Green Bay, WI
Green Bay electrical permit cost
A Green Bay electrical permit is priced on the area the wiring serves, at a rate the property class sets:
$0.05 per square foot in a one- or two-family dwelling, $0.09 in multi-family, and $0.05 or $0.09 for commercial work by building group — or, for commercial work only, a project-cost ladder from $100.00 to $600.00 that replaces the area rates. Rows beside the rates cover services ($50.00 to $100.00), air conditioning additions ($75.00 to $100.00 per unit) and a generator ($150.00).
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical permit — air conditioning addition, $100.00 per unit (multi-family and commercial)Permit fee | $100.00 per air conditioning unit | ac units is provided and property class is multi family | — |
| Electrical permit — air conditioning addition, commercial, $100.00 per unitPermit fee | $100.00 per air conditioning unit | ac units is provided and property class is commercial | — |
| Electrical permit — air conditioning addition, one- and two-family, $75.00 per unitPermit fee | $75.00 per air conditioning unit | ac units is provided and not (property class is provided and not (property class is one two family)) | — |
| Electrical permit — commercial group 1, $0.05 per square footPermit fee | $0.05 per sq ft | property class is commercial and building group is 1 and not (electrical fee basis is project cost) | — |
| Electrical permit — commercial group 2, $0.09 per square footPermit fee | $0.09 per sq ft | property class is commercial and building group is 2 and not (electrical fee basis is project cost) | — |
| Electrical permit — commercial, by project cost ($100 to $600 by band)Permit fee | Project valuation — $100.00 up to $10,000; $240.00 from $10,000 to $50,000; $310.00 from $50,000 to $100,000; $400.00 from $100,000 to $200,000; $500.00 from $200,000 to $300,000; $600.00 above $300,000 | property class is commercial and electrical fee basis is project cost | — |
| Electrical permit — commercial, $100.00 per $100,000 above $300,000Permit fee | $1.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $300,000 | property class is commercial and electrical fee basis is project cost | — |
| Electrical permit — generator, $150.00Permit fee | $150.00 flat fee | generator is true | — |
| Electrical permit — electrical service, each additional, multi-family, $50.00Permit fee | the first electrical service is included in the permit fee, then $50.00 for each additional electrical service | property class is multi family and electrical services at least 2 | — |
| Electrical permit — electrical service, initial, multi-family, $100.00Permit fee | $100.00 flat fee | property class is multi family and electrical services at least 1 | — |
| Electrical permit — general electrical system, multi-family, $0.09 per square footPermit fee | $0.09 per sq ft | property class is multi family | — |
| Electrical permit — electrical service, one- and two-family, $50.00Permit fee | $50.00 flat fee | not (property class is provided and not (property class is one two family)) | — |
| Electrical permit — general electrical system, one- and two-family, $0.05 per square footPermit fee | $0.05 per sq ft | not (property class is provided and not (property class is one two family)) | — |
| Electrical permit — reinspection of electrical wiring, $75.00Inspection fee | $75.00 flat fee | re inspection is true | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A 2,400-square-foot one- and two-family electrical rough-in with a new service — the general electrical system row plus the service row at the residential rate.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project area | 2,400 sq ft |
| Property class | one_two_family |
| Electrical service | 1 |
Example total
$170.00
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 2Rules considered 14
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Electrical permit — electrical service, one- and two-family, $50.00Permit feeThe schedule's "One- and two-family residential electrical permits — Electrical service $50.00", charged when the application includes new or upgraded service. The multi-family section splits the row into initial ($100.00) and each additional ($50.00); the commercial section prints no service row at all.Show the working
| $50.00 flat fee | $50.00 |
Electrical permit — general electrical system, one- and two-family, $0.05 per square footPermit feeThe schedule's "One- and two-family residential electrical permits — General electrical system (per sq. foot) $0.05". The permit prices the wiring by the area it serves: 1,500 square feet is $75.00. The residential pages add the scope rule — an electrical permit is required for any electrical work in conjunction with a building permit, and standalone when more than three outlets are added.Show the working
| $0.05 per sq ft | $120.00 |
| Total | $170.00 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Electrical permit — air conditioning addition, $100.00 per unit (multi-family and commercial) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — air conditioning addition, commercial, $100.00 per unit — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — air conditioning addition, one- and two-family, $75.00 per unit — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — commercial group 1, $0.05 per square foot — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — commercial group 2, $0.09 per square foot — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — commercial, by project cost ($100 to $600 by band) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — commercial, $100.00 per $100,000 above $300,000 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — generator, $150.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — electrical service, each additional, multi-family, $50.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — electrical service, initial, multi-family, $100.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — general electrical system, multi-family, $0.09 per square foot — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — reinspection of electrical wiring, $75.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 2 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Two rows charge: the general electrical system at $0.05 per square foot — 2,400 × $0.05 is $120.00 — and the electrical service at the residential $50.00. The permit is $170.00.
