Hobart, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In the Village of Hobart, permits come from the Department of Planning & Code Compliance at 2990 South Pine Tree Road (920-869-3809), headed by Director Todd Gerbers. The village holds its own Uniform Dwelling Code delegation from the state, so it reviews and inspects new one- and two-family homes itself, and it issues separate electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits. Fees come from Resolution 2026-05, adopted April 8, 2026, with the permit fee schedule in force since May 1, 2026; a new house is charged $0.20 per square foot of finished area, trades included.

What requires a building permit in Hobart?

Hobart’s building permit application lists the work it covers, and the village’s project brochures set out the rules for the most common jobs. The list reaches most exterior projects, and the brochures make clear that replacing an existing deck, patio, fence or shed needs a permit too.

A permit is valid for one year if work starts within six months of issue; otherwise it expires. The placard has to be posted where it can be seen from the road before anything starts, and work found without a permit gets a stop-work order and doubled fees.

What Hobart decides and what the state holds

The state writes the Uniform Dwelling Code for houses and the Commercial Building Code for other buildings, and DSPS licenses electricians and plumbers and certifies dwelling contractors. Hobart sets its own fees by annual resolution, runs zoning under Chapter 295 of its code and building rules under Chapter 121, and sets the size and placement limits that decide whether a shed or garage fits on a lot. The village fee schedule also prices shoreland and floodplain land use permits, so those reviews happen at the village counter as well.

Hobart building department: who handles permitting

The Department of Planning & Code Compliance handles consultations, plan review, permits and inspections for new buildings, additions, remodeling and changes of use, and it asks owners to come in early so problems surface before plans are final. The state’s UDC delegated-agent list, current as of 9/24/2026, shows the Village of Hobart as delegated, with the village’s own staff as inspector. The Director of Planning & Code Compliance also signs off electrical service inspections.

Hobart permit types

Hobart keeps separate application forms for building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, razing, water and sewer, driveway access and right-of-way work. The building form asks for the total project value broken down by building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, and anything not written on the application is not permitted.

Residential permits

• New one- and two-family homes: two complete sets of plans following the village’s plan submittal checklist, the village and state application forms and the state’s permit worksheet, which the office emails on request. The checklist calls for a certificate of survey, an erosion control plan, floor, foundation, elevation and cross-section drawings, a wall bracing plan, truss layout, heat loss calculations and a copy of the sanitary permit where the lot uses a septic system.
• Garages and sheds: Hobart separates accessory buildings (over 150 square feet) from utility storage buildings (150 square feet or less). In the main residential districts a lot may have one detached accessory building, sized at the greater of 864 square feet or one-sixtieth of the lot, but never more than 2,500 square feet, and no accessory building can go up before the house permit is issued.
• Decks and patios: decks follow the state code’s prescriptive deck appendix unless an engineered design is submitted; attached decks meet house setbacks.
• Fences: a scaled site plan with the fence’s height, style, length and value; the finished side must face the neighbor, barbed wire and similar materials are banned, and chain link is not allowed in the Centennial Centre and Orlando-Packerland planned development districts.

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

Commercial permits

New commercial, industrial and multi-family buildings are charged by floor area for framing and for each trade, and the Site Review Committee looks at the architectural parts of commercial site plans. Buildings that need state plan approval under the Commercial Building Code get it from DSPS (or a delegated reviewer) before the village issues the local 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 approvals. Rezoning, conditional use, planned development and certified survey map requests use one application, with fees due when filed and not refundable; abutting owners are mailed a notice before any hearing. The Planning and Zoning Commission meets the first Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m. as needed and sends its recommendations to the Village Board.
• Variances. The Board of Appeals meets as needed at 5:30 p.m. at the village office; file about 20 days ahead so notices can be published.
• Land use permits. The fee schedule notes a land use permit may be needed before a building permit, including shoreland and floodplain land use permits.
• Septic or sewer. Lots without sewer need a Brown County sanitary permit; sewered lots need the village water and sewer permit.
• Driveways and the right-of-way. A village access driveway permit is needed on rural roads, and the form’s standard culvert is 18 inches by 30 feet with endwalls unless another size is approved. Utility work in village right-of-way needs a permit, a $10,000 restoration bond and three working days’ notice to neighbors.

Hobart permit costs and fees

The Village Board adopted Resolution 2026-05 on April 8, 2026, replacing fee amounts in the ordinances with an annual schedule; the permit fee and deposit section took effect May 1, 2026. Floor area counts every level, basement, garage and enclosed space under the roof, fees round to the nearest dollar, and every fee doubles if work starts before the permit.

