The first inspector to walk through a Brentwood home on its way to a sale usually doesn't work for the buyer. They work for the City of Brentwood. The seller booked the appointment and paid for it before the visit, and they'll be checking things like the expiration dates on the smoke detectors.
Brentwood's code requires an occupancy certificate whenever a sale changes who lives in a home. The City's residential occupancy FAQ puts the job of applying and arranging the inspection on the current owner or landlord. It applies to renters and owners alike. The FAQ says, "Any new tenant, whether renting or owning, is required to have an occupancy permit." The City's occupancy procedure advises anyone planning to sell to have the inspection done before the home goes on the market.
That changes the order of preparing a Brentwood home for sale. In many places, the first list of repairs shows up in the buyer's inspection report. In Brentwood, the City's checklist comes first, it's public, and it's mostly made up of small, specific items that are easy to fix weeks ahead and hard to fix in the final days before closing.
Who books it, who pays, and what the City says it covers
The fees are split between the two sides of the sale. The FAQ lists a $45 inspection fee that the seller pays before the inspection. After the home passes, the new owner or tenant fills out the residential permit application and pays a $25 permit charge. Brentwood's fee schedule says the $45 covers the first inspection and one reinspection, and each inspection after that costs $25. The permit is valid for six months from the application date, which matters if a listing sits on the market or a closing date moves.
The City is clear about the limits of the visit. It calls the inspection a life-safety and general-maintenance check and says it doesn't replace the more thorough private home inspection a buyer orders. A Brentwood sale usually involves two inspections, and the City's comes first.
Those fees may also be changing. At its August 13, 2026 meeting, the Public Works Committee heard a staff proposal to raise occupancy charges as part of a wider fee update for the 2027 budget. The committee minutes give the reason for treating houses differently from condos and apartments: "the inspection takes up twice the time and effort for the inspection of an entire home, versus a condo or an apartment."
| Charge | Current, per City FAQ | Proposed by staff, August 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection, single-family home | $45 | $100 |
| Inspection, condo or apartment | $45 | $50 |
| Occupancy permit, paid by new resident | $25 | $50 |
The proposal moved forward as Bill No. 6631, "An Ordinance Adopting New Processing, Permitting, Inspection and Similar Fees for Development and Construction Activities." It was on the Board of Aldermen's October 5, 2026 agenda. The October 1 Ways and Means agenda says staff prepared a memo on permit cost recovery after a September 21 Board discussion. That agenda lists a motion to make the new fees effective January 1, 2027, with Chief Building Official John Benisch as presenter. Until the Board's final action shows up in the City's ordinances, the figures in the right-hand column are a proposal. A seller listing this fall and closing after New Year's should ask Planning and Development which fee schedule will apply to their inspection.
The checklist reads like a weekend of small repairs
The City publishes a Residential Occupancy Inspection Guide. It notes that it "may not cover all code requirements and is to be used only as a guide." Most of what it lists isn't structural. These are the details that tend to get missed in a house that has been lived in for years:
| Area | What the City's guide asks for |
|---|---|
| Smoke alarms | One in each bedroom, one in a hallway within 10 feet of every bedroom door, one per floor level. All must be current, since detectors carry expiration dates |
| Carbon monoxide alarms | Outside each separate sleeping area. Required only where there are gas appliances or an attached garage |
| Fireplaces | A passed inspection from a chimney service. Gas fireplaces need a visible shutoff in the same room, within 6 feet |
| Doors and windows | Thumb turns on all deadbolts. Properly fitting screens on every operable window, with no holes or rips |
| GFCI protection | Bathroom receptacles, kitchen receptacles serving countertops or within six feet of water, garage walls, exterior outlets, and washer or sump receptacles subject to the guide's exception |
| Water heater | No leaks, proper flue slope, and a metallic relief discharge pipe ending within six inches of the floor |
| Stairs | A graspable, full-length handrail on one side of any stairway with more than three risers, plus guards on open sides |
| Exterior | Address numbers at least four inches tall, affixed and visible from the street, plus a light at every exterior door |
A few more lines in the guide affect how a seller prepares. Hot and cold shutoff valves are expected at plumbing fixtures, and each gas appliance needs its own gas shutoff. Kitchens need a stove anti-tip device. Utilities have to be on for the visit, and the guide warns that the inspection fails if receptacles or the electrical service panel can't be reached.
