City of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Inspection Department

City of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin

city

2424 15th Avenue, South Milwaukee, WI 53172

Required

Required

A reroof is filed on the City own Siding and Roofing Permit Application rather than on the general building permit. The form asks for the project address and tax key, the total project cost estimate, whether the property is commercial or one and two family, owner and contractor details, and - on the contractor line - the Dwelling Contractor number and the Dwelling Qualifier number. Signing it commits the applicant to do the work "in compliance with the ordinances of the City of South Milwaukee and the laws of the State of Wisconsin relating to such work," and the form states in capitals that "FINAL INSPECTIONS ARE MANDATORY. PLEASE HAVE PERMIT NUMBER AND ADDRESS WHEN REQUESTING INSPECTIONS. GIVE AT LEAST 48 HOURS NOTICE." Inspections are requested from the Inspection Department on 414-768-8054. The permit page advises that permits may require a two-week review period and that plans, specifications and a plat of survey may be required. Section 16.03C sets an outside completion date: every structure for which a permit issues must be completed within a reasonable time "but in no case later than one year after the issuance of the permit" unless the Building Inspector certifies a longer period, which may not exceed 24 months. ONE THING TO CHECK ON THE SIDING HALF OF THE SAME FORM, BECAUSE IT CATCHES OUT CONTRACTORS DOING A ROOF AND SIDE TOGETHER: the form carries a list of allowed exterior facade materials and requires that all sides of the primary structure be finished "with similar materials that carry the building architectural style around every side of the building," marked "THIS IS REQUIRED." Vinyl siding is permitted for single and two-family dwellings only.

THE CITY ADOPTS TWO CODES, NOT ONE, AND THE SECOND IS UNUSUAL. Municipal Code Section 16.01, "Codes adopted; Building Inspector," provides at A that "The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, SPS 320 through 325, is hereby adopted by reference and made a part of this chapter as though fully set forth herein." At B it adds a second instrument: "The Wisconsin Uniform Building Code prepared by the Building Inspectors Association of Southeastern Wisconsin with all amendments and revisions thereto is adopted by reference and made a part of this chapter as though fully set forth herein. This code shall apply to existing buildings and to additions, alterations and repairs of existing buildings and to all construction, demolition or moving or existing buildings." Section 16.01C then stacks the City requirements on top of the state ones, and Section 16.01D makes both adoptions floating: "Amendments to the above codes adopted herein by reference shall become amendments to this code on and after their adoption by the respective administrative body." So for a house there is no local edition year to check on the state side; the currently published text of chs. SPS 320 to 325 governs. THE SECOND CODE IS WORTH A QUESTION AT THE COUNTER RATHER THAN AN ASSUMPTION. The regional association document Section 16.01B adopts is not published on the City website and is not part of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, and it is written to reach existing buildings and repairs - the area the state dwelling code leaves open. Ask the Inspection Department for the current text before assuming what it does or does not require on a reroof. A NOTE ON WHERE LOCAL AUTHORITY STOPS, BECAUSE WISCONSIN DRAWS THAT LINE HARDER THAN MOST STATES. Wis. Stat. 101.65(1) lets cities, villages, towns and counties exercise jurisdiction over the construction and inspection of new dwellings by ordinance, but 101.65(1c) provides that they "may not make or enforce an ordinance under sub. (1) that is applied to a dwelling and that does not conform to this subchapter and the uniform dwelling code." It then goes a step further than a plain preemption clause: if a contract between the municipality and an owner requires the owner to comply with a non-conforming ordinance, "the owner may waive the provision, and the provision, if waived, is void and unenforceable." So a local roofing rule that departs from the state dwelling code is not merely unenforceable against the municipality - the owner can strike it out of a contract.

