City of Neenah, Wisconsin - Inspections Division

City of Neenah, Wisconsin

city

211 Walnut Street, Room 313, Neenah, WI 54956

Required

Inspections is a division of Community Development at 211 Walnut Street, Room 313, on 920-886-6130. The City publishes office hours of Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and separate inspection hours, which between Memorial Day and Labor Day run Monday to Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., so a Friday afternoon call for an inspection will not be reached. Where a permit is needed, Municipal Code section 21-25(b) requires a written application on the Building Inspector's form giving the owner of the building and of the land, the designer, a legal description, the location and the house number, with two complete sets of plans and specifications and two copies of a certified survey - requirements aimed at new construction, so ask what is actually wanted on a reroof rather than preparing a survey for one. Section 21-32 addresses failure to obtain a permit, and section 21-30 lets the Building Inspector serve a stop-work order to be posted at the site, removable only on the Inspector's written notice. The City also runs online permitting and code enforcement services through its Inspections department pages.

STATE CODE, ADOPTED BY THE CITY AND EXTENDED TO EXISTING HOMES. One- and two-family dwellings in Neenah 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. Municipal Code section 21-22 adopts it: "The State Commercial Building Code, Chs. SPS 361—366 and 327, Wis. Admin. Code, and SPS 320-325, Uniform Dwelling Code, are adopted by reference as a part of this article. A violation of any provision therefrom shall be a violation of this article." Section 21-33(a) adopts it again for existing homes in different words - "The Uniform Dwelling Code SPS 321—325, and all changes, is hereby adopted by reference to apply to all additions and remodeling of existing one- and two-family homes and any new or remodeled garage and/or storage shed, with the following exceptions" - and the phrase "and all changes" makes that adoption a floating one rather than a frozen edition. Alongside the state code Neenah keeps a code of its own, the Neenah Building Code, which section 21-23 applies to "All buildings and structures hereafter erected, altered, repaired, moved or demolished," and at 21-23(3), headed Existing buildings, to "Additions and alterations, regardless of cost, made to an existing building." Chapter 21 of the Municipal Code was read in full - the general, building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and housing articles - and the only roof-assembly requirement it writes for itself is the re-roofing rule at section 21-33(b)(2). Commercial and three-family and larger buildings run on the separate Wisconsin Commercial Building Code and are not the subject of the residential fields recorded here. The codification is current through Ordinance No. 2025-11, adopted September 3, 2025, Supplement No. 44.

Not required — No drip edge is required by code on a Neenah 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 City side, Chapter 21 of the Municipal Code was read in full and the words drip edge do not appear in it; the City re-roofing ordinance at section 21-33(b)(2) addresses layer count only. 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. Neenah adds nothing to this: Chapter 21 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. Neenah has closed the first of those two branches, and unusually plainly. Municipal Code section 21-33(a), headed Application, provides that "The Uniform Dwelling Code SPS 321—325, and all changes, is hereby adopted by reference to apply to all additions and remodeling of existing one- and two-family homes and any new or remodeled garage and/or storage shed, with the following exceptions." Section 21-23(3), headed Existing buildings, points the same way, providing at (3)c. that "Additions and alterations, regardless of cost, made to an existing building shall comply with the requirements of this code." So the age of the house does not put a Neenah job outside the state standards. One wrinkle worth noticing rather than glossing: section 21-33(a) names chs. SPS 321 to 325 while section 21-22 adopts "SPS 320-325, Uniform Dwelling Code" - the two sections list the chapters differently, and ch. SPS 320 is the chapter that carries the code's own scope and definitions. Both are reproduced here as printed. About ice & water barrier

Not required — No mid-roof or roof-covering inspection stage is published for a plain reroof, but Neenah comes closer than most Wisconsin cities and a roofer should know why. Municipal Code section 21-29(a) lists the required inspections in full: construction of footings; "Wall, floor and roof framing, fire stopping, etc."; prior to laying concrete for a basement floor; and final inspection. None of those is a tear-off, roof-covering or in-progress roofing stage. But the second one reaches roof structure by name - "Inspection of all wall, floor and roof framing, fire stopping, and bracing when completed, and of all pipes, chimneys, ventilation and other ducts, shafts and equipment when in place, but before any such work is covered, enclosed or concealed by other construction" - so a job that replaces roof framing must be seen before it is covered over. On a straightforward reroof that leaves no framing to inspect and the final inspection is the operative one. Ring Inspections on 920-886-6130 before sheathing over new framing.

Not required — No impact-resistance or hail-rating mandate applies in Neenah. 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 City side, Chapter 21 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no UL 2218, Class 4, Class IV or FM 4473 requirement; the City re-roofing ordinance at section 21-33(b)(2) addresses layer count only and sets no shingle rating.

