Greenville, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In the Village of Greenville, the Building Inspection Department at Village Hall, W6860 Parkview Drive (920-757-5151), issues building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits, mostly through its online permit portal, and the village is delegated by the state for both residential and commercial plan review and inspection. Under the fee schedule adopted by Resolution 56-25 on December 22, 2025, a new single-family home of up to 2,000 square feet pays a $1,000 building permit fee, and the village says issuing a permit can take up to five days.

What requires a building permit in Greenville?

Greenville’s Building Inspection page lists the projects that need a permit and adds anything else required by Chapter 85 (building code) and Chapter 320 (zoning) of the village code. The list is wide: remodeling “of any sort” is on it, including basement finishing and window or door replacement.

Before building anything, the village tells owners to check the village ordinances and the shoreland, wetland and airport zoning that apply to the lot, using the village’s zoning map or Outagamie County’s GIS and Zoning Department. In new subdivisions, old farm drain tile cut during basement digging must be reconnected so that it still drains.

What Greenville decides and what the state holds

The state sets the construction standards: the Uniform Dwelling Code for one- and two-family homes and the Commercial Building Code for other buildings. Greenville writes its own building and zoning chapters, sets its fees, runs its own stormwater and erosion control program and charges park impact and utility connection fees. Outagamie County’s shoreland zoning still matters on lots near water, and the village notes that it is now enrolled in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Greenville building department: who handles permitting

The Building Inspection Department, part of Community and Economic Development, handles applications, plan review, permits and field inspections, with a local building inspector for homes and a commercial building inspector. The DSPS list of Uniform Dwelling Code delegated agents (current as of 9/24/2026) shows the Village of Greenville as delegated in its own right, and the village’s commercial page says it is a delegated community for commercial plan review, permitting and inspections. Inspectors’ time at the counter depends on their workload, so the village asks people to call ahead for an appointment.

Greenville permit types

Residential and commercial permits are requested through the village’s online portal, and the village posts project pages with checklists and samples for new homes, decks, sheds, pools and basement remodels.

Residential permits

• New homes: the village’s new house checklist, with a site plan, a cross section, wall bracing details, a drainage plan where the lot has none or the house has exposed windows or a walk-out basement, and erosion control.
• Decks: a site plan with setbacks, distances to other buildings, the septic system and well if any, and easements, plus deck details: materials, footings, guards and handrails, no open risers and the 4⅜-inch spacing the village’s deck page lists.
• Sheds and detached structures: a site plan, a floor plan and front elevation, material sizes and the footing or foundation; unvented gas heaters and wood burning are not allowed.
• Pools and hot tubs: set back like accessory buildings, kept out of utility and drainage easements, and never over or under power lines or over gas lines. The village’s pool page says a separate electrical permit is required, while the December 2025 fee schedule says the pool fee includes the pool’s electrical components.
• Basement remodels: a floor plan; bedrooms need an egress window or two exits, 8% light and 3.5% ventilation, and interconnected smoke detectors inside and outside the room.

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

Commercial permits

For commercial work the plan review comes first, then the permit. New construction under 5,000 square feet or alterations under 10,000 square feet are submitted through the village portal; larger new buildings and alterations go through E-Plan Exam. Commercial plan review fees follow the state’s SPS Table 302.31-2, and permits cost $160 plus $10 per $1,000 of valuation up to $1 million and $2 per $1,000 above that. The same valuation formula prices commercial HVAC, plumbing, electrical and fire protection permits, and a paid permission to start costs $200.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning: concept plans ($200), and rezonings, comprehensive plan amendments, special exceptions, variances and appeals ($500 each plus a $75 citizen participation fee), and site plan review.
• Erosion control and drainage: a $500 combined review and drainage check with a residential building permit, covering shoreland, wetland and floodplain where they apply; decks, fences, flatwork, additions and accessory buildings in those areas pay $200.
• Utilities: water and sewer connection fees, charged by front foot or as a base fee, depending on whether the lot was specially assessed.
• Driveway: a right-of-way driveway permit; in new subdivisions the village advises waiting until curbs, sidewalks and paving are finished, since a driveway built to the wrong grade may have to be removed at the owner’s cost.

Greenville permit costs and fees

Fees come from the village fee schedule adopted by Resolution 56-25 on December 22, 2025; the village notes that fees can change and asks applicants to confirm them with staff. Work done without a required permit is charged double the permit fee. Additions and remodels include the HVAC, plumbing and electrical permits in one fee; for new homes the trade permits are listed separately.