The same wiring priced as multi-family is 2,400 × $0.09, or $216.00, with its services at $100.00 initial plus $50.00 each additional — two services are $150.00 there, against the house's flat $50.00. As commercial group 1 by area it is $120.00 again at $0.05, but a commercial application may instead price from value: $8,000 of work on the ladder is $100.00, $40,000 is $240.00, and $350,000 is $600.00 plus $100.00 for the first $50,000 band above $300,000.
What moves nothing: the ladder and the area rates never add — one or the other prices the job, never both.
What is different in Green Bay
The wiring of an ordinary house prices like its ductwork: 1,500 square feet at $0.05 is $75.00, the same rate the mechanical section prints for HVAC. Services are their own row — $50.00 in a house; in multi-family, $100.00 for the initial service and $50.00 for each additional, so three services are $200.00. An air conditioning addition is $75.00 per unit residentially and $100.00 above it — per unit, not per ton, so a 3-ton and a 5-ton replacement are one unit each.
The commercial section offers two ways to price one job. The area rates read the floor plan; the ladder reads the application's 'Value of work' field — $100.00 to $10,000, $240.00 to $50,000, $310.00 to $100,000, $400.00 to $200,000, $500.00 to $300,000, $600.00 above — plus $100.00 for each $100,000 over $300,000. Choose by value and the ladder replaces the area rates; the calculator never charges both.
The generator's $150.00 appears on the City's own application form — 'JOB DESCRIPTION: *$150 permit fee', footnoted to the generator checkbox — and nowhere in the fee schedule. The form is the City's instrument, so the figure is charged from it. Reinspections of electrical wiring are $75.00, the schedule's own §8-449 row, charged only when one actually happens.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This is the electrical section of the City's 2026 fee schedule, plus the generator row from the City's own application form. It excludes:
- The illuminated-sign row — $100.00 for an internally or externally illuminated sign, a sign permit rather than wiring.
- The rooming-house rows (§8-629) — $50.00 plus $10.00 per dwelling or rooming unit.
- The commercial building groups' definition — the schedule prints no rule that assigns a building to group 1 or 2; the Inspection Division determines it at application, and the calculator asks which you were given.
- Reinspection as part of the first permit — the $75.00 reinspection is charged when a reinspection actually happens, not as part of the permit fee.
- The generator's gas line — the application requires an HVAC permit for the gas line and capacity calculations; those are requirements and another trade's permit, not part of the $150.00.
- Plan review percentages, technology fees and state surcharges — none exist, and Wisconsin levies nothing of its own.
What you need before applying
- State-certified contractor, or a homeowner who passes the inspector's questionsRequired
The residential page draws the line: an electrical contractor must be licensed in Green Bay (state firm licence for commercial work), a homeowner may wire their own existing single-family residence — but must first meet an electrical inspector at City Hall with a floor plan of every receptacle, light and switch, and answer the inspector's wiring questions (wire type and size, overcurrent protection, grounding, ground-fault protection) before a permit issues. More than three standalone outlets added triggers a permit even where no building permit is needed.
- The permit and fee must be received before work begins, and a final inspection closes itRequired
Repeated on every trade page: "Before any electrical work can begin, the permit and fee needs to be received by the Inspection Division. No inspections can be scheduled until this happens." An inspection is required upon completion of work; scheduling is by the City's online request form or by phone. Reinspections of electrical wiring are the schedule's own $75.00 row (§8-449).
