Data Changelog
Every update to PlutoPermit's Wisconsin permit database, logged.
How we track changes
PlutoPermit verifies permit data quarterly against official municipal records. This changelog tracks every update to our database — fee changes, new jurisdictions, data corrections, regulatory updates, and new features. Entries are posted within 48 hours of any verified change.
February 2026
February 17, 2026Fee Update
Milwaukee building permit fee increase
Milwaukee DNS updated residential building permit fees effective March 1, 2026. Fees increased approximately 3% across all residential categories per Ordinance 241389. Commercial permit fees updated separately (see February 3 entry).
city-of-milwaukeebuilding-permit-residentialbuilding-permit-commercial
February 14, 2026New Feature
Published: What happens if you build without a permit
New blog post covering consequences of unpermitted construction in Wisconsin, including stop-work orders, financial penalties, forced demolition, insurance implications, and the retroactive permit process.
February 12, 2026New Feature
Published: Wisconsin permit fee trends 2024-2026
New analysis post comparing permit fee changes across Wisconsin municipalities over the past three years, including statewide averages and city-by-city breakdowns.
February 10, 2026Jurisdiction Added
Added West Bend permit data
Added complete permit fee schedules and requirements for the City of West Bend across all 63 permit types. Data verified against the West Bend Community Development Department website.
city-of-west-bend
February 7, 2026New Feature
Published: Wisconsin cities with online permit applications
New blog post documenting which of Wisconsin's 50 largest municipalities accept online permit applications, categorized by level of digital service available.
February 5, 2026New Data
Q1 2026 quarterly verification cycle started
Began quarterly re-verification of all permit fee schedules, requirements, and contact information across 190+ jurisdictions. Pages will display updated lastVerified dates as each jurisdiction is confirmed.
February 3, 2026Fee Update
Milwaukee commercial permit fee restructuring
Milwaukee Common Council approved Ordinance 241389 establishing new tiered commercial building permit fees effective March 1, 2026. New formula: $15/k for projects under $50k, $12/k for $50k-$500k, $9/k for over $500k. Represents approximately 12% average increase.
city-of-milwaukeebuilding-permit-commercial
January 2026
January 28, 2026New Feature
Published: Owner-builder permits in Wisconsin
New blog post covering homeowner exemptions for permit work in Wisconsin, including what work homeowners can do themselves, licensing restrictions for electrical/plumbing/HVAC, and insurance implications.
January 26, 2026Fee Update
Waukesha plan review fee adjustment
City of Waukesha updated plan review fees from 60% to 65% of the building permit fee, effective February 1, 2026. Affects all commercial and residential projects requiring plan review.
city-of-waukeshabuilding-permit-residentialbuilding-permit-commercial
January 22, 2026New Feature
Published: How to get a contractor license in Wisconsin
Comprehensive blog post covering state-level trade licenses (DSPS), municipal contractor registration requirements, insurance minimums, exam preparation, and renewal timelines.
January 20, 2026Jurisdiction Added
Added Oconomowoc and Hartland permit data
Added permit fee schedules and requirements for the City of Oconomowoc and Village of Hartland in Waukesha County. Both jurisdictions verified against official municipal websites.
city-of-oconomowocvillage-of-hartland
January 16, 2026Correction
Corrected Appleton electrical permit fee
Fixed residential electrical permit fee for the City of Appleton from $95 to $85. The $95 figure was from a draft 2026 fee schedule that was not adopted. Verified against the official adopted fee schedule dated December 2025.
city-of-appletonelectrical-permit
January 14, 2026New Feature
Published: Wisconsin's new energy code requirements
New blog post covering the updated SPS 363 energy code effective January 1, 2026, including insulation R-value changes, blower door testing requirements, HVAC efficiency minimums, and compliance documentation.
January 10, 2026Code Update
2026 Wisconsin building code now in effect
Updated all permit requirement pages to reflect the 2021 IBC/IRC adoption effective January 1, 2026. Key changes include mass timber allowances (Type IV-C), updated fire-resistance requirements, AFCI expansion, and new stair geometry standards.
building-permit-residentialbuilding-permit-commercial
January 6, 2026New Data
Updated Madison digital plan submission requirements
Added digital plan submission requirements for the City of Madison effective January 2026. Plans must be PDF/A format at minimum 200 DPI with searchable text layers. Paper plans now carry a $75 surcharge.
city-of-madison
January 2, 2026Fee Update
Racine 2026 permit fee schedule published
City of Racine published its 2026 permit fee schedule with a 5% increase across all permit types, effective January 1, 2026. This follows a 15% increase implemented in January 2025.
city-of-racine
December 2025
December 28, 2025New Feature
Launched fee calculator tool
Released the free Fee Calculator tool allowing users to estimate total permit costs for any Wisconsin municipality and project type. Combines building, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC permit fees with plan review fees.
December 22, 2025New Data
Q4 2025 verification cycle completed
Completed quarterly verification of all 190+ jurisdictions. 14 fee schedule changes identified and updated. 3 new permit types added for municipalities that expanded their permit categories. All lastVerified dates updated.
December 18, 2025Jurisdiction Added
Added Mequon and Germantown permit data
Added complete permit fee schedules for the City of Mequon and Village of Germantown in Washington/Ozaukee counties. Both jurisdictions have online application portals now linked from their jurisdiction pages.
city-of-mequonvillage-of-germantown
December 12, 2025Code Update
DSPS published final 2026 building code amendments
Wisconsin DSPS published the final version of SPS 316, 320-325, and 362 amendments adopting the 2021 IBC/IRC as base codes. Effective date confirmed as January 1, 2026. Updated all affected requirement pages with transition notes.
