City of Milwaukee
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Last verified September 17, 2026
City of Milwaukee is a jurisdiction in Milwaukee 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.
Certificate Holder Mailing Address
Jezamil Arroyo-Vega, Commissioner of Neighborhood Services414-286-6344 (or 414-286-2512) / javega@milwaukee.gov
Zeidler Municipal Building, 841 N. Broadway, Room 104
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Use this address when the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.
Additional Notes
This is the actual, large Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services (not a generic county/state page), confirmed via the City's own dns.milwaukee.gov site and the WI DSPS Delegated UDC list (entry #103, City of Milwaukee, In Multiple Counties): Commissioner Jezamil Arroyo-Vega, 414-286-6344 / javega@milwaukee.gov (also listed as delegated agent contact at 414-286-2512). Permit & Development Center is at 809 N. Broadway, 1st Floor; DNS administrative offices are at the Zeidler Municipal Building, 841 N. Broadway, Room 104, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
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 Milwaukee'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.
More in Milwaukee County
See Milwaukee County property and court records →
Other building permit jurisdictions in Milwaukee County: