Effective January 1, 2023, the City of Clayton has adopted the following codes:

• Part I, the 2021 International Building Code
• Part II, the 2021 International Mechanical Code
• Part III, the 2021 International Plumbing Code
• Part IV, the 2021 International Residential Code
• Part V, the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code
• Part VI, the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code
• Part VII, the 2021 International Existing Building Code

Included are all appendices to each code.

The 2014 National Electric Code has also been adopted as part of the St. Louis County amendments.

In addition to the actual Code, amendments are contained in the Ordinance that are designed to take into consideration circumstances and standards which are specific to Clayton.

• Click here to view the adopting ordinance and local amendments.

To purchase the code (without local amendments), please visit the International Code Council's web site, www.iccsafe.org

ICC also makes model I-Codes and standards available free online as a service to the public https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes/i-codes

Code Questions/Clarifications – For general building, plumbing and mechanical code questions, please submit your question to codequestionsbd@claytonmo.gov and we will respond as soon as possible. We will make every effort to respond within 24 hours of receipt of your question, however response times are subject to current project volume.

Click here to view Missouri State law regarding record retention for residential permits.

The City is fully electronic for submission, review, and issuing of permits. Permit applications may be completed online through our CitizenServe portal. If your permit includes drawings, the .pdf file(s) should be uploaded as prompted when completing the application. The maximum file size for a single file is 25 MB.

If your drawings are drawn by hand, they will need to be scanned to a .pdf file. Area print shops can assist you with that ability.

Once the application has been submitted, it will be reviewed by our staff to determine that all required form fields were correctly completed and all materials provided. Once those items have been confirmed, the applicant will receive a notification of the initial application fee to be paid. All fees may be made via the portal. Upon payment, your review time will commence.

More information regarding permit types and submission requirements is available on the portal.

Do I Need a Permit?

Any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by this code, or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application to the City and obtain the required permit.

A permit is needed for work in connection with, but not limited to, the following:

• Interior alterations or tenant finish work
• Enlarging an existing structure
• Building a new structure
• Demolishing a structure
• Installing pools and hot tubs
• New or replacement of mechanical equipment (including heating, cooling or ventilation equipment and electrical generators)
• Plumbing work other than ordinary repairs. A licensed Master Plumber (licensed through St. Louis County and the City of Clayton) is required to obtain the permit and perform the work

A permit is not needed for the following work:

• Painting
• Carpeting
• Trim work
• Cabinets (installation of, not involving re-location, change in layout or electrical work)
• Flooring

Exterior Alterations

Any changes made to the exterior that affect the appearance, such as a change in color or style, must be approved by the Architectural Review Board or receive administrative architectural review. Visit the Planning & Zoning Division page for more information.

Occupancy permits are submitted through Citizenserve and are required prior to occupancy.

Commercial Occupancy Permit

All businesses are required to obtain a Commercial Occupancy Permit and inspections from both the Planning and Fire Departments prior to occupying any commercial space. This applies for a change of tenant even if no work requiring a construction permit was completed in the time between tenants.

Residential Occupancy Permit

Residential Occupancy Permits are required for all rental residential properties. A new permit is required for each change of tenant or every five years if the tenant does not change.

An issued permit card will list the required inspections for the project. A project will remain classified "open" until a final inspection is made on the project. The City of Clayton does not provide electrical inspections. Electrical inspections are performed by St. Louis County Electrical Department (314-615-5000) and should be requested by your electrician. The electrical inspection will need to be completed and approved prior to a framing inspection. In the event your project would require multiple inspections (framing, plumbing, mechanical, fire), these can be done at the same time to expedite the inspection process.

Inspection requests received prior to 4 p.m. will be eligible for next day inspections.  Inspection requests received after 4 p.m. will be placed on the schedule for the subsequent business day.  Inspections can be requested directly through your project file in Citizenserve or by sending an email to inspectionsbd@claytonmo.gov with the following information included:

• Type of Inspection
• Permit Number
• Project Address
• Contact Name and contact phone number
• Date of desired inspection and time (am or pm)

The City of Clayton is a high quality residential and business community. Please be courteous to neighboring residents and ensure your job site is clean and gates are secure when contractors are not on site. Thank you for your cooperation. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in the issuance of a Stop Work Order and/or legal action which could result in court imposed fines.

