River Falls, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Inside the City of River Falls, the Building and Inspections Division of the Community Development Department at City Hall, 222 Lewis Street, reviews plans, issues permits and inspects new residential and commercial construction and remodeling. Christopher McDonough is the Building Inspector (715-426-3426), and permits are issued by appointment through the permit technician at 715-426-3427. One permit covers the whole project, including plumbing, heating and air conditioning and residential electrical work, and it is valid for two years. The fee is based on the estimated building cost under a valuation table the city has used since 1998.

What requires a building permit in River Falls?

The city’s building permit fact sheet lists the residential work that needs a permit, and the permit must be posted on the front of the house facing the street before any contractor starts. The list reaches small trade jobs as well as construction.

Signs are permitted separately: permanent wall, blade, monument and pylon signs and temporary banners and portable signs all need a sign permit under Municipal Code section 17.84, with five to seven days for approval. Driveways must stay 5 feet from the side lot line, slope no more than 2% across the sidewalk and meet the street at 80 to 100 degrees. Curb cuts are capped by zoning district: 25 feet for a single driveway or 40 feet combined in the RS, R-1 and C districts, and 35 or 50 feet in the R-2, R-3, MHP, B-2 and A districts, plus the allowed taper. Rental homes must be registered with the city, which applies to any home that produces rental income, including payment in kind such as house-sitting or lawn care.

What River Falls decides and what the state holds

DSPS lists the City of River Falls as delegated to enforce the Uniform Dwelling Code on new one- and two-family homes (list current as of 9/24/2026), and the city says it must follow the UDC for all residential construction. River Falls is not on DSPS’s October 2026 delegated-agent lists for commercial building and HVAC plan review, commercial plumbing plan review or commercial electrical inspection, so commercial plans that need state approval go to DSPS and commercial electrical permits are obtained from the state. The city adopts its own fee resolutions, zoning, sign, rental and driveway rules.

River Falls building department: who handles permitting

The Building and Inspections Division handles plan review, permits, inspections, sign permits, rental registration and code enforcement for buildings, signs, long grass and weeds, garbage, occupancy and housing maintenance. Outside city limits, the towns of Clifton and River Falls in Pierce County and Kinnickinnic and Troy in St. Croix County use their own building inspectors.

River Falls permit types

River Falls issues a single building permit for each project rather than separate trade permits, using a residential or a commercial building permit application. Both are issued by appointment.

Residential permits

• New homes: complete the state’s online building permit application, then call for an appointment. Bring two sets of full-size plans with wall bracing for each level and door, window and room dimensions; engineering calculations for headers, posts, beams and floor and roof trusses; a plot, site and erosion plan with contours, elevations and easements from the city’s site and erosion control packet; the water and sewer lateral request form for River Falls Municipal Utilities; a ResCheck energy calculation; and payment of permit and impact fees.
• Decks: the residential application, a site plan showing the lot lines and where the deck attaches, and the city’s Appendix B deck checklist, based on the state dwelling code’s deck appendix.
• Fences: email the fence permit application and a site plan showing the house, lot lines and fence location to the division; the $50 fee must accompany it, and approval takes three to five days.
• Sheds and accessory structures: the division publishes a fact sheet for sheds, detached garages and accessory buildings.
• Homeowner projects: a city handout on basement and remodeling work covers egress windows (24 by 20 inches clear, sill no higher than 46 inches), 32-inch doors for half the bedrooms, one full bath and common rooms, and a supply and return duct for every habitable room. It also reminds owners that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors must be hard-wired and interconnected, that a clear space 30 inches wide and 36 inches deep is needed in front of the electrical panel, and that bathroom fans must vent outdoors.

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

Commercial permits

The commercial building permit application is also handled by appointment. Because the city is not a DSPS delegated agent for commercial plan review, buildings that need state plan approval must have it before the local permit, and commercial electrical permits must be obtained from the state through eSLA. Signs in the Downtown Overlay District may also need Design Review Committee approval.

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 and site plans. The same fee schedule prices site plan review at $1,775, special use permits at $2,060 and zoning or plan amendments at $2,270; a zoning verification letter is $50.
• Board of Appeals. A variance or appeal costs $670 for a single-family home and $1,275 for multi-family and non-residential property.
• Land division. Certified survey maps of up to four lots cost $750; subdivisions pay a park land dedication fee of $780 per residential unit. Preliminary plats cost $5,950 and final plats $7,750 for 5 to 50 lots, and planned unit developments pay $3,875 for a general and $4,150 for a specific development plan.
• Utilities and right-of-way. New construction files the utility application and electric service site plan with the municipal utility; digging in a street needs a $130 right-of-way excavation permit plus a bond.

