Ashwaubenon, WI Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Building Inspection Department
- Application deemed abandoned
- 6 months after filing, § 5-1-43(A)
- Permit validity
- 1 year from issuance, § 5-1-43(B)
- Late-start penalty
- Double the prescribed permit fee
- Ordinary repairs
- Exempt if no structural/utility work
- Code current as of
- June 24, 2026
Summary
Ashwaubenon requires a permit from the Building Inspection Department before excavation, construction, enlargement, alteration, removal, demolition or an occupancy change involving greater strength, exit or sanitary demands, or before touching regulated electrical, plumbing, heating, or HVAC work; ordinary repairs are exempt.
(A) No person shall excavate for a building; construct, enlarge, alter, remove or demolish or change the occupancy of a building from one use to another requiring greater strength, exit or sanitary provisions or change to a prohibited use; or install or alter any electrical, plumbing, or heating, air conditioning, and ventilating facilities for which provision is made or the installation of which is regulated by this chapter without first filing an application with the Building Inspection Department on a form provided in writing and obtaining the required permit therefore, except that ordinary repairs which do not involve any violation of this chapter shall be exempt from this provision. ... Failure to obtain or renew a required permit prior to the commencement of proposed work shall result in assessment of a permit fee that is double the otherwise prescribed permit fee. Payment of any required permit fee shall in no way relieve any person of other penalties that may also be imposed.
Full Breakdown
§ 5-1-40(B) carves out ordinary repairs, but that exemption stops well short of structural work: it excludes cutting into any wall or partition, removing or cutting a structural beam or bearing support, changing any means of egress, or any addition, alteration, replacement or relocation of electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning or ventilating equipment. Applications run through § 5-1-41, filed by the owner, lessee or their licensed engineer, architect or contractor, with two copies of scaled plans and a site plan showing new construction, existing structures and property-line distances.
Timing matters under § 5-1-43: an application is deemed abandoned six months after filing absent diligent prosecution or an issued permit, though the Department may grant extensions up to ninety days each for reasonable cause, and an issued permit is valid for only one year from issuance, with work required to be completed and brought into compliance within that period. Missing the front end of that process carries a direct financial consequence set out below. This reflects the code as updated June 24, 2026.
Violations & Fines
Starting excavation, construction, alteration or regulated trade work before filing the permit application carries a doubled fee: § 5-1-43(C) assesses a permit fee that is twice the otherwise-prescribed amount when a required permit is not obtained or renewed before work commences, and paying that doubled fee does not excuse any other penalty that may also apply. A permit left unused for six months after issuance also lapses under § 5-1-47 if the authorized work is suspended or abandoned that long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom in Ashwaubenon?
What happens if I start construction in Ashwaubenon before getting a permit?
How long is an Ashwaubenon building permit good for?
Can my building permit application expire before I even start?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ashwaubenon
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Building Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Brown County handle building permits.