Remodel Permits in Cottage Grove, WI: What Needs One

Do You Need a Permit in Cottage Grove?

Yes permit neededNo no permitDepends depends on the workAsk not published, call the office

Project	Permit	What the rule says
Kitchen remodel	Yes	Alterations to the building, and any change to the heating, electrical or plumbing systems, need a permit. The code also requires a permit for repairs and minor alterations if materials and labor total $50 or more, so even a cabinet-and-counter job is covered as written. Residential remodels cost $0.32 per sq ft ($173 minimum) plus the electrical ($173) and plumbing ($120) permits. Permits: building, electrical, plumbing.(source)
Bathroom remodel	Yes	A bathroom remodel is an alteration, and any plumbing for remodeling needs a plumbing permit; new wiring needs an electrical permit. The plumbing chapter says no permit application is needed for minor repairs to part of an existing plumbing system. A homeowner may get plumbing permits approved for work in a single-family home they live in; otherwise a licensed plumber applies. Permits: building, plumbing, electrical.(source)
Finish a basement	Yes	Finishing a basement alters the building and adds wiring, and often plumbing and HVAC, each of which the code lists as needing a permit. The inspector must see the work before drywall goes up, after insulation is in. Fee: $0.32 per sq ft ($173 minimum) plus each trade permit. Permits: building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC.(source)
Remove or move a wall	Yes	Removing or moving a wall is an alteration of the building, and the code covers any part of a building being altered. The $50 repair and minor-alteration rule means non-load-bearing walls are covered too, as written. Permits: building.(source)
Build or replace a deck	Yes	New decks need a building permit, whether attached or freestanding. The fee is $0.69 per sq ft ($173 minimum). No size or height exemption is published. In SR-4 and SR-6 zoning, accessory structures must be 3 ft from side and rear lot lines (5 ft from an alley); whether that applies to a detached deck isn't stated. Permits: building.(source)
Replace deck boards or railings	Depends	As written, the code requires a permit for any repair costing $50 or more in materials and labor, even one that doesn't change the structure. The fee schedule has no line for deck repairs. Ask the Building Inspector before replacing boards or railings. Permits: building.(source)
Replace windows, same size	Yes	Replacing windows in the same opening needs a permit. The fee is $65. Permits: building.(source)
New or larger window (egress)	Yes	Cutting a new or larger opening alters the building's structure, which needs a building permit. Alterations cost $0.32 per sq ft ($173 minimum). Permits: building.(source)
Replace exterior doors	Yes	Replacing exterior doors in the same opening needs a permit. The fee is $65. Permits: building.(source)
Re-roof	Yes	Re-roofing needs a permit ($65). Tear-off vs overlay and sheathing replacement aren't addressed separately. Permits: building.(source)
Replace siding	Yes	Re-siding needs a permit ($65). Permits: building.(source)
New flooring	Depends	Flooring isn't named anywhere. As written, the code requires a permit for any repair or minor alteration costing $50 or more, even one that doesn't change the structure. Ask the Building Inspector before you start. Permits: building.(source)
Replace a water heater	Yes	Replacing a water heater needs a permit; the residential plumbing permit is $120. A licensed plumber applies, unless you are the owner doing the work in a single-family home you live in. Permits: plumbing.(source)
Build a fence	Yes	Fences need a permit ($86); the online application asks for a site plan. Side and rear yards: up to 6 ft (8 ft along a lot line next to nonresidential zoning), and side-yard fences can't go past the front of the house. Street yards: decorative fences only, up to 3 ft, with no wire or chain link. The fence may sit on the lot line but can't cross it, can't go in a right-of-way or easement, and its structural side faces your own lot. Permits: building, zoning.(source)
Build a shed	Yes	Detached accessory buildings need a building permit at any size: sheds under 100 sq ft are $75, larger ones $0.20 per sq ft ($172 minimum). One garage plus two accessory structures are allowed by right; more than two, or over 1,000 sq ft combined, needs a conditional use permit. In SR-4 and SR-6, keep sheds 3 ft from side and rear lot lines (5 ft from an alley), 15 ft tall at most, out of the front and street-side yards, and built to complement the houses around them. Permits: building, zoning.(source)
Install a pool	Depends	In-ground pools need a permit ($316), plus electrical for the pump and lights. The zoning code treats a pool as a private recreational facility that follows the accessory-structure bulk rules, and says pools are regulated by state code. Above-ground pools aren't addressed separately; the online application's 'All Other Residential' category includes pools, so ask the inspector. Permits: building, electrical.(source)
Add a hot tub	Depends	Hot tubs aren't named in the code or fee schedule. The wiring is new electrical work, which needs an electrical permit ($173 for residential electrical). Permits: electrical.(source)
Build a pergola or gazebo	Yes	Pergolas aren't named, but the code requires a permit for any structure built in the Village. A detached pergola is likely an accessory structure (3 ft from side and rear lot lines in SR-4 and SR-6, 15 ft tall at most, counts toward the two accessory structures allowed by right). Confirm the fee and category with the Building Inspector. Permits: building, zoning.(source)
Backyard fire pit	No	No permit needed for a backyard fire, but the rules are strict: burn only wood or charcoal in a manufactured enclosed receptacle, at least 12 ft from any building, with the owner or a designee supervising and a working ABC fire extinguisher on hand. Leaf and brush burning isn't allowed.(source)
Build a patio	Depends	No building permit rule names patios: the building code, zoning code and fee schedule don't list them. A large job can need an erosion control permit: one is required to disturb more than 4,000 sq ft of land, to disturb land on a slope steeper than 12%, or to dig or fill more than 400 cubic yards. Zoning setbacks apply: in SR-4 a patio or sidewalk must be 3 ft from side and rear lot lines and 10 ft from the street. Ask the Building Inspector to confirm before you start. Permits: zoning, erosion control.(source)

