Fire protection districts serving Bridgeton
• Bridgeton City Code Chapter 500, Building Code and commercial fees
• Bridgeton City Code Chapter 501, residential code and fees
• St. Louis County municipality contract list (codes the County enforces in each city)
• Bridgeton City Code Chapter 510, Existing Structures Code
• Bridgeton City Code Chapter 405, Floodplain Management
• Missouri Division of Professional Registration

Simplify Bridgeton 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 Bridgeton permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.