St. Charles County adopted the 2015 International Codes with amendments, which went into effect on Monday, Aug. 14, 2017. All building permit applications received on or after that date will be required to meet the newly adopted code.
Due to copyright laws we are not able to print or publish copies of list the international codes on this website. However, you may review them here. You may visit the International Code Council website to find information on the regulations and purchasing these books.
Modern building codes protect the public, reduce potential hazards, provide building standards, and lower construction and insurance costs. Today, we use and enforce modern building codes that address structural, fire, electrical, and mechanical safety as well as health, security, and even energy conservation.
Our job is to make sure homes, schools, businesses, and other structures are safe places to live, work and play. We inspect construction projects at several stages to ensure that happens. For codes to be effective, building officials, property owners and the construction industry - developers, builders, architects, engineers, and urban planners - must work together.
The St. Charles County's Building and Code Enforcement Division provides a wide range of services from building plan review to inspection during all stages of construction.
Building codes provide local government with a way to guard the public's personal safety, much like traffic laws regulate driving. Construction codes also ensure the economic well-being of our community. They reduce the potential spread of fire and disease and assure the consumer that homes and commercial buildings in our community are built as safe as possible.
National building codes are now the regulatory basis for the administration of construction in cities, counties and states throughout the United States.
Building codes and ordinances set minimum safety standards for all aspects of building construction - structural, fire and plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems. Codes impact architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, plumbers, electricians, manufacturers, distributors of building materials, and the occupant of the building.
Inspections at various stages verify that the structure complies with the established code. Before you can move into a new home, office, or manufacturing facility, an average of 10 inspections have been conducted.
For do-it-yourselfers, we recommend calling the county Building and Code Enforcement Division at 636-949-7345 before beginning any building project for information about what type of permits and inspections may be required.
A system of fees, such as building permits, defray the costs of administering and enforcing building codes.
That's a small price to pay for safety. Building codes provide safeguards. Although no code can eliminate all risk, our codes and inspection process reduce risks to an acceptable level.