City of Baraboo, Wisconsin - Department of Building Inspection

City of Baraboo, Wisconsin

city

Baraboo, WI

Required

Required

Baraboo's Building Inspection Department is Stephanie Potter, Building Inspector, based at City Hall, 101 South Blvd., Baraboo, WI 53913. The City's Building Permit Bulletin (effective January 1, 2021) states the City has made "a concerted effort to ensure contractors or homeowners obtain a Building Permit and schedule the follow-up Inspections for most home improvement projects," and lists roofing explicitly under "Remodelling work" requiring a permit. Applicants file a Building Permit Application (available on the City's Building Permits page) and pay a fee from the City's Official Fee Schedule; for "Roofs, Windows, and Siding," the fee schedule sets a $35.00 minimum, then a sliding per-thousand-dollars-of-job-value rate ($7.00 per thousand from $5,000 to $50,000, stepping down to $3.00 per thousand above $300,000). Multiple inspections are typically required, are the permit-holder's responsibility to schedule, and must occur before any work is concealed; requests must be made at least two business days in advance. Contractors, homeowners, or anyone with questions are directed to call (608) 355-7309, or to reach the Building Inspector directly at (608) 355-2730 (office) or (608) 617-5691 (mobile), or by email at [email protected].

LOCAL ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE STATE CODE BY REFERENCE, PLUS LOCAL SUPPLEMENTARY ROOFING RULES -- read both halves before relying on this record. Baraboo Municipal Code Sec. 14.05, "Application of State Codes," reads in full: "The Uniform Dwelling Code -- Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) Chs. 316, 320 through 325, 360 through 366, and 375 through 387, the State Flammable Combustible, and Hazardous Liquids Code -- Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (ATCP) Ch. 93, and the State Well Drilling Code -- Natural Resources (NR) 812 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code are hereby adopted by reference and the Building Inspector shall enforce the provisions thereof. Any violation of said codes or amendments thereto shall constitute a violation of this code, whether unlawful building alteration, installation, moving or construction involved is specially covered by other provisions of this code or not, and shall render the violator liable to the penalties contained herein. Any future amendments, revisions, or modifications of the code provisions incorporated herein are intended to be made a part of this chapter." That closing sentence makes this a FLOATING adoption -- Baraboo picks up future DSPS amendments automatically, unlike a jurisdiction that names a single dated edition. For one- and two-family dwellings, that means Chs. SPS 320 (general provisions/exemptions) and SPS 321 (the technical construction chapter, including Sec. 321.28 Weather Protection for Roofs) govern. Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code is NOT an IRC adoption -- it is Wisconsin's own text, so IRC section numbers do not apply here. SEPARATELY, Baraboo has ALSO enacted its own roofing specifications in Municipal Code Sec. 14.10(4), under the heading "Structural Requirements Not Covered by State Codes" -- minimum roof covering, slope, shingle weight and underlayment, valley flashing, and a 2-layer maximum (see roof_layer_limit and deck_sheathing_requirements). Sec. 14.03 (Scope) states this local chapter "shall apply to all new commercial, industrial and residential buildings and auxiliary buildings and structures erected within the City or moved into the City. It shall also apply to existing buildings when the code so provides," and Sec. 14.02 (Purpose) describes buildings "erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, converted to other uses or demolished" -- so, unlike the state Uniform Dwelling Code's own repair exemption (see roof_layer_limit and ice_water_shield_required for that exemption's text and scope), Baraboo's own local roofing section is not textually limited to new construction or non-repair work. This record does not adjudicate which of the two instruments controls where they might diverge (they agree in substance on the layer count); it reports both.

Not required — No drip-edge-at-eaves-or-rakes requirement was found in either the City's own roofing ordinance or the state rule it adopts by reference. Municipal Code Sec. 14.10(4) (Roofing) was read in full and contains no drip-edge provision; its only use of the word "drip" is unrelated, in a garage-setback measurement elsewhere in the chapter ("measured from the outer edge of the eaves or drip"). Wis. Admin. Code Sec. SPS 321.28 ("Weather Protection for Roofs"), subsections (1) through (7), was also read in full and likewise contains no counterpart to IRC R905.2.8.5 -- its flashing subsection, (7), covers chimneys, valleys and roof openings, not eave or rake edges. Manufacturer shingle instructions can still call for drip edge as a warranty condition, and both Sec. 14.10(4)(a) (fasteners "acceptable to the Building Inspector") and SPS 321.28(3)(a)3 require installation per the manufacturer's recommendations; but neither the local ordinance nor the state rule mandates drip edge as such. About drip edge

