Glendale, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In the City of Glendale, permits are issued by the Building Inspection Department at City Hall, 5909 North Milwaukee River Parkway (414-228-1708, inspections@glendalewi.gov). The city contracts SAFEbuilt for plan review and inspections, and DSPS lists Glendale as a delegated Uniform Dwelling Code municipality. Every permit fee on the city’s schedule carries a 40% administrative fee on top: a new house is a $125 base fee plus $0.20 per square foot before that surcharge.

What requires a building permit in Glendale?

Glendale’s permit information sheet is an alphabetical “Do I need a permit?” table that also says whether zoning approval is needed and which other office is involved. The sheet says it is not a complete list, so call Inspections at 414-228-1708 when a project is missing, or Zoning at 414-228-1770 for Planning and Architectural Review Commission (PARC) questions.

Some items are “maybe”: a bathroom remodel, door replacements that do not change the opening, retaining walls, insulation and general repairs all depend on the scope, so the sheet sends you to the department. A driveway, curb approach, sidewalk or sewer connection in the right-of-way needs a Department of Public Works permit (414-228-1710), and use of a street or alley, including moving a building, may also need the Police Department and Common Council.

What Glendale decides and what the state holds

The construction standards are the state codes, which Glendale applies but cannot change. Glendale decides its fee schedule and the 40% administrative surcharge, its zoning code and PARC design review, floodplain and wetland rules, private well permits, and its right-of-way rules.

Glendale building department: who handles permitting

The Building Inspection Department issues building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, sign, shed, fence and occupancy permits from City Hall, and SAFEbuilt, which the city contracts for residential and commercial plan review and inspections, handles the technical work. On DSPS’s list of Uniform Dwelling Code agents, current as of September 24, 2026, the City of Glendale is delegated. DSPS’s October 19, 2026 lists add a special delegation for commercial building and HVAC plan review and delegations for commercial inspection, commercial plumbing plan review and commercial electrical inspection, each with SAFEbuilt named as the city’s reviewer or inspector.

Glendale permit types

Glendale takes permits on Community Core, where applicants submit and pay online. SAFEbuilt’s instruction sheet says everyone must still complete, sign and date the paper application and upload a copy to the portal, and contractors should update their license number there. Applicants who want to pay by cash or check send or bring their submittals to City Hall. An application is not complete until every form, three sets of plans where plans are required, all documents and the fees are in.

Residential permits

• New homes: upload the building permit application, all plans, heat loss calculations and the survey; city fees are paid directly to the City of Glendale.
• Additions, alterations and accessory buildings: upload the permit and plans, and for additions and accessory buildings a survey or a GIS map of the lot.
• Fences, decks and sheds: upload the permit, plans and a survey or GIS map; zoning review comes first, and the deck entry on the permit sheet says the building permit follows prior zoning approval.
• Appliance replacements: a single appliance permit covers like-for-like household appliances, including installation and utility connection.
• Owner applicants: homeowners file the city’s cautionary statement, and contractors on one- and two-family work must show their Dwelling Contractor and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier certifications, which the city says it cannot issue a permit without.

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

Commercial permits

New commercial buildings upload the state SBD plan review form, all plans, heat loss calculations and the survey. Commercial plan review fees follow the state SBD-118 form and the DSPS fee table for certified municipalities, with a $100 simple plan review for minor alterations. New businesses in new or existing space need PARC approval and city and North Shore Fire Department inspections, and a new occupancy or change of use needs a certificate of compliance and an occupancy certificate before anyone moves in; sprinklers, hood suppression and alarm systems are permitted through the fire department, and flat or built-up roofing needs a fire department hot work 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 and PARC. The Planning and Architectural Review Commission reviews some additions, exterior alterations, garages, roof or facade design changes, commercial landscaping and new businesses; ask Zoning at 414-228-1770 whether your project needs it.
• Floodplain. The Assistant to the City Administrator handles floodplain zone determinations and building in the regulatory floodplain, and the city publishes a seven-page floodplain development permit application.
• Wetlands. A wetlands development cautionary form is among the city’s additional forms.
• Erosion control. New homes and additions need an erosion control permit.
• Asbestos. Abatement needs a permit from the city and a DNR permit.
• Private wells. Wells still in use need a well operation permit, and the city runs a well abandonment grant program.

Glendale permit costs and fees

Glendale posts two fee schedules, one for one- and two-family work and one for commercial and industrial work; neither shows an adoption date or resolution number, so confirm the current figures with the department. Each permit is priced from its line on the schedule and then the 40% administrative fee is added; plan review fees are not subject to the 40%, according to the residential application. Fees are rounded up to the next dollar and are not refunded once a permit has been processed.

