Question 1

Where does a spec builder actually find lots in the City of St. Louis?

Accepted Answer

The Land Reutilization Authority, more than anywhere else. The LRA holds roughly 9,000 properties inside the city, about 85 percent of them vacant lots, and it resumed taking offers in August 2025 after pausing to assess tornado damage. That public inventory is the city's dirt supply in a way no private listing service matches, so a ground-up plan here should start with the LRA's own real estate pages, not a general search.

Question 2

Does the City of St. Louis publish a building permit fee or plan-review timeline I can budget to?

Accepted Answer

Not that this research could verify, so do not budget to a number you have not confirmed. Neither the City of St. Louis nor St. Louis County publishes a permit fee schedule, plan-review timeline, or impact fee that this pass located. Call the city's Building Division or your county municipality's building department before you lock a construction budget line, and treat any fee figure you get informally as unconfirmed until it is in writing.

Question 3

If I want the city's tax abatement on a new build, when do I have to apply?

Accepted Answer

Before you break ground, not after. The City of St. Louis abates by freezing the assessment on improvements at the pre-development level, typically for 5 to 10 years, under Chapter 353 or Chapter 99 and LCRA, but the application has to go in before construction begins and needs the support of the district's alderman and the neighborhood organization. Apply late and you forfeit the freeze entirely: there is no retroactive fix once the foundation is in.

Question 4

Does my vacant lot get taxed as residential while I'm carrying it before the build starts?

Accepted Answer

Not automatically. Missouri classifies vacant land on its "immediate most suitable economic use," not on what you intend to build. The assessor weighs prior use, zoning, legal restrictions, utilities, size and access, among other factors, to land on a subclass. A dirt lot does not default to the 19 percent residential ratio just because a house is coming; get the assessor's read on the parcel's current classification before you model carry costs.

Question 5

How long does the occupancy inspection actually take once my new build in the city is ready?

Accepted Answer

Plan for two to three weeks, not a same-week sign-off. The city's Housing Conservation District inspection can be scheduled as early as 3 business days out and as late as 15, and a failed inspection restarts that window. Since 100 percent of the city sits inside a Housing Conservation District, every completed build in city limits goes through this step; build the lag into your draw schedule and your exit timeline rather than assuming a quick close-out.

Question 6

I'm building in St. Louis County instead of the city. Is the occupancy process the same?

Accepted Answer

No, and there is no single county rule to plan around. Each St. Louis County municipality runs its own occupancy regime. University City charges a $25 non-refundable application plus $60 per unit for the inspection; Florissant triggers an occupancy inspection on any change of occupancy, including a future sale, for a $50 fee, and requires every code violation found to be corrected even if the transfer does not go through. Confirm the rule with the specific municipality your lot sits in before you promise a closing date to a buyer.

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