Not required — No drip edge is required by code here, and the reason is that Wisconsin never adopted the International Residential Code rule that most other states rely on for it. 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 construction chapter is a masonry chimney cap rule, which is not a roof-edge requirement. PRACTICAL POINT FOR A BID: drip edge may still be required as a matter of the shingle manufacturer's printed instructions, and SPS 321.28(3)(a)3. makes those instructions binding for asphalt shingles, so read the wrapper before leaving it off. On the City side, Chapter 16 of the Municipal 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; the City own Siding and Roofing Permit Application sets no edge detail either. 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 or a design temperature, so a roof steeper than 4:12 is not covered by the requirement at all - although the shingle manufacturer's instructions may still call for it, and SPS 321.28(3)(a)3. makes those instructions binding for asphalt shingles. South Milwaukee adds nothing to this - Chapter 16 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no ice barrier or ice dam provision. ONE SCOPE POINT THAT APPLIES TO EVERY WISCONSIN REROOF AND IS NOT SETTLED. The uniform dwelling code sets these roofing rules statewide, but it does not reach every house and it may not reach every job. SPS 320.05(1) provides that the code does not apply to dwellings "the construction of which was commenced prior to the effective date of this code, or to additions or alterations to such dwellings" - the code took effect June 1, 1980, and the enabling statute, Wis. Stat. 101.615, draws the line differently again, at a dwelling "the initial construction of which was commenced on or after December 1, 1978." Both dates are reported here because the statute and the rule state the cut-off differently. SPS 320.05(3) separately provides that the code does not apply "to repairs or maintenance to dwellings or dwelling units," and SPS 320.07(61) defines a 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. Against that, SPS 321.28(6) regulates reroofing by name, and SPS 320.04(2) applies the whole code to alterations of a dwelling it covers. Wisconsin has not resolved that tension, and this record does not resolve it either. Ask the building inspector which side of it your job falls on before pricing the work. A municipality may also adopt chs. SPS 320 to 325 to reach additions and alterations to older dwellings, which closes half the question locally. About ice & water barrier

Not required — NO MID-ROOF OR ROOF-COVERING INSPECTION STAGE EXISTS HERE, AND THE ORDINANCE PRINTS THE WHOLE LIST IN FOUR PARAGRAPHS SO IT CAN BE CHECKED. Municipal Code Section 16.04, "Inspections required," is short enough to state completely: A, footings and foundation, the footing before it is poured and the foundation after completion of footing and foundation walls, with no flooring laid or backfilling done before approval; B, rough frame, "to be made after the roof, all framing, fire blocking and bracing is in place and all pipes, chimneys and vents are complete"; C, insulation, before interior wall finishes go on; and D, final inspection and certificate of occupancy for all new buildings, additions and alterations. THAT IS THE WHOLE LIST. Note what the frame inspection in B is and is not: it looks at the roof STRUCTURE in place along with the framing, and it is not a tear-off, underlayment or roof-covering inspection. On a reroof the operative inspection is the final, and the City own Siding and Roofing Permit Application says so in capitals - "FINAL INSPECTIONS ARE MANDATORY" - and asks for at least 48 hours notice when requesting it.

Not required — No impact-resistance or hail-rating mandate applies here. The statewide Wisconsin uniform dwelling code carries none: ch. SPS 321, which holds the construction standards for one- and two-family dwellings, contains no occurrence of UL 2218, Class 4, Class IV or FM 4473 anywhere, roof coverings included, and SPS 321.28(5) sends any covering the section does not otherwise address to "the manufacturer's instructions or a national standard recognized 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 16 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no UL 2218, Class 4, Class IV or FM 4473 requirement. The City own Siding and Roofing Permit Application asks only for the roof type - asphalt, metal or rubber - and sets no rating; the detailed materials list on the same form is for the SIDING half of the permit and governs exterior facade materials, not shingle performance.

