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The Electrical division inspects residential, commercial and industrial buildings. The City employs 2 electrical inspectors. Permits are required for new construction and remodeling projects. For your own safety, always contract with a licensed electrician. If in doubt, contact us by phone (448.3300) or email.

Electrical Permits are issued for:

An electrical permit is required when any electrical work is being done in conjunction with a building permit. If no building permit is required, and more than three outlets (receptacles, lights, switches, etc.) are added, an electrical permit is required. (This usually excludes minor repairs).

The owner of an existing single-family dwelling where they reside may obtain an electrical permit for wiring in that dwelling. New residences work on electrical services and all other wiring in the City must be done by an electrical contractor licensed in Green Bay. If you are hiring a licensed electrical contractor to do the wiring, they will submit the electrical permit. (There is no need for you to meet with an electrical inspector in City Hall).

If you intend to do the wiring yourself, you must meet with one of the electrical inspectors in City Hall at 100 N. Jefferson Street. Please call 448-3300 to schedule an appointment. Please bring a floor plan with you showing the location of all receptacles, lights, switches, etc. that you intend to install. The inspector will then ask you some basic wiring questions to determine if you are knowledgeable about that wiring, such as:
• What type of wiring are you using?
• What is the size of the wire?
• What size overcurrent device will protect the wire?
• How will you ground the devices or equipment?
• Is ground fault protection required?

If you can answer these basic wiring questions and/or others, the inspector can issue an electrical permit to you.

To become a licensed electrical contractor in the City of Green Bay, you must submit the following:
1. A copy of the state master electrician certification for the contractor or a fulltime employee (more than 30 hours per week) of the contractor who will be signing electrical permits.

2. State on your company letterhead with business address and phone number that the state certified master electrician is the owner of the company or works more than 30 hours per week for the company. Also, state that the certified master electrician is “not using their state certification to obtain an electrical contractor’s license for any other company.”

3. A current, original copy of your company’s certificate of insurance for public liability (with bodily injury and property damage limits of at least $500,000 per occurrence and $500,000 aggregate), and also $500,000 of products-completed operations coverage.

4. $100 for the initial license fee. The license is renewed annually on July 1 for $50. If the license is not kept current by renewing annually, the $100 initial license fee will be assessed again to obtain a new license.

Attention Electrical Contractors
Before any electrical work can begin, the permit and permit fee needs to be received by the Inspection Division. This can now be done online. No appointments can be scheduled until this happens. In a case where the building contractor paid for all the permits, it is the electrical contractor’s responsibility to send or fax (448-3117) a copy of the electrical permit. On commercial or industrial permits, please fax the Fault Current information when required.

Download the Electrical Permit Brochure