Holmen, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Holmen is a village with its own state delegation for one- and two-family dwellings. Village Hall, at 421 South Main Street (608-526-4336), issues the permits, and the village contracts with General Engineering Company (GEC) for plan review and inspections. Since November 2025 contractors and homeowners can apply online through GEC’s permit form. Under the 2026 fee schedule a new home pays $0.33 per square foot (minimum $847, mechanicals included) plus a $5,275 impact fee, and work started without a permit pays double inspection fees.

What requires a building permit in Holmen?

The village’s Building & Inspections page puts it broadly: permits and fees are required for most building-related activities, and some projects have their own processes, so the village asks residents to contact it before starting. Its 2026 fee schedules show the permits it issues.

What the village decides and what the state holds

Chapter 29 of the village code, Building Construction, adopts the Wisconsin Uniform Building Code (article adopted March 13, 1980) and the state Uniform Dwelling Code (article adopted May 24, 1988), creates a certified Village Building Inspector, requires a state uniform building permit for every new one- or two-family dwelling, and leaves the fees to the Village Board. The village writes its own zoning (Chapter 195), floodplain zoning (Chapter 71), erosion control and stormwater management (Chapter 56), impact fees (Chapter 76) and land division (Chapter 90) rules.

Chapter 56, rewritten in full by Ordinance 5-2024 on June 13, 2024, sets when a separate erosion control permit is needed: land disturbance over 4,000 square feet, disturbance on slopes steeper than 12%, excavation or fill of more than 400 cubic yards, work on more than 100 feet of a ditch or drainage channel, new roads or access drives longer than 125 feet, and any subdivision plat. A stormwater control permit follows once a site adds 20,000 square feet of impervious surface, needs a plat, or is a commercial or industrial certified survey map. One- and two-family homes are regulated for erosion through their UDC building permits instead, but landscaping, driveways, parking areas and sidewalks remain subject to the chapter, and no zoning permit may be issued until any required erosion and stormwater permit is in place. Sites up to 20,000 square feet with slopes of no more than 6% may use the simplified erosion control checklist.

Holmen building department: who handles permitting

Permits are issued from Village Hall, and General Engineering Company provides the building inspection services under contract: the GEC inspector reviews each application, accepts it or asks for more information, completes the detailed review and schedules inspections. The village’s contact list marks its GEC building inspector as handling residential permits; the commercial packet starts from state-approved plans. Zoning questions go to the village’s zoning coordinator.

Holmen appears on the state’s Uniform Dwelling Code delegation list (current as of September 24, 2026) as a delegated village, so a new home here is permitted and inspected through the village rather than by a state-appointed inspector. The village describes itself as having about 13,000 residents and adopted its 2025–2045 Comprehensive Plan in 2025; the adopted plan is dated October 9, 2025.

Holmen permit types and application documents

GEC’s online permit application asks only for the information relevant to the permit type, and lets applicants upload documents at any time. Starting an application sends an email with a link to return later; a second email confirms it was submitted, and without that second email the application is still a draft. The village also posts paper packets for one- and two-family homes and for commercial, industrial and multi-family buildings, and a general building permit application for smaller projects.

Residential permits

For a new home, the village’s procedure asks for two full sets of plans drawn to scale, with floor plans for every floor showing rooms and their uses, doors, windows, stairs, plumbing fixtures, heating and cooling equipment and braced wall lines, and elevations showing exterior materials, grade, footings and foundation walls. Alongside them go the application with all credentials, an energy compliance document, a plumbing and sewer permit signed by the master plumber with a license number, an erosion control plan, an elevation and drainage plan, a street opening permit, the building permit addendum on new construction and easements and a wall bracing worksheet if bracing is not on the plans. The online application adds heat calculations for a new home. Homeowners applying for a UDC permit sign the cautionary statement, and all of the permit requirements then apply to the homeowner.

Commercial permits

Commercial, industrial and multi-family projects submit one full set of state-approved plans with the application and credentials, an erosion control and storm water permit, a plumbing and sewer hook-up permit, a driveway, sidewalk, alley or utility construction permit and the building permit addendum. A contractor new to the village also provides a contractor information packet and plumbing pipe tracer information.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. Site plan review ($200), rezonings, conditional uses and Board of Appeals cases ($500 each, including publication).
• Land division. Certified survey maps ($100 plus $10 per lot) and plats ($300 plus $10 per lot; final plat $500).
• Floodplain. Development in mapped floodplain falls under Chapter 71.
• Utilities and streets. Street opening, sidewalk and driveway permits and the sewer hook-up.
• Erosion control. An erosion control plan with every new home and a storm water permit.

Holmen building permit costs and fees

The village publishes a 2026 Residential Building & Inspection Fee Schedule and a 2026 Commercial/Industrial schedule, both effective January 1, 2026, plus a village-wide fee schedule. All work started without first getting a building permit is charged double inspection fees.

