Village of Caledonia, Wisconsin - Building Department

Village of Caledonia, Wisconsin

city

5043 Chester Lane, Caledonia, WI 53402

Required

Required

Permits are taken out at the Building Department, Village Hall, 5043 Chester Lane, on 262-835-4451; Village Hall is open Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Village describes the department as providing "services for commercial and residential construction projects" with its own senior building inspector, building inspector, residential and commercial electrical inspectors, residential and commercial plumbing inspectors and an administrative coordinator, and invites questions by phone or at the counter. Note that new homes are filed differently from everything else: since November 19, 2019 the Village has used the State of Wisconsin Online Building Permit System for new home applications, with the Village submittal following state acceptance. A reroof is an ordinary Village building permit. Ordinance section 15-1-7(a) requires a weatherproof card signed by the Building Inspector to be posted at the job site during construction. Section 15-1-7(c)(1) voids a permit unless operations begin within four months, or if work is suspended for sixty days after starting, with an extension available where the delay was outside the applicant's control; a lapsed permit is reissued at the regular fee rate and all work must be completed within twenty-four months of issuance. Section 15-1-6(c) lets the Building Inspector waive plans, specifications and survey for minor alterations and repairs where the work is sufficiently described in the application. Where a job touches drainage, section 15-1-6(e)(2) carries a rule a roofer should know: no existing provision for conveying water from the roof of a dwelling may be altered or replaced unless roof water is carried by gutters and downspouts to the ground so that it does not reach the sanitary sewer, directly or indirectly.

STATE CODE, ADOPTED BY THE VILLAGE AND EXTENDED TO PRE-1980 HOUSES. One- and two-family dwellings in Caledonia are built to the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, chs. SPS 320 to 325 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code. That code is Wisconsin's own text rather than an adoption of the International Residential Code, which is why its roofing rules read differently from the IRC and why no IRC edition year applies to a house here. The current local adoption is Municipal Code section 15-1-3(b)(4): "The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, SPS 320-325 and SPS 327, and their successors, of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, and all amendments thereto, is adopted and incorporated by reference and shall apply to all buildings within the scope of this ordinance," and section 15-1-3(b)(2) states the reason plainly - "to maintain required local uniformity with the administrative and technical requirements of the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code." The adoption floats rather than freezing an edition, since it takes the code "and their successors" and "all amendments thereto." Section 15-1-3(b)(5) requires the Building Inspector to be certified by the Division of Industry Services as a Uniform Dwelling Code Construction Inspector, with UDC HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing certifications held by that inspector or assistants. Commercial work runs on a different code set under section 15-1-33. READ TITLE 15 WITH ONE EYE ON ITS AGE. Alongside the current adoption, the Village still carries older provisions using superseded chapter names: section 15-1-3(a) refers to chapters IND 50 through 64, section 15-1-29(b) adopts the dwelling code as "Chapters ILHR 20 through 25", and section 15-1-13 requires construction in accord with named chapters of a "Wisconsin Uniform Building Code, as revised, prepared by the Building Inspectors Association of the State of Wisconsin." Those are reproduced here as enacted, not interpreted; section 15-1-3(b)(3) supplies the Village's own conflict rule, that the most restrictive provision applies. Title 15 was read in full, all of Chapter 15-1's thirty-three sections, and it adds no roof-assembly requirement of its own. The codification is current through September 15, 2025.

Not required — No drip edge is required by code on a Caledonia roof, at either level of government. The statewide Wisconsin uniform dwelling code, unlike the International Residential Code, carries no drip edge requirement: SPS 321.28, "Weather protection for roofs," was read in full - general drainage and fasteners, underlayment for shingles, asphalt shingles, ice dam protection, other roof coverings, reroofing, and every flashing paragraph - and no provision requires a drip edge at an eave or a rake. The only drip edge language anywhere in the Wisconsin dwelling chapter is a masonry chimney cap rule, which is not a roof edge requirement. On the Village side, Title 15 of the Municipal Code was read in full and the words drip edge do not appear in it. The only roof-edge-adjacent local rule is a drainage one, at section 15-1-6(e)(2): where the existing provisions for carrying water off the roof of a dwelling are altered or replaced, gutters and downspouts must carry that water to the ground in a way that keeps it out of the sanitary sewer. Practical point for a bid: drip edge may still be required as a matter of the shingle manufacturer installation instructions, which SPS 321.28(3)(a) makes binding for asphalt shingles, so read the wrapper before leaving it off. About drip edge