A REROOF NEEDS A PERMIT IN SOUTH MILWAUKEE AND THE CITY HAS A FORM FOR IT, WHICH IS AS UNAMBIGUOUS AS THIS QUESTION GETS. The Inspection Department Building Permits page publishes a list headed "Building permits are required for the following new construction and alterations," and "Reroofing" is on it, alongside attic conversions, decks, fences, finished basements, foundation repair, garages and sheds, increasing window size, kitchen and bath remodeling, pools, and siding and trim. The Department also publishes a dedicated "SIDING & ROOFING PERMIT APPLICATION," revised July 2025, whose project section reads "Roofing - Residential - $65.00 / Commercial - $15.00 per $1,000 of valuation," with tick boxes for "New Layer (max 2)" and "Tear Off" and for roof type asphalt, metal or rubber. The ordinance behind it is Section 16.03A: "No building or any part thereof shall hereafter be built, enlarged, altered or demolished within the City ... unless a permit therefor shall first be obtained by the owner or his agent," with the term building defined in the same subsection to include "any building or structure and any enlargement, alteration, moving or demolition of any building or structure." THERE IS NO DOLLAR OR SQUARE-FOOT PERMIT EXEMPTION FOR ROOF REPAIR IN THIS CODE, AND ONE NUMBER IN IT IS EASY TO MISREAD AS ONE. Section 16.03A(3) provides that if the Building Inspector considers the character of the work sufficiently described in the application "he may waive the filing of plans, provided the cost of such work does not exceed $1,000." That is a waiver of PLANS, not of the permit, and it is the inspector decision rather than the contractor. THE PENALTIES AND DEADLINES ARE PRINTED IN BOTH PLACES. The permit page warns that "Triple permit fees shall be charged if work is started prior to department approval," the ordinance says the same at Section 16.03A(7), and the roofing form repeats it in capitals. Section 16.03A(5) voids a permit if operations are not commenced within four months, or if work is suspended for 60 days after commencing; a lapsed permit can be reinstated by the Building Inspector within 60 days. The permit page also asks for a two-week review period.

STATE-SET, AND WISCONSIN STATES IT AS A PRESSURE RATHER THAN AS A WIND SPEED - do not go looking for a mph figure, because the uniform dwelling code does not publish one. 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," and the code adds its own note that ASCE 7-05 "allows for substantial reduction from 20 psf as applied to the surface area." The roof-specific figures are in SPS 321.27(3), "UPLIFT AND SUCTION FORCES": roofs "shall withstand a pressure of at least 20 pounds per square foot acting upward normal to the roof surface," and "Roof overhangs, eaves, canopies and cornices shall withstand an upward wind pressure of at least 20 pounds per square foot applied to the entire exposed area." SPS 321.27(3)(b) adds the anchorage rule that roof framing members spanning more than 6 feet from the outermost edge of the roof "shall be permanently fastened to the top plate of load bearing walls using engineered clips, straps or hangers." For the shingles themselves the code sets a fastening count rather than a wind class: SPS 321.28(3)(a)4. requires at least 4 fasteners per strip shingle or 2 per interlocking shingle unless the manufacturer specifies otherwise, and SPS 321.28(3)(a)1. requires a self-sealing adhesive strip with an average bond strength of at least 1.5 pounds per 3.75 inches of shingle width at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. South Milwaukee publishes no local wind figure and Chapter 16 of the Municipal Code contains none; its only load language is the definition of dead load as "the weight of the walls, permanent partitions, framing, floors, roofs and all other permanent stationary construction forming a part of the building."

STATE-SET, AND SOUTH MILWAUKEE PRINTS THE ANSWER ON ITS OWN PERMIT FORM. The statewide rule is SPS 321.28(6), "REROOFING," which provides that new roof coverings may not be installed over existing roof coverings where any of three conditions exist: the existing roof or roof covering "is water-soaked or has deteriorated such that it is inadequate as a base for additional roofing"; the existing roof "is wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile"; or the existing roof "has 2 or more applications of any type of permanent roof covering." So the ceiling is two total layers, and fewer than that where the deck is wet or deteriorated or the existing covering is one of the listed materials. A complete tear-off to the deck is not restricted by that rule at any layer count. The City does not write a layer rule of its own - Municipal Code Chapter 16, the Building Code, was read in full, all of Sections 16.01 through 16.34, and it contains no layer limit, no recover rule and no shingle provision - but its Siding and Roofing Permit Application puts the state ceiling in front of the applicant at the point of filing, with a tick box reading "New Layer (max 2)" beside one reading "Tear Off." So the applicant is asked to declare which it is, and the form itself states the maximum. There is no local route past two layers, so a roof already carrying two applications is a tear-off in South Milwaukee. ONE SCOPE POINT THAT APPLIES TO EVERY WISCONSIN REROOF AND IS NOT SETTLED. The uniform dwelling code sets these roofing rules statewide, but it does not reach every house and it may not reach every job. SPS 320.05(1) provides that the code does not apply to dwellings "the construction of which was commenced prior to the effective date of this code, or to additions or alterations to such dwellings" - the code took effect June 1, 1980, and the enabling statute, Wis. Stat. 101.615, draws the line differently again, at a dwelling "the initial construction of which was commenced on or after December 1, 1978." Both dates are reported here because the statute and the rule state the cut-off differently. SPS 320.05(3) separately provides that the code does not apply "to repairs or maintenance to dwellings or dwelling units," and SPS 320.07(61) defines a 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. Against that, SPS 321.28(6) regulates reroofing by name, and SPS 320.04(2) applies the whole code to alterations of a dwelling it covers. Wisconsin has not resolved that tension, and this record does not resolve it either. Ask the building inspector which side of it your job falls on before pricing the work. A municipality may also adopt chs. SPS 320 to 325 to reach additions and alterations to older dwellings, which closes half the question locally. ONE LOCAL PROVISION BEARS ON THIS AND IS WORTH ASKING ABOUT: Section 16.01B adopts a regional association building code that by its own terms applies "to existing buildings and to additions, alterations and repairs of existing buildings." That document is not published on the City website, so this record does not state what it requires; ask the Inspection Department for its current text.

