City of Menasha, Wisconsin - Building Inspection Department

City of Menasha, Wisconsin

city

100 Main Street, Suite 200, Menasha, WI 54952

Not required

Required

City of Menasha building permits are issued through an online GovWell portal (linked from the Building Inspection Department's webpage). Building permits are required for the eleven categories the ordinance names (accessory structures, air conditioning, building, electrical, heating, moving of buildings, occupancy, plumbing, signs, wrecking or razing, and other permits as required), but ordinary re-roofing is classified as a minor repair and needs no permit; a roofing permit is available only on a voluntary basis, for a fee, if the owner or contractor wants a City inspection. Residential Inspection office hours are Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM, with inspections scheduled at least one to two business days in advance. Questions go to Residential Building Inspector Alison Humski at (920) 967-3655 or [email protected]. New one- and two-family home construction requires electronic submission through the State of Wisconsin Electronic Building Permit System in addition to the City's own zoning permit application.

STATE-GOVERNED CONSTRUCTION RULES, PLUS THE CITY'S OWN PERMIT AND APPLICATION SCHEME -- and Menasha's own ordinance answers a scope question most Wisconsin municipal records in this corpus cannot. One- and two-family dwellings in Menasha are built to the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC), Wis. Admin. Code chs. SPS 320 to 325, which is Wisconsin's own text rather than an adoption of the International Residential Code -- no IRC edition year applies to a house here. The City's Code of Ordinances, Title 15 (Building Code), Article A, Sec. 15-1-2(b) STATE CODES ADOPTED: "Chapters SPS 320-325, Wis. Adm. Code, inclusive, and all amendments thereto, are hereby made a part of this code by reference and shall apply to all one (1) and two (2) family dwellings and alterations and additions thereto, the initial construction of which was commenced after the effective dates of various chapters of the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code." Read alone, that sentence would leave the same open question Green Bay, Madison and Milwaukee leave open for pre-1980 housing stock. But Sec. 15-1-3(a) APPLICATION goes further and is the municipal opt-in that the note to Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05(1) contemplates: "The Uniform Dwelling Code, SPS 320-325, Wis. Adm. Code, and all changes, is hereby adopted by reference to apply to all additions and remodeling of existing one (1) and two (2) family homes and any new or remodeled garage and/or storage shed including those build[t] prior to June 1, 1980." So for additions and remodeling, Menasha has affirmatively extended the Uniform Dwelling Code to reach dwellings built before the code's June 1, 1980 effective date (Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.03), not merely newer construction. Preemption still runs the same direction as everywhere else in Wisconsin: Wis. Stat. Section 101.65(1c) bars a municipality from enforcing an ordinance that does not conform to the Uniform Dwelling Code, so Menasha cannot impose a different substantive construction standard than SPS 320-325 for the dwellings the code reaches -- its own role is permits, fees, inspections, and the pre-1980 extension described above. NOT ADJUDICATED: whether the City's classification of ordinary re-roofing as a "repair" (Sec. 15-1-4(d)(2)) takes re-roofing outside the reach of Sec. 15-1-3's "additions and remodeling" language, given that Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05(3) separately exempts "repairs" from the Uniform Dwelling Code outright and SPS 320.07(61) defines "repair" to include "the replacement of existing fixtures, systems or equipment with the equivalent" -- see roof_layer_limit for both texts stated without resolving the tension.

Not required — STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET, and a genuine Wisconsin/IRC divergence rather than a research gap. Menasha's own Building Code (Title 15, Article A, read in full) contains no drip-edge provision. Wis. Admin. Code Section SPS 321.28 ("Weather Protection for Roofs"), subsections (1) through (7) read in full, contains no drip-edge-at-eaves-or-rakes requirement anywhere. Wisconsin's UDC is Wisconsin-drafted, not an IRC clone, and has no counterpart to IRC R905.2.8.5. Manufacturer instructions can still require drip edge as a condition of the shingle warranty, and SPS 321.28(3)(a) requires asphalt shingles to be installed per those instructions; but there is no code mandate as such, and Menasha may not add one for a one- or two-family dwelling within the Uniform Dwelling Code's reach (Wis. Stat. Section 101.65(1c)). About drip edge