Required — STATE-GOVERNED via Sec. 14.05's adoption of the Uniform Dwelling Code, SCOPE-LIMITED BY ROOF SLOPE, and NOT independently addressed by Baraboo's own local roofing ordinance (Sec. 14.10(4), read in full, has no ice-dam provision). Wis. Admin. Code Sec. SPS 321.28(4)(a) requires ice dam protection on "[s]hingled or shake roofs that extend over a heated area of a dwelling or attached garage" AND that "have a slope of 4:12 or less," in the form of "sheet metal or a product labeled as meeting the requirements of ASTM D 1970." Extent, Sec. 321.28(4)(b): the protection "shall extend at least 30 inches up the roof slope from the roof edge and at least 12 inches up the roof slope beyond the inner face of the exterior wall." That is a different measurement convention from the IRC's "24 inches inside the exterior wall line" -- do not substitute IRC ice-barrier language on a Wisconsin job. SCOPE: the Uniform Dwelling Code does not reach every dwelling. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05(1) provides that the code "shall not apply to dwellings and dwelling units, the construction of which was commenced prior to the effective date of this code, or to additions or alterations to such dwellings"; SPS 320.03 fixes that effective date, for chs. SPS 320, 321, 323, 324 and 325, at June 1, 1980. A note to SPS 320.05(1) states chs. SPS 320 to 325 "may be adopted by a municipality to apply to any additions or alterations to existing dwellings" -- whether Baraboo has done so for THIS state-law basis is NOT established by this record (Baraboo's Sec. 14.05 adopts the Uniform Dwelling Code generally and does not separately address pre-1980 alterations). SPS 320.05(3) further provides the code does "not apply to repairs or maintenance to dwellings or dwelling units," and SPS 320.07(61) defines "repair" to include "the replacement of existing fixtures, systems or equipment with the equivalent fixture, system or equipment" -- a fair description of a like-for-like tear-off and replacement -- while SPS 321.28 regulates roofing installation by name. Those two provisions are in genuine tension; this record states both and does not adjudicate between them. On a dwelling built before 1980, or on a like-for-like replacement, confirm scope with the City of Baraboo Building Inspection Department before relying on this field. About ice & water barrier

Not required — CITY-SPECIFIC administrative practice, read from the City's own inspection materials rather than inferred. Municipal Code Sec. 14.08(12) (Inspection of Work) names the inspection stages for new construction generically: foundation forms (or before the foundation is laid), "again when ready for lath and plaster, or before paneling is applied," and a final inspection after completion -- it names no roofing-specific stage. The City's Building Permit Bulletin (effective January 1, 2021), under "INSPECTIONS," states "[m]ultiple inspections are typically required throughout any construction project" and that "all work must be inspected prior to concealment," then lists the typical stages: "footing/foundation excavation, rough inspections for framing, plumbing, electrical, & HVAC, insulation, and a final inspection" -- again, roofing is not named among them. Neither document calls out a mid-roof, deck, or underlayment inspection specific to a re-roof. The Bulletin directs anyone in doubt to contact the Building Inspector: "If there is a doubt whether an inspection is required at a specific stage, please contact the Building Inspector."

Not required — No impact-resistance mandate applies in Baraboo. Municipal Code Sec. 14.10(4) (Roofing), read in full, contains no UL 2218 reference, no "Class 4" reference, and no hail- or impact-rating requirement -- its only rating reference is Sec. 14.10(4)(b), "Fire Underwriter Class A, B or C shall appear on each bundle of asphalt shingles," which is a FIRE classification (the ASTM E108 / UL 790 family), not an impact rating, and Sec. 14.10(4)(a) similarly ties the minimum covering to Underwriters Laboratories Class "C" fire specifications. Wis. Admin. Code Sec. SPS 321.28 ("Weather Protection for Roofs"), which Sec. 14.05 also adopts by reference, was likewise read in full and contains no UL 2218 reference, no "Class 4 impact" reference, and no hail- or impact-rating requirement anywhere in subsections (1) through (7); its catch-all, SPS 321.28(5), reads "[a]ll roof coverings not otherwise addressed in this section shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions or a national standard recognized by the department," which sets no impact class. Impact-resistant shingles remain a voluntary, insurer-driven upgrade in this market rather than a code obligation.

CITY-SPECIFIC, dollar-based rather than square-footage-based, and discretionary. The City's Building Permit Bulletin (effective January 1, 2021) lists "Remodelling work, Including roofing, siding, windows, etc." under the heading "IS A PERMIT REQUIRED? YES" -- so an ordinary re-roof is treated as work needing a permit, at any size, as a general matter. The one carve-out in the Bulletin's "NO" column is dollar-based and general (not roofing-specific): "Minor repairs or alterations that do not change the occupancy area, structural strength, fire protection, exits, light or ventilation of the building provided the total cost is less than $350." Municipal Code Sec. 14.08(11) codifies the same figure and makes it discretionary with the inspector rather than automatic: "MINOR REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS. The Building Inspector may authorize minor repairs or alterations which do not change the occupancy area, structural strength, fire protection, exits, light or ventilation of the building and which cost is less than $350 without requiring a building permit to be issued." So a very small, cosmetic roofing repair under $350 may be waived at the Building Inspector's discretion; an ordinary re-roof, which by definition replaces the roof covering, is not the kind of minor work this exemption describes and is not treated as exempt by either document.

