Badger Remodel has built and remodeled homes around Madison since 1974, much of that time building custom homes. In Shorewood Hills we take kitchens, bathrooms, basements, additions, decks, floors, windows and doors.
A Shorewood Hills remodel has one step most towns don't: village zoning review, which the village says can take 90 days or more. Here's what goes into it.
The houses we work on in Shorewood Hills
| Median year built | 1968 |
|---|---|
| Built before 1960 | 42% |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 42% |
| Owner-occupied | 57% |
| Single-family detached | 60% |
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, tables B25034, B25035, B25003 and B25024 (data).
Shorewood Hills is a small village, so these Census numbers carry wide margins. Still, about 4 in 10 of its homes predate 1960 and roughly a quarter predate 1940, and most of the newer units are from one wave of 2010s construction. For a remodel that means original plaster, older wiring, and paint that falls under Wisconsin's lead-safe rules (DHS 163) in any house built before 1978.
Zoning review comes first
Zoning approval has to be in hand before construction, and the village warns it can take 90 days or more (village). Additions, decks and anything that adds floor area go through it. Village fees: $50 for staff zoning review, $150 for a floor area and height compliance review, and $150 for stormwater review. So an exterior project in Shorewood Hills starts with a survey and drawings months before the work does. We put that in the schedule when we quote.
Floor-area limits
The R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts cap floor area relative to lot size, and checking it takes a surveyor's lot survey. Attic space used as living space counts toward floor area, and so does a basement with more than one wall above finished grade. So finishing an attic or a walk-out basement can run into the limit, not just an addition. An attached deck 3 ft or more above grade also counts as part of the house for setbacks (zoning code). We check where your house stands before you pay for design work.
Building permits through GEC
- Building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits go through General Engineering Company, the village's contracted inspector, and all trade permits have to be submitted together with the building permit.
- Each contractor gets their own permit.
- Kitchen remodels need a building permit if cabinets are new or moved or any wall is opened to the studs. A plumbing permit is needed even to replace a sink, toilet or tub in place, and a bath fan needs an HVAC permit (village handout).
- HVAC work needs a City of Madison heating license or proof of competence.
- Land disturbance over 500 sq ft needs an erosion control permit, and 250 sq ft or more of new hard surface triggers a stormwater permit. Construction also has to follow the village tree ordinance.
Lake Mendota lots
Houses on the lake stay behind the greater of 75 ft from the high-water mark or the village's Special Lakefront Setback Line, drawn along the backs of the houses on Lake Mendota Drive in 2002. Decks under 3 ft can go to the water. Patios, pools and hot tubs stay 25 ft back, and fences in the setback are capped at 4 ft and 40% open. See the Shorewood Hills lakefront rules.
The village doesn't allow accessory dwelling units as of October 2026. The Plan Commission has been discussing them since 2024.
What we do in Shorewood Hills
- Kitchen remodels: layout changes, cabinets, counters, tile, lighting
- Bathroom remodels: tubs and tiled showers, vanities, tile floors, fans
- Basement finishing: framing, egress windows, bathrooms, ceilings
- Additions and whole-house renovation
- Deck repair and new decks, docks and patios
- Hardwood, laminate and tile floors
- Window replacement and door repair
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work is done by licensed trades we schedule and supervise, and permitted where the Village of Shorewood Hills requires it.
How a job in Shorewood Hills starts
- You send the quote form with a few lines about what you want done. Photos help.
- We come out for a walkthrough, measure, and look at what's behind the work: the framing, the plumbing, the panel, any water in the basement.
- You get a written quote with the scope, the village zoning review and permits it needs, and a schedule.
- We pull the permits, order materials, and book the inspections the Village of Shorewood Hills requires.
Get a quote for your Shorewood Hills project
Questions we hear in Shorewood Hills
How long does zoning approval take in Shorewood Hills?
The village says 90 days or more, and approval has to be in hand before construction. Interior-only work that adds no floor area is simpler.
Can I finish my walk-out basement in Shorewood Hills?
Usually, but if more than one basement wall is above finished grade, part of that space counts toward the floor-area limit. We check your lot's numbers with a survey first.
Do I need a permit to replace a toilet?
In Shorewood Hills, yes. The village requires a plumbing permit even to replace fixtures in place.
We checked the permit, fee and zoning details on this page against the Village of Shorewood Hills's own website, code and fee schedule in October 2026, and linked each source. Rules and fees change, so we confirm with the permit office when we quote.