Marshfield, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In the City of Marshfield, which lies in both Wood and Marathon counties, the Permits and Inspections division of Development Services inspects new and existing buildings and their plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems (715-486-2016). Permits are applied for, paid for and searched on the city’s Evolve online portal, which also books inspections. Under the 2026 fee schedule adopted as Exhibit A to Resolution 2025-39 and effective January 1, 2026, a new one- or two-family home is $0.30 per square foot, a single fee that covers plan review and the building, electrical, HVAC and interior plumbing permits, plus $100 per unit for the sanitary sewer connection.

What requires a building permit in Marshfield?

The 2026 fee schedule and the division’s information sheets show what the city permits. Every residential shed or garage needs a permit, whatever its size, while small exterior repairs do not.

Reroofing is billed as part of the $50 residential exterior alteration fee rather than as a separate permit type. A change of use or occupancy, such as a retail store becoming a restaurant, needs its own permit so the zoning administrator and building inspector can check the new use before money is spent.

What Marshfield decides and what the state holds

DSPS lists the city as delegated for the state dwelling code on new one- and two-family homes (list current as of 9/24/2026). For commercial work it holds a special plan review delegation with E-Plan Exam as reviewer, commercial plumbing review through E-Plan Exam, fire suppression and fire alarm plan review, inspection authority for commercial buildings of all sizes, and commercial electrical inspection. The city writes its own zoning, sign, subdivision, shoreland-wetland and floodplain chapters and sets its fees by council resolution.

Marshfield building department: who handles permitting

Development Services runs planning, zoning, economic development and the Permits and Inspections division from City Hall. Building inspectors handle plan review, permits and inspections for all trades; the Zoning Administrator reviews land use, fences, accessory structures and changes of use; Engineering issues driveway, curb, culvert, right-of-way and stormwater permits.

Marshfield permit types

The Evolve portal handles permit applications, planning applications and property information requests, and shows projects under review or needing revisions. The Resources and Information page holds the city’s handouts, checklists and compliance statements.

Residential permits

• New homes: the city’s residential development clearance review lists the sign-offs a new home needs: zoning verifies the land use; Engineering activates the address and reviews stormwater (a plan and permit at one acre of disturbance), right-of-way work, curb breaks, sanitary sewer availability, storm sewer connections and the driveway culvert; Development Services reviews the building plans and an erosion control plan for sites under an acre.
• Accessory buildings: two are allowed per dwelling unit, with attached garages not counted toward that number. A single-family lot may have 1,500 square feet in total, attached and detached accessory buildings combined, if the house’s first floor exceeds 1,200 square feet, otherwise 1,200; detached buildings sit 3 feet from a side line and 5 feet from the rear, no taller than the house or 20 feet, and never between the house and the street. The Plan Commission can allow more as a conditional use.
• Fences: up to 4 feet in a front yard and 6 feet at the side and rear, no closer than 3 feet to an alley or street right of way or to utility equipment; no chain link in a front yard.
• Decks: the city’s deck sheets walk through the state deck rules and the Appendix B and C tables.

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

Commercial permits

The Building Plan Submittal Guideline lists what a commercial package needs, from design loads and site plans to footing, foundation and energy calculations; a footing and foundation package may be submitted on its own first. After conditional approval the applicant prints the job-site and local permit sets. Separate checklists cover non-residential building, plumbing, electrical, and fire suppression and alarm plan review, with lighting, HVAC and kitchen hood submittal guidelines. A change of use or occupancy permit ($50) is reviewed by both the zoning administrator and the commercial building inspector.

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

• Plan Commission: conditional use permits, code amendments and rezonings are $300 each; planned unit developments $500 per stage; campus master plans $500.
• Board of Appeals: variances and appeals are $250.
• Shoreland and floodplain: the zoning division administers the shoreland-wetland chapter (Chapter 20) and the floodplain chapter (Chapter 26).
• Land division: preliminary and final plats $250 each, certified survey maps $80, and parkland dedication fees of $200 per single- or two-family unit and $150 per multifamily unit.
• Driveways and culverts: a curb cut is $50; driveway reconstruction $25, or $75 with line-and-grade staking; culverts $50 plus actual cost, with the city supplying the culvert and the owner paving the drive. New driveway permits are not needed when the drive is part of a new home or new non-residential building permit.
• Stormwater: erosion control under one acre is $40; larger sites need a stormwater management plan, priced per site and per acre or lot, capped at $500.

Marshfield building permit fees

Fees come from the City of Marshfield 2026 Fee Schedule, adopted as Exhibit A to Resolution No. 2025-39 and effective January 1, 2026. Fees are paid before any permit is issued.

Worked example from the schedule: a new single-family home of 2,000 square feet costs $600 at $0.30 per square foot plus the $100 sewer connection fee, or $700, which already includes plan review and the building, electrical, HVAC and interior plumbing permits. Erosion control for a lot under an acre adds $40, for $740; new sanitary and water service laterals are priced separately at $50 each.

