De Pere, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In the City of De Pere, the Building Inspection Division of Development Services (335 South Broadway; 920-339-4053) issues building, electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits and holds the city’s own state delegation for new one- and two-family homes. Simple permits are often ready in a few days, and projects needing plan review can take up to 10 business days. The 2026 schedule charges 12 cents a square foot for a new house, counting basements and attached garages, and the permit for a new home is valid for two years.

What requires a building permit in De Pere?

De Pere’s rule is broad. A permit is required before any new construction, repair, addition, alteration or demolition, including new boilers, furnaces, electrical wiring, plumbing fixtures, garages, porches, fences, decks, swimming pools and sheds, and before changing the use of a building. Moving or replacing walls, doors, columns and beams may need one, and any change to required exits or to natural light and ventilation, windows included, does.

What the city decides and what the state holds

De Pere’s municipal code and zoning ordinance set the local rules, from fees (building fees under Ordinance 08-31, electrical fees in Section 62-12, HVAC in 54-10 and plumbing in 66.7) to zoning, variances and floodplain development along the Fox River. All residential work must meet the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code and the city code, and commercial buildings follow the state Commercial Building Code; the city posts its own commercial plan review application, checklist and fees.

De Pere building department: who handles permitting

The Building Inspection Division, led by Building Inspection Manager Dennis Jensen, issues and inspects building and trade permits and handles code enforcement; De Pere is on the state’s list of municipalities with their own delegation for new one- and two-family dwellings. The Planning and Zoning Division handles land use permits, site plans, conditional uses and zoning letters.

De Pere had 25,590 residents in the 2025 Census estimate. The city issues every building permit inside its limits.

De Pere permit types

The Permits and Fees page lists each application. Many small jobs, among them sheds, decks, fences, docks, pools, curb cuts, grading, early starts, razing, sewer, siding, windows and doors, water heaters, erosion control, temporary uses and tents, go on the city’s online Small Permit Application, and there are separate online forms for change of use, HVAC replacements and signs. Additions and new construction, alterations, basement remodels and the trade permits use PDF or paper applications.

Residential permits

For a new one- or two-family home the city requires digital PDF copies of the site plan, floor plans, elevations and the state forms, and uses the residential new construction application packet, an inspection and permit protocol and a new homeowner’s packet. Only a homeowner who will live in the dwelling, or a contractor holding a Dwelling Contractor certification and a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, may take out the permit, and a state Uniform Building Permit is issued only after the filing requirements are met, the plans are conditionally approved and the fees are paid. Owner-occupants of a single-family home may draw their own plans unless the house is in a floodplain, where a registered architect or engineer may be required. Additions have their own packet and homeowner acknowledgement forms for building, electrical, HVAC and plumbing work.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial alteration projects may also need plan review before work starts; the division’s commercial building inspector sets the requirements. Major commercial, multifamily and industrial projects also submit PDF plans, with the commercial building permit packet and the state’s commercial code “helpful hints.” De Pere takes commercial plan review applications on its own fee sheet: building plans under 2,000 square feet cost $350 to review, 2,001 to 5,000 square feet $450 and 5,001 to 10,000 square feet $600, which includes the city’s flat $100 commercial review fee; larger buildings follow the area bands of the plan review fee sheet.

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

• Planning approvals. Land use permit ($175), site plan review ($350), conditional use ($350), zoning map amendment ($350) and certified survey map review ($375) on the planning fee sheet.
• Variance. $175, heard by the Zoning Board of Appeals on the fourth Monday of the month as needed, with supporting data.
• Floodplain. A $175 floodplain development fee, and a $100 floodplain zoning letter.
• Sewer. The plumbing permit cannot issue until the sewer connection permit has been obtained.
• Grade. A grade permit before excavation where no curb and gutter exist, and to set sidewalk grade before concrete is poured.

De Pere permit fees

The city posts four 2026 fee schedules, all dated January 1, 2026: building, electrical, HVAC and plumbing. Square footage for building and electrical fees includes all floor levels, basements, attached garages and spaces under a roof; HVAC counts heated garages. Fees are paid before the permit issues, and work started without a permit pays double.

