Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In the Village of Whitefish Bay, the Building Services Department at Village Hall, 5300 North Marlborough Drive (414-962-6690), issues every building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fence, roofing and demolition permit, and the village holds its own state delegation to inspect new one- and two-family homes. Under the 2026 fee schedule a building permit costs $10 per $1,000 of project cost, with an $80 minimum for a home and $150 for commercial work. Additions and most exterior changes also go before the Architectural Review Commission.

What requires a building permit in Whitefish Bay?

Whitefish Bay’s alphabetical “Do I Need a Permit?” table on the permits page is the village’s own list; the village says it is not complete and asks owners to call 414-962-6690 about anything not on it.

The table lists only two clear exemptions: a chimney liner, and a driveway kept on private property that does not send water toward a neighbor. A dumpster on a driveway or lawn still needs a permit but pays no fee, and dumpsters may not sit on the parkway.

What Whitefish Bay decides and what the state holds

Construction standards come from the state’s Uniform Dwelling Code and Commercial Building Code. The village writes the rest in its own municipal code: the building code (Chapter 11, including permit expiry and air conditioner placement), electrical (Chapter 12), stormwater (Chapters 13 and 19), zoning (Chapter 16, with fences in Article XI and historic preservation in 16-88), plumbing (Chapter 20) and sanitary sewer (Chapter 21). It also sets its own fees and design review. Under the village’s drainage rule, downspouts and sumps must discharge at least 6 feet from the building.

Whitefish Bay building department: who handles permitting

The Building Services Department is led by Joel Oestreich, Director and Lead Building/Commercial Inspector, with an associate building inspector. The DSPS list of Uniform Dwelling Code delegated agents (current as of 9/24/2026) shows Whitefish Bay holding UDC delegation by letter, so new houses are permitted and inspected by the village rather than a county or state inspector. Fire alarm, sprinkler and kitchen hood suppression work, and commercial occupancy inspections, also involve the North Shore Fire Department.

Whitefish Bay permit types

Whitefish Bay works from fillable PDF applications rather than an online portal: a building permit form (also used for roofing), separate electrical, plumbing, HVAC and fence permits, a right-of-way permit, a dumpster permit and a drainage review application. The building form asks for the cost of the entire project including mechanicals, square footage by floor and the subcontractors’ names; staff may ask for the contract.

Residential permits

• New homes and additions need Architectural Review Commission approval, a zoning permit and an erosion control permit along with the building and trade permits.
• Remodels may need ARC approval when they change the exterior.
• Garages, sheds, pergolas and arbors are approved by the building inspector, a power the Village Board gave staff in December 2018 so the commission can focus on larger projects.
• Fences need a site plan showing location and heights and the fence style. Heights are capped at 3½ feet in front yards, 4 feet in side yards and 6 feet in rear yards, and fences in corner sight triangles face extra limits.
• Demolition of 200 square feet or more follows the village’s demolition checklists: a contract and proof of insurance, a schedule, a site plan, and erosion and dust control plans. Over 576 square feet the applicant also sends letters to neighbors in the design area, copied to the Village Board for posting on the village website.

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

Commercial permits

A commercial addition needs CDA approval, and a new commercial occupancy or change of use may need Plan Commission approval and always needs a North Shore Fire Department inspection. Buildings of the sizes the state reviews need DSPS plan approval first; the village’s forms add that commercial plumbing over 16 fixtures needs state-approved plans, and that commercial buildings and buildings with more than two units need state-approved heating plans with the HVAC application. The Plan Commission hears zoning requests and conditional use permits for new businesses.

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

• Architectural Review Commission. Meets at 5:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays at Village Hall; submittals are due 17 days before a meeting, and new homes and additions must include floor area ratio data for the surrounding design area.
• Zoning and appeals. Zoning permits for new homes, additions, accessory buildings and commercial buildings; variances and appeals go to the Board of Appeals.
• Historic preservation. Demolishing a designated historic structure needs a Certificate of Appropriateness under the 2005 preservation ordinance.
• Drainage review. The $350 drainage review application asks for a scaled site plan with 1-foot contours, the change in impervious area and every downspout and sump discharge.
• Right-of-way. Driveway aprons, objects placed in the street right-of-way and street dumpsters need their own permits.

Whitefish Bay permit costs and fees

Fees come from the village’s 2026 fee schedule, published as Appendix B of its 2026 combined housing report; electrical, plumbing and HVAC fees changed on January 1, 2025. All fees are non-refundable, and the village charges no impact fee.

Worked example from the schedule: a $150,000 kitchen and bath remodel carries a building permit of 150 × $10, or $1,500, before the separate electrical and plumbing permits. A $40,000 roof replacement works out to $400 at the base rate, but the schedule caps roofing permits at $250. On the trade forms, plumbing fixtures are $10 each, and a residential furnace is $50 for the first 150,000 BTU plus $10 for each further 50,000 BTU.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Each trade has its own village form and fee list, and the building permit application names every subcontractor so the department can match the trade permits to the job.

