St. Joseph County

St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department

In short

St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department issues 2 permits we publish for St. Joseph County, last verified 2026-10-15. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Building Contractor Pre-Licensing Registration and County Trade Licenses (St. Joseph County)only if it applies to you	St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department	$125 a year for a building contractor's pre-licensing registration (Appendix row 150.47(A)), plus a $5,000 surety bond payable to the County of St. Joseph and proof of workers' compensation coverage. The Appendix sets the same $125 for a new or renewed Class A electrical license and for a Class B license (151.24(I)), a new or renewed HVAC license (151.37(I)), excavator registration (151.53), demolition contractor registration (150.65(C)) and sign contractor registration (150.66(C)); the electrical and HVAC examination fee is $50 each	building contractor registration: one year from the effective date of the surety bond, renewed annually (County Code 150.45(B), 150.49(C)); excavator, sewer cleaner and plumbing contractor registration: one year beginning January 1 (151.53(A)(2))	2026-10-15
Building, Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC Permits and Certificate of Occupancy (St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department)only if it applies to you	St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department	Permit fees are charged by the Building Department under County Code chapter 150 and the County Code Appendix: Schedule of Fines and Fees, by type and size of work; contact the St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department for the amount for a given project. The department's 2026 schedule states that where work proceeds without a required permit, "THE PERMIT FEES SHALL BE TRIPLED AS A PENALTY."	valid when work starts within six months of issuance and is completed within one year; up to two six-month extensions on request (County Code 150.16)	2026-10-15

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

Building Contractor Pre-Licensing Registration and County Trade Licenses (St. Joseph County)

St. Joseph County Code 150.45 makes it unlawful to engage in business in the county as a building contractor without first registering, with annual renewal. A building contractor is anyone engaged for pay in new construction, repair, alteration or remodelling for which a building permit is required; under 150.46 a handyman doing repair or maintenance work for which the building code requires no permit is exempt. Applications go to the office of the building commissioner (150.49(A)); the applicant gives written proof of workers' compensation coverage and a surety bond payable to the County of St. Joseph in the penal sum of $5,000.00 (150.49(D)–(E)), and the registration runs one year from the bond's effective date (150.49(C)). As set in the County Code Appendix: Schedule of Fines and Fees (Ord. 118-04 and Ord. 4-16), the annual registration fee is $125. Under 150.47(B) a contractor doing electrical, plumbing or HVAC work pays the trade fees of chapter 151 instead. Under 151.24(A) no person may install, maintain, alter or repair electrical equipment in the county without a county license (Class A electrical contractor or Class B industrial); 151.37 licenses heating, air conditioning and ventilating contractors; and 151.53(A) requires excavators, sewer cleaners and plumbing contractors to register with the county for a year beginning January 1. The Appendix sets $125 for a new or renewed Class A license, a Class B license, a new or renewed HVAC license, the excavator registration, and demolition and sign contractor registrations, with a $50 examination fee for electrical and HVAC applicants. The Building Department's 2026 schedule lists the same $125 amounts. A $50 citation applies for unregistered building contracting, and $250 to $2,500 for a repeat in the same year.

Building, Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC Permits and Certificate of Occupancy (St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department)

St. Joseph County Code 151.05(A) provides that no construction, extension, repair, alteration or demolition of any building or structure, including building, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, ventilating, electrical, brick and masonry work, "having a total project contract price or estimated cost of more than $500.00" may start until the building commissioner has issued a permit, on plans, specifications and a plot plan filed and approved first. Painting, and repair or maintenance costing no more than 15% of the building's value without substantial structural change, need no permit (151.05(B)). Under 151.06 a certificate of occupancy is required for new non-residential structures and for non-residential structures with renovations over $10,000 (except renovations involving life safety issues), and such a building may not be used or occupied until it is issued. Under 150.16 a permit is valid when work starts within six months and is completed within one year, with up to two six-month extensions. The 2026 permit fee schedule of the St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department describes the department's jurisdiction as the City of South Bend and the unincorporated county, including Wyatt, Granger, Terre Coupe and Crumstown; in Indian Village, Lakeville, North Liberty, Osceola and Roseland it handles building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC codes after the town approves the work and issues an improvement location permit; Mishawaka, New Carlisle and Walkerton have their own departments. Contact the Building Department for the fee for a given project.

Contact

Jurisdiction: St. Joseph County
Phone: Not verified — use the website
Website: southbendin.gov/department/community-investment/building/building-permits/

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

Building Permits pageCity of South Bend, Indiana · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-15
St. Joseph County Code chapter 150, General Provisions; Licensing; Registration RequirementsSt. Joseph County, Indiana (codified by Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-15
St. Joseph County Code chapter 151, Building CodesSt. Joseph County, Indiana (codified by Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-15
St. Joseph County Code of Ordinances, Appendix: Schedule of Fines and Fees (current to Sep 23, 2026)St. Joseph County, Indiana (codified by Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-15
St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department, Permit Fee Schedule 2026 (jurisdiction section)St. Joseph County/City of South Bend Building Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-15

Other offices serving St. Joseph County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Business licenses in St. Joseph County

Industry permit lists that include this agency

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