Checked October 2026 against the Village of Cottage Grove sources listed below.

Who to Call

Village of Cottage Grove Building Inspection
Phone: 608-839-4704
Permit office website

Inspection is contracted to General Engineering Company (608-745-4070). Apply on its online building permit application and choose "All Other Residential". Pay once the village emails that the permit is approved, and don't start work before you have the approved permit card. This is the Village of Cottage Grove; the Town of Cottage Grove is a separate municipality that issues its own permits.

Permit Fees

Building Inspection Fee Schedule as of 1/1/2024 (still the version linked from the Village's permits page in October 2026). Residential: additions $0.32/sq ft ($222 min) plus mechanicals; remodels and alterations $0.32/sq ft ($173 min) plus mechanicals; electrical (including service upgrade) $173; plumbing $120; HVAC $120; in-ground pools $316; detached garages, sheds and accessory buildings over 100 sq ft $0.20/sq ft ($172 min), under 100 sq ft $75; fences $86; decks $0.69/sq ft ($173 min); residential additions erosion control $109; raze/demo $86; re-roofs, siding, windows and doors (same size) $65; residential solar PV $391 (0.1-15 kW AC); re-inspection $98; residential early start $200. Work started without a permit pays double. Development fee schedule (Jan. 1, 2024): conditional use permit or variance $360 plus $250 escrow; minor land disturbance (20,000 sq ft or less) $110. Right-of-way permit $75 base; driveway base fee $35 (Village fee schedule rev. 3.18.26).(fee schedule)

Worth Knowing in Cottage Grove

Work started without a permit pays double the inspection fees. Violations of the building chapter carry forfeitures of $25 to $1,000 a day.(source)
The code requires a permit even for repairs or minor alterations once materials and labor reach $50, which is far stricter than most Dane County towns. If a small job is borderline, call the inspector first.(source)
A building permit lapses if work doesn't start within six months. The inspector must see framing, wiring and insulation before drywall or other wall covering goes on.(source)
If alterations or repairs over 12 months exceed 30% of a building's value, further repairs must bring the whole building up to the code for new buildings; repairs over 50% at one time require full compliance or demolition.(source)
Homeowners may do their own plumbing only in a single-family home they own and live in; otherwise a licensed plumber must apply for the permit.(source)
Accessory buildings in residential districts must be finished in a style and materials that complement the houses around them, and can't sit between the house and the street. Children's play structures count as accessory structures but need no building permit; swing sets, slides and sandboxes are exempt. Tree houses are capped at an 8 ft platform and set back twice their height from lot lines.(source)
The Village adopts the state rules for buildings built before 1914 (SPS 375-379) along with the Uniform Dwelling Code, Uniform Plumbing Code and Electrical Code.(source)
Cottage Grove has its own floodplain zoning chapter (Ch. 183) and an erosion and stormwater chapter (Ch. 163) with land disturbance permits; check them for lots near drainageways or for bigger grading jobs. Minor land disturbance (20,000 sq ft or less) has a $110 Village fee.(source)
The Village Board adopted Ordinance 15-2026 on September 21, 2026, removing minimum off-street parking requirements for all land uses, including single-family homes (previously three spaces).(source)
After a major storm that damages property across the Village, the Village President may waive building permit fees for storm repairs for 60 days (added June 1, 2026).(source)

More about living in Cottage Grove: property tax rate and due dates, utilities, trash pickup and schools.

Other Towns

Sources

Permit rules and fees change. We checked each answer against the town's own website, code or fee schedule in October 2026 and linked the source. Confirm with the permit office before you start. This is a guide, not legal advice.

Remodel Permits in Cottage Grove, WI