CITY OF NORMANDY
GUIDELINES
FOR OBTAINING A BUILDING PERMIT

 

WHAT IS A BUILDING PERMIT?

A building permit is an agreement between the City of Normandy and the applicant whereby the applicant agrees to follow all codes and the City agrees to inspect the construction to ensure that all codes are followed. A building permit issued by the City of Normandy and serves as a formal and legal authorization to start the construction work.

Normally, the applicant must submit construction documents to show what he/she intends to do. When the construction documents are approved, the construction must conform to the construction documents. Any deviations and/or changes in construction that differ from the approved construction documents cannot be approved in the field. This is why it is essential for the applicant to determine in detail the scope of work to be done before applying for a building permit. For information, call the City of Normandy's Inspector at (314) 385-3300.

WHY DO I NEED A BUILDING PERMIT?

The easiest answer to this question is simply "for you own protection." A building permit guarantees the work will be inspected by the City Inspector. The building inspector may discover shoddy work, faulty materials, deviations from construction documents and violations of the codes that may result in unsafe or hazardous conditions. Another consideration is that it is a violation of the City Code not to have a building permit when the work being performed requires one. Failure to obtain the necessary building permits may result in prosecution in the Municipal Court with a maximum possible fine of $1,000.00 and/or imprisonment not exceeding ninety (90) days.

WHEN DO I NEED A BUILDING PERMIT?

A building permit is required when any structural change or major alteration is made to an existing building or when any new construction is undertaken. Normal building maintenance does not require a building permit in most instances. Separate permits for plumbing, mechanical and electrical work are also required from St. Louis County when applicable.

Examples of work that generally do not require permits:

Tuckpointing, plaster repair, interior and exterior painting, floor sanding and refinishing, laying floor tiles and/or carpet, replacement of flooring with like material, installing wall covering, wall paneling when applied to existing wall surfaces, ceiling tile installation when applied to existing ceiling surfaces, cabinet installation, replacement of gutters and downspouts, application of prefinished aluminum or steel on soffits, fascia boards, rake boards and overhangs, replacement or repair of windows, frames, exterior and interior doors, when no modifications are made to the opening, construction of walkways within property lines, patio slabs smaller than 12' x 15' in area without roof or overhang covers, retaining walls less than 3' in height, installation of landscaping, fixed or retractable awnings that are not more than 40 square feet and do not project over property lines, and installation of battery operated smoke detectors.

Examples of work that do require a building permit:

Construction of new structures of any description, including main buildings, garages, carports, room additions and/or extensions or enlargement of existing rooms, storage sheds attached porches, decks, and retaining walls. Any work which involves the installation, removal or cutting of any structural beams, joist replacement or bearing support, foundations and footing repair and/or replacement, underpinning or shoring of structure. Any work that changes the class of construction of the building, the conversion of basement or below-grade space to living quarters, conversion of attic space to living quarters, the removal or installation of any partition in a habitable or occupiable space, 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, involving structural work and/or supports and all pools that have a permanently equipped water circulating system. The installation of precast stone also requires a permit. All fences of any type, driveways, driveway aprons, public sidewalks, an entire new roof, when roof work is not replacement of like material, or when any of the roof sheathing is removed and replaced. General repairs involving two or more rooms also requires a building permit.

Certain repairs and installations require an electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit. An electrical permit is required for the installation of any electrical wiring or the changing of the electrical service. A plumbing permit is required for any new plumbing installation or the removal and resetting of any plumbing fixture. A mechanical permit is required for the installation or the replacement of a furnace or central air conditioner. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits must be obtained from St. Louis County Department of Public Works. The permit processing numbers are: plumbing (314) 615-7808, electrical (314) 615-7082 and mechanical (314) 615-3867.

WHERE DO I GET A BUILDING PERMIT?

An application for a building permit is made at the customer service counter, City Hall, 7700 Natural Bridge Road. The customer service counter is open from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding City holidays. Applications may also be received by mail or by fax at (314) 385-1054. The application can be made by the owner, registered design professional or the contractor. It is however, the owner's responsibility to see that a building permit is secured and posted at the job site. All building permits are issued in the name of the owner.

Two (2) sets of construction documents are required. These are necessary to enable the City Inspector to determine if the new construction, addition or alteration to an existing building will meet all requirements of the Building Code. In some instances, it will be necessary to have the project drawings prepared by a registered architect and or engineer who is licensed in the State of Missouri. The City Inspector will advise when drawings must be sealed by a design professional.

The construction documents should be in sufficient detail and drawn to scale to show the scope of work or alterations to be made, location of the property lines, dimensions of the project, kind and size of materials used and building elevations.


HOW MUCH DOES A BUILDING PERMIT COST?

$3.00 per thousand dollars of estimated construction cost for all construction, alteration, and demolition with a $10.00 minimum fee.

The following categories of construction, alteration, and demolition shall be deemed applicable to a building permit fee:

BREEZEWAY, CARPORTS, GARAGES

Footing Inspection $10.00
Framing Inspection $10.00
Final Inspection $10.00
Total $30.00

DEMOLITION (BUILDING)

First story $10.00
Each additional story $10.00
Total $20.00

DRIVEWAYS

Inspection $10.00

FENCES

Inspection $10.00

ROOM ADDITIONS, ALTERATIONS & REMODELING

Footing Inspection $10.00
Foundation Inspection $10.00
Framing Inspection $10.00
Drywall Inspection #1 $10.00
Drywall Inspection #2 $10.00
Final Inspection $10.00
Total $60.00

SIGNS

Footing Inspection $15.00
Final Inspection $10.00
Total $25.00

SWIMMING POOLS

Inspection $10.00

ANTENNA DISH

$3.00 per thousand dollars, $10.00 minimum plus $10.00 inspection for a minimum of $20.00.

