Wauwatosa, WI Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

120 lists non-exclusive examples requiring a permit: new buildings, additions, alterations and structural repairs, garages, storage sheds and other accessory buildings, fences, decks and pools, moving or razing a building, and new or replacement mechanical, electrical and plumbing work. It then exempts specific low-risk work: storage, play or recreational accessory structures that do not exceed one hundred square feet in area and twelve feet in height; detached decks less than twenty-four inches above grade that do not serve as a dwelling exit; reroofing or residing that does not alter the building's original architectural style; replacement doors or windows absent structural modification or a style change; birdhouses; approved bus shelters and other board-approved right-of-way structures; and minor electrical or plumbing repairs as determined by the relevant inspector.

120 exempts an owner-occupant of a one- or two-family dwelling from licensing for repairing or replacing appliances, pipes, valves, faucets, fixtures or a water heater. 130 requires a written application on the division's form, accompanied by a preliminary or plan review fee credited toward the regular permit fee, a description of the land by address, the intended use or occupancy, and the required construction documents. Permits expire on a set schedule: a new one- and two-family construction permit runs two years from issuance, a remodeling or addition permit runs one year, and commercial or multifamily permits run six months for the application and two years once issued; work cannot resume after expiration without a new application and new fees.