Remodel Permits in Marshall, WI: What Needs One

Do You Need a Permit in Marshall?

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

Project	Permit	What the rule says
Kitchen remodel	Depends	Any kitchen work that touches plumbing, wiring, heating or the structure needs a permit: Ordinance 2026-07 lists alterations to the structure or to the heating, electrical or plumbing systems, and any wiring or plumbing for remodeling. New cabinets and counters alone aren't named; the code lets the inspector skip a permit for minor repairs under $1,000 that don't change layout, structure, exits or exterior look, but the Village's permits page lists all repair and remodeling jobs. Call SAFEbuilt before a cabinets-only job. Remodels cost $7 per $1,000 of value ($50 minimum) plus mechanicals. Permits: building, electrical, plumbing.(source)
Bathroom remodel	Depends	Moving plumbing, adding a circuit or outlet, or adding a fan with new wiring needs plumbing and electrical permits; Marshall requires an electrical permit for any new outlet or wiring. Swapping a fixture in place isn't named; the code treats like-for-like replacements that don't change layout or structure as minor repairs, so ask SAFEbuilt. A homeowner may do plumbing in a single-family home they own and live in, with a permit. Permits: building, plumbing, electrical.(source)
Finish a basement	Yes	Finishing a basement is an alteration that changes room layout and adds wiring, and often plumbing and heating, so it needs a building permit plus electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits for that work. Inspections cover rough framing and mechanicals, insulation and final. Permits: building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC.(source)
Remove or move a wall	Yes	Removing or moving a wall needs a building permit. Work on beams, columns or bearing walls is an alteration to the structure, and the code's minor-repair exemption excludes anything that changes room arrangement, so non-load-bearing walls are covered too. Permits: building.(source)
Build or replace a deck	Yes	New decks need a building permit; the Village lists decks, and Ordinance 2026-07 names detached decks and additions including decks. Marshall counts decks as part of the building, so an attached deck meets the house setbacks. An uncovered attached deck no higher than the entry floor may reach 5 ft into the front setback and 3 ft into others. A detached deck is an accessory structure. No local frost depth or size exemption is published. The fee schedule lists $60 for decks. Permits: building, zoning.(source)
Replace deck boards or railings	Depends	Not named. Replacing boards or railings in kind with no structural change fits the code's minor-repair definition, which needs no permit, and the inspector may waive a permit for maintenance under $1,000. Replacing joists, beams or posts is structural and needs a permit. Ask SAFEbuilt. Permits: building.(source)
Replace windows, same size	Depends	Not named. Same-size replacements that don't touch the structure may count as minor repairs, but the minor-repair rule excludes work that changes the exterior look, and the Village's permits page lists all repair jobs. The inspector may skip a permit for repairs under $1,000. Ask SAFEbuilt before you order. Permits: building.(source)
New or larger window (egress)	Yes	Cutting a new or larger opening, such as a basement egress window, is an alteration to the structure and changes light, ventilation and exits, so it needs a building permit. A window-well cover up to 1.5 ft above ground may sit in a setback. Permits: building.(source)
Replace exterior doors	Depends	Not named. A same-size exterior door replacement with no structural change may count as a minor repair, but the rule excludes work that changes the exterior look or exits. A new or wider opening needs a building permit. Ask SAFEbuilt. Permits: building.(source)
Re-roof	No	The building code says re-roofing needs no building permit (Ordinance 2026-07 keeps that rule). If you replace more than 25% of the roof covering in 12 months, the whole roof covering must meet the state dwelling code. The permit application still has a Roofing/Siding/Fence box, so confirm with SAFEbuilt if sheathing or rafters are being replaced.(source)
