Home Improvement

Home Improvement

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A Remodeling Planbook

updated: Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The City of St. Louis Park has a remodeling planbook available to assist residents with ideas on how to renovate their cape cod or rambler homes.  Our goal in this book is to take three of the most common house types and show how each can be updated and improved in a manner consistent with the style and character of the existing house...

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Remodeling or New Construction

updated: Wednesday, February 29, 2012

To help ensure that St. Louis Park's buildings are safe and durable, permits are required for

• All new construction, additions, roofing, siding, door & window replacement/installation, any drywall and insulation
• Any remodeling that changes a building's structure including new or altering of plumbing, mechanical or electrical systems
• Disturbing more than 5,000 sq. ft. or moving more than 50 cubic yards of soil on or off a construction site
• Any construction near a wetland.

No permit is needed for painting, wallpapering, replacing gutters or window sashes, or installing ceramic tile, carpeting or floor coverings.

The cost of a permit is based on the type and amount of work to be done. After the work is completed, City inspectors check the work to verify that it meets state and local construction codes. Any work that does not meet code must be redone. Most contractors must be licensed by the state or city before receiving a permit.

For more information on required construction permits

• Click on Permits or
• Call the Inspections Department at (952) 924-2588.

For more information on erosion control permits

• Visit the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/stormwater/index.html or
• Call Laura Adler, Public Works Department, at 952/924-2690.

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Remodeling Loans & Incentives

updated: Tuesday, March 20, 2012

A number of low interest loans are available for home remodeling and rehabilitation thanks to the City of St. Louis Park's partnership with state agencies and local lenders. For more information about any of the programs listed here, call the Community Development office at (952) 924-2196 or e-mail klarsen@stlouispark.org.   Interest rates...

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Townhome & Condo Rehab Loans

updated: Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Townhome and condominium associations that need help financing improvements to common areas, can petition the City of St. Louis Park to create a Housing Improvement Area (HIA). The association must show that it is unable to obtain a loan through conventional sources. The HIA enables the city to provide a low interest loan that is repaid over a 10...

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Remodeling Advisor and Architectural Design Service

updated: Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Remodeling Advisor: To promote high quality home remodeling, the City of St. Louis Park partners with the Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) to make the services of a remodeling advisor available to St. Louis Park homeowners. CEE is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to promote public interest through the responsible and efficient...

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Is Your Address Visible on Your Home or Business?

updated: Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Every second counts when you're waiting for a fire truck or ambulance. Please help police and firefighters find your home or business quickly: make sure your address numbers are easy to read.

Address numbers must be a minimum of 4 inches high with a minimum width of 0.5 inches. These numbers must contrast with their background. Also, garages facing alleys are required to have visible address numbers with the same requirements as the primary buildings.

Please contact the Inspections Department at 952-924-2588 with any questions.

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Remodeling lien waivers

updated: Wednesday, January 11, 2012

A lien waiver will protect you in case your contractor fails to pay subcontractors. Without a lien waiver, any builder, material supplier or subcontractor who wasn't paid by the contractor, can place a lien on your property. A property lien makes you - not the contractor - responsible for their payment: even if you already paid for the main contractor...

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Verify Property Lot lines

updated: Thursday, December 29, 2011

And, don't forget, the first five feet of land from the curb into your property is not private property. This strip is public right-of-way and is reserved for public uses such as sidewalks, boulevard trees and storing plowed snow. Adjacent property owners may not install fences or make any permanent changes to boulevards. Landscaping on public property...

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Locating Buried Utilities

updated: Wednesday, January 11, 2012

IT'S THE LAW. Before you begin digging for repair work, construction, or landscaping, you must call/contact Gopher State One Call. They will mark the location of buried/underground utilities such as electricity, gas, and other utility lines in your property.

• (651) 454-0002
• http://gopherstateonecall.org/

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Greening Your Home

updated: Monday, March 19, 2012

Get the whole family involved in achieving a greener home, making St. Louis Park a greener place to live!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Turn off lights when no one is in the room.
• Close heat vents in areas of your home that are not being used - bedrooms by day, office at night, etc.
• Install a programmable thermostat and set it to lower temperatures at night and when no one is home during the day. Each degree lower can decrease a heating bill by 1%.
• Unplug coffee makers, toasters, food processors, etc. when not in use.
• Use power strips to turn off groups of appliances when not in use. Group together the DVD player, VCR, stereo and gaming units and power them down when no one is around.
• Set humidifiers and dehumidifiers to turn on only when the humidity level warrants.
• Don't overuse exhaust fans in bathrooms, kitchens or basements as they can suck out a roomful of warm air very quickly requiring your furnace to work harder.

