Burlington, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Permits inside the City of Burlington come from the Building Inspection Department at City Hall, 300 North Pine Street, which inspects all plans and construction in the city and is run under contract by Municipal Services, LLC (262-342-1163). One building and construction permit application covers the general, plumbing, electrical and HVAC contractors. The city fee schedule approved November 18, 2025 charges $0.39 per square foot for a new one- or two-family home, plus a $250 plan review, $100 zoning fee and $175 erosion control fee.

What requires a building permit in Burlington?

The city’s building inspection FAQ lists the common projects that need a permit and says the list is not all-inclusive. The fee schedule adds many smaller jobs with their own prices, which shows what the department expects to permit.

The FAQ says a window replacement needs a permit only if the original dimensions are being altered, while the fee schedule prices “add window/door” work at $85 per inspection; ask Building Inspection before swapping windows of the same size. For commercial buildings the schedule also prices tenant finishes, cold storage, cell tower work, parking lot changes, dumpster enclosures and yard sprinkler systems.

What the city decides and what the state holds

The technical rules for houses come from the state Uniform Dwelling Code, and for apartments of three or more units and commercial buildings from the state commercial code. The city adds its own chapters, which its fee schedule names: Chapter 115 (building construction), 142 (electrical), 243 (plumbing), 181 (property maintenance), 259 (sewers), 270 (stormwater management), 278 (subdivision of land) and 315 (zoning). The Historic Preservation Commission reviews construction and exterior alterations in the downtown overlay district, and the city’s Plan Commission includes a non-voting member from the Town of Burlington Plan Commission.

Burlington building department: who handles permitting

The city’s Building Inspection Department inspects all plans and construction in the city and also handles code complaints, from junk vehicles to zoning violations and encroachments. The department is staffed by Municipal Services, LLC, the inspection firm the city lists as its contact. DSPS’s list of UDC delegated agents, current as of September 24, 2026, shows the City of Burlington (in more than one county) as delegated for new one- and two-family dwellings, with the Zoning Administrator as contact and Municipal Services as inspector. The neighboring Town of Burlington holds its own, separate delegation, and Racine and Walworth county offices do not issue building permits inside the city.

Burlington permit types

The 2026 Building and Construction Permit Application is a single form. It lists the owner and each contractor (general, construction, plumbing, electrical and HVAC) with license numbers and expiration dates, and asks for the zoning district, lot area and setbacks, the basement, living, garage and other areas, the electrical service and HVAC equipment, the energy source and heat loss figures, and whether the property is on city sewer and water or a septic system and well.

Residential permits

• New one- and two-family homes. Priced by gross square footage measured to exterior dimensions, including the garage and each finished floor level; unfinished basements are excluded. Decks built with the house are included in the rate.
• Remodels, additions and basements. Additions and remodels with mechanicals are priced by area with a plan review and a certificate of completion; finished basements have a lower rate.
• Flat-fee jobs. Bathroom and kitchen remodels, decks, fences, roofing, siding, egress windows, pools and accessory buildings under 120 square feet each have a set fee.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial, multifamily and industrial work is priced separately with a $300 plan review (plus $25 for each additional unit), zoning and erosion fees and occupancy charges. The fee schedule notes that the state fee schedule for commercial buildings may be charged instead of, or on top of, the city’s fees at the city’s discretion. Fire sprinkler, alarm, hood and clean-agent systems need a separate Fire Department permit, which is issued only to a contractor holding a valid Wisconsin license.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Site plan approval. Required in the Rm-1, Rm-2, B-1, B-2, B-3, M-1, M-2, M-3 and I-1 districts. Applications go to the Building Inspector by the Friday after the current Plan Commission meeting, may go through the Development Review Committee, and are decided by the Plan Commission (second Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Council Chambers, 224 E. Jefferson Street).
• Development Review Committee. Meets on the fourth Thursday of each month so applicants can sit down with all the city department heads; applications go to the Zoning Administrator at least a week ahead.
• Conditional uses and variances. The Plan Commission decides conditional uses; the Zoning Board of Appeals meets on call at 5:30 p.m. for appeals, special exceptions and variances.
• Historic district. A certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission before exterior work in the overlay district.
• Land division and stormwater. Certified survey maps, plats and extraterritorial plat reviews use city forms; stormwater permits are billed at the City Engineer’s actual cost.

Burlington permit costs and fees

All figures come from the City of Burlington Fee Schedule approved November 18, 2025 and posted as the 2026 Building Department fee schedule. Every fee is rounded up to the next full dollar, and work started without a permit is charged double.

Trade fees for a new house are added on top: HVAC $65 plus $0.08 per square foot, electrical $65 plus $0.12 per square foot (minimum $100), and plumbing $65 plus $0.12 per square foot and $15 per fixture (minimum $125). Worked example from the schedule: a new house with 2,400 square feet of gross area pays 2,400 × $0.39 = $936 for the building permit, plus $250 plan review, $100 zoning, $175 erosion control, the $65 state seal and $65 occupancy, $1,591 before trades, the $2,000 grading bond and sewer charges.

