City of Portage

Columbia County, Wisconsin

Last verified September 17, 2026

City of Portage is a jurisdiction in Columbia County, Wisconsin, with an online portal for searching and pulling active or historical building permits. Use the contact information below to reach the local building department, or the mailing address if the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.

Contact

Phone: 608-742-2176 x106
Email: inspectportage@generalengineering.net
Department Site: Building Permits and Inspections Department (opens in a new tab)

Source: portagewi.gov (opens in a new tab)

Permit Search

GEC Building Permit Application Portal (opens in a new tab)

Certificate Holder Mailing Address

Matthew Paske, Building Inspector
608-617-9834
115 W. Pleasant Street
Portage, WI 53901

Use this address when the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.

Additional Notes

Building Inspector Matthew Paske can be reached directly at 608-617-9834 for large-project questions. DSPS UDC Delegated Municipalities list (code 11271) additionally names City Clerk Becky Ness (608-742-2176, rebecca.ness@portagewi.gov) as the municipal contact of record. City Hall: 115 W. Pleasant Street, Portage, WI 53901.

What You Need Before Applying for a Permit

Most building departments ask for the same core package before they'll issue a permit: a completed application naming the property owner and contractor, the contractor's state license number and proof of insurance (general liability, and workers' comp if employees are on the job), a notice of commencement or equivalent recorded filing for larger jobs where the state requires one, and scaled plans or a site plan for anything beyond minor repairs. Roofing, fence, pool, and solar permits typically have their own simplified checklists — City of Portage's department (above) can confirm exactly what applies to your project.

Why this matters for insurance: permit history is one of the first things an underwriter or adjuster checks. Unpermitted work — a finished basement, an added bedroom, a rebuilt roof — can complicate a claim or even void coverage for that portion of the loss, and it routinely surfaces during a home inspection. Pulling the right permit up front, and keeping the closed-permit record on file, protects both the property's value and its insurability at resale.

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