Required — STATE-SET AND SLOPE-CONDITIONED - read the trigger carefully, because it is narrower than the International Residential Code rule used in most other states. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.28(4)(a) requires that "Shingled 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 shall be provided with ice dam protection in the form of sheet metal or a product labeled as meeting the requirements of ASTM D 1970." SPS 321.28(4)(b) sets the extent: 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." The trigger is the roof slope, not the climate zone, so a steeper roof is not covered by the requirement at all - although the shingle manufacturer instructions may still call for it, and SPS 321.28(3)(a) makes those instructions binding for asphalt shingles. Caledonia adds nothing to this: Title 15 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no ice barrier or ice dam provision. The Wisconsin uniform dwelling code sets these roofing rules statewide, but does not reach every house. It does not apply to a one- or two-family dwelling whose construction began before June 1, 1980, or to additions or alterations to one, unless the municipality has adopted chs. SPS 320 to 325 for that purpose - ask the building inspector before assuming it governs an older home. The code also states that it does not apply to repairs or maintenance, and it defines a repair to include replacing existing equipment with the equivalent, while a separate section regulates reroofing by name. Wisconsin has not resolved which of those two provisions governs a like-for-like tear-off, so confirm with the authority issuing the permit. CALEDONIA HAS CLOSED THAT GAP MORE PLAINLY THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER WISCONSIN MUNICIPALITY - IT NAMES THE STATE EXEMPTION AND OVERRIDES IT. Municipal Code section 15-1-3(b)(3)a. provides: "Notwithstanding Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05 or any other exemptions of the Uniform Dwelling Code, the scope of this ordinance also includes the construction and inspection of alterations and additions to one- and two-family dwellings built before June 1, 1980. Because such projects are not under state jurisdiction, petitions for variance and final appeals under Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.19 and 320.21, respectively, shall be decided by the Zoning Board of Appeals." The same subsection extends the code to detached garages serving one- and two-family dwellings on the same footing. Section 15-1-4(d)(4) then answers the roofing side by name: "Roof Coverings. Whenever more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the roof covering of a building is replaced in any twelve (12) month period, all roof covering shall be in conformity with applicable Sections of this Code." So a reroof past a quarter of the roof is inside the code in Caledonia whatever the age of the house, and an older house that needs relief goes to the Village Zoning Board of Appeals rather than to the state. One internal tension is worth seeing rather than glossing: the older section 15-1-29, which is still on the books, states its purpose as jurisdiction over new dwellings and additions to existing ones, and adopts the dwelling code under its former chapter names. Section 15-1-3(b)(3) supplies the rule for that: "To the extent any provision of this Section conflicts with another section of the Municipal Code, the most restrictive provision shall apply." About ice & water barrier

Not required — No mid-roof or roof-covering inspection stage is published. Municipal Code section 15-1-10(a) lists the inspections that shall be made on notification from the permit holder, in full: location on the premises against the approved plot plan; footings and foundation walls, with recertification of location and elevation before concrete is poured; wall, floor and roof framing with fire stopping and bracing, plus pipes, chimneys and ducts, before that work is covered; subgrade, drain tile and forms before the basement floor is laid; and a final inspection before occupancy or use. None of those is a tear-off or roof-covering stage, and on a reroof the final is the operative one. The framing stage is the one to watch, because it applies the moment a tear-off turns into rafter or deck replacement and it must happen before the work is covered. Building Department questions go to 262-835-4451.

Not required — No impact-resistance or hail-rating mandate applies in Caledonia. The statewide Wisconsin uniform dwelling code contains no UL 2218 requirement, no Class 4 or Class IV impact rating and no FM 4473 reference anywhere in the chapters that govern one- and two-family dwellings, including the roof coverings section; its catch-all for coverings not otherwise addressed sends the installer to the manufacturer instructions or a national standard recognised by the department, which sets no impact class. Impact-resistant shingles are an insurer-driven upgrade in this market, not a code obligation. One caution for reading paperwork on a Wisconsin job: a Class A, B or C designation, or a reference to ASTM E108 or UL 790, is a FIRE rating and says nothing about hail, and ASTM D3161 or D7158 is a WIND rating. Only UL 2218 or FM 4473 answers impact. On the Village side, Title 15 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no UL 2218, Class 4, Class IV or FM 4473 requirement, and no hail provision of any kind.

