Building Inspections

Water Meter Process Update

• As of April 1, 2023, water meter fees for new single-family homes and townhouses will now be collected with the Building Permit for the home. Download this memo (PDF) for details on our updated process.
• As of April 1, 2023, domestic water meter fees for commercial and industrial projects will be collected with the Plumbing Permit for the project. Make sure to have the meter size your project will require as part of the submitted plumbing plans for the project. The water meter size needs to be included by code in the plumbing system design when the water system is sized for fixture units (Section 610 of the MN State Plumbing Code).

Electronic Inspections and Permit Submittals

• Replacement furnace, air conditioner, water heater and water softener installations can be inspected by submitting photos via email to lakevilleinspections@lakevillemn.gov. Please include the permit number and project address in the email. The following PDFs have sample photos of each installation to show what areas to capture in your photos.

• Water heater/water softener inspection instructions (PDF)
• Furnace/air conditioner inspection instructions (PDF)

• Photos for re-roofing underlayment/ice and water installations and re-siding house wrap installations can now be submitted by email instead of printing and posting onsite. Send those photos to roofingsidingphotos@lakevillemn.gov. Make sure the files are small enough to email and reference the permit number and address in the email. The photos must be sent as image files or a PDF attached to the email and not embedded within the email itself. When the email is received and processed, an anytime onsite inspection will be scheduled to perform the final inspection. You are not required to be at the inspection, but we must have free access to the entire property.
• Backflow device test reports should be submitted by email to backflow@lakevillemn.gov.
• All permits are required to be submitted electronically by email. The only permits that are also allowed to be submitted by paper are residential decks, remodels, additions and accessory buildings (11x17 maximum plan size accepted). All commercial permits must be submitted digitally. Permit applications and project information can be found on our Permit Application Forms webpage. Visit the Digital Permit Submittal webpage for information on how to format emails and files for submittal. Application can be made by sending an email to permits@lakevillemn.gov and attaching all supporting documents.
• You can view your permits and inspection results after a permit is issued by using our ePermits system - click on “Search for Permit.” You can search with the permit number or by address to see a list of all permits. There are links to view the permit information and links to see the inspections.