Construction Hours

Construction is permitted Monday through Friday - 7:00a.m. to 6:00p.m.

No work is to be done on Saturdays, Sundays, evenings or holidays without an Emergency/Evening/Weekend Work Permit. Applications for after hours work are reviewed and issued by the Public Works Department and may be obtained by calling 314-290-8540 or printed from the Applications, Forms, and Permits webpage.

Neighboring Property and Access

There must be no trespassing onto neighboring properties either by workers or equipment. Litter must be promptly and properly disposed of and must not be present on neighboring properties at any time. Mud on the sidewalk and street must be cleaned constantly. Neighboring driveways are not to be blocked by equipment or construction parking.

Job Site Management

Construction equipment including trailers, portable toilets, construction materials and dumpsters are not to be stored in the front yard areas without City approval. Dumpsters not behind a construction fence will require a Dumpster Permit. Dumpsters are required to be covered to minimize littering of debris on adjacent properties. All mud or debris must be continually removed from the public sidewalks and streets. Straw bales must be provided when necessary to prevent mud runoff to adjacent properties and public right-of-ways. If the project requires a construction fence to be erected, the regulations listed below must be followed. All weeds and grass need to be maintained not to exceed a 6 inch maximum at all times. The job site must have all permits posted in public view. The approved permit plans are to remain on the job site at all times during construction.

Construction Fences

No construction fences may be erected until the Building Official approves a site plan depicting the materials, location and access gates. All buildings undergoing construction, substantial rehabilitation, removal, demolition or any and all excavations exceeding 5 feet in depth (except sewer and utility trenches) shall be enclosed on all sides with a solid wood construction fence not less than 6 feet in height. All construction fences and gates must be secure when contractors are not on site!

Duration and Removal of Temporary Construction Fences: Construction fences may not be erected more than 10 calendar days prior to demolition or the commencement of construction and must be approved by the Building Official prior to the construction of the fence. If demolition or construction does not commence within 10 days of installation, the fence must be removed and the site restored.

Construction Parking

All construction projects with a value of $2,500,000 or greater are required to follow an approved Construction Parking Management Plan to identify how construction parking will be facilitated and regulated to prevent conflicts and issues on public streets and surrounding property. In addition, projects valued under $2,500,000 may also be required by the Building Official to have an approved CPMP. The determination will be based on the existing parking conditions in the impacted area. The CPMP is to be submitted as part of the application for a Building Permit or Demolition Permit.

Right-of-Way

Prior to any excavations on public right-of-way or tree lawn areas, a Right-of-Way Permit is required and can be obtained from the Public Works Department (314-290-8540). Curb cuts, public driveway approaches and public sidewalks are projects that require Public Works approval.

Existing sidewalks must be maintained throughout the construction process. Construction related damage will require the replacement of damaged sidewalks to the specifications of the Public Works Department.

In situations where the Public Works Department has approved construction fences encroaching upon the public right-of-way, such fences will require a temporary sidewalk be constructed and maintained, extending no more than 4 1/2 feet beyond the curb line. Such walks shall be no less than 4 feet in width, constructed in a safe and substantial manner and provided with a roof and handrails as deemed necessary by the Building Official. The Building Official may require the sidewalk be properly lighted as a protection to the public from effects of construction or demolition.

Signs

Temporary signs may be erected in conformance with Section 425.070 of the City’s Code of Ordinances. Sign types are regulated based on the property zoning (residential or non-residential), location and size.

Tree Protection and Stormwater Pollution Protection Measures

Any construction, demolition, site work or similar activity which may injure existing trees requires the implementation of tree protection measures as set forth in the regulations or as determined by the City’s contracted landscape architect. Tree protection measures shall remain in place throughout construction.

Projects with a disturbance area requiring a Site Plan Review Permit or a Land Disturbance Permit shall be managed in accordance with the permit requirements. All other projects shall be responsible for managing mud, dirt, silt or similar created by construction activities to prevent such from ponding on public right-of-way or adjacent properties.