City of Eden Prairie
Home Menu
City Government » Departments » Fire Department
Fire Department FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of frequently asked questions pertaining to the Fire Department and Building Inspections.
Building Inspections FAQs
Minnesota law requires residential builders, remodelers and roofers to be licensed to help protect homeowners.
You can verify if a contractor is licensed via the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
All work is subject to inspection.
When your permit is issued, you will receive a permit record card that lists the types of inspections you need for that project. It is the responsibility of the person who pulled the permit to call in for these inspections.
Unless it is natural gas work, nothing prohibits a homeowner who occupies and owns the property from doing their own work. However permits are still required.
Yes, building permits expire if there has been no work or inspections conducted for 180 days.
If the retaining wall is over 4 feet tall (from bottom of footing/retaining wall), a building permit and engineering are required.
The retaining wall may not encroach in the drainage of the property.
Contact the Engineering Division with questions related to drainage.
A building permit is only required when a shed exceeds 200 square feet.
Contact the Planning Division for additional requirements on setbacks.
Electrical inspections are conducted by the State of Minnesota.
Contact John Thompson, the state inspector assigned to Eden Prairie, at 763-205-5015 for electrical inspections.
Failure to obtain a permit is a violation of City ordinance and state law, so fines may be levied.
Also, building code includes provisions for the fees to be doubled if work starts prior to obtaining a permit.
Plans should be detailed and neat. They must be drawn to a usable scale, 1-quarter inch to 1 foot is a common scale. Plans should be dimensioned and include information on use of rooms, lumber sizes and spacing. Please contact the Building Inspections Division for more information pertaining a specific project.
Exempt work includes painting, wallpapering, flooring, kitchen cabinets and detached storage structures less than 200 square feet.
Contact the Building Inspections Division if you have any questions on whether or not you need a permit for the project you are planning.
- Building permits are required anytime you do work that is regulated by the Minnesota State Building Code. This includes any work to the permanent weather resistive surfaces of the dwelling such as the siding, windows and roof. Any structural alterations or repairs to those items require a permit. Dwelling additions, garages and decks require a permit. If you are unsure if your project needs a permit, please call our office 952-949-8342.
- Plumbing permits are required for the installation, alteration, repair or extension of any plumbing system or individual sewage disposal system. This includes the installation or replacement of a fixture, water heater, water softener, backflow preventer for lawn irrigation systems, and any other activity as required by the building official or plumbing inspector.
- Mechanical permits are required for the installation, alteration, repair or extension of any heating, ventilation or exhaust system, refrigeration unit, air conditioning unit, manufactured gas or wood fireplaces and stoves, manufactured chimney and venting systems, hot water or other mechanical equipment as required by the building official or mechanical inspector.
Emergency Preparedness
The Smart911 emergency notification system provides the City of Eden Prairie with a high speed telephone calling and text messaging system capable of delivering customized emergency messages directly to homes, businesses and mobile telephone users.
Consider joining the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a group of citizen volunteers who are trained in disaster preparedness for large-scale disaster incidents.
Fire Prevention
The State of Minnesota dictates fireworks regulations.
More information about legal vs. illegal fireworks is available on the State Fire Marshal website.
The Fire Department recommends replacing your Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector every five to seven years from the date of manufacture, which can usually be located on the back of your CO detector.
Replace the batteries in your CO detector every six months. If the alarm “chirps" to warn the batteries are low, replace the batteries immediately.
The Fire Department recommends that you replace your smoke detector every ten years.
Change the batteries in your smoke detector every six months. If an alarm “chirps" to warn the batteries are low, replace the batteries immediately.
Test your smoke detectors monthly by pushing the test button.
The size of the fire must be limited to 3 feet in diameter and must be at least 25 feet from any building or combustible structure, such as decks or fences. Only wood may be burned, with a minimum of 1 inch in diameter. No brush, yard waste or treated wood may be burned. No rubbish can be burned at any time.
Learn more about Eden Prairie's recreational fire regulations at edenprairie.org/RecreationalFires.
The City of Eden Prairie regulates the use of grills in multiple-family dwellings by ordinance. Whether you own or rent, if you live in a structure containing three or more dwelling units with at least two vertically stacked, the use of any fire or open flame is prohibited on any balcony above ground level, or on any ground level patio within 15 feet of the structure.
Learn more about barbecue grill safety.
If you have any further questions, please contact the Eden Prairie Fire Department at 952-949-8556.
Licenses and Permits
Yes, the City of Eden Prairie requires all rental property to be licensed and inspected annually to protect the public health, safety and welfare of its citizens.
For more information on rental licensing, inspections or codes, visit the Rental Housing Information page or contact the Eden Prairie Fire Prevention Bureau at 952-949-8497.
To obtain a copy of an Eden Prairie fire or inspection report, submit a written request in the form of a letter to the below address. Please include as much information as possible in the request, such as the date, time, nature and location of the fire call or fire inspection.
Fire Department Admin
Eden Prairie Fire Department
14800 Scenic Heights Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Most requests can be processed within 14 days. If information is needed by a specific date, it should be indicated in the request and every effort will be made to meet the request.
Reports
To obtain a copy of an Eden Prairie fire or inspection report, submit a written request in the form of a letter to the below address. Please include as much information as possible in the request, such as the date, time, nature and location of the fire call or fire inspection.
Fire Department Admin
Eden Prairie Fire Department
14800 Scenic Heights Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Most requests can be processed within 14 days. If information is needed by a specific date, it should be indicated in the request and every effort will be made to meet the request.