Village of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin - Building Inspection Department

Village of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

city

9915 39th Avenue, Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158

Required

Required

Permits are taken out at the Building Inspection Department, Village Hall, 9915 39th Avenue, on 262-694-9304 or [email protected]; the office runs Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Village states its inspection scheduling rule plainly and it is longer notice than most: "All building inspections must be called in to schedule appointment (AM/PM) 2 business days in advance," and the roofing application repeats it. Ordinance section 370-11 lists the preconditions to issuing any permit, and two of them catch people out on small jobs: all unpaid overdue forfeitures owed by the applicant or the property owner must be paid first, and all outstanding building or zoning violations on the property must be cured first, unless either is under appeal. The application must be signed by the owner and the licensed contractor where applicable. Section 370-14 lets the inspector suspend a permit and issue a stop-work order where the work departs from the permit, and revoke it if the problem is not cured; work under a revoked or voided permit is itself a violation, and a revoked permit means a fresh application and a fresh fee "as if the project was starting anew." The 2026 fee schedule prices the mistakes as well as the work: re-inspection 60 dollars, failure to call for an inspection 60 dollars, overtime inspection 90 dollars, renewal of a permit 50 percent of the original fee, and a 60 dollar minimum building permit fee.

STATE CODE, ADOPTED INSIDE THE VILLAGE BUILDING AND MECHANICAL CODE. One- and two-family dwellings in Pleasant Prairie 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 local instrument is Chapter 370 of the Village Code, the "Village of Pleasant Prairie Building and Mechanical Code". Section 370-7 adopts, among others, "The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, Chs. SPS 320 to 325, Wis. Adm. Code, and all amendments thereto," the smoke and carbon monoxide detector chapter SPS 328, the Wisconsin Electrical Code SPS 316, the Wisconsin Plumbing Code SPS 381 to 387, the Existing Buildings Code SPS 366 and the Commercial Building Code SPS 361 to 366. The adoption floats rather than freezing an edition, since it takes "all amendments thereto." Section 370-1 grounds the chapter in Wis. Stat. 101.65 among others, and section 370-2 states the aim as maintaining "the required local uniformity with the administrative and technical requirements of this chapter". One structural fact worth knowing: section 370-10 records that on March 27, 2000 the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services certified the Village as a certified municipality to examine commercial building plans and perform inspections, with jurisdiction over new buildings under 50,000 cubic feet and alterations under 100,000 cubic feet, and the Village may waive that jurisdiction to the state on a specific project. Chapter 370 was read in full, all twenty-eight sections, and it adds no roof-assembly requirement of its own. The chapter was adopted 6-4-2001 by Ordinance No. 01-21, amended in its entirety 8-4-2014 by Ordinance No. 14-26 and substantially amended 8-17-2020 by Ordinance No. 20-11; the codification includes legislation through May 11, 2026.

Not required — No drip edge is required by code on a Pleasant Prairie 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, Chapter 370 of the Village Code was read in full and the words drip edge do not appear in it, and neither does any other roof-edge or roof-flashing requirement. 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. Pleasant Prairie adds nothing to this: Chapter 370 of the Village 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. Pleasant Prairie has closed the older-house branch of that scope question, and it did it without naming a date at all - by scoping its building code to the work rather than to the vintage of the house. Municipal Code section 370-4, headed Scope, provides: "This chapter pertains to the construction, addition, alteration, repair, maintenance, demolition, relocation, or change of use of all new or existing residential, commercial, agricultural, recreational or related accessory buildings and structures within the Village of Pleasant Prairie." Section 370-7C then adopts the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, chs. SPS 320 to 325, and all amendments thereto, into that chapter, and section 370-9 requires that "No person shall perform any work except in full compliance with the requirements of this chapter." So the Village code reaches repair and maintenance of an existing house by name, with no cut-off by the year it was built. Note the honest limit of that: the Village has said what its own chapter reaches. Whether the state exemptions still bite on a particular older job is a question for the Building Inspection Department on 262-694-9304, and this record does not answer it. About ice & water barrier

Not required — No mid-roof or roof-covering inspection stage is published. Municipal Code section 370-12G enumerates the inspection types that "if applicable to the permit issued, shall be required" - erosion control; staking; footing forms; foundation wall; basement drain tile; electric service; rough plumbing; rough electrical; rough HVAC; rough carpentry; insulation; sewer, water and storm sewer lateral; septic piping; low-voltage wiring; fire alarm system wiring; self-illuminated signs; final; and occupancy - together with a catch-all at (16) for "Any other inspections may be required to ensure compliance with this chapter and the permit conditions." None of those is a tear-off or roof-covering stage, and on a reroof the final at (17) is the operative one. Two practical points. The rough carpentry stage applies the moment a tear-off becomes rafter or deck replacement. And the Village charges for a missed appointment: its 2026 fee schedule prints a 60 dollar fee for failure to call for an inspection, alongside a 60 dollar re-inspection fee. Inspections must be booked two business days ahead on 262-694-9304.

