New Berlin, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Inside the City of New Berlin, building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits come from the Department of Community Development on the second floor of City Hall, 3805 South Casper Drive (inspections 262-797-2445), with SAFEbuilt as the city’s inspection partner. DSPS lists the city as a delegated Uniform Dwelling Code municipality. Under the fee schedule adopted January 11, 2023 and effective April 1, 2023, a new house is $0.44 per square foot plus a $300 plan exam, and the city estimates building permit fees for a new home at about $2,000 to $3,000.

What requires a building permit in New Berlin?

The Building and Inspection Department publishes a table of the items that typically need building, electrical or plumbing permits, and asks people to check with staff about anything not on it.

Fences, retaining walls and home occupations need Planning and Zoning permits, and culverts, curb and ditch work, driveway approaches, and grading and erosion control need Engineering permits. Working without a permit costs double fees for a first offense and triple fees after that.

Alliance handles electrical permits for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.

What New Berlin decides and what the state holds

The Community Development Department enforces the state building, plumbing and electrical codes together with the New Berlin Municipal Code, including the zoning code (Chapter 275), whose sections 275-16 and 275-30 set up the Board of Appeals and the variance rules. The city’s fee schedule decides how work is measured: interior remodels of one- and two-family homes, such as basement build-outs, kitchens, baths and fire or water damage repairs, are charged by the square footage of the work area the Inspection Services Division sets.

New Berlin building department: who handles permitting

The Department of Community Development, through its Inspection Services Division, issues building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and miscellaneous permits, and SAFEbuilt, LLC is the city’s partner for inspection services. DSPS’s list of Uniform Dwelling Code agents, current as of September 24, 2026, shows the City of New Berlin as delegated, so new one- and two-family homes are reviewed and inspected locally.

From November 1, 2026, commercial permits for new buildings, additions, alterations and accessory buildings are reviewed and inspected by SAFEbuilt, and applicants upload copies of the application and plans to SAFEbuilt’s portal as well as filing them with the city. DSPS’s October 19, 2026 lists give New Berlin plan review authority for small commercial buildings (generally new buildings under 50,000 cubic feet) and list it for commercial building and electrical inspections.

New Berlin permit types

New Berlin posts separate building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, miscellaneous, shed and grading and erosion control applications, plus a final grading letter, and project guidelines for accessory buildings, decks, egress windows, residential wiring, fences, generators, hot tubs, pools, post lights, rec rooms, additions and alterations, retaining walls and sheds. Residential applications are made in person at the Community Development counter; a generator needs both the electrical permit and a miscellaneous permit.

Residential permits

• New homes. The application needs two plan sets at 1/4-inch scale (one approved by the subdivision’s architectural committee where there is one), a wall bracing plan with the state worksheet, two staked-out surveys on the USGS datum showing erosion control and proposed grading, a heat loss calculation, the state online building permit application, license or certification numbers for the general, plumbing, electrical and HVAC contractors, proof of the state’s financial responsibility certification, the owner-signed erosion control application, engineering for any retaining wall, and on a septic lot the state sanitary permit application and permit card.
• Fees at issuance. All new home fees are assessed when the permit is issued.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work goes through SAFEbuilt: once any required zoning permit is issued, the applicant completes and signs the city’s paper application and uploads it with the state SBD-118 form, plans, heat loss calculations and survey; new buildings and additions also upload form SBD-8102, and building and HVAC plans are submitted separately. Plan exams for commercial buildings are $355, and the city may offer a two-business-day priority review at double the plan review rate when its workload allows.

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

• Zoning. Fences, retaining walls and home occupations need Planning and Zoning permits; dimensional variances go to the Board of Appeals at a public hearing, with 2026 deadlines about six weeks before each hearing (for example, September 24 for the November 5, 2026 hearing).
• Engineering. Culverts on lots with ditches ($150), driveway approaches and curb and ditch work; homes on city street frontage pay a $100 curb and ditch fee and a $1,500 deposit that Engineering may refund at the end if the ditch area was not disturbed or left needing repair.
• Erosion control. A new home lot pays a $205 erosion fee and a $1,000 erosion deposit that may be refunded at the final erosion inspection.

New Berlin permit costs and fees

The city’s building fees follow its Wisconsin Uniform Building Code Schedule of Permit Fees, adopted January 11, 2023 and effective April 1, 2023, which the 2025 New Housing Fee Report reprints as the fees in force for 2025. The minimum permit is $65.

The new home requirements sheet adds a $33 technology fee and $20 for address numbers, and puts total building permit fees for a new home at roughly $2,000 to $3,000; covered decks and porches are counted at $0.37 per square foot. Worked example: a 2,500-square-foot house including the garage is 2,500 × $0.44, or $1,100, plus the $300 plan exam, $80 seal, $205 erosion fee, $33 technology fee, $20 address numbers and $60 occupancy, for $1,798 before HVAC, electrical and plumbing permits and the refundable deposits.

