Building permits in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Milwaukee, 2 need a permit outright and 7 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 10
- in Milwaukee
One thing Milwaukee does not make you permit
Worth knowing before you call anyone. Most jurisdictions we cover require all of these.
- Patio Permit
No DNS permit is needed for an at-grade patio on private property, but any work touching the public sidewalk or the curb-cut driveway approach needs separate Department of Public Works approvals and permits, and a raised deck or a pool deck is a building permit rather than a patio
City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS), Permit and Development Center
- Permit and Development Center, 809 N. Broadway, 1st Floor, Milwaukee, WI 53202
- Phone: 414-286-8210
- Email: DevelopmentCenterInfo@milwaukee.gov
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Milwaukee
Milwaukee runs an online permit portal. Many local portals let you check application status, search permit records, and view inspection results without calling the office.
What needs a permit in Milwaukee
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Milwaukee, 2 need a permit outright and 7 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | Not specified | Billed as an alteration: "The fee for all alterations, remodeling, repairs and repairing... |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Not specified | Electrical permit fees are not reproduced in the Plan Review and Permit Fees schedule |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Not specified | The Plan Review and Permit Fees schedule (As of January 1, 2025 |
| HVAC Permit | It depends | Not specified | HVAC Permit Fees, excerpted in the fee schedule from MCO 200-33-23: heating, incinerator... |
| Patio Permit | No permit needed | Not specified | No permit and therefore no DNS permit fee. |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | Not specified | Plumbing permit fees are set by MCO 200-33 and are not reproduced in the Plan Review and... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | pool at least 15 feet by 3 feet in size or holding 3,965 gallons | The DNS Private Pool Instruction Sheet (soc 03/18/25) instructs applicants to "Submit a... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | Not specified | No permit fee for a one- or two-family re-roof, because no permit is required. |
| Shed Permit | It depends | detached tool or storage sheds located in the rear yard and at least three feet from the property lines | Under Structures Accessory to One-and 2-family Dwellings in the Plan Review and Permit... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | The Residential Solar Permit Process sheet (DNS soc 06/02/2021) states "Expedited solar... |
Planning a project in Milwaukee?
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
Planning several things at once? Check your whole project