NEENAH IS A JURISDICTION WHERE A ROOFER SHOULD RING BEFORE ASSUMING EITHER WAY, AND THE CITY SAYS SO ITSELF. The City publishes no dollar and no square-footage threshold for roofing. Its When Do I Need A Permit page opens "The easiest way to find out whether your project needs a building permit is to call the City of Neenah Inspection Department at 920-886-6130," and then names re-roofing directly: "Cosmetic work or repair work such as re-roofing, re-siding, kitchen cabinet replacement etc. may not require a permit unless the work involves structural items or plumbing or electrical system. The list below may not be all inclusive so it is always best to ask the Inspection Department prior to beginning any project to verify whether a permit is needed or not." The list of common improvements needing permits that follows runs to fourteen items - new buildings, additions, fences, decks, pools and hot tubs, solar or wind energy systems, sheds, foundation repair or replacement, gazebos, garages and carports, signs, parking lots, fireplaces, demolition or moving, and electrical, plumbing and heating work - and roofing is not among them. The City permit fee schedule carries no roofing line either. Pulling the other way, the ordinance itself is written broadly and states no roofing exception: section 21-25(a)(1) provides that "No building or structure or any part thereof shall hereafter be built, enlarged, altered or demolished within the municipality or moved into, within or out of the municipality except as hereinafter provided, unless a permit therefor shall first be obtained by the owner or his agent from the Building Inspector." Chapter 21 was read in full and contains no roofing carve-out from that requirement. So the City guidance and the City ordinance point different ways on a plain reroof, and this record does not choose between them. What is not in doubt is the structural trigger: once a job touches structural items - deck replacement, framing repair, rafter work - the City guidance and the ordinance agree that a permit is needed. Ring Inspections on 920-886-6130 for the specific job.

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. SPS 321.02(1) requires a complete load path capable of transferring all loads from point of origin through the load-resisting elements, and SPS 321.02(3)(h) requires all building components to be fastened to withstand the dead load, live load, snow load and wind load. 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," which is Figure 321.02, 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. Neenah adds no roof wind rule of its own. Chapter 21 of the Municipal Code was read in full and uses the word wind twice, neither about a roof: an exterior wall covering rule at section 21-33(b)(1) requiring "approved moisture and weather-resisting materials of sufficient stiffness and properly attached to resist rain and wind," and a dangerous-buildings clause about structures damaged by fire or wind.

NEENAH HAS ITS OWN RE-ROOFING ORDINANCE AND IT IS NOT A STRAIGHT COPY OF THE STATE RULE. Municipal Code section 21-33(b)(2), headed Re-roofing, reads in full: "A new roof covering may be applied on top of an existing roof covering. No more than two layers of roof covering will be allowed. If additional layers of roofing material are requested, calculations shall be submitted." So the City sets two layers as the normal ceiling but contemplates a request to go beyond it, decided on calculations submitted to the Building Inspector. Note where that sentence sits: section 21-33(a) adopts the Uniform Dwelling Code for additions and remodeling of existing one- and two-family homes "with the following exceptions," and the re-roofing subsection is one of the two exceptions listed. 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. The state rule contains no route past two layers at all, and it carries two conditions the City ordinance does not repeat - a water-soaked or deteriorated base, and an existing wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile roof, either of which bars an overlay over even a single layer. Both texts are published here as they are written and neither is chosen over the other; ask the Building Inspector which will be applied before quoting a third layer. A complete tear-off to the deck is not restricted by either rule. 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. Neenah has closed the first of those two branches, and unusually plainly. Municipal Code section 21-33(a), headed Application, provides that "The Uniform Dwelling Code SPS 321—325, and all changes, is hereby adopted by reference to apply to all additions and remodeling of existing one- and two-family homes and any new or remodeled garage and/or storage shed, with the following exceptions." Section 21-23(3), headed Existing buildings, points the same way, providing at (3)c. that "Additions and alterations, regardless of cost, made to an existing building shall comply with the requirements of this code." So the age of the house does not put a Neenah job outside the state standards. One wrinkle worth noticing rather than glossing: section 21-33(a) names chs. SPS 321 to 325 while section 21-22 adopts "SPS 320-325, Uniform Dwelling Code" - the two sections list the chapters differently, and ch. SPS 320 is the chapter that carries the code's own scope and definitions. Both are reproduced here as printed.

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. Neenah adds nothing of its own for a roof deck: Chapter 21 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no roof sheathing, decking or roof-nailing provision. Its one sheathing rule is about walls, at section 21-33(b)(1)a., which provides that "No felt or sheathing shall remain exposed on exteriors." Note that opening the deck brings section 21-29(a)(2) into play, which requires inspection of roof framing before it is covered.

5.0% on materials - the Wisconsin state sales and use tax of 5% and nothing else. WINNEBAGO COUNTY IMPOSES NO COUNTY SALES AND USE TAX, which makes it one of only a handful of Wisconsin counties where the familiar 5.5% figure is wrong: the Department of Revenue rate chart lists Winnebago, county code 70, at a 5% state rate with the county tax column blank. The neighbouring counties do levy one - Outagamie and Calumet are both at 0.5% - so materials bought a few miles up the road are taxed differently from materials bought in Neenah. The Department of Revenue sales tax rate chart, Guidance Document 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 Neenah. 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.