• Non-residential alterations: $5 per $1,000 up to $100,000 plus $1.50 per $1,000 above, or $0.18 per square foot where that is less.
• Non-residential electrical: by square foot and occupancy group, from $0.04 for storage and utility buildings to $0.07 for assembly, business, educational, factory, institutional and mercantile space, $75 minimum.
• City plan review: $0.04 per square foot for new non-residential buildings under 50,000 cubic feet, $0.02 for alterations, and $100 each for electrical, fire alarm and fire suppression plans.
• Razing and relocation: razing is $50 for accessory structures and $100 for houses and other buildings; relocating a principal building is $200 plus a bond and insurance.
• Signs and towers: a sign face change is $25, a master sign permit $150 plus $50 per sign, and a new communication tower or substantial modification $3,000, including building and electric permits.
• Right of way: utility construction or excavation in the public right of way is $55 plus actual costs for a single location, and overweight permits for vehicles over 10,000 pounds off the heavy truck routes start at $10 a day.
• Zoning letters: a zoning verification letter is $40.
• No permit: starting without a permit adds $100 or doubles the fee, whichever is more; emergency work is exempt if the permit is taken out within 48 hours.

Trade permits and who may pull them

For a new house the trade work is folded into the single square-foot fee; for other jobs, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits are issued separately by the same division, and the inspectors check all three systems.

• Electrical: a homeowner must apply for an electrical permit regardless of cost, and all service work must be done by a licensed electrical contractor. Service work is $50 to re-energize, repair or reconnect and $65 for upgrades, temporary service and generators; solar installations are $100.
• Plumbing: $10 per fixture, $50 per sewer, storm or water service job, $70 to replace a combined sewer and water service, and $50 for a grease interceptor or to cap or abandon a service or well.
• HVAC: residential replacements are $50 per unit or $65 for a combination; the $50 remodel fee applies when the work is over $500.
• Gas piping: the city posts an affidavit of gas pipe testing with its forms.
• Commercial plumbing plans: E-Plan Exam reviews them for the city, with city fees of $100 for interior or exterior plans and $200 combined.

How to apply for a Marshfield building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The portal shows when a project is under review or needs revisions. The city’s sheets list what a site plan must show: a north arrow, road name and address, lot lines and right of way, utility meters, easements and setbacks to every line and building. For erosion control, the city says incomplete plans may delay the project.

Inspections in Marshfield

Inspections are requested through the Evolve portal, which also lists scheduled and completed inspections, or by calling Development Services at 715-486-2016.

• Erosion control: controls must be in place before construction, inspected and maintained after every half-inch rain, and are checked on site by Development Services against DNR standards and the state dwelling code.
• Failed inspections: a re-inspection may cost $50.
• Commercial: commercial buildings of any size are inspected by the city under its DSPS inspection delegation, including HVAC, fire suppression and fire alarm work.
• Dig safely: the city’s sheets remind applicants to call Diggers Hotline at 1-800-242-8511 before groundwork.

Wisconsin building code in Marshfield

Marshfield enforces the state dwelling code on new homes under its DSPS delegation and the state commercial code through its special plan review and inspection delegations. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Marshfield (community 550515, in Marathon and Wood counties) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with no special flood hazard area mapped on its current effective map.

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

Marshfield permit search and official resources

The Evolve portal has a permit search and a project search. For older records, the Clerk’s Office takes open records requests and an online property information request; call 715-486-2000 with questions.

• Marshfield Permits and Inspections
• Evolve online permits, inspections and permit search
• 2026 fee schedule (Resolution 2025-39)
• Permit resources and information sheets
• Residential accessory structure information
• Fence information
• Residential development clearance review
• Building plan submittal guideline
• Zoning division
• Public records requests
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• DSPS commercial building plan review delegated agents
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Marshfield building permit FAQs

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

$0.30 per square foot, which covers plan review and the building, electrical, HVAC and interior plumbing permits, plus $100 per unit for the sewer connection.

Do I need a permit for a small shed?

Yes. All residential sheds and garages need a permit; one of 299 square feet or less is $50.

Do I need a permit to reroof?

Reroofing falls under the $50 residential exterior alteration permit. Repairing or replacing less than 50% of the exterior envelope’s features needs no exterior permit.

Does a fence need a permit?

Yes, unless it is under 36 inches, decorative, around a garden or a pet kennel; the fee is $50.

Can a homeowner do electrical work?

A homeowner must still apply for an electrical permit regardless of cost, and service work must be done by a licensed electrical contractor.

What happens if I build without a permit?

You pay an added $100 or double the permit fee, whichever is more; emergency work must be permitted within 48 hours.

Is Marshfield in a flood zone?

FEMA shows no special flood hazard area mapped for the city, though the city still administers floodplain and shoreland-wetland chapters in its code.

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