Stevens Point, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Inside the City of Stevens Point, construction permits come from the Building Inspection division of the Community Development Department at City Hall, 1515 Strongs Avenue (715-346-1567), where Scott Omernik is Chief Building Official. Building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and zoning permits can be applied for through the city’s GovPilot portal or on the residential and commercial forms. Under the fee schedule revised April 21, 2026, a new house pays $0.11 per square foot for each of the building, electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits, plus $0.08 for zoning and a $200 plan review.

What requires a building permit in Stevens Point?

The city requires a permit to build any new building or structure, add to a building, significantly remodel or alter one, demolish or move a building, reside any building, do electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation or air conditioning work, or put up a sign. Its residential checklist (updated June 8, 2022) spells out the details and says it is not all-inclusive.

Two location rules override the lists. In a historic district, exterior work such as painting and some landscaping may need prior approval under the city’s Historic Preservation Design Guidelines even when no permit is required, and owners of land next to shoreland are asked to contact the department before any exterior work, landscaping included. On commercial property the list goes further: interior finishes such as flooring and drywall, interior demolition, change of occupancy or use, elevators and lifts, and fences 10 feet or higher (which need a structural review) all need permits.

What the city decides and what the state holds

Chapter 30 of the municipal code adopts the state Uniform Dwelling Code and expressly brings detached garages and accessory buildings within it, along with the state commercial, plumbing and electrical codes. The city sets its own administrative rules: fees from the Common Council’s adopted schedule, a recreational impact fee on new dwelling units, a requirement that personal property taxes be current before any permit is issued, and permit expiration dates. Zoning, historic preservation, erosion control and floodplain rules come from Chapters 22, 23 and 31.

Stevens Point building department: who handles permitting

The Building Inspection division of Community Development oversees new construction and alterations to homes and commercial buildings and the installation of electrical, HVAC and plumbing systems, with its own electrical inspector on staff. DSPS’s list of UDC delegated agents, current as of September 24, 2026, shows the City of Stevens Point as delegated for new one- and two-family dwellings, with the Chief Building Official as contact. Portage County does not issue building permits inside the city.

Stevens Point permit types

The city posts separate residential and commercial permit applications, a razing permit application and the state SBD-118 application for review, and accepts applications through its GovPilot web portal. One residential form covers building and zoning, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, with a cost, contractor and credential line for each trade.

Residential permits

• New homes and additions. Under Chapter 30 an application names the owner, the designer, the legal description and location, and comes with one complete set of plans and, when the Building Inspector asks, a survey by a Wisconsin-registered surveyor showing all buildings, setbacks, proposed and existing grades, corner monuments and drainage ditches. Plans are drawn at no less than one-eighth inch per foot; a residential set has all floor plans, the foundation plan, all elevations, construction details, energy worksheet calculations and the garage plan.
• Flat-fee jobs. Roofing, siding, windows and doors, water heaters, furnaces and air conditioners, fences, sheds without electricity, driveways, decks, generators and solar each have a single flat fee.
• Razing. Its own application; demolition permits expire after 90 days.

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

Commercial permits

The city’s inspectors are certified to review and approve new commercial buildings up to 50,000 cubic feet and alterations to existing buildings up to 100,000 cubic feet; the commercial fee schedule notes that larger new buildings and additions need state review. Commercial applications use the commercial form and, for city review, the SBD-118. Early permission to start footings and foundations is available, and interior demolition is often permitted while plans are still being reviewed.

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 review. Any project that needs a setback or site plan review also pays zoning fees; a residential driveway needs a zoning permit, which can be folded into a new home’s construction permit. Variances are granted only by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
• Site plans. In some districts, such as Highway Commercial, the Common Council must approve the site plan before any building or zoning permit is issued for a new use.
• Historic district review. Exterior changes in a historic district may need design approval first.
• Erosion control. Chapter 31’s construction site erosion rules apply to land disturbance of one acre or more, excluding building construction already covered by the state’s erosion rules.
• Floodplain and shoreland. Chapter 23 contains the city’s floodplain zoning, and shoreland lots should call before exterior work.
• Taxes and impact fees. Personal property taxes must be current, and a new dwelling unit pays the recreational impact fee before the permit is issued.

Stevens Point permit costs and fees

Chapter 30 sets fees by the most recently adopted Common Council fee schedule for Community Development. The schedules printed with the city’s residential and commercial applications are marked revised April 21, 2026; plan review and inspection fees are separate, and no review or inspection is done until fees are paid.

Worked example from the residential schedule: a 2,400-square-foot new house pays 2,400 × $0.11 = $264 for each of the building, electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits ($1,056), $192 for zoning at $0.08 and the $200 plan review, $1,448 in all before the state seal and the recreational impact fee. Fees are non-refundable once a permit is issued, except in limited cases.

