Occupancy inspections when selling in St. Louis County

Updated November 2026

Which St. Louis County municipalities require an occupancy inspection before a home sale, what inspectors check, and how to avoid a closing delay.

St. Louis County has about 90 municipalities, and most of them inspect a home before a new owner can move in. A few, including Chesterfield, Creve Coeur, Town and Country and Wildwood, do not require one for owner-occupied sales.

City of St. Louis

The City of St. Louis requires a Certificate of Inspection before an occupied home is sold, unless one was issued in the last 12 months.

Unincorporated St. Louis County

The county requires an occupancy inspection when a home changes occupancy. One local source reports an $80 fee including one reinspection, and spring wait times of four to six weeks.

Plan ahead

Book the inspection as soon as you sign a listing agreement. Fix the cheap items first: detectors, GFCI outlets, handrails, outlet covers and house numbers.

Step by step

1. Call the city building or code office to schedule. In spring, waits can run several weeks.
2. Prepare for common items: smoke and CO detectors, GFCI outlets near water, handrails, trip hazards, gutters and downspouts, house numbers, and peeling paint.
3. Fix the items on the report and pass a reinspection, or ask whether the buyer can assume them with an escrow or a signed agreement.
4. The occupancy permit is issued to the new owner before move-in.

Cities with this requirement