REROOFING IS NAMED IN THE ORDINANCE ITSELF, WHICH SETTLES THE QUESTION MOST WISCONSIN MUNICIPAL CODES LEAVE OPEN. Municipal Code section 15-1-6(a) provides that "No building or structure of any kind thereof shall hereafter be built, enlarged, altered or demolished within the Town or moved into, within or out of the Town except as hereinafter provided, unless a permit therefor shall first be obtained by the owner or his agent from the Building Inspector," and its list of permits required includes, at item (7), "Reroofing and residing." There is no square-footage or dollar threshold for a reroof. What the code supplies instead is a minor-repair concept that turns on the Building Inspector's judgement, so it is a phone call rather than a number. Section 15-1-29(f)(2) provides: "No addition, alteration or repair to an existing one (1) or two (2) family dwelling not deemed minor repair by the Building Inspector shall be undertaken unless a building permit for this work shall first be obtained by the owner, or his agent, from the Building Inspector." Section 15-1-29(c) defines the term: "Minor repair means repair performed for maintenance or replacement purposes on any existing one (1) or two (2) family dwelling which does not affect room arrangement, light and ventilation, access to or efficiency of any exit stairways or exits, fire protection, or exterior aesthetic appearance, and which does not increase a given occupancy and use. No building permit is required for work to be performed which is deemed minor repair." Read the words exterior aesthetic appearance before assuming a small roof patch qualifies, and note that the determination is the Inspector's to make. Two further local rules bear on a reroof. Section 15-1-4(d)(2) brings the whole code down on a repair "when the cost of such repairs exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the equalized value of the structure," as determined by the assessor. And section 15-1-4(d)(4) engages the code on any replacement of more than a quarter of the roof covering in a twelve-month period. Fees are set by resolution of the Village Board rather than printed in the code, and section 15-1-23(a) adds that "It shall be unlawful to commence work prior to obtaining a permit therefor." The penalty for skipping the permit is severe: section 15-1-23(b)(1) provides that "Upon failure to obtain a permit before work on a building has been started, except in emergency cases, the total fee shall be triple the fees imposed above."

STATE-SET, AND EXPRESSED AS A PRESSURE RATHER THAN A DESIGN WIND SPEED IN MILES PER HOUR. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.02(1)(c) provides that dwellings "shall be designed and constructed 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," with a published note that ASCE 7-05 allows for substantial reduction from 20 psf as applied to the surface area. Snow is the one input that varies geographically: SPS 321.02(1)(b)2. provides that roofs "shall be designed and constructed to support the minimum snow loads listed on the zone map," a statewide zone map, so a local ground snow figure is read off that map rather than stated as a single statewide number. IMPORTANT for anyone used to International Residential Code jurisdictions: because Wisconsin works in pounds per square foot and a zone map, there is no ultimate design wind speed in miles per hour here, and the 20 pounds per square foot figure must not be converted into one. Caledonia sets no design wind figure of its own: Title 15 of the Municipal Code was read in full and prints no wind speed and no wind pressure for a dwelling. ONE HEADING IN THAT TITLE IS A TRAP AND MUST NOT BE READ AS A ROOF RULE: section 15-1-28 is headed "CALEDONIA WIND ORDINANCE," and it regulates wind energy conversion systems - its stated intent is "to regulate the placement of and access to wind energy conversion systems for the purposes of protecting the health and safety of individuals on adjacent properties, as well as the general public." It has nothing to do with wind loading on a roof.

