Wausau, WI
Home MenuContact Info
Business Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 am -4:30 pm
Summer Hours (June 1 - September 4)
Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday
7:30 am -4:30 pm
Tuesday
7:30 am -6:00 pm
Friday
7:30 am -12:30 pm
Location
Inspections & Zoning
407 Grant St, 2nd Floor,
Wausau, WI 54403
*Call to schedule an in-person appointment with an inspector.
Walk-ins are not advised. *
P: 715-261-6780
F: 715-261-4102
Email: inspections@wausauwi.gov
Residential Building Permits
Apply & pay for permits through our online Evolve Permit Portal by clicking on the button below!
Residential Building Codes
City of Wausau enforces Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Codes (UDC) for 1-Family and 2-Family Dwellings. Check out Wisconsin UDC 1-2 family dwellings online.
At City of Wausau, a building, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing permit must be submitted separately. Some projects will require all four types of permits to be submitted and issued while other projects may only need one.
New Construction Residential Homes
If you plan on constructing a new 1-Family or 2-Family home, you will need to fill out our new house construction packet (also known as the WUBPA packet) and apply for a "Residential Building - Residential New Construction" application through our Evolve Permit Portal.
For new builds, you or your contractors must apply for the following permits, which you can submit through our online Evolve Permit Portal:
- Plumbing New Construction
- Plumbing Lateral
- Electrical New Construction
- Electrical Service
- HVAC
Depending on the extent of work, you may potentially need these permits too, which you can submit through our online Evolve Permit Portal as well:
- Deck Permit (if the new building will have a deck)
- Excavation Permit (if you are connecting directly onto main or onto curb stop)
- Driveway Approach Permit (if there isn't one there)
- Early Start Permit (MUST be approved by the Zoning Administrator and the Residential Building Inspector)
Accessory Buildings
An accessory building can be a shed, a green house, or a detached garage. A permit is required prior to installing and/or building an accessory building. You would apply for a "Residential Building - Residential Detached Garage or Accessory Building" application online through our Evolve Permit Portal. Read our Residential Accessory Buildings Information regarding the rules and regulations for accessory buildings in Wausau.
Decks/Porches/Stoops/Ramps
When building new, replacing, or expanding a deck/porch/stoop/ramp, a building permit is required.
- If you are building new, or expanding, then you would apply for a "Residential Building - Residential Addition (including decks)" application online through our Evolve Permit Portal and upload pages 1-3 of the Deck/Stoop/Porch/Ramp Form.
- If you are replacing on the same footprint, then you would apply for a "Residential Building - Residential Alteration" application online through our Evolve Permit Portal and upload pages 1-3 of the Deck/Stoop/Porch/Ramp Form.
Check out Wisconsin UDC Appendix B online for additional information on regulations. You can also check out pages 4-6 of the Deck/Stoop/Porch/Ramp Form, which provides informative diagrams of various regulations for building a deck/stoop/porch/ramp.
Roofing/Re-roofing
Replacing roofing does require a building permit. You would apply for a "Residential Building - Residential Exterior (roof, windows/doors, siding)" application online through our Evolve Permit Portal. Metal Roofing will only be accepted if you follow Metal Roofing Requirements.
Demolition/Raze
When razing a residential home or a detached garage, a demolition permit is required before the start of demolition. You must apply for a "Residential Building - Residential Demolition" application online through our Evolve Permit Portal and submit a Demolition Form.
Fences
Construction, replacement, or expansion of a fence requires a permit. There are regulations regarding height and location. Please check out the links below for additional info regarding fences.
- Fence Requirements
- List of Property Surveyors - The City of Wausau does not assist homeowners in locating property irons, surveying private property, or locating property lines between private properties.
- Fence Paper Application - we advise applying on the online Evolve permit portal (Link above) versus using the paper application because you save money. When applying via email, in person, or on paper/mail, there is an additional admin fee.
Homeowner Waiver
Per Wisconsin Statute SPS 101.654(1)(b) and SPS 101.65(1r): Owners, who reside or will reside at the property address and are applying for a permit on behalf of the contractor who does not have a State Dwelling Contractor number nor a State Dwelling Contractor Qualifier number, must sign a statement advising the owner of the potential consequences of hiring a contractor to perform work under the permit who is not bonded or insured under s. 101.654(2)(a).
If the above applies to you, then you will need to submit a Waiver of Contractor Certification Form along with your permit application.
Per Wisconsin Statute SPS 101.648(9), the waiver can become invalid if the statement on the waiver was untrue, if the waiver issued no longer applies, or if the resided owner's religious beliefs go against what is on the waiver.
Contact Us
If you have additional questions that were not answered with the following resources listed above, you can reach us at 715-261-6780 or email us at inspections@wausauwi.gov
Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.
