Beaver Dam, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In the City of Beaver Dam, permits come from Inspection Services at City Hall, 205 South Lincoln Avenue (920-887-4600, ext. 340); DSPS lists Wisconsin Inspection Agency as the city’s inspection firm. Applications are paper forms paid by check or cash; a new one- or two-family home is also entered in the state’s online building permit system. Under the fee schedule revised September 11, 2026, a new house costs $0.15 per square foot of all floor areas plus a $45 base fee and a $55 state seal.

What requires a building permit in Beaver Dam?

Inspection Services publishes a short list of the work that needs a building permit, which is filed with a site plan and construction plans; razing and trade work use their own permits.

Finding the property lines is the owner’s job; if you cannot locate the pins, you need a surveyor. The accessory building handout points to zoning code Section 70-84(a)(7), which sets the distances from the house and lot lines, shows a 720-square-foot maximum and requires 65% green space in the rear yard. Subdivision covenants and HOA rules are private agreements the city does not enforce.

What Beaver Dam decides and what the state holds

The city holds Uniform Dwelling Code delegation from DSPS and is a delegated municipality for small commercial plan review, so most building work is reviewed and inspected locally. It sets its own fees, zoning code, fire prevention code (Chapter 30) and sewer and park fees by ordinance. The technical rules for houses and commercial buildings are the state’s.

Beaver Dam building department: who handles permitting

Inspection Services handles building permits, zoning questions and the start of a rezoning. DSPS’s delegated-agent list, current as of September 24, 2026, shows the city as delegated for the Uniform Dwelling Code and names Wisconsin Inspection Agency as its inspection firm. Each building application is signed off by the Director of Inspections and routed to the Fire Department, Engineering and the Water Utilities.

The Town of Beaver Dam is a separate municipality with its own DSPS delegation, with a land use administrator as its contact on the DSPS list, so an address outside the city limits is not handled at City Hall.

Beaver Dam permit types

The city posts separate fillable PDF applications for building, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and razing permits, plus the Wisconsin Uniform Building Permit Application for new homes. Completed applications go to Inspection Services, and the building form says payment is by check or cash only.

Residential permits

• New one- and two-family homes. Submit the plans and data to Inspection Services and enter the same project in the state’s online building permit system. The building form asks for the Dwelling Contractor and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier numbers and the total project value including all mechanicals.
• Structure re-certification. Before the footing inspection a Wisconsin land surveyor must certify the as-built setbacks and the footing, foundation and garage floor elevations against the approved plan. Elevations may vary by no more than 0.3 foot, and backfilling is not allowed until the certification is accepted.
• Additions, remodels, accessory buildings and decks. The submittal handout asks for a site plan with the north arrow, property dimensions and distances to lot lines, at least two elevations and a plan detailed enough to show compliance with the dwelling code. Contractor take-off lists and drawings marked “Not for Construction” are not accepted as plans.
• Razing. Utilities must be disconnected first, and the sewer and water laterals exposed at the main and abandoned under inspection; the wrecking company needs a certificate of insurance on file with the City Clerk and a plumbing permit.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit applications, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Beaver Dam reviews small commercial projects itself: building and HVAC plans for new buildings or additions up to 5,000 square feet (50,000 cubic feet) and interior alterations up to 10,000 square feet (100,000 cubic feet), filed on state form SBD-118. The city says larger reviews have been delegated by DSPS to E-Plan Exam, which handles building, HVAC, plumbing, fire alarm and sprinkler plans; applicants may still use DSPS, but then two sets of state-approved plans go to Inspection Services. The Fire Department reviews site, building, alarm and sprinkler plans for a $250 fee paid through Inspection Services.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial building permits through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. Setbacks and land uses come from the city zoning code; a use the district does not allow needs a rezoning, which the Common Council adopts by ordinance after a Plan Commission recommendation. Start by contacting Inspection Services.
• Plan Commission. Meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m. in the Council Chambers and reviews development proposals.
• Board of Appeals. Hears appeals on setbacks, heights, sign placement and similar matters on the third Wednesday of each month at 3:30 p.m. in City Hall Room 54.
• Engineering. Driveway openings, street openings and material placed in the right of way need city permits, and stormwater management plans are reviewed with third-party help billed at cost.

Beaver Dam permit costs and fees

The city updates its fee schedule every year; the current schedule is marked revised September 11, 2026. Fees double if work starts before the permit is issued, and nothing is refunded after a permit has been issued.

Worked example from the schedule: a new house with 2,400 square feet of floor area is 2,400 × $0.15 = $360, plus the $45 base fee, for a $405 building permit, plus the $55 UDC seal. Each new-building electrical, HVAC and plumbing permit is $45 plus 2,400 × $0.03, or $117, before item fees. Park fees and sewer connection fees for new construction are set by city ordinance and charged separately.