STATE-SET. The statewide rule is Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.27(9), "ROOF SHEATHING, BOARDS AND PLANKING," read in full. For structural panels, SPS 321.27(9)(a) provides that "The allowable loads and spans for structural sheathing shall be in accordance with the grade stamp on the panel" - Wisconsin sets no minimum panel thickness of its own and defers to the stamp, so a roofer replacing decking should match the stamp to the rafter spacing rather than to a table. For board decking, SPS 321.27(9)(b) allows roof boards at least 5/8 inch thick for solid sheathing and 3/4 inch for spaced sheathing where rafters are 24 inches on centre or closer, and requires tongue-and-groove boards at least 1.5 inches thick where rafter spacing is greater than 24 inches on centre. SPS 321.27(9)(c) covers roof planks, which must be tongue-and-groove or splined and at least 2 inches nominal. Nothing in the section states a trigger for replacing sound decking on a reroof; what forces sheathing off is the separate reroofing rule, SPS 321.28(6)(a), which bars covering a deck that is water-soaked or deteriorated. South Milwaukee adds no sheathing or decking specification of its own - Chapter 16 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains none. Two local provisions do bear on a roof that turns out to be structurally poor. Section 16.03D conditions a permit on the proposed work resulting in the building being "made structurally safe, fireproof, and weatherproof." And the City property maintenance provisions require that "Every foundation, roof, floor, wall, stair, ceiling or other structural support shall be safe and capable of supporting the loads associated with normal usage and shall be kept in sound condition and repair."

5.9% on materials, and it is NOT the 5.5% that covers most of Wisconsin. Wisconsin state sales and use tax is 5%, and Milwaukee County levies 0.90%, effective January 2024 - county code 40 on the chart, and the highest county rate in Wisconsin, where the other sixty-nine taxing counties are all at 0.50%. The figures are from the Department of Revenue sales tax rate chart, Guidance Document Number 100047, dated January 16, 2026. No municipal sales tax applies here - the Department states that "The city of Milwaukee is the only municipality that imposes a city sales and use tax" - and no premier resort area tax applies, because this municipality is not among the ten the Department lists as having adopted one. THE 2% CITY OF MILWAUKEE TAX DOES NOT REACH SOUTH MILWAUKEE. The Department of Revenue is explicit that the city tax applies "to a location in the city of Milwaukee," and South Milwaukee is a separate municipality, so the rate here is the state 5% plus the county 0.90% and nothing more. Neighbouring Waukesha County levies no county tax at all, so a yard one county west is at 5.0% - a nine-tenths of a point difference on the same load of shingles. 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, Publication 207, answers it by name in its item chart, listing "Roofs" as real estate for residential installation, residential repair, commercial installation and commercial repair alike. The roofing contractor is therefore the consumer of what it installs. It pays sales or use tax when buying shingles, underlayment and other materials, and the same publication states that a contractor performing a real property construction activity "is not permitted to collect sales tax from its customers on its sales price from sales of real property construction activities," so neither labour nor materials are taxed on the reroofing contract itself. The exception runs the other way: Publication 207 lists "Selling lumber, roofing materials or other tangible personal property, without installation" as an example of the contractor acting as a retailer, which is a taxable retail sale. So the rate is a cost input on the material purchase rather than a line on the homeowner invoice.