City of Stevens Point, Wisconsin - Division of Inspection Services

City of Stevens Point, Wisconsin

city

1515 Strongs Avenue, Stevens Point, WI 54481

Required

Required

Applications go in on the City residential building permit application or through its online permitting portal, and the City reviews first come, first served, with the time depending on completeness and project type. Section 30.03(5) sets out what an application must state and what must accompany it, and Section 30.03(4)(c) adds a condition that catches people out: before any permit may be issued "the applicant and/or property owner must be current on all personal property taxes within the city." Fees are set by the most recently adopted Common Council fee schedule for the Community Development Department rather than in the ordinance. Inspections are requested from the Building Inspector after each phase; under Section 30.05(1) work on subsequent phases may not proceed until the inspection is approved, but "Construction may proceed on a one- or a two-family dwelling if an inspection has not been performed within two business days after proper notification has been given," and occupancy may occur five business days after a final is requested if it has not been performed. WATCH THE EXPIRY, BECAUSE ROOFING HAS THE SHORT ONE. Section 30.03(9)(f) provides that "Permits for residential roofing, siding, decks, accessory structures and other similar projects will expire after six months," against two years for a new dwelling, and Section 30.03(9)(a) adds that any permit goes void if work does not start within four months or is suspended for 60 days after starting, subject to waiver at the discretion of the Chief Building Official. The section also halves the clock on each renewal: "The expiration time for each subsequent permit or renewal for the same project will be half of the prior time limit." Section 30.05(2) puts the onus squarely on the permit holder - it is not the inspector responsibility to track when the next inspection is due "nor to notify the permit applicant that the permit has expired."

THE CITY WRITES ITS OWN BUILDING CHAPTER AND PUBLISHES IT WHOLE, WHICH IS UNUSUAL AND USEFUL. Municipal Code Chapter 30, the Building Code, is a single 28-page document the City hosts itself, with ten sections: general provisions, definitions, building inspector and permits, accessory structures, inspections required, swimming pools, regulations for moving or razing buildings, building numbering, plumbing service and penalties. Section 30.01(1) sets its relationship to state law: "The provisions of this code supplement the laws of the State of Wisconsin pertaining to construction and use and the Zoning Code of the City." For a one- or two-family dwelling the construction standards are therefore the statewide Wisconsin uniform dwelling code, chs. SPS 320 to 325 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, with Chapter 30 supplying the local permit, inspection and existing-building rules on top. Two clauses tell you how conflicts resolve. Section 30.01(3)(b) provides that the chapter shall not be construed to prevent enforcement of other city or state regulations prescribing different standards, and that "In case of conflicts among such regulations, the most restrictive standard shall apply." Section 30.01(3)(c) provides that "If any part of this ordinance is explicitly prohibited by federal or state statute, that part shall not be enforced" - which is Chapter 30 acknowledging the state preemption described elsewhere on this record. THERE IS NO INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE EDITION TO CHASE HERE. Wisconsin does not adopt the IRC for houses; the state dwelling code is a Wisconsin-written code. 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 30 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 requirement. What Stevens Point does address at the eave is gutters, and only to say they need no permit: its Residential Permits Requirements sheet lists "Gutter installation or replacement" in the permit-not-needed column. 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. Stevens Point adds nothing to the requirement itself - Chapter 30 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no ice barrier or ice dam provision - but its Section 30.01(5)(c) decides when the state standard attaches to an existing dwelling: more than 25 percent of the roof covering by area replaced in any 12-month period, which on a typical reroof is comfortably crossed. About ice & water barrier

Not required — NO MID-ROOF OR ROOF-COVERING INSPECTION STAGE EXISTS HERE, AND THE CITY PRINTS ITS WHOLE LIST IN THE ORDINANCE SO IT CAN BE CHECKED RATHER THAN ASSUMED. Municipal Code Section 30.05, "Inspections Required," enumerates the stages. The construction inspections at Section 30.05(4) are, in full: foundation reinforcement, drain tile, footing and foundation, under slab or under floor, rough framing, insulation and energy, above ceiling, and final. Separate subsections cover erosion control and site maintenance, HVAC, electrical and plumbing. None of those is a tear-off, underlayment, deck or roof-covering stage, and on a reroof the final at Section 30.05(4)(h) is the operative inspection. ONE POWER TO KNOW ABOUT ANYWAY, BECAUSE IT IS SHARPER THAN THE USUAL WORDING. Section 30.05(2) provides that "The Building Inspector shall have the right and authority to order the removal of all coverings which may have been placed over such work before same has been inspected." On a reroof that reaches framing or sheathing, covering the work before it has been looked at is a risk the ordinance expressly addresses.

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 30 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no UL 2218, Class 4, Class IV or FM 4473 requirement, and neither the Residential Permits Requirements sheet nor the City building permit pages set a shingle rating.

