What is the purpose of a Building Permit?
The purpose of a building permit is to provide minimum construction standards established by the Minnesota State Building Code. These minimum construction standards provide safeguards for life, health, property and welfare by regulating design, construction, materials, use and the type of occupancy of all buildings. A building permit must be obtained any time a building or structure is erected, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, converted, or demolished.

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1. What is the purpose of a Building Permit?
2. How long does it take to get a building permit?
3. Do you have a list of contractors from which you can recommend a builder, plumber, etc?
4. Do I need a permit for a shed?
5. Do I need a permit for a fence?
6. Do I need a permit for a retaining wall?
7. Do I need to be home for a deck inspection?
8. Do I need a permit to install a patio or replace my front sidewalk?
9. When you say my deck footings must be 18 inches in diameter, does that mean all the way from the surface down 42 inches in depth?
10. Where and when do I need smoke detectors in new homes, existing homes and additions?
11. Do I need 4-mil poly on both sides of my basement walls?
12. I am having problems with my house i.e. siding rippling, roof leaking, foundation cracking, etc. I want the city to come out and complete an inspection and tell me what is wrong.
13. I have a complaint about my builder not correcting things in my house. What should I do?
14. Does your department handle electrical inspections?