STATE-GOVERNED via Sec. 14.05's adoption of the Uniform Dwelling Code; Baraboo's own local ordinance does not independently set wind or snow criteria. Wisconsin's UDC uses a prescriptive pounds-per-square-foot system plus a statewide snow-load zone map, NOT the IRC's county-by-county "ultimate design wind speed (mph)" table -- do not translate it into an mph figure. Wis. Admin. Code Sec. SPS 321.02(1)(c) requires dwellings to be designed to withstand "either a horizontal and uplift pressure of 20 pounds per square foot acting over the surface area or the wind loads determined in accordance with ASCE 7-05, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures." Snow: Sec. 321.02(1)(b)2. -- "Roofs shall be designed and constructed to support the minimum snow loads listed on the zone map" (Figure 321.02), a statewide zone map rather than a single statewide number, so a Baraboo/ Sauk County ground snow load must be read off that figure; this record does not state a numeric value for Baraboo. Fastening: Sec. 321.02(3)(h) -- "All building components shall be fastened to withstand the dead load, live load, snow load, and wind load," per the Table 321.02-2 fastener schedule, with engineered alternatives allowed. On the roofing side specifically, Baraboo's local Sec. 14.10(4)(a) adds only that "[f]asteners for attaching roof coverings shall be of corrosion resistant material acceptable to the Building Inspector."

LOCAL ORDINANCE, not a state-code classification -- Baraboo has enacted its own layer limit, separate from (though consistent with) the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code's statewide rule. Municipal Code Sec. 14.10(4)(e) reads in full: "No roof shall be covered with more than 2 layers of any type of double coverage roofing. Whenever a roof is to be re-roofed, when 2 layers exist, all such roofing shall first be removed to the sheathing." Practical effect: at most one overlay over one existing layer, for a maximum of two total applications of roofing; once a roof already carries two layers, the next re-roof must be a full tear-off to the sheathing. This sits inside Sec. 14.10, headed "Structural Requirements Not Covered by State Codes," and Sec. 14.03 (Scope) applies that chapter to buildings "erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired ..."; unlike the state Uniform Dwelling Code's own repair exemption (Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05(3), which excuses "repairs or maintenance" and defines "repair" to include "the replacement of existing fixtures, systems or equipment with the equivalent" -- see ice_water_shield_required for the full text and its scope caveat), Baraboo's own Sec. 14.10(4)(e) is not phrased as limited to new construction or non-repair work. SUBSTANCE MATCHES THE STATE RULE: Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.28(6)(c), part of the Uniform Dwelling Code Sec. 14.05 also adopts by reference, likewise bars a new covering "where ... the existing roof has 2 or more applications of any type of permanent roof covering." SPS 321.28(6)(a) and (b) add two further conditions that bar recovering regardless of layer count -- a water-soaked or deteriorated existing roof, or an existing roof of wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile -- neither of which Baraboo's own local text restates; both remain part of the state rule under Sec. 14.05's adoption. This record does not adjudicate which instrument would control in a case where they might diverge; they agree here.

LOCAL ORDINANCE requirement layered on top of the state rule. Municipal Code Sec. 14.10(4)(a) reads, in relevant part: "The minimum ordinary roof covering shall be any roof covering which meets the requirements specified for the Class 'C' Specifications of the Underwriter's Laboratories, Inc. Whenever an ordinary composition roof is used, whether roll roofing or shingles, the roof sheathing shall be solid." So for the asphalt-shingle and roll-roofing jobs this record is written for, Baraboo requires SOLID roof sheathing as a matter of local ordinance -- this is a stricter, more specific local rule than the general state provision. The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code's own general roof-sheathing rule, Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.27(9), which Sec. 14.05 also adopts by reference, is more permissive in the abstract: (a) structural sheathing follows the panel's grade stamp; (b)1. where rafter spacing is 24 inches on center or less, "roof boards may be used that have a minimum thickness of 5/8-inch for solid sheathing and 3/4-inch for spaced sheathing"; (b)2. where rafter spacing exceeds 24 inches on center, "roof boards shall be tongue and groove, at least 1.5 inches thick"; (c) roof planks, as an alternative, shall be tongue and groove or splined and "at least 2 inches, nominal, in thickness." So the state UDC allows spaced sheathing at 3/4-inch for boards under 24-inch rafter spacing, but Baraboo's own local Sec. 14.10(4)(a) overrides that for composition roofing specifically and requires a solid deck.

Baraboo's combined sales and use tax rate is 5.5% -- the 5.0% Wisconsin state rate plus the 0.5% Sauk County sales and use tax. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue's own county sales tax rate chart lists "Sauk" county code 56 at "5% [state]" plus "0.50% (4/92)" -- the county tax has been in effect since April 1992. There is no City of Baraboo municipal sales tax and no special-district add-on stated for Sauk County on that chart; under current Wisconsin law only the City of Milwaukee imposes a municipal sales and use tax.