December 8, 2025Correction
Corrected Green Bay HVAC permit processing time
Updated HVAC permit processing time for Green Bay from 3-5 business days to 5-7 business days. The shorter timeframe applied to the previous online submission system. Green Bay's EnerGov migration in November 2025 extended processing times.
city-of-green-bayhvac-permit
December 2, 2025Fee Update
Eau Claire valuation-based permit formula adopted
City of Eau Claire adopted a new valuation-based permit fee formula replacing its flat-rate schedule. Projects over $100,000 see approximately 22% higher fees. Projects under $50,000 see minimal change. Effective January 1, 2026.
city-of-eau-clairebuilding-permit-residentialbuilding-permit-commercial
November 2025
November 24, 2025New Feature
Launched permit finder tool
Released the free Permit Finder tool. Users enter a project type and location to get a checklist of every permit required, estimated costs, where to apply, and typical processing timeline.
November 18, 2025Jurisdiction Added
Added 12 Dane County municipalities
Added permit data for 12 municipalities in Dane County: Fitchburg, Sun Prairie, Middleton, Verona, Monona, McFarland, Cottage Grove, Oregon, Stoughton, Mount Horeb, Cross Plains, and DeForest. All verified against official municipal records.
city-of-fitchburgcity-of-sun-prairiecity-of-middletoncity-of-veronacity-of-mononavillage-of-mcfarlandvillage-of-cottage-grovevillage-of-oregoncity-of-stoughtonvillage-of-mount-horebvillage-of-cross-plainsvillage-of-deforest
November 12, 2025New Data
Added sign permit data statewide
Expanded coverage to include sign permit requirements and fees for all 50 tracked municipalities. Includes temporary sign permits, permanent sign permits, and electrical sign permits where applicable.
sign-permit-temporarysign-permit-permanentsign-permit-electrical
November 6, 2025Fee Update
Kenosha demolition permit fee increase
City of Kenosha increased demolition permit fees from $150 to $200 for residential structures and from $350 to $450 for commercial structures, effective November 1, 2025.
city-of-kenoshademolition-permit
November 1, 2025Correction
Corrected Janesville business license renewal date
Updated the annual business license renewal date for Janesville from January 1 to March 1. The January date applied to the previous ordinance; the March date reflects the 2025 amendment to Chapter 5.04 of the Janesville Municipal Code.
city-of-janesvillebusiness-license
October 2025
October 27, 2025New Data
Added contractor license requirements for all municipalities
Expanded professional license coverage to include contractor registration requirements, fees, insurance minimums, and renewal timelines for all 50 tracked municipalities.
October 20, 2025Jurisdiction Added
Added 8 Brown County municipalities
Added permit data for 8 municipalities in Brown County: Ashwaubenon, De Pere, Howard, Suamico, Bellevue, Allouez, Hobart, and Wrightstown. All verified against official records.
village-of-ashwaubenoncity-of-de-perevillage-of-howardvillage-of-suamicovillage-of-bellevuevillage-of-allouezvillage-of-hobartvillage-of-wrightstown
October 14, 2025Fee Update
Madison plan review formula change
City of Madison adjusted its plan review fee formula from 65% of the permit fee to 70%, effective January 1, 2026. Updated affected fee calculations in the database.
city-of-madison
October 6, 2025Code Update
DSPS approved 2021 IBC/IRC adoption for Wisconsin
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services formally approved the adoption of the 2021 International Building Code and 2021 International Residential Code as the basis for updated Wisconsin building codes, effective January 1, 2026.
September 2025
September 22, 2025New Data
Q3 2025 verification cycle completed
Completed quarterly verification of all jurisdictions in the database. 8 fee schedule changes identified and updated. 2 jurisdictions had updated permit office hours. All lastVerified dates refreshed.
September 15, 2025New Feature
Launched jurisdiction comparison pages
Added comparison pages allowing side-by-side comparison of permit requirements and fees between Wisconsin municipalities. Initial launch includes Milwaukee vs. Madison and residential vs. commercial comparisons.
September 8, 2025Jurisdiction Added
Added all 72 Wisconsin counties
Completed county-level permit data for all 72 Wisconsin counties. County data includes zoning permits, land use permits, and shoreland/wetland permits that are administered at the county level rather than municipal level.
September 1, 2025Fee Update
Sheboygan fence permit fee reduced
City of Sheboygan reduced residential fence permit fees from $65 to $50 as part of a city council initiative to reduce barriers to property maintenance. Commercial fence permits unchanged at $100.
city-of-sheboyganfence-permit
August 2025
August 25, 2025New Data
Added processing time estimates for top 20 cities
Published estimated permit processing times for the 20 largest Wisconsin municipalities across building, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC permit types. Times based on municipal published targets and verified against recent applicant reports.
August 18, 2025Jurisdiction Added
Added initial 50 municipality dataset
Published permit data for the 50 largest Wisconsin municipalities by population. Each municipality includes permit office contact information, fee schedules for all applicable permit types, application links, and online submission status.
August 11, 2025New Feature
PlutoPermit database launched
Initial launch of the PlutoPermit Wisconsin permit database. Coverage at launch: 50 municipalities, 63 permit types, 75+ professional license categories. All data verified against official government sources.
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