Home Remodeling Services in St. Paul, MN

Yes, for anything that changes a wall, adds square footage, or touches plumbing or electrical. St. Paul now runs applications through PAULIE, the city's permitting platform that replaced the older ECLIPS and AMANDA systems, with DSI handling plan review before the permit issues. We manage the filing for you.

Often, though it depends on the era. Summit Hill's pre-1900 Victorians tend to have older, less predictable framing behind a kitchen wall than a Mac-Groveland bungalow's 1910s–1920s construction, so we assess the specific house rather than assuming either neighborhood's typical answer.

The permit process through DSI and PAULIE is the same citywide, but the work itself is usually more straightforward. Highland Park's 1920s–1950s brick colonials were built more uniformly than Summit Hill's Victorians or Mac-Groveland's bungalows, so a kitchen reconfiguration here runs into fewer structural surprises.

The plan check fee is 65% of the building permit fee for any project valued over $1,000, on top of the state's standard surcharge. We build both into the estimate rather than adding them after the fact.

Yes, for plumbing and electrical work, filed through PAULIE and reviewed by DSI before the permit issues. We manage that filing as part of the project.

6 feet 4 inches at the center of the required clearance area for the tub, shower, vanity, and water closet — a bathroom-specific citation in the city's code, distinct from the general ceiling-height rule. In a Summit Hill or Mac-Groveland basement, that clearance is usually the number that decides the layout.

It's a frequent request across Summit Hill and Mac-Groveland, where most houses were built with a single bath. The lower level is the usual candidate, and whether it works comes down to the same 6-foot-4 clearance the city applies to basement bathrooms citywide.

Absolutely. We offer guidance on tile selection and install everything from large-format porcelain to classic subway tile and custom mosaics.

6 feet 4 inches minimum, including under beams, girders, and ducts, and the city applies that same 6-foot-4 figure to stairway headroom as well — one consistent number rather than two different ones for the room and the stairs.

More documentation than most cities ask for by name. DSI's plan review checklist calls for seven specific measurements: general ceiling height, the lowest headroom in the path to and within the bedroom, headroom at the bottom of the stairs, stair width, tread depth, riser height, and the difference between the tallest and shortest riser. We take those measurements and submit them as part of the plan rather than waiting for a reviewer to ask.

It can work in your favor. Foundations built before June 2009 — which covers most of St. Paul's housing stock, concentrated in neighborhoods built out well before then — are exempt from the state energy code's insulation requirements for that existing foundation.

For water table and excavation conditions, yes. A West Side lot down on the river flats sits on historically lower, wetter ground than a Summit Hill or Highland Park lot up on the bluff, and that difference is worth checking before finalizing a below-grade layout.

Building, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits, all submitted through PAULIE, the city's permitting platform, and reviewed by DSI before they issue. The plan check fee is 65% of the building permit fee for valuations over $1,000, and other charges — SAC, parkland dedication, zoning fees — can apply depending on the scope.

It can. A West Side or other river-adjacent lot sits on ground with a shallower water table than a Summit Hill or Highland Park lot up on the bluff, which is worth confirming before finalizing any foundation or lower-level work. Footings for added footprint go a minimum of 42 inches for frost either way.

In Summit Hill, it's usually about adapting a Victorian floor plan — tall ceilings, a servants' stair, rooms sized for a household staff — to how a family actually lives now, without losing the character the neighborhood is known for. In Highland Park's 1920s–1950s brick colonials, the systems and layout are newer and more consistent, so the project tends to focus more on finishes and less on structural correction.

For large-scale whole-home projects, temporary relocation is often the most practical option. We'll work through a phased plan with you to determine what makes the most sense for your family.