Required — STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET, AND SCOPE-LIMITED BY ROOF SLOPE -- read the trigger before pricing the job. Wis. Admin. Code Section SPS 321.28(4)(a) requires ice dam protection on shingled or shake roofs that extend over a heated area of the dwelling or an attached garage AND that have a slope of 4:12 or less; the protection must be sheet metal or a product labeled as meeting ASTM D1970. Wisconsin's UDC therefore does not impose the IRC's across-the-board cold-climate ice barrier on steeper roofs. Extent, verbatim, SPS 321.28(4)(b): the ice dam 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. Menasha may not impose a different ice-barrier rule for a dwelling within the Uniform Dwelling Code's reach (Wis. Stat. Section 101.65(1c)). SCOPE -- and this is one of the few Wisconsin records in this corpus where the pre-1980 scope question is resolved rather than open. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05 exempts work from the Uniform Dwelling Code as a whole rather than section by section, and SPS 320.05(1) excludes dwellings built before the code's June 1, 1980 effective date (SPS 320.03) and additions or alterations to such dwellings -- UNLESS the municipality has adopted chs. SPS 320 to 325 for that purpose. Menasha has: City of Menasha Code of Ordinances Sec. 15-1-3(a) adopts the Uniform Dwelling Code by reference "to apply to all additions and remodeling of existing one (1) and two (2) family homes ... including those build[t] prior to June 1, 1980." So for an addition or remodeling project in Menasha, the ice-dam rule above applies regardless of the dwelling's age. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05(3) separately exempts "repairs or maintenance," and SPS 320.07(61) defines "repair" broadly enough that whether ordinary re-roofing itself (as opposed to a remodeling project that happens to touch the roof) falls inside or outside Sec. 15-1-3's reach is not adjudicated by this record -- see roof_layer_limit for the same tension stated in full. About ice & water barrier

Not required — CITY-SPECIFIC, and follows directly from the permit structure. Menasha Code of Ordinances Sec. 15-1-6(a) lists the inspection stages a permit holder must call for (footings and foundation; wall, floor and roof framing; pre-concrete; and final), but these attach to a BUILDING permit issued under Sec. 15-1-5. An ordinary re-roof of a one- or two-family dwelling carries no City permit at all (see repair_permit_threshold and roofing_permit_required), so there is no permit under which a mid-roof, underlayment, or deck inspection could be called, and therefore no mandatory mid-roof inspection for ordinary re-roofing. Where an owner elects the voluntary roofing permit Sec. 15-1-4(d)(2) allows, or where a project rises to a structural alteration requiring a building permit, the ordinance does not itself state which inspection stages apply to that permitted work beyond the general framing-inspection stage in Sec. 15-1-6(a)(2).

Not required — No impact-resistance mandate applies in Menasha. The City's own Building Code (Title 15, Article A, read in full, all ten sections) contains no UL 2218 reference, no "Class 4 impact" reference, and no hail- or impact-rating requirement of any kind. Wis. Admin. Code Section SPS 321.28 ("Weather Protection for Roofs"), the UDC's roof-coverings section, likewise 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 "All 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. Menasha cannot add such a requirement for a dwelling within the Uniform Dwelling Code's reach (Wis. Stat. Section 101.65(1c)). Impact-resistant shingles remain a voluntary, insurer-driven upgrade in this market rather than a code obligation. (Any ASTM E108/UL 790 "Class A/B/C" designation encountered on a Wisconsin job is a FIRE rating, not evidence of an impact requirement.)

CITY-SPECIFIC, ENACTED IN THE ORDINANCE ITSELF, AND UNUSUALLY EXPLICIT. Menasha Code of Ordinances Sec. 15-1-4(d)(2) REPAIRS: "Repairs for purposes of maintenance or replacements in any existing building or structure which do not involve the structural portions of the building or structure, or which do 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 do not increase a given occupancy and use shall be deemed minor repairs. Ordinary repairs to buildings may be made without application or notice to the Building Inspector. Such repairs shall include and not be limited to re-roofing. However, should any person, firm or corporation desire the Building Inspector to issue a roofing permit so that proper inspection can be made, they can obtain one on a voluntary basis by paying the necessary fee." So an ordinary re-roof of a one- or two-family dwelling needs no City of Menasha building permit at any square footage or dollar threshold -- the permit is entirely voluntary, obtained only if the owner or contractor wants the City to inspect the work. Sec. 15-1-5(a) PERMITS REQUIRED, read in full, lists eleven permit categories (accessory structures, air conditioning, building, electrical, heating, moving of buildings, occupancy, plumbing, signs, wrecking or razing, and "other permits as required") and names no roofing category, which is consistent with re-roofing's classification as an ordinary repair. The ordinance's fee schedule itself is not published in the code text -- Sec. 15-1-6(l)/Sec. 15-1-81(a) provide that building permit fees are set annually by the Common Council and kept on file with the City Clerk and Director of Community Development, so this record does not state a dollar figure for the voluntary roofing permit. NOTE: the absence of a City permit does not waive the substantive Uniform Dwelling Code -- Sec. 15-1-3's re-roofing layer limit (see roof_layer_limit) still applies as a matter of enacted local and state law, and the state Dwelling Contractor credential requirement (see contractor_registration_required) is independent of whether a local permit is pulled. A structural alteration to a roof -- as opposed to ordinary re-roofing -- falls under Sec. 15-1-4(d)(1) ALTERATIONS and would require a building permit.

STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET. Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code 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 Section 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: live loads for roofs are set by SPS 321.02(1)(b)1, applied per the minimum live loads listed in Table 321.02(-1) and the statewide roof-load zone map at Figure 321.02, so a Menasha/Winnebago-Calumet ground snow load must be read off that figure; this record does not state a single numeric value for Menasha. Fastening: SPS 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. The City's own Building Code (Title 15, Article A) states no separate wind or snow design criterion of its own for one- and two-family dwellings.

CITY ORDINANCE PLUS STATE RULE, BOTH STATED, TENSION NOT ADJUDICATED. Menasha Code of Ordinances Sec. 15-1-3(b)(2) Re-roofing, inside the section the City has extended to reach pre-1980 homes (see adopted_code): "A new roof covering may be applied on top of an existing roof covering. No more than two (2) layers of roof covering will be allowed. If additional layers of roofing material are requested, calculations shall be submitted." That two-layer cap is the same numeric result as the state Uniform Dwelling Code's own rule, Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.28(6) REROOFING: "New roof coverings may not be installed over existing roof coverings where any of the following conditions exist: (a) The existing roof or roof covering is water-soaked or has deteriorated such that it is inadequate as a base for additional roofing. (b) The existing roof is wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. (c) The existing roof has 2 or more applications of any type of permanent roof covering." Practical effect under the state rule: at most one overlay over one existing layer, and only when the existing covering is sound and is not shake, slate, clay, cement, or asbestos-cement tile. The City's own text does not repeat those material and condition bars, and offers an engineered-calculation path to exceed two layers that the state provision does not mention -- this record states both texts verbatim and does not decide whether the City's local re-roofing clause supplements or narrows the state rule. SCOPE, PARTIALLY RESOLVED FOR MENASHA -- unlike other Wisconsin municipal records in this corpus, whether Menasha has adopted chs. SPS 320-325 for additions and alterations to PRE-1980 dwellings is established: Sec. 15-1-3(a) extends the Uniform Dwelling Code, "including those build[t] prior to June 1, 1980," to "all additions and remodeling of existing" one- and two-family homes, and the re-roofing layer limit above sits inside that same section. NOT ESTABLISHED: whether the City's own classification of ordinary re-roofing as a "repair" (Sec. 15-1-4(d)(2)) removes it from Sec. 15-1-3's "additions and remodeling" language -- Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05(3) exempts "repairs or maintenance to dwellings or dwelling units" from the Uniform Dwelling Code entirely, and SPS 320.07(61) defines "repair" to include "the replacement of existing fixtures, systems or equipment with the equivalent" fixture, system or equipment, which is a fair description of a like-for-like tear-off and replacement. This record states both provisions and does not adjudicate between them.

STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET. Menasha's own Building Code (Title 15, Article A, Sec. 15-1-1 through 15-1-10, read in full) contains no roof sheathing specification of its own, so the state Uniform Dwelling Code governs. Wis. Admin. Code Section SPS 321.27(9) ("Roof Sheathing, Boards and Planking"): (a) structural sheathing -- "The allowable loads and spans for structural sheathing shall be in accordance with the grade stamp on the panel."; (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," terminating over beams unless end-matched, laid with no continuous line of joints except at points of support, and nailed or fastened to each beam. Note that Wisconsin's UDC, unlike the IRC as amended in some states, does not state a blanket "solidly sheathed deck" mandate for asphalt shingles -- spaced sheathing at 3/4-inch is expressly contemplated -- while SPS 321.28(3)(a) separately requires asphalt shingles to be installed per the manufacturer's instructions, which commonly do require a solid deck.

Menasha straddles two counties with DIFFERENT county sales tax positions, so the combined rate depends on which side of the county line a property sits on -- report both, do not blend them. Per the Wisconsin Department of Revenue's own county sales and use tax rate table: Winnebago County (county 70) levies the 5.0% Wisconsin state sales and use tax and has NOT adopted the optional county sales and use tax under Wis. Stat. Section 77.70, so the rate in the Winnebago County portion of Menasha is 5.0% with no county add-on. Calumet County (county 8) HAS adopted the optional county tax, effective April 2018, at 0.50%, so the rate in the Calumet County portion of Menasha is 5.5%. There is no City of Menasha municipal sales tax and no special-district add-on identified for either county portion -- Wisconsin law permits only the City of Milwaukee to impose a municipal sales tax, per the same Department of Revenue page.