Green Bay building department

The City of Green Bay’s Building Inspection Division, in the Department of Community and Economic Development at City Hall, handles plan review, permits, inspections, and code enforcement for property inside the City of Green Bay. Many Brown County addresses carry a “Green Bay” mailing address but sit in a neighboring village or town such as Allouez, Ashwaubenon, Bellevue, Howard, Scott, or the Town of Green Bay. Green Bay’s permitting page tells applicants to confirm the actual municipality before applying.

What needs a permit in Green Bay

Green Bay requires building permits for most projects. Purely cosmetic work like painting and flooring is exempt. The city’s “Do I Need a Permit?” chart lists these thresholds:

Project	Green Bay rule
Shed	Permit only if over 50 sq ft. Smaller sheds still must meet zoning setbacks.
Fence	Permit only if over 50 feet long. Shorter fences still must meet zoning rules.
Deck	Permit always required
Residential roofing	No permit unless there are structural changes, such as replacing sheathing
Commercial roofing, including apartments of 3+ units	Permit required

Shed rules from the city’s shed guide:

• Accessory structures may cover no more than 30% of the required rear yard.
• A shed may not be taller than the house.
• Metal sheds are capped at 120 sq ft in residential zones.

See also do I need a permit for a shed.

Who may pull the permit

An owner who currently lives at the property may get permits and do their own work. For rental properties, a licensed contractor must pull the permit and do the work.

How to apply

• Short-form online application: fences, sheds, driveways, and patios can be submitted through the city’s Building Permit Application Short Form. You must upload a site plan before submitting; a scan or photo is acceptable.
• Other residential permits: submit the forms as PDFs by email to [email protected]. The city publishes separate guides for decks, garages, basement finishes, home additions, ramps, raze permits, and new homes.
• New one- and two-family homes: applications must be started online. The city says the plan submittal, review, and permitting process complies with State Act 211.

Submit everything at once. The city will not start review until the package is complete. Once it is, processing takes about one week. An inspector then sends the project number, fee, and payment options: online with a service fee, or a check payable to the City of Green Bay.

Decks

The deck guide requires a building permit application, a site plan, and building plans. The site plan must show:

• The deck’s location and dimensions
• Streets and a north arrow
• Property lines with dimensions
• Existing and proposed structures
• Setbacks from lot lines and distances between structures

The plans must show:

• Footing size, thickness, and locations
• Joist size, span, and spacing, and beam sizes
• Height above grade
• Guard heights and baluster spacing
• Ledger connection and flashing
• Post size and decking material

Footings need concrete of at least 3,000 psi and must bear on solid ground at least 48 inches below finished grade, not on fill, organic, or alluvial soil. The deck permit is $150: $75 building, $50 site plan, and $25 building plan review. See also deck permits.

2026 fee highlights

These one- and two-family fees come from the City of Green Bay Fee Schedule (2026 column):

Item	2026 fee
Fencing; hot tub or swimming pool; driveway or curb cut; landscape structures	$75 each
Window/door permit	$75
Raze or move a building	$75
Plan approval, principal building	$75
Plan approval, accessory building	$50
Plumbing	$7 per fixture; water, sanitary, or storm connection $50 each
Electrical	$0.05/sq ft; electrical service $50
HVAC	$0.05/sq ft; heating unit replacement $75; AC addition $75 per unit

Inspections and occupancy

For a new home, the city lists these inspections in order:

1. Erosion control preconstruction (no work may start until it passes)
2. Footing (lot corners must be monumented)
3. Foundation wall
4. Rough: framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and drain tile
5. Insulation
6. Final

No building may be occupied until a final inspection finds no health or safety violations and the Chief Building Official issues a Certificate of Occupancy. Every project needs a final inspection.

To schedule, use the online Inspection Request by 4:00 p.m. at least one day ahead. You can also call (920) 448-3300 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at least one business day before you need the inspection.

Contact

• Building Inspection, Community and Economic Development: City Hall, 100 North Jefferson Street, Green Bay, WI 54301
• Phone: (920) 448-3300
• Email: [email protected]
• City Hall hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Friday 7:30–11:30 a.m.