New Berlin keeps a one-page Recreation Rooms guide, dated August 2022, with more detail than most cities post.
New Berlin's Recreation Rooms guide
The city's permit table marks Rec Rooms yes for building, electrical and plumbing [1]. The guide asks for two floor plans at 1/4 inch scale with every room labeled. It sets a 7 foot finished ceiling, 6 feet 4 inches under beams and ducts as long as half the area is 7 feet, and 6 feet 4 inches for houses built before June 1, 1980 [2]. An owner living in a single-family home may do their own plumbing and electrical, but a contractor can't work under the homeowner's permit [2].
Do I need a permit to finish a basement in New Berlin?
Yes. New Berlin's permit table marks rec rooms yes for building, electrical and plumbing permits, according to the city's own table [1].
Can someone sleep in the finished basement?
Not unless the egress, natural light and ventilation requirements are met, according to the city's Recreation Rooms guide dated August 2022 [2].
Next steps
See ceiling height and layout, egress windows and bedrooms or remodeling a finished basement. Close by: Brookfield and Wauwatosa. The service areas page lists every town, and how it works covers the state code.
Send us your New Berlin basement plan, even if it's only a rough idea.
We're a referral service, not a contractor, and independent contractors may pay us for referrals.
Sources
- City of New Berlin, Building Permits & Inspections. https://www.newberlin.org/2349/Building-Permits-Inspections
- City of New Berlin, Recreation Rooms guideline (PDF, dated 08/26/2022) https://www.newberlin.org/DocumentCenter/View/500