Replace siding	Depends	Not named in the code. Re-siding changes the exterior, which the minor-repair exemption excludes, and the permit application has a Roofing/Siding/Fence box; the fee schedule lists 'Siding, Roofing, etc.' with no fee shown. Ask SAFEbuilt whether your job needs a permit. Permits: building.(source)
New flooring	Depends	Not named. Replacing flooring is maintenance that doesn't change layout, structure, exits or the exterior, which fits the code's minor-repair definition (no permit). Work under $1,000 can also be waived by the inspector. Ask SAFEbuilt if the job includes subfloor or structural repairs.(source)
Replace a water heater	Yes	Replacing a water heater needs a permit; Ordinance 2026-07 names water heaters, furnaces and central air conditioners. Replacement plumbing and HVAC work costs $10 per $1,000 of project value ($45 minimum). Permits: plumbing.(source)
Build a fence	Yes	Fences need a permit from the building inspector; send a description or sketch. Temporary fences and decorative fences or posts don't. In residential districts fences can be up to 6.5 ft tall, can't go in the front yard or in front of the house (except open decorative fences up to 3 ft, set 3 ft from lot lines), and sit at least 0.5 ft from side and rear lines and 15 ft from a street side (10 ft in R-2 and R-M). A fence right on the line needs a recorded agreement with the neighbor. The finished side faces out. The fee schedule lists $60. Permits: zoning, building.(source)
Build a shed	Yes	Sheds need a building permit ($0.12 per sq ft, $50 minimum). In R-1S, R-1L and R-1W a shed up to 250 sq ft is allowed by right; larger ones need a conditional use permit. Sheds stay out of the front yard, 5 ft from side and rear lines (house setbacks if over 200 sq ft), 15 ft from a street side, 10 ft from other buildings (closer with one-hour fire-rated construction), and no taller than 15 ft. In R-1S, R-1L, R-1W and R-2 you get one garage plus one other accessory building per unit. Permits: building, zoning.(source)
Install a pool	Yes	A pool deeper than 1.5 ft needs a swimming pool building permit with plans ($60), plus electrical. Pools go in the side or rear yard, with the water line at least 6 ft from any lot line and accessory-building setbacks met. Enclose the pool with a fence at least 6 ft high with no openings over 4 inches, gates locked when not in use. An above-ground pool with a 36-inch railed deck or 36-inch walls and self-latching gates can skip the fence. Storable wading pools up to 15 ft across with 15-inch walls are exempt. Never drain a pool into the sanitary sewer. Permits: building, electrical.(source)
Add a hot tub	Depends	Hot tubs aren't named. Wiring a new circuit or outlet for one needs an electrical permit. The pool section covers any outdoor structure holding water deeper than 1.5 ft, which may reach a hot tub, but the code doesn't say. Ask SAFEbuilt. Permits: electrical.(source)
Build a pergola or gazebo	Depends	Pergolas aren't named. The building code requires a permit before any new structure is erected, and gazebos count as detached accessory structures in the zoning code, so a pergola likely needs a permit and must meet accessory setbacks. Ask SAFEbuilt. Permits: building, zoning.(source)
Backyard fire pit	Depends	Backyard campfires are allowed without a burning permit if the fire is in a barrel, fire ring or fire pit, at least 15 ft from anything combustible, windows and exits, attended by an adult with extinguishing equipment, and not during a burn ban. Burn only clean wood; burn barrels are banned. Large bonfires need a permit from the Fire Chief. Whether a built-in fire pit needs a building permit isn't stated.(source)
Build a patio	Depends	Patios aren't named in the permit list. Paved surfaces in residential districts sit at least 0.5 ft from side and rear lines and 15 ft from the front and street side (10 ft in R-2 and R-M), and each district has a minimum landscaped share of the lot (50% in R-1S, 65% in R-1L). A new, moved or resurfaced driveway needs a $50 Village driveway permit and a Public Works inspection before pouring. Ask SAFEbuilt about the patio itself. Permits: zoning.(source)