The impact fee is the sum of seven parts: $2,122 for sewage collection and treatment, $1,071 for water, $723 for roads and traffic control, $717 for parks, $250 for law enforcement, $227 for the library and $165 for fire and EMS. As a worked example from the starred list of required new-home fees, a house measuring 3,000 square feet across living area, basement, garage and decks pays $990 in inspection fees (3,000 × $0.33, above the $847 minimum) and $6,833 in all with the impact fee, plan review, erosion control, occupancy certificate, state seal, storm water and street opening fees. The fee sheet also stars the $97.82 unmetered service permit, which the new-home packet lists as optional.

Commercial buildings pay $0.20 per square foot new or added and $0.15 for alterations (public buildings $0.075 and $0.05), townhomes and condos $600 per unit, apartments $400 per unit, and commercial impact fees of $7,465 per acre of impervious area plus sewer and water charges by meter size. A footings-only permit for a commercial or industrial building is $250, an excavation and erosion control permit $75 up to 5 acres and $150 above, a site plan (SPAR) building modification $200 and a commercial solar installation $200. Manufactured and HUD homes pay $424 plus $0.33 per square foot, with the same $94 plan review as a site-built home.

Trade permits and who may pull them

On a new home the trade inspections are included in the $0.33 per square foot fee. For other work the 2026 schedule charges $171 for an electrical inspection (including a service upgrade, new panel or temporary service) and $116 for an HVAC or plumbing inspection, or $55 where only administration and no inspection is needed.

• Plumbing. The plumbing and sewer permit for a new home must be signed by the master plumber, with a license number.
• Builders. A contractor building a one- or two-family home needs a state Dwelling Contractor certification and a certified Dwelling Contractor Qualifier; the permit application asks for all credentials.
• Owners. A homeowner taking out a UDC permit signs the cautionary statement, and every requirement then applies to the homeowner.
• Fire protection. Residential fire sprinkler or alarm systems are $0.03 per square foot, with a $275 minimum.

How to apply for a Holmen building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

One easy trap is an online application left in draft: if the confirmation email never arrives, something required is still unchecked, and the link in the first email reopens it. After the inspector accepts the application, the detailed review can raise further questions. Payment is by check, mailed or left in the drop box outside Village Hall, and the building page also links an online permit payment service. No work may begin until the approved permit card is issued. For larger sites, Chapter 56 lets an applicant ask for a preliminary review letter before filing the erosion or stormwater permit; the letter lists what the application will need but does not guarantee approval.

Inspections in Holmen

Inspections are scheduled with the GEC building inspector, and GEC also takes general building inspection questions. A new home’s fee covers its mechanical inspections, and it closes with a $94 occupancy certificate. Re-inspections for corrective work that was ordered are billed at $95 an hour.

A preliminary inspection before a structure is relocated is $319. The village posts the Wisconsin deck code, Appendix B of the Uniform Dwelling Code, alongside its permit forms for anyone drawing deck plans.

Wisconsin building code

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Holmen (community 550219) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current effective flood map dated January 6, 2012.

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

Holmen permit search and official resources

For a permit record, call Village Hall at 608-526-4336 or visit 421 South Main Street with the address. The village code is searchable chapter by chapter on the village site, and the village fee schedule page keeps every year from 2021 to 2026.

• Holmen Building & Inspections
• GEC online building permit application
• How the online application works (November 2025)
• 2026 residential building and inspection fees
• 2026 commercial, industrial and multi-family fees
• 2026 village fee schedule
• One- and two-family home construction packet
• Commercial, industrial and multi-family construction packet
• General building permit application
• Planning & Zoning
• Chapter 29 Building Construction
• Chapter 56 Erosion Control & Stormwater Management
• Holmen Code of Ordinances
• DSPS list of UDC delegated agents
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Holmen building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Holmen?

The Village of Holmen, with plan review and inspections by its contracted firm, General Engineering Company.

Can I apply online?

Yes. Since November 2025, contractors and homeowners can apply through GEC’s online permit application.

How much does a new house permit cost?

$0.33 per square foot (minimum $847, mechanicals included) plus required fees including the $5,275 impact fee; a 3,000-square-foot home comes to about $6,833.

Do I need a permit for a deck or shed?

Yes. A deck is $0.66 per square foot (minimum $193); a prebuilt shed is $55.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes, a $150 fence permit under the village fee schedule, which notes the fence fee update approved on May 13, 2021.

Can a homeowner pull the permit?

Yes, after signing the cautionary statement, which makes every requirement apply to the homeowner.

What if I start without a permit?

Both 2026 fee schedules double the inspection fees for any work started before a building permit was obtained.

Who handles zoning in Holmen?

The village, under its own zoning (Chapter 195), floodplain (Chapter 71) and land division (Chapter 90) ordinances; the zoning coordinator is at 608-526-6304.

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