Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In the Village of Mount Pleasant, permits come from the Building Inspection department at Village Hall, 8811 Campus Drive, led by Chief Building Inspector Leonard Hannula (262-664-7825). The department reviews plans and inspects all residential projects and inspects commercial building, HVAC and electrical work; residential applications are filed online only, through the village’s BS&A permitting system. The posted Building and HVAC fee schedule, effective November 8, 2021, charges $0.40 per square foot for a new home plus a $250 plan review.

What requires a building permit in Mount Pleasant?

The village sorts its permit packets by project, and each packet has its own application and fee line. Together they show the range of work Building Inspection permits; anything not listed is priced at $11 per $1,000 of value, so ask before assuming a job is exempt.

The village also posts its own pool and hot tub ordinance (2021) and fence regulations from zoning section 90-400, so pools and fences carry local siting rules on top of the permit. Accessory buildings up to 180 square feet have a flat $60 permit, and anything larger is charged by area.

What the village decides and what the state holds

The village enforces the state Uniform Dwelling Code for houses and works alongside the state on commercial buildings: its inspectors do the on-site building, HVAC and electrical inspections for commercial and industrial projects together with the State Commercial Building Inspector assigned to Racine County. Section 14-41 of the municipal code adopts the state electrical code (SPS 316) and sets the local licensing rule. The village sets its own fees, erosion control charges, impact fees and utility connection fees, and its Planning Office administers the zoning chapter and the 2035 Comprehensive Master Plan.

Mount Pleasant building department: who handles permitting

Building Inspection issues building, HVAC and electrical permits and handles residential plumbing inspections, which are booked by email; commercial plumbing has its own reviewer and inspector. DSPS’s list of UDC delegated agents, current as of September 24, 2026, shows the Village of Mount Pleasant as delegated for new one- and two-family dwellings. Racine County does not issue building permits in the village; its role is the sanitary permit for a property that needs a mound or septic system.

Mount Pleasant permit types

The village’s permitting system is built by BS&A Software. Applicants create a free BS&A account, apply online and request inspections there; the village posts a walkthrough and a help guide. The residential requirements sheet for 2026 says to apply online only and to send plans as a PDF, file-share link or flash drive.

Residential permits

• New one- and two-family homes. The village procedure (updated August 5, 2024) has 18 items: the online village application (the inspector calculates the fees), the state’s online UDC permit, a scaled PDF house plan (a quarter inch per foot preferred), a wall bracing plan, engineer-stamped truss plans before the rough inspection, REScheck or equivalent heat loss calculations, a plat of survey by a Wisconsin registered land surveyor, an erosion control plan, the signed grading and drainage acknowledgement and, where there is a public sidewalk, the sidewalk agreement. An as-built foundation re-certification is due before backfilling.
• Additions and alterations. PDF plans plus a plat of survey or measured drawing showing distances to lot lines and other buildings, measured from any roof overhang; additions of 500 square feet or more need a signed and sealed plat of survey. Engineering may ask for a grading and drainage plan.
• Owner-pulled permits. A homeowner applying for a building permit without the state Dwelling Contractor Qualifier and contractor credentials must sign the village’s Cautionary Statement.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial, industrial and multifamily building and HVAC plans go to the E-Plan Exam plan review service first; only very minor alterations may skip it. Plumbing plans need DSPS state review where applicable and a PDF copy for the village’s plumbing reviewer, and sprinkler and fire alarm plans must be approved by the South Shore Fire Department before a building permit is issued. New buildings and additions also need civil plans approved by the Village Engineer and a site plan approved by Planning and Zoning. Permits are then applied for online.

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. Planning reviews site plans, land divisions, rezonings, conditional uses, variances and zoning compliance permits. Applications follow the development review schedule: Plan Commission at 1 p.m., Board of Appeals at 5:30 p.m. and the Village Board public hearing at 6 p.m., with submittal deadlines about five weeks earlier (December 16, 2025 for the January 21, 2026 meetings).
• Grading. On a lot outside a subdivision with an approved master grading plan, an engineer-sealed grading and drainage plan must be approved by the Village Engineer before the building permit.
• Land division. A lot split from a larger parcel needs an approved and recorded certified survey map.
• Access. A state or county highway access permit for a driveway on a state highway or county road; a road opening permit for a connection to a village street; a culvert permit where a culvert is needed, with culverts placed by Public Works.
• Septic. A Racine County sanitary permit where a mound or septic system is needed.

Mount Pleasant permit costs and fees

The building and HVAC fees below are from the village’s posted fee schedule, effective November 8, 2021 and still the schedule linked from the Applications & Permits page; plumbing fees come from the plumbing permit fee schedule dated January 1, 2020. Square footage for new homes is measured to exterior dimensions, including attached garages and each finished floor; unfinished basements are left out. All fees round up to the next dollar.

Worked example from the 2021 schedule: a new house with 2,400 square feet of gross area pays 2,400 × $0.40 = $960, plus the $250 plan review, $200 erosion control and $60 occupancy fee, $1,470 before the $30 seal charge plus the state fee and the trade permits. A sewered single-family home also pays the plumbing schedule’s $3,200 sanitary sewer connection fee, $200 for a one-inch water connection and the $500 water REC fee, plus $25 for the first plumbing fixture and $10 for each additional one.