New dwellings in a subdivision also meet the land-division charges in Chapter 278: a public site fee of $680 and a park facility fee of $975 per dwelling unit and $600 for each required street tree. The sewer connection fee inside the city is $1,650 per residential equivalent unit (REU). Commercial and multifamily buildings pay $0.37 per square foot ($200 minimum), industrial buildings $0.30, with erosion control at $250 per building plus $5 per 1,000 square feet up to $2,000. Zoning applications (site plan review, conditional use, rezoning, certified survey map and variance) are $300 each plus the city’s consultant costs, and a historic certificate of appropriateness is $150. An older site plan guideline sheet still lists a $500 fee; the 2025 schedule is the adopted figure.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical (Chapter 142), plumbing (Chapter 243) and HVAC (Chapter 115) permits are issued through the same Building Inspection office on the shared application, and the form asks for each trade contractor’s license number and expiration date. For new one- and two-family homes, state law requires the permit holder to hold Dwelling Contractor and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier certifications unless the owner will live in the home.

• Electrical: new homes and remodels are $65 plus $0.12 per square foot; service work is priced by size ($120 up to 200 amps, $200 to 400 amps, $300 above), and EV chargers ($100), solar and generators ($240) and low-voltage systems have their own lines.
• Plumbing: priced by area plus $15 per fixture; laterals, lawn sprinklers, wells ($85) and tub-to-shower conversions ($150) are listed separately. Sewer connections also pay the $1,650 REU fee under Chapter 259.
• HVAC: new systems by area; replacing or adding an appliance is $65 each, geothermal $100 and in-floor radiant heat $100.
• Fire protection: sprinkler and alarm permits come from the Burlington Fire Department, 165 W. Washington Street, with plan review fees from $385 for buildings up to 5,000 square feet.

How to apply for a Burlington building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Projects in site plan districts move on the Plan Commission’s monthly calendar, so missing the Friday deadline after a meeting pushes the review back a month; a Development Review Committee meeting a week ahead can catch problems early. Within the historic overlay district, applications go to the Building Inspector and then the Historic Preservation Commission. Expired permits can be renewed for $75 per inspection on residential work.

Inspections and occupancy in Burlington

The permit application tells holders to have the permit or application number and the address ready when requesting inspections, to call 262-342-1161, and to give at least 24 hours’ notice. By signing it, the applicant lets the building inspector or the inspector’s agent enter the property at reasonable hours to inspect the work.

The city’s pages do not list the inspection stages, so confirm them with Building Inspection when the permit is issued. A new house cannot be occupied until the occupancy permit ($65) is issued; a temporary occupancy permit costs $80. The final grade and landscaping bond ($2,000 for a house, $5,000 for commercial sites) secures the finished grading.

• Re-inspection: $75 on homes; $75 the first time and $100 each additional time on commercial, multifamily and industrial work
• Missed commercial inspections: $100
• Special inspections, reports or letters: $100 an hour
• Certificate of completion for remodels and additions: $50

Property maintenance re-inspections under Chapter 181 are billed separately at $75 for the first and $100 for each one after that.

Wisconsin building code in Burlington

Burlington enforces the state codes as the delegated UDC agency. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the city (community 550348, in Walworth and Racine counties) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective January 11, 2024.

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

Burlington permit search and official resources

Permit and inspection records are city records. Request them through the City Clerk’s online open records request form, which a city representative follows up by phone or email. Paper copies cost $0.25 each, and the city charges actual labor costs when a search exceeds $50, with prepayment for requests estimated above $50.

• Building Inspection
• Applications and permits
• Building and construction permit application 2026
• Building Department fee schedule (approved November 18, 2025)
• Building inspection FAQs
• Site plan approval guidelines
• Planning and zoning
• Plan Commission
• Development Review Committee
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Historic Preservation Overlay District
• Fire protection system permit application
• City engineering
• Property maintenance
• Requesting records and information
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Burlington building permit FAQs

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

$0.39 per square foot of gross area plus $250 plan review, $100 zoning and $175 erosion control; a 2,400-square-foot house comes to $1,591 with the state seal and occupancy permit, before trade permits.

Do I need a permit to re-roof or replace siding?

Yes. Roof repairs, re-roofing and siding are on the city’s permit list, at $65 for a house.

Does a shed need a permit?

Yes. Sheds and accessory buildings are on the list; one under 120 square feet is $100 including plan review and zoning.

Who are the building inspectors?

The city contracts with Municipal Services, LLC, which staffs the Building Inspection Department at City Hall (262-342-1163).

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 262-342-1161 with the permit number and address at least 24 hours ahead.

Do I need approval for work downtown?

In the Historic Preservation Overlay District, exterior alterations and new construction need a certificate of appropriateness ($150) from the Historic Preservation Commission.

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