Contractor Guide

Welcome to the Contractor Guide. This guide was created to help if you are having any trouble creating an account, signing in, or if it's your first time (welcome!).

This guide should clarify most questions and make the online application process easier! If you are here by mistake, you may like to go to the contractor application page instead.

This guide covers:

  • Lost account information
  • Lost password
  • First-time applicant
  • PIN Number questions
  • ... and more

There are a few steps involved as the contractor has to create the account, the City has to create an internal account (using your state license number) and then the two accounts need to be tied or linked together using the PIN Number (which the contractor has to request and the City has to generate).

Depending on the day/time the request is sent, and the availability of staff, obtaining your unique PIN Number can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days, so please be patient.

Request PIN Number

Someone will help you in a timely manner, and since department staff oversees permitting, there is flexibility with the permitting timeframe if you are being held up due to our availability.

Once account creation is complete, the application process itself is usually quite easy. If you need help going through it the first time, please do not hesitate to email the Building Department (preferred) or call 651-638-2050. Calls and emails are answered in the order they are received, usually within a couple of hours depending on staff availability.

There are a few common scenarios people run into. Please select one of the following scenarios to find more information and instructions:

  1. I have never applied for a permit using the online system before

If you have completed any of these steps, please skip to the next.

The next steps can only be completed after you are added to our internal database and assigned a PIN Number. Before this can be done, the City needs to make sure you are property licensed.

  1. If you do not have one, get your PIN Number (please note, this step can take 24 to 48 hours depending on when it is submitted)
  2. Log in to your account (you can tell you are logged in if it displays your username in the upper right-hand corner of the permit portal)
  3. Go to this page
  4. Use your assigned PIN number to link your account
  5. Apply for a permit (it should now say Contractor Application at the top)
  1. I cannot remember if I already have an account
  1. The system says I need my PIN Number: how do I get that?
  1. I was sent my PIN Number, now what should I do?
  1. I lost my password
  1. It says homeowner application, but I am not a homeowner
  1. We have experienced turnover in our organization and need to set up a new account
  1. We have multiple users pulling permits in our organization, can we set that up?
  1. I submitted my permit application: how do I pay?
  1. How can I tell if I'm signed in or not?