WHEN WILL THE BUILDING PERMIT BE ISSUED?

If the building permit application, construction plans and all required project information are in order, some building permits may be issued the same day the application is made, such as for fences, and public sidewalks. Other projects may take more extensive plan review, such as new dwelling construction, additions and/or alterations and commercial construction. Most building permits are reviewed, approved, and issued within 5 working days. However, if the project requires approval of the Planning & Zoning Commission or Board of Adjustments, it may be somewhat longer. These Board meet on a as needed basis, and would take a minimum of 3 weeks, as the Hearings need to be advertised and Commission members notified of the day and time of the meetings.

If the building plan review has been completed, a building permit will be issued the following day after the project has received the approval of the Planning and Zoning Commission or Board of Adjustments.

WHEN IS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OR BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT APPROVAL REQUIRED?

The City Code sets forth the requirement that new structures, the replacement of existing structures, signs and certain other improvements must be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission and/or the Board of Adjustment for quality of design, and compatibility and harmony with other structures on the property, structures on the block and in the neighborhood.

For BUILDING REVIEW, the following information should be provided:

SITE PLAN--

  • address of property
  • names of all streets bounding the property
  • size and location of all buildings on property
  • location of driveways and parking areas
  • description of adjacent properties (commercial zones only)
  • north arrow
  • drawing scale
  • building set backs and easements
  • slope of property and landscaping

DRAWINGS--

  • construction drawings and specifications (no interior plans are needed)
  • indicate height of existing and proposed structures
  • indicate material and color of existing and proposed structures
  • building elevations including door and window locations

PHOTOGRAPHS--

  • street view of existing building and site
  • views of construction site from all major vantage points

OTHER--

  • provide manufacturer's literature (if available)
  • provide materials samples (if available)

    For SIGN REVIEW, the following information should be provided:

SITE PLAN--

  • address of property
  • name of all streets bounding property
  • size and location of all buildings on property
  • location of driveways and parking areas
  • description of adjacent properties
  • north arrow
  • drawing scale

BUILDING ELEVATIONS--

  • indicate location and size of signs
  • indicate adjacent materials and finishes

PHOTOGRAPHS--

  • location of proposed sign and background
  • views from all major vantage points

SHOP DRAWINGS--

  • indicate size of text, individual letters and overall sign length and height
  • indicate material and color of all proposed sign components
  • indicate type of sign construction and method of attachment or support

WHEN ARE INSPECTIONS REQUIRED?

It is the responsibility of the owner or the contractor to call for the following inspections at least twenty-four (24) hours before the desired inspection time. The telephone number is (314) 385-3300.

SOIL INSPECTION: (footing inspection) A soil inspection is to be made after excavation is complete and trenches for footings, column pads, spread footings, or other types of footings are ready for concrete, and after all reinforcing steel that is required has been placed. No concrete is to be poured without this inspection.

FOUNDATION INSPECTION: A foundation inspection will be made after all forms and reinforcing steel are set in place and before the concrete is poured.

PIER INSPECTION: A pier inspection will be made where special foundations are required such as drilled and poured-in-place concrete piers, caissons and driven piles of all types. The inspector will make at least one inspection and more if the size of the job warrants it. Reinforcing materials required in the above cases will be placed to allow adequate inspections.

PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL INSPECTIONS: For work involving these permits, inspections are required by the St. Louis County Department of Public Works.

FRAMING OR ROUGH-IN INSPECTION: A framing or rough-in inspection will be made after plumbing, electrical and mechanical inspections are completed, after all framing, masonry walls, or fireplace vents and chimneys are completed, after the roof structure is finished, all fire stop and draft stopping is installed, wall bracing, sheathing, heating and cooling ductwork or other appurtenances and accessories which may be concealed are installed. No mechanical, electrical or plumbing systems which are to be concealed will be covered before this inspection has been made and the work is approved by the inspector.

WALL AND CEILING INSPECTION: The following ceiling and wall finish inspections will be performed as specified:
1. An inspection will be made after gypsum board sheets are in place and properly fastened, before joint compound is applied over joints and fasteners.
2. A lath inspection will be made after all lathing, interior and exterior, is in place and before any plaster is applied.

FINAL BUILDING INSPECTION: A final building inspection will be made after all required inspections have been completed and the final mechanical, plumbing, and electrical inspections have been made and approved. No building will be occupied until the owner/lessee has been issued a certificate of occupancy.

ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS: In addition to the required inspections specified above, the inspector may make other inspections which are reasonably necessary to enforce the code. These inspections may include, but are not limited to, examinations to determine whether zoning requirements are being met and may include all other phases of building construction including forms, backfill, masonry, floors, floor slabs and site grading.

PDF_Converted_Documents/bldg_permit_app.pdf

PLEASE FILL OUT THE ABOVE DOCUMENT AT THE "X's"

 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Normandy City Hall
(314) 385-3300
Email: progers@cityofnormandy.gov 

Home Page

Rev. 9/07