Not required — No impact-resistance or hail-rating mandate applies in Pleasant Prairie. 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, Chapter 370 of the Village 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; its single use of the word impact is in the heading of a development impact fee. The Village does ask about the covering itself on its Roofing/Siding Application - proposed roofing material and colour, with material colours or samples possibly required to be submitted - but that is an appearance review, not an impact rating.

THE VILLAGE PUBLISHES A ROOFING PERMIT APPLICATION AND A ROOFING FEE LINE, SO THERE IS NOTHING TO INTERPRET. The general rule is at Municipal Code section 370-16: "No person shall, directly or indirectly, cause the construction, addition, alteration, repair, demolition, relocation, or change of use of new or existing residential, commercial, agricultural, recreational or related accessory buildings and structures within the Village without first obtaining a building permit for such work from the Village, except as specified in section 370-15 of this chapter." Section 370-15 is the exemption list and it is short. It exempts only two things: "Routine maintenance of mechanical and electrical systems and equipment, such as replace in kind components," and "Replacement of existing finish materials or fixtures, such as cabinetry, flooring, light fixtures, sinks, windows, etc.," with the caution that a permit is required if any of those require alteration, extension or addition of the electrical, mechanical or plumbing systems or the structure. Roofing is not on that list, and the Village confirms the answer on the other side: it publishes a Roofing/Siding Application among its single-family and two-family residential permit applications, and its 2026 Schedule of Permit and Development Application Fees carries a Roofing & Siding line at 60 dollars each under single-family and two-family building permit inspection fees, with the equivalent commercial and multifamily line at 100 dollars. THERE IS NO SQUARE-FOOTAGE OR DOLLAR THRESHOLD. Section 370-15B says the Village recognises the exemption list cannot be exhaustive and gives an applicant the right to petition the inspector in writing for a determination on a specific job, which is the route for a small patch. The roofing application itself tells you what the Village wants to know before it issues: whether the job is an Overlay or a Tear Off or Replacement, the current number of existing layers and the proposed number of layers, the current and proposed R-value, and the proposed roofing material and colour, with material samples possibly required. Minimum submittals include construction plans, colourised building elevations if applicable, a property owner cautionary statement where the owner is acting as their own contractor, and homeowners association approval if applicable. And the Village is blunt about the cost of skipping it, on the application form itself: "I understand that for any work started or completed without proper permits, a triple fee will be charged." The fee schedule prints the same rule as "Delinquent Permit (work without a permit) Triple fee".

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. Pleasant Prairie sets no figure of its own: Chapter 370 of the Village Code was read in full and the word wind does not appear in it at all, in any form, so there is no local design wind speed and no local wind pressure for a dwelling. Note for a lakefront job that the Village does administer floodplain and Lake Michigan coastal-area regulation separately from the building code, which can bring its own constraints on a structure though not a roof-covering wind rating.

STATE-SET, AND THE VILLAGE CHECKS IT ON THE APPLICATION. Pleasant Prairie writes no reroofing layer rule of its own - Chapter 370 of the Village Code, all twenty-eight sections, 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. What Pleasant Prairie does do is ask. Its Roofing/Siding Application requires the applicant to tick whether the job is an Overlay or a Tear Off/Replacement and to state both the Current Number of Existing Layers and the Proposed Number of Layers, so the layer count is a declared figure on the permit rather than something discovered on site. 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 Pleasant Prairie. 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. Pleasant Prairie has closed the older-house branch of that scope question, and it did it without naming a date at all - by scoping its building code to the work rather than to the vintage of the house. Municipal Code section 370-4, headed Scope, provides: "This chapter pertains to the construction, addition, alteration, repair, maintenance, demolition, relocation, or change of use of all new or existing residential, commercial, agricultural, recreational or related accessory buildings and structures within the Village of Pleasant Prairie." Section 370-7C then adopts the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, chs. SPS 320 to 325, and all amendments thereto, into that chapter, and section 370-9 requires that "No person shall perform any work except in full compliance with the requirements of this chapter." So the Village code reaches repair and maintenance of an existing house by name, with no cut-off by the year it was built. Note the honest limit of that: the Village has said what its own chapter reaches. Whether the state exemptions still bite on a particular older job is a question for the Building Inspection Department on 262-694-9304, and this record does not answer it.

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. Pleasant Prairie adds nothing of its own: Chapter 370 was read in full and contains no roof sheathing, decking or roof-nailing provision. The stage that catches replaced deck is the rough carpentry inspection at section 370-12G(10), which "is required after all other rough inspections are completed and prior to any insulation being installed." A plain recover does not reach it; a tear-off that turns into rafter or deck replacement does.

5.5% on materials - the Wisconsin state sales and use tax of 5% plus Kenosha County's 0.5% county sales and use tax, which the Department of Revenue rate chart lists for county code 30 with an effective date of 4/91. Kenosha County has levied it for decades, so there is no recent change to watch here, and Pleasant Prairie lies wholly within Kenosha 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 Pleasant Prairie. One caution for a village on the state line: Illinois taxes construction materials differently, so a Kenosha County roofer buying south of the border should not assume the Wisconsin treatment travels. 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.