Pressure Washing Permit Requirements in Madison, WI

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

1. Wisconsin Seller's Permit

   Required of every individual, partnership, corporation or other organization with a Wisconsin sales location making retail sales of taxable products or taxable services, with limited exceptions for wholesalers, manufacturers and certain marketplace sellers. Services are taxable only if they appear on DOR Publication 201's list - admissions and access to recreational facilities, landscaping, laundry and dry cleaning, and similar - so professional services such as accounting, consulting or insurance generally do not trigger it. The permit is obtained through Business Tax Registration, which also opens your withholding and use tax accounts.

   Official government source

   $20 one-time Business Tax Registration fee, then $10 to renew every two years - it is not free. The $20 is the same regardless of how many locations need a seller's permit.·Register online through My Tax Account. DOR does not publish a guaranteed processing time - contact [email protected] or 608-266-2776 to check status.

   $20 one-time Business Tax Registration fee, then $10 to renew every two years - it is not free. The $20 is the same regardless of how many locations need a seller's permit.

   Register online through My Tax Account. DOR does not publish a guaranteed processing time - contact [email protected] or 608-266-2776 to check status.

2. General Liability Insurance - a client requirement, not a Wisconsin one

   Wisconsin does not license pressure washing contractors and does not require them to carry liability insurance - no pressure washing or power washing credential appears in DSPS's A-Z list of professions the department licenses. The requirement comes from customers: commercial clients and property managers routinely demand a certificate of insurance, often naming them as an additional insured, before work starts, and each contract sets its own limit. If you operate a company vehicle, commercial auto liability is a separate obligation under Wisconsin's motor vehicle financial responsibility law.

   Official government source

   No state-set price. General liability is quoted by private carriers on revenue, crew size, the work you do and the limit requested; Wisconsin publishes no schedule, so get quotes at the specific limit your target clients name.·Before your first commercial job - clients typically require the certificate in hand before signing.

   No state-set price. General liability is quoted by private carriers on revenue, crew size, the work you do and the limit requested; Wisconsin publishes no schedule, so get quotes at the specific limit your target clients name.

   Before your first commercial job - clients typically require the certificate in hand before signing.

1. City of Madison - No General Business License

   Madison does not require a general business license for pressure washing companies or most other business types. The City's own guidance states: 'The City of Madison does not have a generic business license. Most licenses issued by the Clerk's Office are for things that need to be inspected' - restaurants, swimming pools, hotels and similar. Pressure washing is not among them. Stormwater discharge rules still apply separately.

   Official government source

   $0 - no general license applies.·Not applicable - there is no city license to apply for.

   $0 - no general license applies.

   Not applicable - there is no city license to apply for.

2. Stormwater / Wastewater Discharge Compliance

   Pressure washing wastewater carries detergents, oils and grit and may not be allowed to enter a storm drain. Contain the wash water and dispose of it to a sanitary sewer or an approved disposal facility. The obligation comes from Wisconsin DNR stormwater regulation and the City of Madison's own storm water ordinance, administered by City Engineering - not by Dane County Environmental Health. There is no permit to apply for; the rule is enforced against the discharge itself.

   Official government source

   No permit fee for ordinary operations - this is a discharge prohibition and an ongoing compliance obligation, not a permit you apply for.·Ongoing compliance - there is no application step before operating.

   No permit fee for ordinary operations - this is a discharge prohibition and an ongoing compliance obligation, not a permit you apply for.

   Ongoing compliance - there is no application step before operating.

3. Assumed Name Filing (only if seeking credit under a trade name)

   Wisconsin does not require a general DBA registration to operate under a trade name. Wis. Stat. 134.17 requires only a business that intends to obtain credit under an assumed name to record a verified statement with the Register of Deeds in the county of its principal place of business. A pressure washing sole proprietor or partnership using an ordinary trade name files nothing before taking jobs.

   Official government source

   No filing and no fee in the ordinary case. If the narrow 134.17 case applies, the Register of Deeds charges the standard recording fee set by Wis. Stat. 59.43(2)(ag).·Not applicable in the ordinary case.

   No filing and no fee in the ordinary case. If the narrow 134.17 case applies, the Register of Deeds charges the standard recording fee set by Wis. Stat. 59.43(2)(ag).

   Not applicable in the ordinary case.

Official Sources

• City of Madison — Business Licensing
• Wisconsin Department of Environmental Quality
• Wisconsin Secretary of State

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