Bellevue, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In the Village of Bellevue, the Building Inspection Division of Community Development (920-468-5225) issues building, electrical, heating and plumbing permits and holds the village’s own state delegation for new one- and two-family homes. Residential permits other than UDC permits can be filed in the Citizen Self Service portal, and fees are paid by mail or at Village Hall, 3100 Eaton Road, after the inspector reviews the application. Plan review usually takes 5 working days, and the 2026–2027 fee schedule, effective September 1, 2026, charges 10 cents a square foot for a new house.

What requires a building permit in Bellevue?

The village’s rule of thumb: you need a permit when a project adds to or changes the exterior or interior of a house or building, and for any electrical, heating or plumbing work. Its building page lists the common cases.

What the village decides and what the state holds

Bellevue sets its own zoning code, fee schedule and impact fees, and Public Works controls the right-of-way. The state sets the construction standards: the Uniform Dwelling Code for one- and two-family homes, on the state’s Uniform Building Permit application, and the Commercial Building Code for other buildings. Brown County keeps two roles inside the village: its Zoning Division issues the land use permit for floodplain and shoreland-wetland areas, which Bellevue must see before it issues a building permit there, and the sanitary permit for a lot without municipal sewer, which belongs in the new-home package.

Bellevue building department: who handles permitting

The Building Inspection Division works with architects and contractors on new buildings, additions and alterations, and with homeowners on fences, decks, driveway expansions and similar projects. Barb Kopperud is Superintendent of Inspection, and a residential building inspector handles house permits. Bellevue is on the state’s list of municipalities with their own delegation for new one- and two-family dwellings.

The building page still names the Village Offices at 2828 Allouez Avenue for in-person applications, while the portal page and the site footer give Village Hall at 3100 Eaton Road; the village also notes that its office hours vary by season. Bellevue had 16,776 residents in the 2025 Census estimate, and the village issues building permits for every address inside it.

Bellevue permit types

The Citizen Self Service (CSS) portal takes residential permits only, and UDC permits are not included. No payment is taken in the portal: the building inspector reviews the application first, and the fee is then paid by mail or at Village Hall.

Residential permits

A new one- or two-family home is filed as one complete UDC package, and the village does not start review until every part is in: three sets of plans (footing and foundation, floor plans, elevations, a cross section and wall bracing), the state Uniform Building Permit application with all subcontractor license numbers, a site plan worksheet with setbacks and easements, a standard erosion control plan and the UDC erosion checklist, a water calculation worksheet with the meter size, the Public Works setback and condition report and right-of-way permit, any tree work or planting permits, heat loss calculations or a REScheck, and, where they apply, the county sanitary and shoreland permits. Other projects use the building permit application and contractor information supplement; plans are needed for most projects except repairs and replacements.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses the same permit application, with site plan review ($350 for a major review, $75 for a minor internal review) and commercial fees by building group: 10 cents a square foot for residential occupancies, 5 cents for warehouses, storage and utility buildings, and 12 cents for the first 10,000 square feet of other buildings, stepping down to 8 cents over 30,000. Commercial electric, HVAC and alteration permits for new buildings and additions run from 4 to 7 cents a square foot by building group and size, and remodeling, repairs and tenant alterations are priced by value: $7 per $1,000 up to $10,000, $5 per $1,000 from $10,000 to $50,000 and $3 per $1,000 above that. Fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems have their own applications (other fire suppression systems are $25 under 20 heads and $375 above), and a change of occupancy needs a $35 permit.

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. Site plan review, conditional uses ($350), planned development districts, rezoning ($350) and variances ($300, Board of Appeals) come first where needed.
• Floodplain and shoreland. Near creeks, streams, ravines and rivers, Brown County’s land use permit is required before Bellevue issues a permit for a new building, addition, fence, shed, deck, pool or fill.
• Sewer. A lot without municipal sewer needs a county sanitary permit; connections to the village sewer and storm sewer carry their own fees.
• Right-of-way. Public Works issues the right-of-way permit for a new home or commercial building and the curb cut and driveway replacement permit.
• Address. The village posts its building address requirements.

Zoning questions before you build

Community Development enforces the zoning code and the property maintenance ordinance. Staff confirm a parcel’s zoning by phone at 920-468-5225 with the parcel number or address, and a written zoning confirmation letter costs $35. Setbacks come from the district regulations in the zoning code, and they are not the same as easements: nothing may be built in a utility easement without the approval of every provider holding rights in it. A lot can be split by plat or certified survey map approved by the Village Board if every new lot meets the zoning and subdivision minimums, and an existing house must fit, with its accessory buildings, on one of the new lots. Most applicants reach the Plan Commission within 30 days of applying. The village does not enforce private subdivision covenants; those are recorded with the Brown County Register of Deeds.

