Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In the Village of Menomonee Falls, building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits are issued by the Engineering and Development Department at Village Hall, W156 N8480 Pilgrim Road (262-532-4400), and inspected by SAFEbuilt, the village’s inspection contractor since 1985 (scheduling 262-532-4282). DSPS lists the village as a delegated Uniform Dwelling Code municipality, and it reviews commercial plans of any size. A new house is charged $0.35 per square foot of living, basement and garage area under section 42-18 of the municipal code, plus impact fees for parks, fire, police, water and sewer.

What requires a building permit in Menomonee Falls?

The village’s permit list and its inspection requirements show the work that needs a permit, from new homes to a dishwasher hookup. Building permits issued under the Uniform Dwelling Code are good for two years; other building, electrical and plumbing permits expire after one year.

In single-family districts a fence up to 4½ feet tall needs no permit in a street, side or rear yard; a taller fence, up to the 6-foot maximum, needs a zoning permit and must meet the street setback for its district. Starting work before the permit is issued doubles the fee.

What Menomonee Falls decides and what the state holds

Permit fees, impact fees, erosion control and zoning are set in the village’s municipal code: section 42-18 for permit fees, section 42-145 for impact fees, sections 38-111 to 38-120 for erosion control, and Chapter 122 sections for fences and driveway approaches. The village adds its own construction details, such as a soil analysis for every new one- or two-family home unless the foundation is backfilled with 6 feet of stone, and grade-beam slab rules for detached accessory buildings over 200 square feet. The state codes govern construction, and the village reviews commercial plans on the state’s behalf.

Menomonee Falls building department: who handles permitting

The Engineering and Development Department handles building permitting, and the Building Inspection Division, with one full-time staff member, schedules inspections and answers questions. Inspections are performed by SAFEbuilt LLC, formerly Independent Inspections, Ltd., which the village has contracted since 1985. DSPS’s list of Uniform Dwelling Code agents, current as of September 24, 2026, shows the Village of Menomonee Falls as delegated, with a SafeBuilt inspector as its municipal inspector.

The village calls itself a delegated municipality that can review commercial building, HVAC, plumbing and fire plans of any size on the state’s behalf; DSPS’s October 19, 2026 lists record a special delegation for commercial building and HVAC plan review and also list the village for commercial plumbing plan review and commercial building and electrical inspections.

Menomonee Falls permit types

The village asks applicants to use the BS&A Online permit portal, where online payments carry a convenience fee. Applicants can instead fill in the PDF application and mail it with a check, but those permits are not processed until the check arrives. Building, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, erosion control and new home applications go to Engineering and Development; deck, fence, shed, remodel, pool, generator and demolition applications are listed under Building Inspection.

Residential permits

• New homes. The online residential new construction application needs the builder’s Dwelling Contractor certification and Qualifier numbers and expiration dates, mechanical subcontractor details, a scaled digital plan set (one set approved by the developer in a subdivision), the stamped original survey, a survey showing erosion control, a signed energy analysis with heat calculations, and a sanitary permit if one is required. Decks and patios must appear on the survey and plans.
• Erosion control first. Silt fencing must be installed and inspected before the building permit is issued.
• Sheds. A survey showing the building, and two sets of construction plans if it is over 200 square feet; allow 7 to 10 business days. Lots on a private sewage system first need a Preliminary Site Evaluation from Waukesha County.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial plan reviews are electronic only, with the plans and the state application (SBD-118 for building, SBD-6154 for plumbing), and are not complete until every required document is in. Applicants choose one of three review routes, E-Plan Exam, SAFEbuilt or the state, and each submittal carries a $100 plan entry fee. After approval, the village needs one full-size paper set stamped conditionally approved, and the building, electrical, fire, HVAC and plumbing permits are then applied for on the portal, by mail or in person. A footing and foundation permit before the full permit is $500 for multifamily, commercial and industrial buildings; one- and two-family homes may not start until the building permit is issued.

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. Confirm size and setbacks with the Zoning Department; conditional uses, rezonings, certified survey maps, subdivisions and yard, height, lighting or parking adjustments are Planning and Zoning applications, and variances go to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
• Impact fees. Commercial and industrial projects file the impact fee calculation form with their expected water and sewer use.
• Driveways. Engineering issues driveway approach and curb cut permits at $20 each, plus $20 for a drain tile discharge or curb connection, and charges $100 per paved area cut in the right-of-way.

Menomonee Falls permit costs and fees

Permit fees are set in section 42-18 of the municipal code and posted on the village’s fee pages. The minimum building permit fee is $65 for residential work and $100 for non-residential work, and the minimum electrical or plumbing permit is $60.

Impact fees. The village’s 2026 impact fee calculation form charges, per dwelling unit with three or more bedrooms, $4,646 for parks, $1,704 for fire and $4,084 for police (smaller units pay less), plus water impact fees of $3,013 and sewer impact fees of $2,175 per residential equivalent connection, which the form defines as 214 gallons a day. The 2025 New Housing Fee Report, posted November 4, 2026, lists the lower 2025 amounts, including $4,511 for parks and the then-new $3,965 police fee. That report counted 208 new dwelling units approved in 2025.