Worked example using the residential fee schedule: a 2,000-square-foot new house is $125 plus 2,000 × $0.20, or $525; the 40% administrative fee brings that to $735, and the $200 new-dwelling plan review is added without the surcharge, for $935 before the seal, erosion control, occupancy and trade permits. Smaller residential items on the schedule include demolition or razing at $75 plus $0.10 per square foot, filling or grading at $60, asbestos, lead or mold abatement at $75, a fuel tank installation or removal at $110 and address numbers at $1 each. The 2023 application lists the footing and foundation early start at $125, while the posted fee schedule shows $75. Commercial work starts at a $150 base fee for a new structure, with $0.30 per square foot for multifamily, retail, restaurant and office space, a $200 base and $0.35 for schools and hospitals, $0.25 for manufacturing and $0.20 for warehouses; commercial alterations are $11 per $1,000 of value with a $150 minimum, and commercial erosion control is $225 for the first acre plus $125 for each added acre.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits each have a fillable city form, and a separate appliance permit covers replacement-only household appliances at $50 for the first and $25 for each added one. SAFEbuilt inspects all of them.

• Plumbing: the permit sheet says an owner may install plumbing only in an owner-occupied home; otherwise a licensed plumber pulls the permit. Commercial plumbing with more than 16 fixtures needs state-approved plans, and DSPS lists Glendale, through SAFEbuilt, as a delegated commercial plumbing plan reviewer.
• Electrical: every new, replacement or repair job needs an electrical permit; furnaces and air conditioners need one alongside the HVAC permit, and the sheet says radon systems likely do too.
• HVAC: furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, ductwork, fireplaces and chimney liners need an HVAC permit.
• Fire systems: sprinklers and kitchen hood suppression go through the North Shore Fire Department.
• Dwelling contractors: the city will not issue a one- or two-family permit to a contractor without the state Dwelling Contractor and Qualifier certifications.

How to apply for a Glendale building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Incomplete packages stall: the city does not treat an application as filed until all forms, three sets of plans where required, documents and fees arrive. Work started without a permit can cost up to four times the fee, though emergency work may start first if the permit is taken out the next business day. Habitual offenders may be refused permits.

Inspections and occupancy in Glendale

All work must be inspected when it is complete, and the residential application adds that inspections are required before any work is covered and before any occupancy or use. Book with SAFEbuilt at 262-420-4732 or WIinspections@safebuilt.com, giving the permit number and address and at least 24 hours’ notice; the city’s sheet says inspections are done within 72 hours of the request. Final inspections are mandatory, and missing a required inspection costs $50, then $100, then $150 on a house; the commercial schedule sets the re-inspection fee at $75 and charges $75, $150 and $225 for missed inspections. A special inspection is $75 on either schedule.

A permit expires 18 months after it is issued, or sooner if work has not started or has stopped for 90 days. Residential occupancy permits are $50 per unit, and commercial spaces need both a certificate of compliance and an occupancy certificate before they open.

Wisconsin building code in Glendale

Glendale enforces the state codes as a delegated city through its SAFEbuilt contract. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Glendale (community 550275) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective October 24, 2024; the city’s floodplain contact handles zone determinations and floodplain building questions.

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

Glendale permit search and official resources

For copies of past permits, plans or inspection results, contact the Building Inspection Department at 414-228-1708 or inspections@glendalewi.gov; zoning and floodplain questions go to 414-228-1770.

• Glendale Building Inspection Department
• Permit information sheet: do I need a permit?
• Permit fee schedules
• One- and two-family permit fee schedule
• Commercial and industrial permit fee schedule
• Residential building permit application
• Community Core permit portal
• SAFEbuilt submittal information
• Community Core walkthrough
• Floodplain management
• Floodplain development permit application
• Erosion control permit
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Glendale building permit FAQs

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

A $125 base fee plus $0.20 per square foot, with 40% added; a 2,000-square-foot house is $735, plus the $200 plan review and other fees.

Who inspects my project?

SAFEbuilt, under contract with the city; schedule at 262-420-4732 with at least 24 hours’ notice.

Do I need a permit for a deck or fence?

Yes, both need a building permit and zoning approval; upload the permit, plans and a survey or GIS map.

Can I do my own plumbing in Glendale?

Only in a home you own and occupy, according to the city’s permit sheet.

How long is a permit good for?

18 months from issue, but it expires sooner if work does not start or stops for 90 days.

What is PARC?

The Planning and Architectural Review Commission, which approves some additions, exterior and roof design changes, garages, commercial landscaping and new businesses before permits are issued.

Can I get a refund?

No. The city says permit fees are not refundable once a permit has been processed, whether or not it is used.

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