Checked October 2026 against the Village of Marshall sources listed below.

Who to Call

Village of Marshall Building Permits
Phone: 608-655-4017
Email: WIinspections@safebuilt.com
Permit office website

Building and zoning inspection is contracted to SAFEbuilt. Get the building permit application from the village's Building Permits/Inspections page or the Village Clerk, then email it with a site plan to WIinspections@safebuilt.com. The inspector sets the fee, which you pay to the Village Clerk-Treasurer before the permit is issued. Conditional use, variance and rezoning applications go to the Village Clerk. The village lists two SAFEbuilt numbers (262-307-8270 and 262-420-4732).

Permit Fees

Village of Marshall 2026 Municipal Fee Schedule (last updated June 25, 2026), residential one- and two-family: new dwelling or addition $0.18/sq ft of all floor area ($100 minimum); residential addition/alteration $75; remodel, repair or alteration $7 per $1,000 of valuation ($50 minimum); pools $60; detached garage, shed or accessory building $0.12/sq ft ($50 minimum); accessory buildings, fences, decks, pools $60; driveway $50; erosion control $100 new home, $75 addition; raze/demolition $0.05/sq ft ($75 minimum); plumbing, electrical and HVAC for new work or alterations $45 plus $0.05/sq ft of the area, and for replacements $10 per $1,000 of project value ($45 minimum); electrical temporary pole $50; residential plan review $150; residential early start $75; occupancy permit $50 per dwelling unit; state seal $40; re-inspection $40; failure to call for inspection $40; permit renewal 50% of the fee. Double fees if work starts before the permit is issued. Zoning (Chapter 13): conditional use permit $350, rezoning $350, site plan and design review $250, zoning permit $50 minimum, floodplain land use permit $100, variance $300, appeal $300, each plus consultant costs. Erosion control and stormwater permits $125 plus area charges. Sewer connection fee $1,000 for a 5/8" or 3/4" water service. The building code (15-1-16) also charges new residential construction a $200 park impact fee and a $50 tree fund fee per unit.(fee schedule)

Worth Knowing in Marshall

Starting work before the permit is issued doubles the permit fee.(source)
Ordinance 2026-07 (posted 2026, not yet in the online code) rewrote the building permit section: it lists what needs a permit, including water heater, furnace and AC replacement and any wiring, plumbing or HVAC for remodeling, and keeps the no-permit rule for re-roofing and re-painting. It also makes Marshall a certified municipality for commercial plan review.(source)
The inspector may skip a permit for minor repairs or maintenance under $1,000 (materials plus labor, including your own) that don't change the use, exterior look, structure, fire protection, exits, light, ventilation or energy use.(source)
A homeowner may do plumbing in a single-family home they own and live in, with a permit; otherwise plumbing is done by a state-licensed plumber. Any new outlet or wiring, including low-voltage control wiring, needs an electrical permit.(source)
Give the inspector 48 hours' notice for inspections: footings and foundation, rough carpentry and mechanicals, drain tile and basement floor, underfloor plumbing and electrical, insulation, final and erosion control. Requests must reach SAFEbuilt by 4 pm for a possible next-day inspection.(source)
A building permit expires if work hasn't started within one year.(source)
Sump pumps, gutters and roof drains may not discharge into the sanitary sewer.(source)
Retaining walls can't be within 3 ft of the street right-of-way or taller than 6 ft each, with a 3-ft terrace between stacked walls.(source)
Marshall has its own floodplain zoning (Title 13, Chapter 2, recreated by Ord. 2025-07, adopted August 12, 2025). In the floodplain, any repair, change or addition to an existing structure needs a land use permit from the Zoning Administrator first ($100).(source)
An erosion control permit applies to land disturbance over 4,000 sq ft, on slopes over 12%, or moving more than 400 cubic yards. Work on a one- or two-family home is covered through the building permit, but landscaping, driveways and grading unrelated to the building are not exempt.(source)
The zoning code was rewritten in 2025 (Ord. 2025-04, adopted July 8, 2025), with new district names (R-1S, R-1L, R-1W, R-1E, R-2, R-M, M-H). The R-1W district covers waterfront lots on the Maunesha River and Marshall Millpond.(source)
Driveways need a $50 Village permit with a sketch and a Public Works inspection before pouring; driveways onto STH 19 or STH 73 also need WisDOT approval.(source)

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 Marshall, WI