A new house also pays the erosion control permit fee under section 42-38(c) ($120 for a one- or two-family lot in the 2025 report) and, where it applies, a planned residential development fee. Commercial occupancy permits are $180 for a new building and $175 to occupy existing space.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The village issues electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits, and SAFEbuilt inspects them. Contractors who build or alter one- and two-family homes must hold the state Dwelling Contractor certification and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, and the village’s procedures say heating and ventilating equipment needs a separate HVAC permit obtained by an appropriately licensed contractor. At a new home the plumber may not turn on the water; the water utility does that after the meter plumbing is inspected.

• Electrical: services up to 200 amps are $50, plus $10 for each 100 amps above that; a temporary service is $100, generators $1 per kilowatt, and pool or spa wiring $50 above ground or $75 in ground.
• Plumbing: $12 per fixture; building sewers and water services are $55 for the first 100 feet plus $0.35 a foot after that, and laterals over 300 feet need a meter pit. A private well or pump is $50 and a well abandonment $100.
• HVAC: $60 per heating unit and $55 per air conditioner up to three tons, ductwork $1.68 per 100 square feet of conditioned area, and fireplaces and stoves $50 each.
• Gas piping: the building schedule lists $50 per fixture and the plumbing schedule $12 per fixture; ask which applies to your job.

How to apply for a Menomonee Falls building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Mailed applications wait until the check arrives, a new home permit waits until erosion control passes inspection, and incomplete commercial submittals are not reviewed. Shed permits take 7 to 10 business days once everything is in. Special-request inspections outside regular hours carry an additional fee; the fee schedule lists special inspection requests at $150 an hour.

Inspections and occupancy in Menomonee Falls

Call 262-532-4282 at least 24 hours ahead; the general contractor should call in every inspection, and on residential jobs with several permits all rough and final inspections are done together. A new home is inspected for erosion control, footings (with the pink footing recertification slip on site), foundation before backfill, rough electrical and service, rough plumbing, rough building and HVAC after the electrical and plumbing roughs pass, insulation, outside sewer and water, the building drain, drain tile and basement floor, and the water meter connection. An OSHA-approved ladder must be on site for basement access.

The occupancy inspection covers the final building, electrical and plumbing inspections, and the home may not be occupied until all finals are complete and the occupancy permit is issued. Sheds under 200 square feet are only checked for setbacks; larger ones get slab and final inspections. A failed inspection costs $75. New homes, decks built without diamond piers, additions, commercial buildings and any project that insulates walls get three or more inspections; foundation repairs, wiring, plumbing, ductwork and most interior remodels get rough and final inspections; and a furnace or air conditioner swap, sump pump, generator, service upgrade, radon fan or dishwasher gets a final only. For bedrooms the inspection page notes an 8% natural light requirement and posts an egress window diagram.

Wisconsin building code in Menomonee Falls

Menomonee Falls enforces the state codes through its municipal code as a DSPS-delegated UDC municipality. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Menomonee Falls (community 550483, Waukesha County) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective October 19, 2023.

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

Menomonee Falls permit search and official resources

Permits filed on BS&A Online can be looked up there; for older records, plans or inspection results, email building@menomoneefalls.gov or call 262-532-4400. Special reports and letters are prepared at $150 an hour.

• Menomonee Falls Building Inspection
• Licenses, permits and applications
• Building permit fees
• Electrical permit fees
• Plumbing permit fees
• Impact fees
• Impact fee calculation form, 2026
• New Housing Fee Report
• New one- and two-family construction
• Inspection requirements
• Single-family construction procedures
• Fences
• Accessory buildings and sheds
• Commercial plan reviews
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• DSPS commercial plan review delegated agents
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Menomonee Falls building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in Menomonee Falls?

$0.35 per square foot of living, basement and garage area, plus $225 plan review, the $50 state seal, $60 occupancy, address tiles, erosion control and a $1,000 refundable deposit, before trade permits and impact fees.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Not for a fence up to 4½ feet in a single-family district; a taller fence, up to 6 feet, needs a zoning permit.

Who does the inspections?

SAFEbuilt, under contract with the village since 1985; book through 262-532-4282 with 24 hours’ notice.

Can I mail my application?

Yes. Mail the PDF application with a check; it is processed once the check arrives. The online portal is preferred.

Does a shed need a permit?

Yes. Sheds are $0.32 per square foot with a $65 minimum plus $50 plan review, and take 7 to 10 business days.

Can the village review my commercial plans?

Yes, for building, HVAC, plumbing and fire plans of any size, through E-Plan Exam, SAFEbuilt or the state, with electronic submittals only.

Who handles septic systems?

Waukesha County; lots with a private sewage system need the county’s Preliminary Site Evaluation before some village permits.

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