That last point affects staging. A sofa pushed against the only outlet on a wall, or a basement panel hidden behind stored boxes, can cause a failure before the inspector checks anything else. The fireplace line also adds a step. A chimney service has to inspect the fireplace before the City's visit, so its appointment belongs on the calendar first.
Since the $45 fee covers one reinspection, a seller who fixes small items quickly between visits stays within the original fee. A third or fourth visit adds $25 each time.
The building code underneath the checklist was just updated
The guide isn't the only standard in play. Through Ordinance 5204, approved by the mayor on December 15, 2025, Brentwood adopted the 2024 International Residential Code and the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code. Brentwood's local amendments to the residential code include a change to chimney-lining requirements, with an exception for a sufficiently recent approved Level 2 inspection. For a home with a fireplace, that makes the chimney paperwork more important. The best time to find out whether an earlier chimney inspection still counts is before listing, not after a buyer's lender has set a closing date.
Because the code changed recently, sellers should treat the online guide as preparation and get the current standard from the City when they book.
When something can't be fixed in time
Some failed items can't be repaired before a scheduled closing, such as a handrail that needs fabricating or work that needs a permit. Brentwood's code has a path for those cases, but the City controls it.
A conditional occupancy permit is issued at the discretion of the Planning and Development Director. It's available only when the deficiencies don't seriously endanger health or safety. It also requires a sufficient cash deposit, written deadlines and agreement, and any required plans, permits and approvals. The code also sets limits on time and money.
- The conditional permit lasts up to 120 days.
- One extension of up to 60 days is possible.
- The minimum deposit is 25% of the estimated cost of the work or $1,500, whichever is greater.
The code ties the deposit to the occupant, the person moving in, and the City holds the money. Whether a conditional permit fits a particular sale is a question for each party's own agent and legal adviser. It's discretionary and backed by the City, and neither side can count on getting one. On a small repair, the $1,500 minimum can be larger than the repair itself, which gives both sides a reason to finish the work before closing.
Kirkwood runs a similar step next door
Brentwood isn't the only nearby city that inspects homes at resale. The Kirkwood Building Division says every change in occupancy requires a permit that includes an inspection, and that sellers or landlords usually arrange it before a sale or a new tenancy. Rules like these are set city by city. A household selling in one city and buying in another should check each city's process separately.
Quick answers for Brentwood sellers
Does a buyer still need a private home inspection? The City says its occupancy inspection is a life-safety and maintenance check and doesn't replace the more thorough private inspection used in a purchase.
How long does a passed inspection stay good? The City FAQ says the permit is valid for six months from the application date.
Is the inspection fee going up? Staff proposed raising the single-family inspection fee from $45 to $100 and the new resident's permit from $25 to $50, starting January 1, 2027, through Bill No. 6631. Confirm the fee in effect when you book.
What if I rent the home out instead of selling? The City's FAQ requires an occupancy permit for any new tenant, whether renting or owning, and makes the landlord responsible for arranging the inspection.
This post is general information, not legal or financial advice. City fees and code requirements change, so confirm your situation with Brentwood's Planning and Development Department and your own professional advisors.
At Boutique Realty, we plan the City's occupancy inspection into a Brentwood listing from the beginning, scheduling it alongside staging, photography and the chimney appointment so outlets and the panel stay easy to reach and small items are fixed before the inspector arrives. If you're thinking about selling, start with your Instant Home Valuation, and we'll put together a pre-listing calendar for your home.
