Webster Groves, Missouri Building Permit Guide

Building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits in Webster Groves come from the City’s own Planning & Development Department, not St. Louis County. Simple trade permits can be filed in the City’s online portal; anything that needs plan or zoning review goes by email or to City Hall. A building permit costs $30 plus $6 per $1,000 of improvement value, with a $40 plan review fee, a $40 processing fee for plan-review applications and $40 for each inspection.

What requires a building permit in Webster Groves?

The City’s Building Permits page says an application is needed for:

The City checks sheds for zoning setbacks, and a shed over 200 sq ft needs a footing or pier system. A fence repair needs no permit when it replaces less than 25% of the fence’s length or 300 sq ft of fence surface, whichever is less, in the same material, height and location. Work in the street, public sidewalk or parkway, such as a driveway approach, water tap or sewer repair, needs a separate excavation permit from Public Works.

Webster Groves building department: who handles permitting

The Planning & Development Department manages all permit applications for property inside city limits. Its Building Division approves and inspects new private construction and renovation work against the City’s building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and fire codes, and its Housing Division inspects homes on sale or change of occupant. Joe Rodriguez is the Building Commissioner and John Wagner is the Director of Planning and Development.

Registered contractors only: permits are issued to contractors registered with the City, including general, mechanical, fire, fence and sign contractors, plumbers and electricians. Registration costs $75 a year and needs $500,000 general liability cover naming the City as certificate holder, workers’ compensation where the firm has employees, and a current St. Louis City or St. Louis County licence for licensed trades. A homeowner acting as general contractor on an owner-occupied home is the one exception.

Webster Groves permit types and filing routes

The City uses one Building Permit Application for new homes, additions, exterior and interior residential work, decks, patio covers, accessory structures, land disturbance and commercial work, and a separate MEP Permit Application for mechanical, electrical, solar and plumbing jobs. Fence, sign, occupancy and excavation permits have their own forms.

Online: registered contractors can file in the self-service portal at webstergroves.onlinegovt.com. It takes occupancy permits and mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits that need no plan review; commercial or large residential trade work, such as a new house, may still need review. Staff answer within 3–5 working days, payment is made through a link the City sends, and a nonrefundable processing fee is added to online payments.

Not accepted online: permits needing plan or zoning review, any property in a floodplain, and applications from unregistered contractors or homeowners. These go by email to planning@webstergrovesmo.gov, by mail or in person at City Hall, and a rejected portal filing forfeits its processing fee.

The permit must be approved and issued before work starts. Some approved building permits must be paid for and picked up in person at City Hall.

Webster Groves permit fees

Fees are set in Article XXI of Chapter 20 of the City Code (Ordinance No. 9162, October 5, 2021). Improvement value is the full cost of the work, materials and labor, less the cost of separate trade, fire protection and land disturbance permits, and the City may accept a signed contract or check the figure against square-foot costs.

A $40 non-refundable processing fee applies to every application that needs plan review, and the Building Permit Application collects it when you file. Minimum totals are $75 for one inspection without plan review and $115 with plan review, rising to $115 and $155 where at least two inspections are needed. Trade permits replacing an identical installation pay no plan review fee. Amendments and extensions cost $40 each and moving a permit to a new contractor or between owner and contractor costs $65. Exterior projects over $20,000 also pay a completion deposit, and work done contrary to the codes, such as work halted by a stop-work order, can be charged double fees.

For example, the building permit fee on a $50,000 kitchen remodel is $30 + (50 × $6) = $330, before the $40 processing fee, the $40 plan review fee and $40 for each inspection.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Webster Groves

The City issues its own mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits on the MEP Permit Application, which asks for the contract or scope of work, the number of inspections, and panel details for electrical jobs. Fees are $6 per $1,000 of improvement value with a $35 minimum, $40 plan review where review is needed, and $40 per inspection. Solar installations need Architectural Review Board sign-off on the MEP form.

Electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors must hold a St. Louis City or St. Louis County licence and register with Webster Groves before they can pull permits. Fire protection systems are permitted by the City at the building permit rates.

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

Application documents

The City publishes a Residential Deck Guide and kitchen and bathroom remodel guides with sample drawings. New or changed windows and exterior doors trigger zoning review and may need ARB approval.

How to apply for a Webster Groves permit

Webster Groves inspections

Call the inspection line at 314-963-5331 at least 24 hours ahead with the permit number, address and type of inspection; next-day slots are not guaranteed. In the online portal you can book up to 60 days ahead in a morning (9–11 a.m.) or afternoon (1–3 p.m.) window, but a combined framing and wall rough inspection has to be booked by phone. Each inspection is charged at $40.

Construction is inspected while it is in progress and when it is finished.

Local Webster Groves rules

Occupancy inspections on sale or new occupant: the Housing Division inspects every building when it is sold or the occupant changes. The occupancy inspection costs $75, which covers the first inspection and one re-inspection, and each further visit is $50. A passed inspection earns a Certificate of Compliance valid for up to three months, and the new owner or tenant then needs a separate occupancy permit ($30) before moving in. Apartments are inspected periodically rather than at each change of tenant, but a new apartment occupant still needs an occupancy permit.

Architectural Review Board: five licensed architects meet on the first and third Thursdays at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall. The City has four historic districts, Central Webster, Webster Park, Marshall Place and Old Webster, each with its own preservation guidelines.

Floodplain: Webster Groves is in the National Flood Insurance Program, and the building permit form asks whether the job is inside the 100-year floodplain. Floodplain jobs cannot be filed online, and repairing a flood-damaged building needs a local permit; if repairs reach 50% of the building’s pre-flood market value it is substantially damaged and must be brought into line with the City’s floodplain ordinance before repairs start.

Trees: a tree permit or waiver is required with a deck or building permit when the owner has held the property for less than 12 months.

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

Webster Groves building permit FAQ

Does St. Louis County issue building permits in Webster Groves?

No. The City’s Planning & Development Department issues building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits and inspects the work.

How much is a building permit in Webster Groves?

$30 plus $6 per $1,000 of improvement value, plus a $40 plan review fee, a $40 processing fee for applications that need plan review and $40 for each inspection. A $50,000 remodel has a $330 permit fee before those charges.

Do I need a permit for a shed or fence?

Yes. The City requires an Accessory Structure permit for any shed and a fence permit, with a $40 review fee, for every new or replacement fence.

Can I pull my own permit as a homeowner?

Yes, if you act as general contractor on your owner-occupied home. File by email or at City Hall, because the online portal does not accept homeowner applications.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 314-963-5331 at least 24 hours ahead, or book a morning or afternoon window in the online portal.

Which building code does Webster Groves use?

The 2015 International Codes and the 2014 National Electrical Code. A bill adopting the 2021 I-Codes and 2020 NEC was on the October 20, 2026 City Council agenda for first and second readings.

Do I need an inspection to sell my house?

Yes. A Housing Division occupancy inspection ($75) is required on sale or change of occupant, and the buyer needs a $30 occupancy permit before moving in.

Webster Groves permit search and official resources

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

• Webster Groves building permits
• Webster Groves permits, adopted codes and fee table
• Webster Groves online permitting rules
• Webster Groves Building Inspection & Plan Review
• Webster Groves Building Permit Application (June 2026)
• Webster Groves MEP Permit Application
• Webster Groves contractor registration
• Webster Groves housing (occupancy) inspections
• Webster Groves occupancy permits
• Webster Groves Architectural Review Board
• Webster Groves flood inspections and permits
• Webster Groves City Code, Chapter 20 (building codes and fee schedule)
• Webster Groves City Council agenda, October 20, 2026

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