The trade application forms, last revised in April 2022, still print a $45 base fee; the 2026 schedule lists $30 as the base for electrical, HVAC and plumbing work other than new buildings. The schedule is the newer document, so expect the $30 figure.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits are issued by Inspection Services on their own forms, each with a line-item fee list. Work begun before the permit doubles the fee here too.

• Electrical. The form asks for the Wisconsin electrical contractor license and master electrician license numbers. Item fees include $1 per switch, outlet or fixture, $40 for a single-phase or $75 for a three-phase service change, $65 for solar and $25 for a temporary service.
• Plumbing. The form asks for the plumber’s Wisconsin license number; fixtures are mostly $6 each, and sewer, water and storm laterals are $30 each, with $0.50 a foot beyond 100 feet. Laterals are not included in the new-building rate.
• HVAC. A one- or two-family furnace or boiler is $15 and air conditioning $15; commercial units start at $30.
• Fire protection. Sprinkler and alarm plans go to the Fire Department. Projects changing fewer than 20 sprinkler heads or alarm devices still submit plans but do not need state approval, and a building with sprinklers gets no occupancy until the owner’s sprinkler certificate is on file.
• Contractors. For a contractor-built house the building form takes the state Dwelling Contractor and Qualifier numbers; the city lists no local contractor license.

How to apply for a Beaver Dam building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Plans with too many errors or inconsistencies are returned for correction, and the city may ask for engineering data, an engineered foundation, a soil report or a drainage plan depending on the lot. The building department can also ask for documents to verify the project value. Commercial files wait on state or E-Plan approval and the Fire Department’s sign-off before the city permit is issued.

Inspections and occupancy in Beaver Dam

Inspections are booked with Inspection Services, whose forms name Monday, Wednesday and Friday as inspection days. Special inspections cost $75 and trade re-inspections $30, and repeated code compliance visits climb from $100 to $400.

No building may be occupied until a final inspection or certificate of occupancy has been completed and approved. For new homes the surveyor’s structure re-certification must be accepted before the footing inspection, and backfill waits for it. For commercial buildings the occupancy inspection is requested through the building inspector; the Fire Department tests alarms and sprinklers with at least three days’ notice and checks extinguishers, exit lights and egress. Fire protection contractors file all inspection and test reports through the Compliance Engine system the department adopted on January 1, 2022.

Wisconsin building code in Beaver Dam

Beaver Dam enforces the state dwelling and commercial codes under its DSPS delegations and adds a city fire prevention code; the Fire Department uses NFPA 1 (2022) and NFPA 101 for fire inspections. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Beaver Dam (community 550095) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective May 19, 2014.

Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code covers one- and two-family homes. Its Commercial Building Code covers public buildings, workplaces and buildings of three or more units. Local ordinances must conform to both. Wisconsin rules

Beaver Dam permit search and official resources

The city does not post an online permit search. For copies of permits, plans or inspection records, ask Inspection Services or file a public records request with the City Clerk’s office (920-887-4600, ext. 338); fire incident reports are requested from the Fire Department.

• Inspection Services: what needs a permit
• Building permit forms and applications
• City fee schedule, revised September 11, 2026
• Building permit application
• Electrical permit application
• Plumbing permit application
• HVAC permit application
• Razing permit application
• New home structure re-certification form
• Submittal instructions: additions, accessory buildings, remodels, decks
• Accessory building site plan instructions
• Commercial plan review
• Fire Department construction requirements
• Fire prevention, inspections and plan review
• Rezoning process
• Plan Commission
• Board of Appeals
• State online building permit system (new homes)
• DSPS Uniform Dwelling Code delegated agents
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Beaver Dam building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to re-roof my house in Beaver Dam?

Not for ordinary residential re-roofing; you do if the pitch changes or trusses are replaced.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Yes. Fences, sheds and garages all need building permits; fences are $5 per $1,000 of value plus a base fee.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$0.15 per square foot of all floor areas plus a $45 base fee and a $55 UDC seal; a 2,400-square-foot home is $405 plus the seal, with trade permits extra.

How do I pay?

By check or cash, payable to the City of Beaver Dam.

Who reviews commercial plans?

The city for small projects; E-Plan Exam or DSPS for larger ones, with a $250 Fire Department review.

What happens if I start before the permit?

The permit fee doubles.

What plans do I need for a deck or addition?

A site plan with property dimensions, a north arrow and distances to lot lines and other buildings, at least two elevations with exterior materials, and plans clear enough to show how the work meets the dwelling code; the city suggests hiring a designer if you cannot draw them.

When does the Board of Appeals meet?

The third Wednesday of each month at 3:30 p.m. in City Hall Room 54.

Simplify Beaver Dam permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Wisconsin. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Beaver Dam permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.