City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS)

City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

city

809 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202

Required

Governed statewide, not set by Milwaukee. Wisconsin's residential building code is the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC), Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 321, promulgated by the Department of Safety and Professional Services. SPS 321.01 (Scope) provides: "The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the design and construction of all one- and 2-family dwellings." Wis. Stat. 101.65(1)(a) lets a municipality exercise jurisdiction over construction and inspection of new dwellings "[s]ubject to sub. (1c)," and 101.65(1c) bars a municipality from making or enforcing an ordinance applied to a dwelling that "does not conform to this subchapter and the uniform dwelling code adopted by the department." Milwaukee therefore does not enact its own differing 1-2 family roofing code provisions; its role for 1-2 family roofing is permit administration, fees, and inspections. Commercial and 3+ unit multifamily roofing falls instead under the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code (SPS 361-366, adopting the IBC), which is outside the scope of the UDC-governed fields recorded here.

Not required — Governed statewide, not set by Milwaukee. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.28 ("Weather protection for roofs"), subsections (1) through (7) read in full, contains no drip-edge-at-eaves-or-rakes requirement anywhere. The only "drip edge" references in ch. SPS 321 concern chimney caps (SPS 321.30(8)), not roof edges. Manufacturer installation instructions -- mandatory for asphalt shingles under SPS 321.28(3)(a) -- may still require drip edge as a practical matter, but it is not a code mandate. About drip edge

Required — Governed statewide, not set by Milwaukee, and slope-conditioned. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.28(4)(a) requires ice dam protection on 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; the protection must be sheet metal or a product labeled as meeting ASTM D1970. SPS 321.28(4)(b) sets the extent: the protection must 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. On roofs steeper than 4:12 the Uniform Dwelling Code does not itself require an ice barrier. About ice & water barrier

Not required — No impact-resistance mandate applies in Milwaukee. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.28 ("Weather protection for roofs"), the Uniform Dwelling Code's roof-coverings section, contains no UL 2218 reference, no "Class 4 impact" reference, and no hail- or impact-rating requirement anywhere in subsections (1) through (7). Wis. Stat. 101.65(1c) bars Milwaukee from adding such a requirement for a 1-2 family dwelling. Impact-resistant shingles remain a voluntary, insurer-driven upgrade in this market rather than a code obligation.

Governed statewide, not set by Milwaukee, and expressed as prescriptive pressures rather than an IRC-style design wind speed. Wis. Admin. Code 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. Fastening is governed by SPS 321.02(3)(h): all building components must be fastened to withstand the dead load, live load, snow load, and wind load, per the Table 321.02-2 fastener schedule, with engineered alternative fastening permitted. Snow load is read off the statewide zone map referenced at SPS 321.02(1)(b), not stated as a single number. Because Wisconsin uses a psf-and-zone-map system, there is no IRC-style "ultimate design wind speed in mph" for Milwaukee.

Governed statewide, not set by Milwaukee: Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.28(6) prohibits installing a new roof covering over an existing one on a 1-2 family dwelling where any of the following is true -- (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; or (c) the existing roof already has 2 or more applications of any type of permanent roof covering. Practical effect: at most one recover (overlay) over one existing layer is allowed, so a roof already carrying two layers must be torn off completely, and wood shake, slate, clay, cement and asbestos-cement tile roofs may never be recovered regardless of layer count. Wis. Stat. 101.65(1c) bars Milwaukee from setting a different layer limit for 1-2 family dwellings.

Governed statewide, not set by Milwaukee: Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.27(9) sets the deck standard for 1-2 family dwellings. (9)(a) Structural sheathing: "The allowable loads and spans for structural sheathing shall be in accordance with the grade stamp on the panel." (9)(b)1. Where rafter spacing is 24 inches on center or less, roof boards may be used with a minimum thickness of 5/8-inch for solid sheathing and 3/4-inch for spaced sheathing. (9)(b)2. Where rafter spacing exceeds 24 inches on center, roof boards must be tongue and groove, at least 1.5 inches thick. (9)(c) Roof planks, as an alternative, must be tongue-and-groove or splined, at least 2 inches nominal in thickness, terminate over beams unless end matched, laid so no continuous line of joints occurs except at points of support, and nailed or fastened to each beam.

The combined sales and use tax rate within the City of Milwaukee is 9%: the 5% Wisconsin state sales tax, plus a 2% City of Milwaukee sales tax, plus the 0.9% Milwaukee County sales tax, both the city and county rates effective January 1, 2024. Milwaukee is the only Wisconsin municipality with its own general sales tax; Milwaukee County's rate also increased from 0.5% to 0.9% on the same date. This is the rate a roofing contractor pays on materials purchased within the City of Milwaukee.