Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Inside the City of Fond du Lac, construction permits come from the Inspection Division of the Community Development Department, 160 South Macy Street (920-322-3570), led by Chief Inspector Doug Hoerth. One permit application covers building, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and fire protection work and can be emailed to fdlinspections@fdl.wi.gov. Under the city’s 2026 adopted fee schedule a new house is charged $0.14 per square foot of gross floor area plus a $150 plan exam.

What requires a building permit in Fond du Lac?

The city’s permit page casts a wide net: its list of work that needs a permit ends with “all other improvement and/or repairs,” and says permits are required for, but not limited to, the items named.

Size rules for sheds and garages sit in the zoning code (Chapter 720), and the city publishes flow charts for both. One shed is allowed beside a detached garage, sized by lot (see the FAQ); sheds and detached garages may not exceed 15 feet in height or sit closer than 2 feet to a side or rear lot line, and lot coverage stays at or under 35%. A garage over 650 square feet needs a drainage plan prepared by a qualified professional, and any project in the 100-year floodplain needs an elevation certificate before it can move forward.

What the city decides and what the state holds

The city has adopted the state’s building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing codes and adds its own zoning, floodplain, erosion control and property maintenance ordinances. The technical rules for houses come from the state Uniform Dwelling Code, but the city is the delegated UDC agency here, so its inspectors review the plans, issue the state permit seal and inspect. For commercial buildings the city also holds limited state plan review delegation, described below; larger projects still go to the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) in Madison.

Fond du Lac building department: who handles permitting

The Inspection Division reviews plans, issues permits and inspects building, electrical, heating and plumbing work, and enforces the city’s property maintenance, zoning and floodplain rules. DSPS’s list of UDC delegated agents, current as of September 24, 2026, shows the City of Fond du Lac as delegated for new one- and two-family dwellings. The neighboring Town of Fond du Lac is separately delegated and uses an outside firm (Final Look Inspection Services on the DSPS list).

Fond du Lac permit types

The city uses one Permit Application (revised May 29, 2024) for building, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and fire protection permits. You give the cost of each trade and the total, the building type (house, duplex, multifamily, condominium or commercial), whether the home is owner-occupied or rented, and the details of any furnace, air conditioner or water heater being replaced.

Residential permits

• New homes, garages and additions of 650 square feet or more. The New Home packet asks for an approved drainage plan from Engineering, dimensioned floor and foundation plans no larger than 11 by 17 inches (digital preferred), energy calculations, an erosion control plan and a site plan showing easements, floodplains and setbacks. One permit is issued for the whole project; allow 7 business days once every item is in.
• Early start. A $145 footing and foundation permit lets a house start before plan approval, at the owner’s risk.
• Decks, fences, pools, sheds, garages and ramps. The city posts a separate packet or flow chart for each.

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

Commercial permits

Fond du Lac reviews commercial plans itself only within its state delegation: new buildings under 50,000 cubic feet, additions that leave the building under 50,000 cubic feet, small one-story additions of up to 2,500 square feet with an 18-foot maximum roof span and 12-foot walls, and alterations to less than 10,000 cubic feet. Every other commercial plan goes to the state first. City reviews need the SBD-118 form, and plans arrive by email or download link only. Since September 1, 2017 the city has also reviewed commercial, multifamily and grease trap plumbing plans.

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 review. Commercial, industrial, multifamily, institutional and educational projects need site plan approval before a building permit. Plans in by noon Friday get committee comments by the next Thursday; the fee is $600, and approval lapses if no building permit is issued within 12 months.
• Zoning relief. Variances go to the Board of Appeals, which meets at 3:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month; applicants must show a unique property limitation, no harm to the public interest and unnecessary hardship. Special use permits and rezonings go to the Plan Commission, which meets at 5:30 p.m. on the Monday after the second Wednesday.
• Drainage and erosion control. New houses and large additions need a residential drainage plan approved by Engineering under Chapter 325; site plan projects add a stormwater management plan and erosion control application ($700 plus $40 per disturbed acre).
• Floodplain. Chapter 690 regulates new buildings, additions and alterations in the 100-year floodplain, and an elevation certificate is needed before a permit moves forward.
• Street work. Driveway and curb cuts, terrace openings and dumpsters or trailers in the right-of-way need Engineering permits.

Fond du Lac permit costs and fees

The figures below come from the City of Fond du Lac Inspections Fee Schedule, 2026 Adopted (Exhibit B). New buildings are priced by gross floor area, which for a house counts finished and unfinished space in the house, garage, enclosed porches, decks and stoops. Alterations are priced by job cost. Every permit carries at least a $30 minimum, and every new structure or addition at least $100.

Trade work on a new house is also charged by area: HVAC $0.06 per square foot, electrical $0.06 (temporary service included), and plumbing $25 plus $0.06, with $225 each for sanitary and storm sewer hook-ups, $50 for the water service and $10 for the meter. Replacing a furnace or air conditioner in a home is $75 for the first unit and $25 for each extra unit on the same system. Worked example from the schedule: a new house with 2,400 square feet of gross area pays 2,400 × $0.14 = $336 for the building permit plus the $150 plan exam, $486 in all before trades, the state seal, site and tree fees and the $1,000 deposit.