River Falls building permit fees

The city’s fee schedule (amended November 2025) sets the building permit fee for new construction, alterations, additions and repairs from the estimated building cost, under Resolution 3179 of April 14, 1998 and Municipal Code 15.04.030(J)2. The estimate must cover labor and materials; if only a materials cost is given, the city multiplies it by 1.5. Plumbing and electrical permits and plan review are included in the building permit fee.

Worked example from the table: a house with an estimated building cost of $300,000 falls in the $100,001 to $500,000 band, so the fee is $959.25 plus 200 × $5.25, or $2,009.25. The schedule separately lists a $100 plan check fee and a $33 state seal for new single-family homes.

• Other building fees: demolition (razing) $135; moving a building $435; voluntary inspection $100; plumbing inspection $75 per hour.
• Impact fees per single-family home: park $577.28, library $352.09 and fire $345.71, for $1,275.08 (multi-family: $463.96, $352.09 and $277.85 per unit; non-residential pays $0.23 and $0.03 per square foot for parks and fire).
• Water and sewer: by meter size, $2,454 water impact plus $1,724 sewer connection, or $4,178, for a 3/4-inch meter and $10,450 for a 1-inch meter, updated to the CPI on January 1, 2021.
• Signs: $62 plus $10 for each additional sign, doubled if a sign goes up without a permit; temporary signs $25; Design Review Committee review $150.
• Rental housing: $10 registration and a $100 complaint inspection fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

River Falls folds plumbing, heating and air conditioning, and residential electrical work into the one building permit, so there is no separate city trade permit fee for a house. The city’s fact sheet says all contractors must be licensed with the State of Wisconsin, and under Municipal Code 15.04.090 A that includes electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors and framers.

• Electrical: residential electrical work is permitted and inspected by the city under the building permit; commercial electrical permits must be obtained from the state.
• Plumbing: included in the building permit fee, with plumbing inspections billed at $75 an hour where the schedule calls for them.
• HVAC: new furnaces, air conditioners and duct work need a permit; HVAC businesses register with the state.
• Builders: for a one- or two-family home the state requires a certified Dwelling Contractor with a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier unless the owner lives in the home.

River Falls Municipal Utilities handles electric service and water and sewer laterals for new construction, with its own application, an electric service site plan and a lateral inspection request form.

How to apply for a River Falls building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The new-home checklist lists what to bring to the permit appointment, so arriving without engineering calculations for headers, beams or trusses, the wall bracing plan, or a site plan with contours and easements can keep the permit from being issued at the appointment. A cost estimate that lists materials only is multiplied by 1.5. Fences take three to five days and signs five to seven. Commercial projects that need state plan approval wait on DSPS before the city can issue the permit.

Inspections in River Falls

The Building and Inspections Division inspects the work under the permit, including plumbing, HVAC and residential electrical. Call the Building Inspector at 715-426-3426 to arrange inspections.

• Final inspection: the homeowner or contractor must request it when the project is complete and before the space is occupied; the city recommends getting it before paying the contractor in full.
• New homes: inspections follow the stages of the state dwelling code, and the water and sewer laterals have their own inspection request form.
• Voluntary inspections: available for $100.
• Permit life: a permit is valid for two years from issue.

Code enforcement covers occupancy and housing maintenance as well, and rental units are inspected when a complaint is filed, for a $100 fee.

Wisconsin building code in River Falls

River Falls enforces the state dwelling code under its DSPS delegation; commercial plan approval and commercial electrical permits come from the state. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists River Falls (community 550330, in St. Croix and Pierce counties) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective November 16, 2011.

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

River Falls permit search and official resources

For past permits on a property, contact the Building and Inspections Division at 715-426-3427 or City Hall at 715-425-0900; the fee schedule shows a $50 zoning verification letter for written zoning confirmation.

• River Falls building permits and inspections
• Building permit fact sheet
• Residential building permit application
• Commercial building permit application
• New home application checklist
• Site and erosion control plan packet
• Building code for homeowner projects
• Residential driveways fact sheet
• Fence permit application
• City fee schedule (amended November 2025)
• DSPS eSLA portal
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

River Falls building permit FAQs

Do I need separate electrical and plumbing permits in River Falls?

No, for residential work. One building permit covers plumbing, HVAC and residential electrical; commercial electrical permits come from the state.

How much is a permit for a $300,000 house?

$2,009.25 from the valuation table, with a $100 plan check fee and $33 state seal listed separately, plus impact fees.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Fences need a $50 permit approved in three to five days; sheds need one at 150 square feet or more.

Can I walk in for a permit?

Permits are issued by appointment; call 715-426-3427 to schedule one.

Do new windows or doors need a permit?

Yes. New window or door installations are on the city’s permit list.

How long is a permit valid?

Two years from issue.

Does the city issue permits in the Town of River Falls?

No. The Town of River Falls has its own DSPS delegation and building inspector.

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