Bellevue permit fees

Bellevue reviews its fee schedule every year. The 2026–2027 schedule was approved by the Village Board on July 8, 2026 and took effect September 1, 2026. Starting work without a required permit can bring a double permit fee, a stop-work order and daily fines.

Worked example. A new house measured at 2,000 square feet of building and garage pays $200 for the building permit, $50 for plan examination, the $40 state seal and the $100 erosion control permit, plus $1,309 in impact fees ($698 park, $191 water supply, $266 fire protection and $154 law enforcement): $1,699. The heating, electric and plumbing permits are added at 5 cents a square foot each, and sewer and storm connections where the lot connects. The village’s impact fee form (updated February 10, 2026) shows the $698 park charge as a $349 parkland dedication fee in lieu of land plus a $349 park improvement fee, and it bills commercial buildings by residential equivalent connection and square footage instead.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, heating and plumbing work each needs a village permit, and subcontractor permits must be issued before the subcontractor starts. The building inspectors issue them along with the building permit.

• Plumbing. The detailed plumbing permit application and an affidavit of plumbing testing are posted with the forms; commercial plumbing is $9 per fixture, and a private water or sewer main is $100.
• Electrical. An electric utility service connection authorization form goes with new services; pools, signs and solar installations carry an electrical permit as well.
• Builders. The state application lists the Dwelling Contractor and the Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, who must be an owner, officer or employee of the contractor; an owner who will occupy the home can sign the owner-occupant statement instead.
• Licenses. The application asks for the HVAC, electrical contractor, master electrician and plumbing license or certification numbers; the village’s pages show no local trade license.

How to apply for a Bellevue permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Small additions, remodels and garages can often be reviewed at the counter when complete, detailed plans are brought in; new construction takes longer. A new-home package is not reviewed until every form is in, so a missing water worksheet, erosion plan or right-of-way permit holds up the whole file. Lots near creeks or rivers wait for Brown County’s land use permit, and unsewered lots for the county sanitary permit.

Inspections in Bellevue

Village building inspectors cover many sites a day, so the village asks for at least 48 hours’ notice; without it, an inspection may wait 48 hours depending on their schedule. A re-inspection is $100. UDC permits for new homes are valid for two years and all other village permits for one year.

New buildings need an occupancy permit before anyone moves in, and taking over a new tenant space requires a certificate of occupancy. Work covered up without a permit may have to be uncovered for inspection.

Wisconsin building code

Bellevue enforces the state codes through its own delegation and building inspectors, with local zoning, impact fee and right-of-way rules alongside. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Bellevue as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, community 550627, with a current map dated May 9, 2023.

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

Bellevue permit search and official resources

The village posts a monthly permit activity report for each month of 2026 so far, January through October, on its Permits Forms page. For an individual permit or plan record, ask Community Development at 920-468-5225; the village also takes open records requests.

• Bellevue building inspection and permits
• Permits, forms and monthly permit activity
• Citizen Self Service permit portal
• 2026–2027 fee schedule (effective Sept. 1, 2026)
• Village fee schedule page
• UDC (single-family and duplex) application package
• Building near creeks, streams, ravines and rivers
• Impact fee form BI-202 (Feb. 10, 2026)
• Community Development FAQ: zoning, setbacks, subdivisions
• Public Works permits and right-of-way use
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, SPS 320 to 325
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Bellevue building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in Bellevue?

10 cents a square foot of building and garage, plus 5 cents a square foot each for heating, electric and plumbing, $50 plan examination, the $40 seal, $100 erosion control and $1,309 in impact fees.

Do I need a permit to re-roof or re-side?

No, unless the roof sheathing is being replaced; call the inspectors in that case.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Yes. A fence is $50, a shed under 200 square feet $50 and a larger shed $75.

Can I apply online?

Residential permits, except UDC permits, can be filed in the Citizen Self Service portal; payment is made afterwards by mail or at Village Hall.

How long does plan review take?

Usually 5 working days; small projects with complete plans can often be reviewed at the counter.

How long is a permit valid?

Two years for a UDC permit and one year for other village permits.

Does Brown County have a role?

Yes. Near creeks and rivers Bellevue needs a copy of the county’s floodplain or shoreland land use permit before it issues its own, and an unsewered lot needs the county sanitary permit.

Simplify Bellevue 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 Bellevue permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.