Waunakee, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Inside the Village of Waunakee, building permits are issued by the village’s Building Inspection office at Village Hall, 500 West Main Street (608-849-5613), where General Engineering Company provides the inspectors under contract. Homeowners and contractors apply through the village’s online application, the inspector reviews the file, and the permit is emailed once the fee is paid. Under the fee schedule effective January 1, 2026, a new house costs $0.30 per square foot of floor area, counting the garage, decks and basement, plus a $37 state seal.

What requires a building permit in Waunakee?

The village asks residents to get a permit from the Building Inspection office for all construction and remodeling, before the work starts. Its additions and alterations page spells out the common cases, and its zoning permit form explains when a separate zoning sign-off has to go in with the building application.

A fence application needs a site plan showing distances to the lot lines, the house and any transformer. Fences up to 4 feet may stand anywhere at least 2 feet from a sidewalk and clear of corner-lot vision triangles; fences up to 6 feet may run along rear and side lines but must meet front setbacks in street yards.

What Waunakee decides and what the state holds

The village runs its own zoning code, its Plan Commission and Board of Appeals, its impact fees and its erosion control ordinance (Chapter 109), and it holds Uniform Dwelling Code delegation from DSPS, so new one- and two-family homes are permitted and inspected locally. Village zoning takes precedence over neighborhood covenants where the covenants are looser, and the village does not enforce covenants. The building standards themselves come from the state codes, which no Wisconsin village may change.

Waunakee building department: who handles permitting

Building Inspection sits within the Community Development Department, which also runs planning, zoning and code enforcement. General Engineering Company supplies the inspectors; DSPS’s delegated-agent list, current as of September 24, 2026, shows the village as delegated for the Uniform Dwelling Code with General Engineering as its inspection agency.

The Town of Westport is a separate government with its own building permits, but the village and town share a Joint Planning Area. In the town part of that area and in the village’s extraterritorial zoning area, the village handles the zoning side of a building permit: the Waunakee/Westport zoning permit must be approved by the village before the town issues its permit, and the village asks for 2 to 3 days to process it.

Waunakee permit types

All new permits go through the village’s online building permit application, which sorts projects into four types: new commercial (any multifamily building of five or more units counts here), commercial additions and alterations including signs, new one- or two-family homes, and all other residential work. You get an email link to save a draft, the submit button stays grey until every required field is filled, and a second email confirms the file has gone in for review.

Residential permits

• New homes. Upload the construction plans with wall sections, a plot plan with setbacks and easements, the zoning permit, a grading permit showing lot-corner elevations and the lowest exposed opening, an erosion control plan, a braced wall plan, heat calculations and the impact fee form, plus developer or HOA approval where required.
• Early start. To dig the foundation before the full package is ready, submit the plot plan, basement plan, footing and foundation section, insulation, erosion control and grading plans; the early start fee is $150.
• Additions, remodels, decks, sheds and fences. Filed as other residential work, with a zoning permit whenever the footprint changes and a fence placement acknowledgement for a fence in a utility easement.
• Driveways, patios and parking areas. A separate permit unless the work is part of a new-house permit; it is approved by the Community Development Director and the Village Engineer.

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

Commercial permits

New commercial buildings, multifamily buildings and commercial additions and alterations are filed online as commercial permits, with signs uploaded as a sign permit form under the alteration category. A commercial project that disturbs 4,000 square feet or more needs an erosion control permit under Section 109-22, and every business that opens or relocates in the village needs a plan of operation permit. State plan approval rules for commercial buildings apply before the village permit.

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. The village zoning permit names the project and asks whether Plan Commission review is needed. Check setbacks in the village’s property search; lots zoned PUD follow the setbacks in their General Development Plan.
• Plan Commission. Site plans, rezonings, conditional uses, certified survey maps and plats go to the seven-member Plan Commission; applications are due 8 weeks before the meeting.
• Board of Appeals. Variances and special exceptions to the zoning ordinance are heard by the five-member Board of Appeals, which also hears appeals of a refused driveway permit filed within 20 days.
• Utility easements. Only fences may sit in a utility easement.
• Impact fees. Park and community center impact fees are paid before any permit that creates a new dwelling unit.

Waunakee permit costs and fees

The village’s fee schedule took effect on January 1, 2026. Fees are billed after the inspector approves the file; cards are taken online only.

Worked example from the schedule: a new house with 2,500 square feet of floor area, counting garage, decks and basement, is 2,500 × $0.30, or $750, plus the $37 seal. The schedule lists the new-house zoning, erosion control, grading and occupancy fees as separate items, and the two impact fees add $4,370.37 for a single-family home. The impact fee form posted with the application still shows the July 1, 2025 park fee of $3,401.85; the fee schedule carries the newer figure. Commercial erosion control is priced on the application form at a $950 base plus $0.03 per square foot disturbed, with a financial guarantee when the control plan costs more than $5,000.

