If you live in Minneapolis and call City Hall about an electrical permit for your rewire, you’ll be sent somewhere else. The state issues it and the state inspector checks the work. Cross into St. Paul and the city handles it. In the suburbs, it depends on your address.
At Northloom Minneapolis Knob and Tube, we rewire houses under permit in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the permit is in place before any wire is pulled. This guide walks you through who inspects your house, what the permit costs you and how the inspections fit into the weeks the work takes.
Who do I call about a permit for my house?
Start with the city your house sits in, not the city on your envelope. That decides who inspects.
| Where the house is | Electrical permits and inspection |
|---|---|
| Minneapolis | Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, which publishes six inspection districts for the city |
| St. Paul | City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections |
| Suburbs | The state, or one of about 66 Minnesota cities with their own electrical inspection, confirmed per address |
A house with a St. Paul mailing address can sit outside the St. Paul city limits. If it does, the state or its own city inspects it, not St. Paul. We confirm who has your address before we write the permit into your quote, so you aren’t guessing.
Why isn’t the city on my Minneapolis permit?
Because the city handles everything but the wiring. The City of Minneapolis’s permit records cover building, plumbing and mechanical work but have no electrical permit type, which fits with the state handling electrical inside the city.
That split matters if you’re remodeling. A kitchen with new walls or a bathroom with new framing still needs city building permits, and the electrical permit for the same rooms comes from the state alongside them. Two offices, one project, and both sets of inspections on the calendar.
What will the permit cost me in Minneapolis?
Less than most people expect, and it’s one of the few parts of a rewire with a set price. For existing one- and two-family dwellings, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s fee schedule works like this:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 15 or more than 30 circuits | $12 per circuit |
| 15 to 30 circuits | $165 per dwelling unit |
| Service, 0 to 400 amps | $35 per service |
| Reconnected existing circuit | $2 each |
| Minimum per inspection trip | $55 |
| Permit fee and surcharge | $25 plus $1 |
You pay the larger of the itemized total or $55 per inspection trip, plus the permit fee and surcharge. Here’s how that works out for a few common jobs:
| Example | State fee |
|---|---|
| 10 circuits, two inspection trips | $146 |
| 20 circuits | $191 |
| 20 circuits and a new service | $226 |
| 40 circuits and a new service | $541 |
A typical whole-house rewire in a one-family Minneapolis home falls in the 15 to 30 circuit band, so the $191 line, or $226 with a new service, is the one to look for in your quote.
What if my house is in St. Paul?
The fees are a little higher and the office is different. St. Paul’s Department of Safety and Inspections charges $15 per new, altered or repaired circuit, $85 per service, an $85 minimum and a $1 state surcharge. A 20-circuit rewire comes to $301, or $386 with a new service.
The rules for the wiring itself don’t change at the city line. St. Paul enforces the same edition of the National Electrical Code that Minnesota adopts, so a rewire is planned the same way on either side of the river.
When does the permit have to be filed?
Before the work starts. Minnesota law requires the request for electrical inspection to be filed at or before the start of the work, with the fee.
- Who files
- A licensed electrical contractor, or a homeowner holding a homeowner permit for their own single-family house. On our jobs, filing it is part of the work you’re paying for.
- When
- At or before the start of work.
- If it's late
- An investigation fee on top of the inspection fee: twice the minimum fee or the inspection fee, whichever is greater, up to $1,000.
That late fee is one reason we put the permit inside your quote rather than leaving it as an extra you might be tempted to skip.
Can I get the permit myself?
You can, in one situation, and it’s narrower than most owners think.
- Who qualifies
- The deeded owner who lives in the house.
- Where
- A single-family house only.
- Not allowed
- Duplexes and other multi-unit dwellings, even if the owner lives in one unit.
Rewiring a whole house is a big electrical job: dozens of circuits, a panel and inspections at each stage. Most owners hand the permit off with the rest of the work, and when you hire us, we get it in place before the first opening is cut.
When does the inspector come, and what do they check?
Your rewire has at least two inspections.
| Inspection | What the inspector sees | When |
|---|---|---|
| Rough-in | New cable, boxes and connections, before anything covers them | Before plaster patches, drywall or insulation close the openings |
| Final | Devices, fixtures, the panel and the switch-over | When the work is complete |
Minnesota’s rules require wiring that will be concealed to be inspected before it is covered, and the inspector has to be notified in time to see it. If wiring gets covered before the rough-in, it may have to be opened again at the owner’s or contractor’s expense. We plan the patching around the rough-in so your walls close once.
What if we’re living in the house while you work?
Then we usually work in phases, floor by floor, and you may see more than one rough-in inspection: one for each area before its openings close. We schedule the openings so each area’s new wiring is ready for the inspector together, rather than leaving your walls open for days while you wait.
In a duplex, the state permit is figured per dwelling unit, and each unit’s work can be inspected on its own schedule. That makes it easier to keep residents in one unit settled while the other is worked on.
What happens when the service is replaced?
If your rewire includes a new service, the inspector approves it before Xcel Energy reconnects the house. We put that appointment on the schedule with the inspections, and we’ll tell you ahead of time that the power will be off for part of that day.
Does the inspection cover my old wiring too?
No. The inspector looks at the new work. Original circuits that stay in place, because the job is a partial one, aren’t re-inspected.
That’s why we give you a written boundary on a partial job. It shows what we replaced and the inspector passed, and what remains on the old wiring. Without it, a later buyer or insurer can’t tell the difference.
Why do insurers and buyers ask about the permit?
Because the permit and the inspection dates are the backbone of the record they want to see.
- For insurers
- A permit and final inspection show replaced circuits were done properly.
- For buyers
- The permit history shows what was done, when and by whom.
- For the next electrician
- The record and panel directory start them from a known map.
The insurance guide covers what carriers ask for.
How does the permit work during a remodel?
When knob and tube turns up in a kitchen or bath remodel, the electrical permit runs alongside the remodel’s building permits. In Minneapolis, the building permit comes from the city and the electrical permit from the state; in St. Paul, both come from the city. We time the rough-in inspection before the remodel’s insulation and drywall go up. Replacement during a remodel covers how we fit into the remodel’s schedule.
What should I ask about the permit in a quote?
Two questions settle most of it: is the permit in the price, and are both inspections included? If a quote leaves the permit out, or suggests skipping it to save you money, treat that as a warning sign.
How much of my budget is the permit?
A small share. Even a large house with a new service pays a few hundred dollars in permit fees, against a rewire that costs thousands. It still belongs in the quote, so line up each quote on the permit, both inspections and who files the request. The cost guide puts the permit next to the rest of your price, and the quote comparison guide has a checklist. Questions about your house: (612) 509-6597.