Common questions
How much is an electrical permit in Green Bay?
The general electrical system is $0.05 per square foot in a one- or two-family dwelling, $0.09 in multi-family, and $0.05 or $0.09 commercially by building group — charged on the exact area. Beside it: electrical service $50.00 residential ($100.00 initial plus $50.00 each additional in multi-family), air conditioning addition $75.00 to $100.00 per unit, generator $150.00, and reinspection $75.00.
What is the commercial project-cost ladder?
The commercial electrical section's second way to price a job: $100.00 for project cost to $10,000, $240.00 to $50,000, $310.00 to $100,000, $400.00 to $200,000, $500.00 to $300,000, and $600.00 above, plus $100.00 for each $100,000 over $300,000. It reads the application's Value of work field and replaces the area rates — the calculator charges one or the other, never both.
Why is air conditioning priced per unit and not per ton?
Because the schedule's row is 'Air conditioning addition (per unit)' — a flat amount per machine, $75.00 residentially and $100.00 in multi-family. Tonnage is not asked: a 3-ton and a 5-ton replacement are one unit each. The same row appears in the mechanical section at the same prices, because the same job pulls both permits.
Where does the $150.00 generator fee come from?
From the City's own licensed-contractor electrical permit application — 'JOB DESCRIPTION: *$150 permit fee', asterisked against the generator checkbox. It is the only generator price the City publishes and it is not in the fee schedule. The application also requires electrical and gas capacity calculations and an HVAC permit for the gas line, which are requirements rather than fees.
Do I need a permit to add a few outlets?
The residential page's rule: an electrical permit is required for any electrical work in conjunction with a building permit, and standalone when more than three outlets — receptacles, lights, switches — are added, which usually excludes minor repairs. An owner-occupant may wire their own existing single-family residence, but must first meet an electrical inspector with a floor plan and answer basic wiring questions before a permit issues.
Who can pull an electrical permit?
Electrical services and all other wiring in the City must be done by a Green Bay-licensed electrical contractor, who submits the permit; commercial firms need a State of Wisconsin licence. The homeowner exception is the owner-occupant of an existing single-family dwelling doing their own wiring after the inspector interview. Rental property work is licensed-contractor-only.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
City of Green Bay Fee Schedule (PDF) — Chapter 8, Buildings and construction
Read 2026-09-25 as a 309,782-byte PDF with three columns — "Code Section", "Description", "2026 Fee" — and ordinance sections keyed in the margin (8-47 plan approval, 8-360 building and plumbing permits, 8-369 private wells, 8-449 electrical reinspections, 8-451 electrical permits, 8-478 mechanical permits). Extracted three ways: -layout mispairs columns exactly as Boston's sheet did (water heater handed the lawn sprinkler amount, the commercial section offset by a row), -raw scrambles the same tail, and -table pairs every row cleanly — that transcription is the one this site uses. The fee column is headed "2026 Fee"; the permit-guides page dates it to January 1, 2026.
- City websiteCityPrimary source
Commercial Permits — who may apply, and the SPS 382.21 witnessing rule
Read 2026-09-25: building permits may be taken by contractor, tenant or owner; electrical work requires a State-licensed firm; and "In the past, the City of Green Bay had required HVAC contractors to obtain licensing through the City, but that requirement is no longer in effect" — state licence only. The page's "PLUMBING INSPECTION UPDATE EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2021" dates the SPS 382.21 test-and-witness procedure for sanitary sewers and interior DWV, a procedure rather than a fee.
- City websiteCityPrimary source
Residential Permits — contractor rules trade by trade
Read 2026-09-25 for the owner-occupant rules the schedule does not carry: the owner of an existing single-family dwelling where they reside may pull each trade's permit for that dwelling; rental work is licensed-contractor-only; a contractor needs the State's Dwelling Contractor Certification and Qualifier Certification, which the City must verify before issuing; electrical services and all other wiring must be done by a Green Bay-licensed electrical contractor; a DIY electrician must meet an inspector with a floor plan and answer basic wiring questions; plumbing contractors must be Wisconsin master plumbers; and water heater replacement is named on the plumbing page as permitted work.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.