Engineering charges $250 for an individual residential grading inspection with a $1,000 lot drainage and right-of-way deposit, and $50 for a driveway or curb cut. A variance costs $150 for a single-family home, $250 for two-family or multifamily and $350 for commercial; a special use permit is $400 and a rezoning $450.

Trade permits and who may pull them

All trade permits come from the Inspection Division on the same application as the building work, and the city’s own plumbing and electrical inspectors check the work. The form says every contractor must hold the right DSPS credential and may subcontract only with credentialed firms: it asks for the Dwelling Contractor and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier numbers for the general contractor, the electrical contractor and master electrician numbers, the HVAC contractor number and the master plumber number. An owner may be listed in place of a contractor only for an owner-occupied home.

• Plumbing: the city’s plumbing page says an owner may do plumbing inside a one-family home that is their primary residence and that they occupy, so the exemption does not reach new construction, rentals or cabins; a permit is still required. Water calculation sheets are required for new plumbing and for additions with new fixtures.
• Electrical: the city prices new-construction wiring by area and alterations by value ($30 to $500, $75 to $2,000, then $10 or $11 per $1,000 above set thresholds). The schedule also lists a $360 annual electrical permit.
• HVAC: furnace, air conditioner and water heater replacements need a permit; a like-for-like furnace or air conditioner swap uses the flat replacement fee.
• Fire protection: sprinkler work is $50 for fewer than 20 sprinklers, and otherwise $145, $175 or $215 by project value (up to $50,000, up to $100,000, and above), and fire alarm panels are $75, or $215 with more than 20 devices.

How to apply for a Fond du Lac building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

New-home permits take about 7 business days once the package is complete, so a missing drainage plan or energy calculation is the usual hold-up. Commercial reviews are done as time permits; call for the lead time. Starting before the permit is issued doubles the fee, with a minimum of $100.

Inspections and occupancy in Fond du Lac

The primary applicant on the permit must call and schedule every inspection; the Inspections clerk books them at 920-322-3570. The city’s list of required inspections for new work runs in this order:

• Water and sewer lateral, footings and foundation, and drain tile
• Under-floor plumbing and the vapor barrier before the basement slab
• Electrical service, then rough framing, electrical, HVAC and plumbing
• Insulation and site-built shower or tub safing
• Finals for occupancy: framing, electrical, HVAC, insulation, plumbing, Engineering’s final grade and fire protection where it applies

Engineering inspects lot drainage separately (920-322-3470) and returns the $1,000 drainage deposit after the final approved inspection. A failed inspection costs $50 per return trip. An occupancy permit is $40 for a house or apartment unit, and a temporary occupancy permit for unfinished interior items is $100 for each 30 days.

Wisconsin building code in Fond du Lac

Fond du Lac enforces the state codes as the delegated agency for houses and, within the limits above, for commercial plan review. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the city (community 550136) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program with flood maps effective November 4, 2009, and as a Community Rating System Class 7 community, which the city says gives a 15% discount on flood insurance in special flood hazard areas. The city adopted an updated floodplain ordinance in 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

Fond du Lac permit search and official resources

To get a building permit, occupancy, code violation or zoning record for a property, file a Request for Property Information with Community Development (CD@fdl.wi.gov, 920-322-3440, 160 South Macy Street); the city charges $50 per property and answers within 10 business days. Other records go through the city’s online public records request portal.

• Permits and fees: application, packets and flow charts
• Inspections fee schedule, 2026 adopted
• Permit application (building, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire protection)
• New home, garage and addition packet
• Shed flow chart
• Garage flow chart
• Building inspections and commercial plan review
• Plumbing inspections and owner plumbing rules
• Inspection Services contacts
• Planning and zoning applications
• Site plan review guide
• Board of Appeals timetable 2026
• Floodplain administration
• Residential drainage plan
• Drainage, erosion control and stormwater permit
• Engineering fee schedule
• Request for property information
• Public records request portal
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Fond du Lac building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or windows in Fond du Lac?

Yes. Roofing, siding and windows are on the city’s permit list; only minor alterations or maintenance repairs can be waived by the City Building Inspector.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$0.14 per square foot of gross area plus a $150 plan exam under the 2026 schedule, so 2,400 square feet comes to $486 before trade permits, the state seal, site and tree fees and the deposit.

How big can my shed be?

It depends on the lot: 100 square feet on lots up to 10,000 square feet, 200 up to 20,000, 300 up to 30,000 and 1% of the lot above that, reduced if a detached garage is over 720 square feet.

Can I do my own plumbing?

Only inside a one-family home you own, live in and use as your primary residence, and with a permit; the exemption does not cover new construction or rentals.

Does the city review commercial plans?

Yes, for smaller projects such as new buildings under 50,000 cubic feet and alterations under 10,000 cubic feet; larger projects go to DSPS, and the city reviews commercial plumbing plans.

How do I book an inspection?

Call the Inspections clerk at 920-322-3570; the primary applicant is responsible for scheduling every inspection through the final.

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