Plan Commission and zoning fees: site plan review $375, rezoning or conditional use $450, certified survey map $250 plus $100 per lot, preliminary plat $300 plus $50 per lot, final plat $300 plus $25 per lot, GDP/SIP approval $600 and a variance $475. The Westport zoning permit reads $50 plus $0.75 per square foot on the fee schedule but $0.075 per square foot on its own page; ask the office which applies.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work in Waunakee is permitted and inspected by the village’s contracted inspectors, either as part of a building permit or as a separate trade-only permit filed in the same online system.

• Electrical. A stand-alone electrical permit, service upgrades included, is $99. The village’s plan submittal checklist asks for the electrical contractor’s license number and says the contractor must be licensed with the village. Re-inspections caused by faulty electrical work are $50 the first time and $100 the second.
• Temporary power. Temporary electric service is applied for and paid ($205.68 plus tax) at Waunakee Utilities, not the inspection office.
• Plumbing. $88 for plumbing-only work; the checklist asks for the master plumber number, and every building sewer must have backwater protection.
• HVAC. $88 for HVAC-only work; the checklist asks for the heating contractor’s registration number and requires make-up air to prevent negative pressure.
• Dwelling contractors. The new-home page asks for every contractor’s state contractor number. A contractor-built house needs a Dwelling Contractor certification and a Qualifier on the permit, while an owner-occupant building their own home is exempt.

How to apply for a Waunakee building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Additions and alterations usually take 2 to 5 business days. Thin plans are the usual hold-up: the new-home page names missing safety glazing, incomplete footing dimensions and stair drawings without floor heights. A missing grading plan or impact fee form also stops a new-house file, and a payment can take 24 hours to post.

Inspections in Waunakee

The owner or contractor calls for every inspection. Leave a message at 608-849-5613 or email inspect@waunakee.com with the address, the inspection type, the contractor’s name and the date and time you want; requests are booked as close to that time as possible, first come, first served.

Before anyone may live in a new building, the village lists these inspections: setback, footing and bleeder tile; foundation and exterior drain tile; underfloor building drain; interior drain tile, sump and vapor retarder; sewer lateral and water service; temporary and permanent electric service; concealed plumbing rough; heating rough; construction rough; firestop, ventilation, insulation and vapor retarder; erosion control; and the final.

No one may occupy a new single-family home before the final inspection, and the occupancy certificate is withheld for open hazards such as decks over 24 inches without guards, stairs of three or more risers without a handrail, unsafe wiring or missing smoke alarms. Poor erosion control can stop work on site and bring fines.

Wisconsin building code in Waunakee

Waunakee administers the state codes through its delegated inspection program and adds its own zoning, erosion control, driveway (Sections 82-248 to 82-250) and impact fee ordinances. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the village (community 550093) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective September 17, 2014; the commercial erosion control checklist asks for the 100-year floodplain and wetland boundaries on the site plan.

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

Waunakee permit search and official resources

To get copies of house plans or other permit records, file the village’s public records request form. The village keeps house plans for 7 years after completion and has none for homes built before 2000; copies cost $0.25 a page or $4.50 for a large-format sheet, requests of $5 or more are paid in advance, and research can take up to 7 business days.

• Waunakee Inspection Department and online application directions
• Online building permit application (General Engineering portal)
• Village fee schedule, effective January 1, 2026
• Permit forms and instructions
• Projects requiring permits
• New home construction packet
• Plan submittal requirements (new homes)
• Village zoning permit application
• Zoning quick tips for residential districts
• Fence requirements
• Waunakee/Westport zoning permit
• Erosion control permit application
• Impact fee form
• Driveway requirements
• Required inspections
• Schedule an inspection
• Building permit payments
• Request copies of house plans
• Plan Commission
• Board of Appeals
• DSPS Uniform Dwelling Code delegated agents
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Waunakee building permit FAQs

Who inspects construction in Waunakee?

General Engineering Company, under contract to the village; call 608-849-5613 or email inspect@waunakee.com to book.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$0.30 per square foot of floor area including garage, decks and basement, plus a $37 state seal, with zoning, erosion control, grading, occupancy and impact fees listed separately.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes. Every fence needs a building permit and a zoning permit with a site plan; the administrative permit fee is $50.

Does a new roof or new windows need a permit?

Yes, when the roofing, siding or window job is worth more than $1,000.

How long does a permit take?

The village asks applicants to allow 2 to 5 business days for additions and alterations.

I live in the Town of Westport. Where do I apply?

The town issues the building permit, but inside the Joint Planning Area or extraterritorial zoning area the village must approve a Waunakee/Westport zoning permit first.

Are impact fees charged?

Yes, on permits that create new homes: $3,433.21 for parks and $937.16 for the community center per single-family home, paid before the permit issues.

Can I get old house plans?

Ask through a public records request; the village must keep plans only 7 years after completion and has none for homes built before 2000.

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