Worked example. A new house with 2,400 square feet across its floors and basement and no garage, with 12 plumbing fixtures, on a lot of 20,000 square feet or less: building $288, electrical $240, HVAC $240, plumbing $144, plan review $175, UDC seal $50 and erosion control $150, for $1,287 in permit fees. An attached garage adds 12 cents a square foot to the building fee and 10 cents to the electrical fee, and the HVAC fee too if the garage is heated.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The Building Inspection Division issues electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits under the city code. Electrical permits go only to holders of a valid license, with the sole exception of a property owner qualifying under Section 62-11, and plumbing permits only to licensed (and, where required, bonded) plumbers.

• Owner-occupants. The city’s guidance lets an owner-occupant of a single-family home take responsibility for carpentry, HVAC, masonry and electrical work, with homeowner acknowledgement forms for each trade.
• Plumbing. Work must be supervised by a master plumber and installed by licensed plumbers; once the home is occupied an owner may add plumbing beyond the required kitchen sink and full bathroom. A plumbing permit lapses if work stops for 60 days without good cause.
• Builders. Construction and erosion control permits for a dwelling are taken out by a Dwelling Contractor with a Qualifier on staff, or by the owner-occupant.
• HVAC. HVAC contractors register with the state; De Pere’s pages show no local HVAC license.

How to apply for a De Pere permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Simple projects that need no plan review can usually be permitted within a few days when the information is complete and accurate; projects needing plan review can take up to 10 business days, covering architecture, structure, electrical, fire prevention, accessibility, environmental, plumbing and HVAC. Changes to the approved plans must be reviewed before the next inspection is requested, and if the scope changes during construction an inspector decides whether another permit is needed. Starting work without a permit brings a stop-work order and a doubled fee.

Inspections in De Pere

Inspections are taken on a first-requested basis at least 48 hours ahead, and requests roll to the next open day when the docket is full. The approved plans, wall brace plans and truss or floor plans must be on site. The mandatory stages for a new home are erosion control, footings (setbacks are checked then), foundation rebar, foundation (tar, tile and stone), the electrical service with the utility’s spot certificate, the water-resistive barrier, under-slab plumbing and heating, the sub-slab vapor retarder, the all-phase rough-in, insulation and the final.

Inspectors leave tags on site and email reports; a failed or premature inspection costs at least $75 to repeat. The finished lawn grade at the foundation must sit 18 to 30 inches above the top of the curb. A final inspection is required before any building is occupied, and occupying without it costs $125.

Wisconsin building code

De Pere enforces the state codes through its own delegation and inspectors, with local fee, zoning and floodplain rules on top. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists De Pere as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, community 550021, 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

De Pere permit search and official resources

City building records are available from the Building Inspection Division on request, and the city notes that buyers can use them to see whether permits were obtained and work passed. Ask at 920-339-4053 or dpbldg@deperewi.gov for a property’s permit history.

• De Pere Building Inspection Division
• Do I need a building permit?
• Permits and fees: applications and fee schedules
• Building permits and fees 2026
• Electrical permits and fees 2026
• HVAC permits and fees 2026
• Plumbing permits and fees 2026
• New residential construction
• Accessory buildings
• Decks, gazebos and pergolas
• Pools, hot tubs and ponds
• Driveways, parking lots and curb cuts
• House flipping
• New commercial construction
• Commercial plan review
• Commercial plan review fee sheet
• Plan review, permit and inspection protocol
• Planning Department fee schedule
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, SPS 320 to 325
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

De Pere building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in De Pere?

12 cents a square foot of all floor levels, basement and attached garage, plus $175 plan review, the $50 seal, erosion control and the electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits.

Do I need a permit to replace windows or siding?

Yes. Window replacement is $75 for any number of windows, and siding and soffits are $75.

How long does a permit take?

Simple permits usually within a few days; projects needing plan review up to 10 business days.

Can a homeowner pull the permit for a new house?

Only a homeowner who will live in it; otherwise the contractor must hold Dwelling Contractor and Qualifier credentials.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 920-339-4053 at least 48 hours ahead; inspections run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

How long is a permit valid?

One year, or two years for a new one- or two-family home or a permit requiring state approval.

What does a variance cost?

$175; the Zoning Board of Appeals meets on the fourth Monday of the month as needed.

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