• Electrical: the form records the master electrician and the electrical contractor’s numbers. Items are priced one by one: $1 per switch, outlet or light fixture, $40 for a service, $25 for a sub panel, $80 for pool wiring, $50 for a generator (with a site plan), $100 for solar and $125 for a new building.
• Plumbing: filed under a master plumber’s number. Fixtures are $10 each; gas piping and building drains are $50; sewer and water service lines are $50 for the first 75 feet and $0.50 a foot after that. Water and sewer hook-ups carry a $100 inspection fee.
• HVAC: the form records the HVAC contractor’s number. Residential air conditioning is $50 for the first 36,000 BTU and $10 for each further 12,000; ductwork and gas piping are $50 a job and hydronic systems $75. Outdoor condensers must meet the placement rules of Chapter 11-4.
• General contractors on homes: the building form asks for the Dwelling Contractor and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier numbers required for one- and two-family work.
• Fire protection: alarms go on an electrical permit with North Shore Fire Department requirements; sprinklers and hood systems are arranged with the fire department.

How to apply for a Whitefish Bay building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The village reports that a project usually reaches a Plan Commission or Architectural Review Commission agenda in about 30 to 45 days, and that stormwater and drainage reviews often take 30 days. A tabled ARC proposal cannot come back until at least 17 days have passed, which gives the applicant time to revise plans. Each permit is issued with a 6, 18 or 24 month life under Chapter 11-1 I of the village code.

Inspections in Whitefish Bay

Call office staff between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on a weekday to book an inspection, quoting the permit number and address. The forms ask for at least 24 hours’ notice, and the village asks applicants to allow up to 48 hours for scheduling. Inspectors work in three daily windows: 7 to 8 a.m., 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

• Access: if no one can be home, inspectors can enter by lock box or an open door; pets must be secured, and an inspection should not be booked when only a minor will be present.
• Missed steps: failing to call for an inspection, missing an appointment, or not scheduling an inspection within 30 days each carries a $50 fee.
• Re-inspections: $50 for residential and $150 for commercial work.
• Demolition: before a building comes down, the building inspector confirms that water service is cut at the main and sewer laterals capped (unless they will be reused), private utilities are disconnected, the asbestos survey and DNR pre-demolition steps are done, and site fencing is up; over 576 square feet, neighbors and village officials get at least seven days’ notice.
• Occupancy: a 30-day temporary occupancy permit costs $150; commercial occupancies also need the North Shore Fire Department inspection.

Wisconsin building code in Whitefish Bay

Whitefish Bay applies the state Uniform Dwelling Code under its DSPS delegation and the Commercial Building Code to other buildings, with its own municipal code for permits, zoning, stormwater and sewers. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the village (community 550286) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current effective map dated October 24, 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

Whitefish Bay permit search and official resources

To get a copy of a permit file or another village record, use the village’s online Request for Records form or ask at Village Hall; the Building Services pages post a full parcel data report and pending demolition letters. Architectural Review Commission, Plan Commission and Historic Preservation Commission agendas and minutes are linked from each commission’s page.

• Whitefish Bay permits and the Do I Need a Permit? table
• Building permit application (also for roofing)
• Electrical permit and fee list
• Plumbing permit and fee list
• HVAC permit and fee list
• Fence permit
• Drainage review application
• Right-of-way permit (2025)
• Dumpster and storage container permit
• 2026 combined housing report with the 2026 fee schedule
• Inspections and scheduling
• Demolitions
• Demolition checklist, over 576 square feet
• Architectural Review Commission
• Plan Commission
• Historic Preservation Commission
• Teardown and rebuild review changes (2018)
• Request for records form
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Whitefish Bay building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Whitefish Bay?

Yes. Every roof replacement needs a roofing permit on the building permit form: $10 per $1,000 of cost, at least $80 for a house and no more than $250.

Do I need a permit to replace windows?

Yes, the village’s table lists window replacement as needing a building permit; replacing a door needs one only when the opening size changes.

How tall can my fence be?

Up to 3½ feet in a front yard, 4 feet in a side yard and 6 feet in a rear yard. A fence permit costs $0.50 a linear foot with a $55 minimum.

Does my addition need design review?

Yes. Additions need Architectural Review Commission approval ($100), filed 17 days before a first or third Thursday meeting.

Does a shed or garage go to the ARC?

No. Since 2018 the building inspector approves garages, sheds, pergolas and arbors; they still go through Building Services, and the zoning fee for a shed or garage is $75.

What does it cost if I start without a permit?

Four times the permit fee, or six times if the work also does not meet code. The schedule also lists an early start fee of $250 for a new building or $100 for an addition.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 414-962-6690 on a weekday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., at least 24 hours ahead; the village asks you to allow up to 48 hours.

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