St. Louis Fence, Deck, Shed, and Historic Permit Guide

St. Louis requires permits for new fences, decks, porches, retaining walls, and accessory buildings over 50 square feet, with extra review for historic districts and landmarks.

Permit takeaway

St. Louis lists all new fences of any type, porches, decks, retaining walls, and accessory buildings over 50 square feet among work that requires a residential building permit.

Zoning and placement

Properties in city historic districts or city landmarks require approval for exterior painting, gutters, windows, doors, tuckpointing, all fences, awnings, canopies, and similar exterior work.

Building and trade review

Replacement of existing fencing of the same height, material, and location in rear or side yards usually does not require a building permit unless historic review applies.

Call before applying when

Call before applying if the project is a new fence, a fence on a historic property, a deck, porch, retaining wall over 18 inches, shed or accessory building over 50 square feet, or exterior work in a historic district.

Documents to prepare

• Site plan
• Fence, deck, porch, or shed drawings
• Historic district information if applicable
• Retaining wall height
• Flood area information if applicable

Inspection planning

• Confirm historic and flood requirements
• Apply for the building permit
• Use residential construction guidelines when plans are needed
• Schedule inspections before covering work

Official sources

• St. Louis Residential Permit Criteria
• St. Louis Residential Construction Guidelines
• St. Louis Apply for a Building Permit

This guide is a planning summary. Always verify the current requirements with the local office before starting work.