Badger Remodel has built and remodeled homes around Madison since 1974. In Sun Prairie we take basement finishes, kitchens, bathrooms, additions, decks, floors, windows and doors.
Sun Prairie's permit system is one of the simpler ones around: one permit covers every trade on a remodel. A few of its rules still catch people out.
The houses we work on in Sun Prairie
| Median year built | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Built before 1960 | 11% |
| Built before 1980 | 28% |
| Built 2000 or later | 49% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Single-family detached | 50% |
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, tables B25034, B25035, B25003 and B25024 (data).
Half of Sun Prairie's homes were built in 2000 or later, and the median home dates to 1999. Basements are the big job here: newer houses often come with the basement unfinished, sometimes with a bathroom rough-in already in the slab, which we check at the walkthrough. The older homes (about 28% of the city's housing predates 1980) are more often kitchen and bath layout jobs, and work that disturbs paint in a pre-1978 house falls under Wisconsin's lead-safe rules (DHS 163).
Permits in Sun Prairie
- One permit per remodel. The city issues "single source" permits, so building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC are covered by one permit instead of four (source).
- Online only, through the city's OpenGov portal. Small jobs use the minor-work application. Remodels, decks and additions use the alterations application.
- Small electrical counts. Adding a ceiling fan, an outlet or a light fixture needs a permit. Replacing cabinets with no plumbing, electrical or HVAC work doesn't.
- Fees. Each trade is charged the greater of $75 or a rate per square foot of project area: building $0.09, electrical, plumbing and HVAC $0.06 each. Windows or doors are a flat $75, even in the same opening. Starting before the permit is issued adds a penalty equal to the fee (fee schedule).
- Inspections. Every permit gets rough and final inspections, and the final is the only way to close it. Same-day requests have to be in by 8 a.m., and the inspector has two business days to come out.
Finishing a basement in Sun Prairie
A basement finish needs a permit and a plan. Installing drain tile or a basement drainage system needs its own permit. If your house has a sewer backwater valve, both of its access covers have to stay reachable after the basement is finished (source), so we frame an access panel around it rather than drywall over it.
Before any framing goes up, we check walls and floor for water. A basement that's damp in spring will be damp behind new drywall. A bedroom needs an egress window, and cutting that opening is a big part of the cost, so it's worth deciding early. Radon is worth a test too: about half of the Dane County homes tested recently came back high (source). More: basement finishing and egress window rules.
Decks and HOAs
Any deck addition, replacement or alteration needs a building permit, a construction drawing and a site plan. A deck up to 3 ft high can come within 8 ft of the rear lot line. Over 3 ft, it has to stay 24 ft back. The fee is $150 plus $25 plan review and per-square-foot erosion control and aerial imagery fees. Many Sun Prairie subdivisions have an HOA that needs to approve decks and fences separately, and an HOA can ask the city to notify it when permits are issued there. We ask about your HOA at the walkthrough.
Adding a unit
Sun Prairie legalized accessory dwelling units in May 2026. In the districts that allow them, one attached unit or up to two detached units, each up to 1,000 sq ft, can be approved without a public hearing if the project meets the listed standards. The code has no owner-occupancy requirement and adds no parking.
What we do in Sun Prairie
- 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 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 City of Sun Prairie requires it.
How a job in Sun Prairie 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 permits it needs, and a schedule.
- We pull the permits, order materials, and book the inspections the City of Sun Prairie requires.
Get a quote for your Sun Prairie project
Questions we hear in Sun Prairie
Do I need separate electrical and plumbing permits in Sun Prairie?
No. Sun Prairie issues one single-source permit per remodel that covers building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC.
Do I need a permit to add a ceiling fan?
Yes. In Sun Prairie, a ceiling fan, a new outlet or a new light fixture needs a permit.
Can I finish my own basement?
Only an owner who lives in a single-family detached home can do their own work, according to the city. If we do the job, we pull the permit and book the inspections.
We checked the permit, fee and zoning details on this page against the City of Sun Prairie'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.