Commercial projects add impact fees for parks, storm water, law enforcement, fire and transportation, calculated by village staff for new buildings and additions, plus the REC water usage fee worked out with the City of Racine Water Department and sewer and water connection fees. Fees charged to the village by other governments for plan or permit review are passed on at application.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Building Inspection issues the HVAC and electrical permits for homes and businesses and inspects that work itself. Plumbing permits use the village plumbing application; residential plumbing inspections are scheduled by emailing Building Inspection, and commercial plumbing goes through the village’s commercial plumbing reviewer and inspector.

• Electrical: under section 14-41 no one may be in the business of installing, repairing or maintaining wiring without a state electrical contractor license or certification, and electricians must hold a state license or registration. A residential owner may wire premises they own and occupy as a residence without a license, but a new house cannot count as owner-occupied until its final inspections are passed and occupancy is allowed. Separate application forms exist for contractors, homeowners and low-voltage work. The contractor form’s fee table, marked effective November 2021, charges $0.10 per square foot of living area for a new one- or two-family home (unfinished basements and attached garages excluded) plus $100 for the service, with a $60 minimum and a $30 re-inspection fee.
• HVAC: per-unit fees for furnaces, fireplaces, solid-fuel appliances and air conditioners, an area-based ductwork fee and a $60 gas piping permit for underground or major gas work. The village posts an HVAC contractor memo with its HVAC forms.
• Plumbing: priced per fixture and by lateral length, with sewer, water and REC connection fees on new services.
• Fire protection: sprinkler and alarm plans go to the South Shore Fire Department (262-995-1212).

For a new house, contractors must hold the state Dwelling Contractor certification and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier; an owner without them signs the Cautionary Statement.

How to apply for a Mount Pleasant building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The building staff take calls and counter visits only from 8 to 10 a.m. and 1 to 2 p.m., with the rest of the day set aside for inspections, so email is the practical way to send corrections. For a new house the engineer-approved grading plan, a recorded CSM where a lot is split and, where needed, the county sanitary permit are all part of the required package. Commercial permits follow the E-Plan Exam review, the fire department’s sprinkler and alarm approval, the Village Engineer’s civil approval and the site plan.

Inspections and occupancy in Mount Pleasant

Inspections run Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. (summer Fridays 10 to 11:30 a.m.). They are requested through the BS&A online inspection request or, for residential plumbing, by email to Building Inspection. For a new home the village requires an as-built foundation re-certification from the surveyor before backfill, and the engineer-stamped truss plans before the rough inspection.

• Failure to call for a required inspection: $100 per occurrence
• Work not ready at the scheduled time: $100 per occurrence
• Re-inspection: $60 for building and HVAC, $30 for plumbing
• Special inspections and reports: $150

An occupancy permit is required for new, remodeled or altered space: $60 per dwelling unit, $200 for a commercial building, and $60 each for pools, spas and accessory structures or decks over 180 square feet. Permits can be extended for one-twenty-fourth of the original fee per month of extension.

Wisconsin building code in Mount Pleasant

Mount Pleasant enforces the state codes as the delegated UDC agency, with commercial plans reviewed through E-Plan Exam and state review where required. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the village (community 550322) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective January 11, 2024.

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

Mount Pleasant permit search and official resources

Permit status is visible in the village’s BS&A account for the applicant. For copies of permit files and other records, the Village Clerk’s office takes the Public Records Request Form by return or an online request; call 262-664-7800 for help.

• Applications and permits (online permitting and forms)
• BS&A online permitting for Mount Pleasant
• Online permitting help guide
• Building Inspection: contacts and hours
• New one- and two-family home procedures
• Residential permit application requirements 2026
• Commercial building permit procedures
• Building and HVAC fee schedule (effective November 8, 2021)
• Plumbing permit fee schedule
• Section 14-41 electrical ordinance
• Electrical contractor permit application and fee table
• Cautionary Statement for owners
• Planning
• Development review schedule
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Requesting records and information
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Mount Pleasant building permit FAQs

How much is a permit for a new house in Mount Pleasant?

$0.40 per square foot plus $250 plan review, $200 erosion control and $60 occupancy under the 2021 schedule, $1,470 for 2,400 square feet before the seal, trade permits and sewer and water connection fees.

Can I apply on paper?

The village’s 2026 residential requirements say to apply online only, through BS&A; plans are sent as PDFs.

Does a roof or window replacement need a permit?

Yes. Re-roofing and re-siding are $20 per 1,000 square feet and window or door replacement $10 each, both capped at $250 per building.

When can I reach the building inspectors?

Office hours are 8 to 10 a.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. on weekdays; inspections fill the rest of the day.

Can a homeowner do their own electrical work?

Yes, in a home they own and occupy, but a house under construction is not owner-occupied until it passes its finals and occupancy is allowed.

Do I need a county permit for a septic system?

Yes. If a mound or septic system is needed, a Racine County sanitary permit must be part of the building permit package.

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