Worked examples from the schedule: a 1,900-square-foot house pays $1,000 for the building permit, $50 for the state stamp, $500 for erosion control and drainage, and $682 in park impact fees, or $2,232, before its electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits and any water and sewer connection fees. A $60,000 kitchen remodel is $100 + 60 × $5, or $400, with the trades included. The schedule lists roofing at $100 for residential and commercial work in one row and at $250 for commercial roofing in another, so commercial owners should confirm which applies. Water and sewer connections on lots that were not specially assessed cost $50 and $60 per front foot plus a base fee; on assessed lots a single-family base fee is $2,895 for water and $2,171 for sewer.

Trade permits and who may pull them

For new homes and other work outside additions and remodels, Greenville prices each trade separately, and commercial trade permits use the valuation formula.

• Electrical: $150 for a single-family home, $200 for a two-family home, and $100 for a service change, temporary service, sub-panel or generator. The new service is inspected before it is energized.
• Plumbing: $100 plus $5 per fixture opening; underground plumbing is inspected with the test on, or with an affidavit if the inspector cannot witness the test.
• HVAC: $100 per unit for homes; commercial replacement units are $200 each. Unvented gas space heaters are illegal in Wisconsin, the village reminds basement remodelers.
• General contractors: one- and two-family work needs the state Dwelling Contractor certification and Qualifier unless the owner-occupant does it; the village posts the state’s cautionary statement to owners about hiring contractors.
• Third-party review: where the village uses an outside plan reviewer or inspector, the owner pays its charges plus a 5% administrative fee.

How to apply for a Greenville building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The village asks applicants to plan ahead because permit volume is high; in-person help depends on inspector workload, so it asks people to call for an appointment; the building office is open 8 to 10 a.m., Monday to Thursday. Commercial permits are applied for only after the plans are approved, through E-Plan Exam for the larger projects. Planning items carry extra cost if staff need more engineering or legal review: the applicant pays those direct charges plus 5%, and a site plan needing more than three reviews can add another $500.

Inspections and occupancy in Greenville

The village’s required inspections for a house run in this order: footing (after forms and reinforcement, before the concrete), foundation and backfill (drain tile, waterproofing and exterior insulation visible), underground plumbing, the poly under the basement floor, the electrical service before it is energized, the rough framing, electrical, plumbing and HVAC before insulation, the insulation and vapor retarder before they are covered, and the final. A failed inspection costs $100 to re-inspect for residential work and $50 for commercial work.

A new house can be occupied on a conditional basis only when the village’s minimum list is met, including:

• Two exits with steps to grade no higher than 8 inches, and egress windows in second-floor and basement bedrooms
• Interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on each floor, by each bedroom group and in each bedroom
• One full working bathroom, a kitchen sink, and hot and safe drinking water
• Handrails between 30 and 38 inches high, and guards at least 36 inches high on balconies and decks
• GFCI and AFCI protection, covered wiring, and bonded water and gas piping
• A 20-minute rated door and 5/8-inch drywall between the house and an attached garage

The fee schedule also lists a foundation elevation check and driveway staking at $450 each, with the contractor’s actual cost billed up to $600.

Wisconsin building code in Greenville

Greenville enforces the state Uniform Dwelling Code under its own DSPS delegation and handles commercial plan review and inspection as a delegated community, with its building rules in Chapter 85 and zoning in Chapter 320 of the village code. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Greenville (community 550639) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current effective map dated January 20, 2016.

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

Greenville permit search and official resources

Permit applications and payments go through the village’s online portal. Copies of older permits, plans and inspection records are requested with the village’s open records request form, filed with Village Hall at W6860 Parkview Drive.

• Greenville online permit portal
• Building Inspection: permits, hours and fee schedule
• Village fee schedule, Resolution 56-25 (December 22, 2025)
• Commercial buildings: plan review and permits
• One- and two-family homes: checklists and samples
• Required inspections handout
• Minimum conditional occupancy requirements
• New home driveway notification
• Decks
• Sheds and detached structures
• Swimming pools
• Basement remodels
• Village forms
• E-Plan Exam submittal for larger commercial projects
• Open records request form
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Greenville building permit FAQs

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

$1,000 for a single-family home up to 2,000 square feet, rising $100 per added 1,000 square feet, plus the $50 state stamp and separate trade permits.

Do I need a permit to replace windows?

Yes. Window and door replacement is on the village’s permit list and costs $100; overhead garage doors are excluded from that fee.

Does a patio or driveway extension need a permit?

Yes. Flatwork, including patios, walkways and driveway extensions, needs a $100 permit unless it is part of a new home.

How long does a permit take?

The village says up to five days to issue because of the volume of permits.

Are trade permits included for an addition?

Yes. Addition and remodel fees include the HVAC, plumbing and electrical permits.

What is the park impact fee?

$682 per new dwelling unit, reduced where parkland is dedicated.

What happens if I build without a permit?

The fee doubles, under the village fee schedule.

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