Click here for more ideas.

Locally, the Center for Energy and the Environment has low cost loans to help make energy efficient improvements.

Click here for more information on their programs.

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Energy

updated: Monday, March 19, 2012

Do you know there are many different ways St. Louis Park residents may save on energy bills?

Click on the links below to learn more.

• Energy Challenge
• Energy Efficiency MN Dept of Commerce
• Green Power
• Living Green Expo

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Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

updated: Wednesday, May 09, 2012

They use about 2/3 less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and last up to 10 times longer. Please recycle them as hazardous waste. For proper disposal, all St. Louis Park residents may call Hennepin County at: (612) 348-3777 or go to Hennepin County.

Click here for more information on compact fluorescent light bulbs.

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Get Tree and Landscaping Advice

updated: Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The City Forester is available to answer your questions about tree care, tree diseases or drainage problems related to landscaping and will even make free house calls. The forester can also advise you on tree species that are suitable for your home or business sites. Click here for more information on selected tree species for St. Louis Park.

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Fences

updated: Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Before you put up your fence, you must obtain a permit from the City of St. Louis Park. Fence permits can usually be issued on the same day you apply. To apply, come to the second floor customer service counter in City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Boulevard. Here's what you will need

• A survey or site plan showing the location of your proposed fence
• Plans that show the design of your fence
• $15 for the permit.
• Click here for a fence handout

If you have any questions, call the Assistant Zoning Administrator at (952) 924-2592 or visit the customer service counter on the second floor of City Hall between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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Dumpsters

updated: Tuesday, May 01, 2012

If you're planning a large scale remodeling project, you may need to arrange for a dumpster. City ordinance prohibits the placement of dumpsters on streets, alleys, sidewalks and public right-of-way (the part of your front yard that's adjacent to the curb).

Dumpsters must be placed entirely on private property (your lawn or driveway-about five feet away from the curb).

For a monthly updated list, click here- 2012 Licensed Solid Waste Contractors. For the most up to date list, call the Inspections Department at (952) 924-2588.

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Constructing a Shed

updated: Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Before you construct a shed, you must obtain a permit from the City of St. Louis Park. To apply, come to the second floor customer service counter in City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Boulevard.

Here’s what you will need:

• A survey or site plan showing the proposed location of your shed. The site plan can be drawn by the home owner, and needs to include the location of all proposed buildings, streets, alleys and the distance from all buildings and property lines to the proposed shed.
• Plans that show the design of your shed
• $25 for the permit
• Click for shed handout here
• Click for shed application here

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Garages

updated: Monday, May 14, 2012

Garage construction is governed by the city's zoning ordinance to ensure that garages are appropriate for the neighborhood. Failure to comply with requirements governing setbacks, height, and width can result in friction between neighbors, lawsuits and even an order requiring that the garage be removed or rebuilt.

The city’s zoning ordinance also governs the use of garages. Garages may not have kitchens or bathrooms and they cannot be used as living quarters or for home offices.

If you’re planning to expand or build a detached garage, you must

• Locate your property line to ensure that the garage’s location complies with all zoning requirements.
• Obtain a Building Permit to ensure that construction meets Minnesota Building Code standards. The permit review will also ensure that your plan complies with the city's height, width, square footage and setback restrictions.
• Permits can be obtained thru the Inspections Department in City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Blvd St. Louis Park, MN 55416.

You will need to supply the following information when you apply for the permit:

• Two copies of a lot site plan showing all easements, lot size dimensions, and distances to property lines for the existing home and the proposed garage.
• Two complete sets of building plans that show a scaled view of the proposed garage and drawings that show elevations, wall cross section and roof pitch.

For more information about building or remodeling a garage, call (952) 924-2592 or e-mail gmorrison@stlouispark.org. Or visit the second floor service counter in City Hall between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., weekdays. Click here for information on locating lot lines.

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Related Links

updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2012

• Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series
• University of Minnesota Extension Service
• Arbor Day Foundation

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