Worked example from the schedule: a new single-family home with 2,000 square feet of finished space and a 1,000-square-foot unfinished basement plus a 500-square-foot garage costs 2,000 × $0.20 ($400) plus 1,500 × $0.15 ($225) plus the $950 in fixed fees and park fee, or $1,575. Utility charges such as the $400 sanitary sewer connection, water meter and lateral inspections, and any required $1,000 security deposit come on top; the deposit is refunded if the final inspection or occupancy permit comes within two years and village property is undamaged.

Trade permits and who may pull them

A new house is charged once for all trades through the per-square-foot fee, but remodels and service work use the village’s separate trade forms. Each form asks for the contractor’s state credential, and Hobart will not issue a permit while any money is owed to the village.

• Electrical: the electrical permit form asks for the master electrician’s credential number, and a separate electrical service inspection permit (a $75 fee for a one- or two-family service) is signed off by the Director of Planning & Code Compliance before the utility energizes. Hobart’s pool brochure notes an owner may wire a single-family home he or she owns and lives in, but not a rental or a house being sold, and must show the work can be done to code.
• Plumbing: the plumbing permit lists every fixture and lateral and needs a master plumber’s credential number; water and sewer laterals use the separate public works permit.
• HVAC: the HVAC form covers furnaces, boilers, air conditioning, chimney liners and solid-fuel appliances, at $50 per new or replacement appliance; HVAC businesses register with DSPS.
• General contractor: the building form asks for the builder’s dwelling contractor number and qualifier number, the state credentials a builder of one- and two-family homes must hold; an owner who lives or will live in the home and applies for the permit is exempt.

How to apply for a Hobart building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

New one- and two-family homes can take up to 10 working days to review, and missing checklist items hold up both plan approval and the permit. Smaller jobs filed by mail or email take longer than a counter visit, because the permit has to reach the site before work starts. Any money owed to the village, unpaid fees from earlier permits included, blocks issue until it is paid.

Inspections and occupancy in Hobart

Village staff inspect the work under each permit, and inspection requests go to the department at (920) 869-3809. A new home is checked at the Uniform Dwelling Code stages, from footings through rough framing and trades to insulation and the final, and the final inspection report or occupancy permit closes the job. The electrical service inspection permit is completed and signed by the department before the service is energized. Re-inspections cost $50 and a special inspection or report $100.

Construction sites for new homes must have a toilet and a dumpster for debris, and the village asks builders for a $1,000 deposit against damage to roads and ditches. That deposit comes back once the occupancy permit or final inspection report is done within two years of the permit, as long as village property has not been damaged.

Wisconsin building code in Hobart

Hobart enforces the Uniform Dwelling Code on new homes under its own delegation and keeps its local rules in Chapter 121 (building and construction) and Chapter 295 (zoning) of the village code, published on eCode360. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Village of Hobart (community 550626) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective March 17, 2014.

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

Hobart permit search and official resources

The village posts monthly building permit reports on its website (the latest one posted is January 2025). For a specific permit file, use the village’s Open Records Request Form during office hours; the village asks for at least 10 days to research a request, may require prepayment of costs over $5, and charges $0.50 per copied page.

• Planning & Code Compliance department
• Resolution 2026-05 fee schedule
• Hobart forms and permit applications
• Building permit application
• Electrical permit application
• Plumbing permit application
• HVAC permit application
• New one- and two-family home permit guide
• Plan submittal checklist
• Decks and patios brochure
• Garages and accessory buildings brochure
• Zoning, CUP, CSM and planned development application
• Monthly permit reports
• Open records request form
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Hobart building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit for a fence in Hobart?

Yes. Any new or replacement fence needs a building permit ($50 plus $30 in add-ons); hedges do not, but they follow the same placement rules.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$0.20 per square foot of finished space and $0.15 for unfinished areas, plus $950 in fixed and park fees for a single-family home under Resolution 2026-05.

Do I need a permit to replace my deck?

Yes. The village requires a permit to build, replace or alter any deck or patio; a deck costs $40 plus $0.25 per square foot, plus $50 in add-ons.

Can I wire my own house?

An owner may do electrical work in a single-family home he or she owns and occupies, not in a rental or a house for sale, and still needs the permit.

How long does new-home review take?

Up to 10 working days once complete plans and forms are in, according to the village’s new-home guide.

Who handles septic permits for a Hobart lot?

Brown County’s zoning division issues sanitary permits for private systems; the village asks for a copy with the house plans.

What happens if I start without a permit?

The village issues a stop-work order, and every permit fee doubles when the permit is taken out late.

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