Overview
DSI uses PAULIE for current permit and licensing applications. Contractor Express has specific residential exterior categories. Structural work, mixed additional scope and historic properties use the general building route; owners also use the general route.
Authority
Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI)
Portal
PAULIE
Trades
Select a trade for its permit path, licensing, code resources, fees and filing pitfalls.
Electrical system work
Saint Paul DSI electrical serviceApplicable Code
Applicable Minnesota electrical provisions and DSI permit requirements.
License Requirement
Confirm state electrical credentials and City applicant eligibility.
License Fee
Fee amount not verified in this review. State credential and City registration charges separately.
CEUs
Minnesota credential-specific renewal requirements.
Permit Fee
Specific permit amount not verified in this review. Use the City electrical category for circuits/services or equipment; building valuation is not a trade quote. This unverified amount is excluded from the worked example.
Plan Review Time
Select the appropriate electrical application and arrange DSI inspections.
Common Pitfalls
- An equipment replacement may also affect its electrical circuit record.
- Do not assume Minneapolis’s state inspection routing applies in Saint Paul.
Permit-to-closeout workflow
Check property
Confirm zoning, heritage and proposed-use constraints.
Choose permit route
Use general application unless the contractor-express scope qualifies.
Prepare records
Provide plans, license/owner affidavit and related trade applications.
Submit in PAULIE
Track the application and resolve review comments.
Obtain approvals
Pay assessed fees and retain permit and stamped plans.
Inspect and close
Arrange required stages with the listed inspectors and occupancy approval.
Permit fees and worked estimates
The current express page linked an older February 2022 file; a separate official February 25, 2023 schedule was also retrieved. Neither proves an unchanged October 2026 price.
| Trade | Permit fee | License fee |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system work | Specific permit amount not verified in this review. Use the City electrical category for circuits/services or equipment; building valuation is not a trade quote. This unverified amount is excluded from the worked example. | Fee amount not verified in this review. State credential and City registration charges separately. |
| Plumbing and utility connections | Specific permit amount not verified in this review. Obtain the plumbing/system assessment; SAC and utility work are separate from building fee examples. This unverified amount is excluded from the worked example. | Fee amount not verified in this review. Use the applicable state/local credential assessment. |
| Mechanical and sheet metal | Specific permit amount not verified in this review. Use the selected mechanical/sheet-metal fee assessment; it is separate from the dated building table. This unverified amount is excluded from the worked example. | System-specific state/local credentials; no universal fee asserted. |
| Fire-system approvals | Specific permit amount not verified in this review. Select the City fire-alarm electrical or applicable suppression category; request the actual assessment. This unverified amount is excluded from the worked example. | Fee amount not verified in this review. Specialist credential and registration requirements separately. |
| Building and exterior work | February 2023 benchmark: $9,001–$10,000 valuation $274, plus 65% review and state charge. | Fee amount not verified in this review. Confirm the state/local license category; owner eligibility depends on scope. |
Submission checklist
Homeowner and licensing
Owners cannot use Contractor Express. DSI’s garage guidance identifies an owner garage-building route and requires owner/homesteader status for personally pouring its slab, while contractor work carries license requirements. Do not extend that specific garage exception to every dwelling, trade or demolition project.
Codes and amendments
Coordinate Minnesota construction provisions with Saint Paul zoning, heritage and Chapter 33 permit administration. PAULIE is the filing system; neither a portal account nor a historical fee table establishes code compliance or licensing authority.
Inspections and closeout
Contact the building inspector named on the permit before work to arrange required stages. The express page warns of 180-day commencement/inactivity limits and additional completion deadlines for its described projects. Retain approved documents and complete required finals and occupancy conditions.