Commercial work follows its own April 2026 schedule. Plan review is charged by building area, from $250 for building plans, $150 for HVAC plans and $75 for zoning under 2,500 square feet, to $700, $400 and $200 at 10,001 to 20,000 square feet. New buildings then pay inspection fees of $0.10 per square foot for building, fire alarm and suppression on the first 10,000 square feet and $0.05 above that ($500 minimum), and $0.07 then $0.03 for each trade. Alterations run $5 per $1,000 of value for Level 1 and $10 per $1,000 for Level 2 under the 2021 IEBC, with $150 minimums; an early footing permit is $300 and temporary occupancy $150 or 5% of the permit fees.

Trade permits and who may pull them

All trade permits come from Building Inspection, either on the shared residential form or through GovPilot. The city’s licensing page lists what each permit holder needs:

• Building, one- and two-family: a Dwelling Contractor (or Dwelling Contractor – Restricted) certification and a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier certification, except for an owner who lives or will live in the dwelling and applies personally.
• Electrical: a Wisconsin Master Electrician license. Chapter 30 lets an owner be issued a permit for wiring in a single-family home they own and occupy if they show competence and pay the contractor fee; unlicensed wiring anywhere else is a violation.
• HVAC: a state HVAC Contractor Registration plus an HVAC Qualifier certification.
• Plumbing: a Wisconsin Master Plumber license. An owner may get a permit for plumbing in the single-family home that is their principal residence on the same competence and fee terms, but not for connections to city sewers, water mains or their laterals.

Plumbers call in their own rough and final plumbing inspections, and electricians call in theirs. The city suggests calling 715-346-1567 to confirm a contractor is licensed before signing a contract, and reminds owners that getting the permit is ultimately their responsibility, so look for the permit card in the front window before work starts.

How to apply for a Stevens Point building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Applications are reviewed first come, first served, and the city says review time depends on how complete the application is, the type of project and how many applications are ahead of it; larger projects need more detail and take longer. Drawings that leave out necessary detail may be rejected. A permit becomes void if work does not start within four months or stops for 60 days, unless the Chief Building Official waives it. Permits for new homes and new commercial buildings last two years, commercial alterations one or two years depending on whether they are valued under or over $500,000, roofing, siding, decks and accessory structures six months, and stand-alone trade permits six months (one year above $50,000).

Inspections and occupancy in Stevens Point

All inspections, including the final, are required and must be requested by the owner or applicant before occupancy; work may not be started or walls and ceilings enclosed until the inspector has been notified. For new construction the city lists these stages, and additions, garages and remodels need only those that apply:

• Footings before concrete; foundation walls before backfill
• Under-floor or slab before the pour, and interior drain tile before the basement floor
• Rough plumbing (called in by the plumber) and rough electrical (called in by the electrician)
• Rough framing before insulation, then insulation before walls and ceilings are finished
• Final plumbing and final electrical, each called in by the trade
• Final building occupancy before moving in

Special inspections listed on an approved permit are added to these. A failed inspection costs $100 to re-inspect on residential work, and the city posts an affidavit of plumbing testing for the plumbing tests. Commercial temporary occupancy costs at least $150.

Wisconsin building code in Stevens Point

Stevens Point enforces the state codes as the delegated agency for houses and, within its certification limits, commercial plans. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the city (community 550342) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective July 20, 2009; the floodplain districts are part of Chapter 23.

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

Stevens Point permit search and official resources

The city’s GovPilot map view shows permit activity by location, and questions about an existing permit go to Community Development by email or at 715-346-1567. The bound Revised Municipal Code is kept in the City Clerk’s office; the chapter PDFs online are unofficial copies.

• Building permits: forms, submittal rules and contacts
• GovPilot construction permit application
• GovPilot permit map view
• Residential permit requirements list
• Commercial permit requirements list
• Residential permit application and fee schedule
• Commercial permit application and fee schedule
• Application for review, SBD-118
• Razing permit application
• Required inspections
• Licenses and certifications
• Building permits and inspections overview
• Chapter 30, Building Code
• Chapter 23, Zoning and Floodplain
• Chapter 31, Erosion and Storm Water
• Code of ordinances
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Stevens Point building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to replace windows in Stevens Point?

Yes. Adding or replacing windows or doors on a house or garage needs a permit even when the openings stay the same size; it is a $55 flat fee.

How much is a permit for a new house?

Each of the building, electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits is $0.11 per square foot ($250 minimum), zoning is $0.08, and plan review is $200, so 2,400 square feet totals $1,448 before the state seal and recreational impact fee.

Does a shed or fence need a permit?

Storage structures of 25 square feet or more need a permit, and fences or retaining walls 2 feet or higher do too; both are $55 flat fees.

Can a homeowner do their own wiring or plumbing?

Yes, in a single-family home they own and live in, if they show competence and pay the contractor fee; owner plumbing excludes sewer and water connections and laterals.

How long is a permit good for?

Work must start within four months; new homes then have two years, and roofing, siding, decks and sheds six months.

Does the city review commercial plans?

Yes, new commercial buildings up to 50,000 cubic feet and alterations up to 100,000 cubic feet; larger new buildings and additions go to the state.

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