STATE-SET. Caledonia writes no reroofing layer rule of its own - Title 15 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no layer limit, no recover rule and no shingle provision - so the statewide rule governs unmodified. The statewide Wisconsin uniform dwelling code bars installing a new roof covering over the existing covering in three situations: where the existing roof or covering is water-soaked or has deteriorated so that it is inadequate as a base for additional roofing; where the existing roof is wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile; or where the existing roof already has two or more applications of any type of permanent roof covering. So at most two total layers, and fewer than that where the deck is wet or deteriorated or the existing roof is one of the listed materials. A complete tear-off to the deck is not restricted by that rule at any layer count. There is no local route past two layers here of the kind some other Wisconsin municipalities publish on calculations submitted to the inspector, so a roof already carrying two applications is a tear-off in Caledonia. The Wisconsin uniform dwelling code sets these roofing rules statewide, but does not reach every house. It does not apply to a one- or two-family dwelling whose construction began before June 1, 1980, or to additions or alterations to one, unless the municipality has adopted chs. SPS 320 to 325 for that purpose - ask the building inspector before assuming it governs an older home. The code also states that it does not apply to repairs or maintenance, and it defines a repair to include replacing existing equipment with the equivalent, while a separate section regulates reroofing by name. Wisconsin has not resolved which of those two provisions governs a like-for-like tear-off, so confirm with the authority issuing the permit. CALEDONIA HAS CLOSED THAT GAP MORE PLAINLY THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER WISCONSIN MUNICIPALITY - IT NAMES THE STATE EXEMPTION AND OVERRIDES IT. Municipal Code section 15-1-3(b)(3)a. provides: "Notwithstanding Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05 or any other exemptions of the Uniform Dwelling Code, the scope of this ordinance also includes the construction and inspection of alterations and additions to one- and two-family dwellings built before June 1, 1980. Because such projects are not under state jurisdiction, petitions for variance and final appeals under Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.19 and 320.21, respectively, shall be decided by the Zoning Board of Appeals." The same subsection extends the code to detached garages serving one- and two-family dwellings on the same footing. Section 15-1-4(d)(4) then answers the roofing side by name: "Roof Coverings. Whenever more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the roof covering of a building is replaced in any twelve (12) month period, all roof covering shall be in conformity with applicable Sections of this Code." So a reroof past a quarter of the roof is inside the code in Caledonia whatever the age of the house, and an older house that needs relief goes to the Village Zoning Board of Appeals rather than to the state. One internal tension is worth seeing rather than glossing: the older section 15-1-29, which is still on the books, states its purpose as jurisdiction over new dwellings and additions to existing ones, and adopts the dwelling code under its former chapter names. Section 15-1-3(b)(3) supplies the rule for that: "To the extent any provision of this Section conflicts with another section of the Municipal Code, the most restrictive provision shall apply."

STATE-SET. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.27(9) sets the deck standard for one- and two-family dwellings in three parts. For structural sheathing, "The allowable loads and spans for structural sheathing shall be in accordance with the grade stamp on the panel." For roof boards, where the 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," and where the rafter spacing is greater than 24 inches on center, "roof boards shall be tongue and groove, at least 1.5 inches thick." For roof planks, they "shall be tongue and groove or splined and at least 2 inches, nominal, in thickness," shall "terminate over beams unless the joints are end matched," and shall be "laid so that no continuous line of joints will occur except at points of support." Wisconsin expresses this as a panel grade-stamp and board-thickness rule keyed to rafter spacing rather than the International Residential Code formulation used in IRC states, so do not carry an IRC sheathing specification onto a Wisconsin job. Caledonia adds nothing of its own: Title 15 was read in full and contains no roof sheathing, decking or roof-nailing provision. What it does have is an inspection stage that catches replaced deck. Section 15-1-10(a)(3) requires "Inspection of all wall, floor and roof framing, fire stopping and bracing when completed and of all pipes, chimneys, ventilating and other ducts, shafts and equipment when in place, but before any such work is covered, enclosed or concealed by other construction." A plain recover does not trigger it; a tear-off that turns into rafter or deck replacement does, and the inspection must happen before the work is covered.

5.5% on materials - the Wisconsin state sales and use tax of 5% plus Racine County's 0.5% county sales and use tax. READ THE EFFECTIVE DATE ON THIS ONE. Racine County's tax is new: the Department of Revenue rate chart lists it for county code 51 as 0.50% with an effective date of 4/25 and flags the row as New, so it began on April 1, 2025. Any source published before 2025, including the Department's own older contractor publications, lists Racine as a county with no county tax and would put a Caledonia bid half a point light. Caledonia lies wholly within Racine County. The Department of Revenue sales tax rate chart, Guidance Document Number 100047 dated January 16, 2026, is the authority for those components. No municipal sales tax applies: the city of Milwaukee is the only municipality in Wisconsin that imposes one, and no premier resort area tax applies - the Department of Revenue list of the ten municipalities that impose it does not include Caledonia. How the tax falls on a roofing job matters more than the rate. Wisconsin treats a roof as real property - the Department of Revenue contractor guidance answers it by name, listing roofs as real property for residential installation, residential repair, commercial installation and commercial repair alike - so the roofing contractor is the consumer of what it installs. The contractor pays sales or use tax when buying shingles, underlayment and other materials, and "is not permitted to collect sales tax from its customers on its sales price from sales of real property construction activities," meaning neither labour nor materials are taxed on the reroofing contract. The exception runs the other way: selling lumber, roofing materials or other tangible personal property WITHOUT installation is a retail sale and is taxable. So the rate is a cost input on the material purchase rather than a line on the homeowner invoice.