Kenosha Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

The City of Kenosha Community Development and Inspections Department is the local authority for building inspection, plan review, permit review and issuance, code compliance, property maintenance, zoning-related development questions, and occupancy permits inside the city. Kenosha County or a neighboring municipality may be the correct authority for property outside the city limits.

Kenosha building permits and plan review

Contact Community Development and Inspections before starting work to determine whether a building, trade, raze, sign, or occupancy permit is required. The city’s official business-start guide says an occupancy permit is required when a new business opens, an existing business changes owner or tenant, or a building alteration is proposed. A change of use may also require zoning review, a conditional-use permit, or site-plan review.

Wisconsin state building codes apply together with the City of Kenosha Code of General Ordinances. The city’s code provides for plan examination and inspection fees and enforcement when required work begins without an approved permit.

Inspections, code compliance, and certificates of occupancy

The department provides building, property-maintenance, and code-compliance inspections and supports the Board of Housing Appeals. A certificate of occupancy must be approved before covered space is occupied; the city’s vacant-building guidance explains that interior, fire, property-maintenance, and applicable permit inspections may be needed before occupancy approval. A conditional-use permit does not replace an occupancy certificate.

Official contact information

Kenosha Community Development and Inspections lists 625 52nd Street, Rooms 100 and 308, Kenosha, Wisconsin 53140, and (262) 653-4263 for planning, zoning, building inspections, and building permits. Confirm that the property is inside the City of Kenosha before applying because county and town authorities may use different forms and inspectors.