Impact and platting fees. A new single-family home pays $470 in impact fees ($154 library, $142 park and $174 fire and rescue), set by the city’s revised impact and platting fee schedule of March 23, 2012. New lots also carry a public site and open space fee of $1,937.60, and the 2025 report lists a $1,400 per lot transportation fee for Section 35. There is no water or sewer hook-up fee, and the storm water management charge for a single-family home is $15 a quarter. The report’s summary table lists the erosion deposit as $500 and residential additions at $0.46 per square foot; the new home sheet’s $1,000 deposit and the schedule’s $0.44 rate are used here.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Permits are issued to licensed electrical, plumbing, HVAC and building contractors. Under the city’s homeowner privilege, an owner may get permits and do the work themselves on their own single-family home (not a condominium) that they own and live in as a permanent residence, as long as they follow the building code, schedule the inspections and get the electrical or plumbing inspector’s approval. The privilege does not cover new electrical services or service upgrades, in-ground pools, spas or hot tubs, new construction before the occupancy permit, remodels over 1,500 square feet, or electrical work outside the house.

• Electrical: base fee $100 for new construction and $60 for remodels and additions, plus items such as $20 per 100 amps of service and $8 per kilowatt for a generator. Rough electrical inspections are called in by the electrician.
• Plumbing: base fee $100 for new construction or $60 for remodels, $80 for up to five fixtures and $16 for each fixture after that, and outside sewers $80 for the first 100 feet. Rough plumbing is called in by the plumber.
• HVAC: heating units are $62 up to 150,000 BTU and air conditioners $65 up to 3 tons, with $22 for each added step and a $995 cap per unit; ductwork is $2.40 per 100 square feet of conditioned area.

How to apply for a New Berlin building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

A missing survey, wall bracing plan, heat loss calculation or contractor certification holds up a new home, and plans resubmitted after approval cost $65. Fees charged to the city by other agencies for reviewing plans are due at application. An additional plan review fee may be charged when a permit is renewed.

Inspections and occupancy in New Berlin

Call 262-797-2445 at least 24 hours ahead to schedule an inspection; furnace, water heater and air conditioner inspections can be booked further out to suit the owner. A missed inspection leaves a door tag. For new homes, additions and major alterations the usual inspections are footings before concrete, foundation before backfill, interior drain tile before the floor is poured, rough electrical and rough plumbing (called in by those contractors), rough framing before insulation, insulation before drywall, and final plumbing, electrical and occupancy when everything is complete.

Inspectors drive clearly marked city vehicles and carry identification, and city policy lets them enter only a vacant property or one where someone 18 or older is present. Occupancy permits are $60 for a new home under the new home sheet, and a temporary occupancy permit of six months or less is $102.

Wisconsin building code in New Berlin

New Berlin enforces the state codes with its municipal code as a DSPS-delegated UDC municipality. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists New Berlin (community 550487, Waukesha County) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective October 19, 2023, and in Community Rating System class 6, which gives a 20% flood insurance discount.

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

New Berlin permit search and official resources

Past permits and plans are requested through the city’s open records request process or at the Community Development counter on the second floor of City Hall (262-786-8610).

• New Berlin Building Permits and Inspections
• Permits and items requiring permits
• Inspections
• Contractors and homeowner privilege
• New home permit application requirements
• 2025 New Housing Fee Report with the fee schedule
• New Housing Fee Report page
• Electrical permit application
• Plumbing permit application
• SAFEbuilt commercial permit information
• Engineering permits
• Variances and Board of Appeals
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• DSPS commercial plan review delegated agents
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

New Berlin building permit FAQs

How much does a building permit for a new house cost in New Berlin?

$0.44 per square foot including the garage and finished spaces, plus a $300 plan exam, $80 seal and set fees; the city estimates $2,000 to $3,000 in building permit fees, plus $470 in impact fees.

Can I do my own electrical or plumbing work?

Yes on your own owner-occupied single-family home (not a condo), except service upgrades, in-ground pools, spas and hot tubs, remodels over 1,500 square feet, outside electrical work and new homes before occupancy.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Yes. Sheds of 144 square feet or less need a building permit; larger accessory buildings also need an electrical permit.

How long does a building permit take?

Review can take up to 10 business days; a two-day priority review may be offered at double the plan review fee.

Who reviews commercial projects?

Since November 1, 2026, SAFEbuilt reviews and inspects commercial permits for new buildings, additions, alterations and accessory buildings.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 262-797-2445 at least 24 hours ahead.

Does New Berlin charge sewer or water hook-up fees?

No. The 2025 New Housing Fee Report says there is no hook-up fee.

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