A ROOF REPLACEMENT NEEDS A PERMIT AND THE CITY SAYS SO IN A TWO-COLUMN LIST, WHICH IS THE CLEANEST FORM THIS ANSWER TAKES ANYWHERE IN WISCONSIN. The Department of Community Development publishes "RESIDENTIAL PERMITS REQUIREMENTS," a one-page sheet with a "Permit Needed" column and a "Permit Not Needed" column. Under Building/Zoning Projects, the permit-needed column includes "Replacement of roof, soffit, and fascia," alongside new construction, additions, decks, "New or replacement of siding/exterior covering," and "Altering of any structural member including but not limited to: Headers, studs, posts, columns, beams, trusses, rafters, etc." THE PERMIT-NOT-NEEDED COLUMN CARRIES THE ONE ROOF-ADJACENT ITEM A ROOFER WILL WANT: "Gutter installation or replacement." So gutters are free and the roof, the soffit and the fascia are not. The sheet states its own limits - "this list is not all inclusive and subject to change" - and it is dated as updated 6/8/22. The ordinance behind it is Section 30.03(2), "Permits required": "No person shall excavate for, erect or construct, nor add to, enlarge, improve, repair, alter, convert, extend, move, or demolish any building or structure ... without first obtaining a permit therefore from the Division of Inspection Services." The same subsection gives the list its status and its limit: "A list of activities for which a permit is required is on file in the department. The enumeration of such list does not preclude the Building Inspector from determining that an activity not appearing on the list nevertheless requires a permit." THERE IS NO DOLLAR OR SQUARE-FOOT LINE FOR ROOF REPAIR IN STEVENS POINT. What Chapter 30 has instead is the minor repair definition at Section 30.01(5)(d), which excuses maintenance repairs and replacements that do not touch structure, room arrangement, light and ventilation, exits, fire protection or exterior aesthetic appearance - but only "unless the type of work requires a permit per department list," and roof replacement is on that list. TWO OVERLAYS TO CHECK BEFORE QUOTING, BOTH NOTED BY THE CITY ON THE SAME SHEET: a property in the Historic District "may need prior approval for exterior work regardless of not requiring a permit," and a property abutting Shoreland is advised to contact the department for ANY exterior work. Section 30.03(3) separately requires a building permit in a Historic Overlay District for siding, windows and removal of original architectural details.

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. Stevens Point publishes no local wind figure and Chapter 30 of the Municipal Code contains none; its only load language is the general definition of dead load as "The weight of walls, floors, partitions, roofs, and other structural parts" in Section 30.02.

STATE-SET AS TO THE LAYER COUNT, WITH A LOCAL RULE ON WHEN IT BITES. 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. Stevens Point writes no layer rule of its own: Municipal Code Chapter 30, the Building Code, was read in full - all ten sections across its 28 pages - and it contains no layer limit, no recover rule and no shingle provision. There is no local route past two layers, so a roof already carrying two applications is a tear-off in Stevens Point. AND STEVENS POINT HAS ITS OWN ANSWER TO THE SCOPE QUESTION THAT HANGS OVER MOST WISCONSIN REROOFS, SET AT A QUARTER OF THE ROOF. Statewide, SPS 320.05(1) takes dwellings begun before the code took effect on June 1, 1980, and alterations to them, outside the uniform dwelling code, and SPS 320.05(3) takes "repairs or maintenance" outside it as well, while SPS 320.07(61) defines a repair to include "the replacement of existing fixtures, systems or equipment with the equivalent fixture, system or equipment." Municipal Code Section 30.01(5), "Existing structures," names roofing among the cases where the chapter reaches an existing building anyway. Subsection (c), "Roof coverings," provides that "Whenever more than 25 percent of the roof covering bv area of a dwelling is replaced in any 12-month period, all new roof covering shall be in conformity with applicable sections of this chapter." The City published text prints "bv" where "by" is plainly meant; the quotation is given as the City prints it. READ THE 12-MONTH WINDOW CAREFULLY - IT AGGREGATES. Two partial jobs inside a year cross the line even though neither does on its own, and at 25 percent that is easy to do without meaning to. Section 30.01(5)(b) adds that alterations to an existing dwelling "regardless of cost" must meet the requirements for new buildings "when deemed necessary in the opinion of the Building Inspector," so the inspector has discretion below the threshold as well. Section 30.01(5)(d) runs the other way and defines minor repairs - maintenance repairs or replacements that do not involve structural portions, room arrangement, light and ventilation, exits, fire protection or exterior aesthetic appearance and do not increase occupancy - for which "Permits and licensing are not required ... unless the type of work requires a permit per department list," and roof replacement is on that list.

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. Stevens Point adds no sheathing or decking specification of its own - Chapter 30 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains none - but two local points bear on decking work. Its Residential Permits Requirements sheet puts "Altering of any structural member including but not limited to: Headers, studs, posts, columns, beams, trusses, rafters, etc." squarely in the permit-needed column, so opening a roof and finding bad framing changes the scope of the permit. And Section 30.01(5)(f) requires the owner to act where structural members "have deteriorated from any cause whatsoever to less than their required strength."

5.5% on materials. Wisconsin state sales and use tax is 5%, and Portage County levies the half-point county tax on top of it, at 0.50% with an effective date of April 1989 - county code 49 on the chart. 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. Stevens Point lies wholly within Portage County, so one rate applies across the city. 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.