City of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin - Building Inspection

City of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

city

300 E. Main Street (Sun Prairie City Hall), Sun Prairie, WI 53590

Required

Required

Applications go through the City's OpenGov online portal, and Building Inspection publishes its own how-to pages for it. One feature of Sun Prairie changes how a roofing job with any trade work in it is filed: the City states that it "issues 'single source' permits, meaning we do not issue separate building, electrical, plumbing or heating permits for new construction, additions or alterations," and asks anyone whose work relates to such a project to contact the office to be associated with that permit. The City also asks that "Inspections (roughs and finals) should be scheduled with our office as work progresses and when the work has been completed," and warns that "Completing and passing final inspections is the only way to close a permit on your property." Municipal Code section 15.04.020(I) puts the timing in ordinance form: the builder notifies the building inspector when ready, and the inspector inspects within two business days of notification. Section 15.04.020(H) requires all permit, licence and inspection fees to be collected by the finance officer before the permit issues, and provides that no permit shall be issued or reissued and no inspection performed until the fees are paid. Building Inspection is at City Hall, 300 E. Main Street, on 608-825-1184, Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. One local courtesy worth knowing on a subdivision job: section 15.04.025 lets a homeowners association ask in writing to be notified when a building permit is issued that will affect the outside appearance of a property in its subdivision, and the inspector must send that notice within five days - though failure to send it does not invalidate the permit.

STATE CODE, ADOPTED BY THE CITY AND EXTENDED TO EXISTING BUILDINGS. One- and two-family dwellings in Sun 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. Municipal Code section 15.04.030(A) adopts it: "The administrative code provisions describing and defining regulations with respect to one- and two-family dwellings in Chapters SPS 320—325 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code are adopted and by reference made a part of this chapter as if fully set forth herein," and the adoption floats rather than freezing an edition - "Any future amendments, revisions or modifications of the administrative code provisions incorporated herein are intended to be made part of this chapter to secure uniform statewide regulation of one- and two-family dwellings in this city." Section 15.04.030(B), headed Existing Buildings, then extends the code to work on buildings that already exist, including at (B)(4) any replacement of more than twenty-five percent of a roof covering in a twelve-month period. Commercial and multifamily buildings run on a different code set: section 15.04.040(A) adopts chs. SPS 360 through 366, the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code, and the City publishes its full adopted-codes list separately, which for commercial work names the 2015 International Codes with Wisconsin amendments and the 2017 National Electrical Code with Wisconsin amendments. That commercial track is not the subject of the residential fields recorded here, and note that the City's adopted-codes page carries its own revision stamp of January 2019, so confirm the commercial editions before relying on them. Chapter 15.04 of the Municipal Code was read in full, all nineteen sections, and it adds no roof-assembly requirement of its own. The codification is current through Ordinance No. 985, adopted May 5, 2026, Supplement No. 71.

Not required — No drip edge is required by code on a Sun 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 City side, Chapter 15.04 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. 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. Sun Prairie adds nothing to this: Chapter 15.04 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. Sun Prairie has closed the first of those two branches, and it is one of the very few Wisconsin municipalities whose ordinance reaches ROOFING BY NAME when it does so. Municipal Code section 15.04.030(B), headed Existing Buildings, provides that "The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code shall also apply to buildings and conditions where," and lists among them at (B)(4): "Roof coverings. Whenever more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the roof covering of a building is replaced in any twelve-month period, all roof covering shall be in conformity with applicable sections of this chapter." Subsection (B)(5) adds "Any addition, or alteration, regardless of cost, made to a building, shall be made in conformity with applicable sections of this chapter." So on any reroof past a quarter of the roof, the state standards apply in Sun Prairie whatever the age of the house. One tension in the chapter is worth seeing rather than glossing: the definitions at section 15.04.030(C) define a Dwelling as "Any building, the initial construction of which is commenced on or after the effective date of this chapter, which contains one or two dwelling units, or ... An existing structure, or that part of an existing structure, which is used or intended to be used as a one- or two-family dwelling." Both limbs are published here as written; on an older house, confirm scope with Building Inspection on 608-825-1184. About ice & water barrier

Not required — No mid-roof or roof-covering inspection stage is published. Municipal Code section 15.04.020(I) lists the stages at which the building inspector inspects, in full: footing and foundation, with a foundation survey by a registered surveyor before the pour; general framing, rough electrical, plumbing and heating; insulation; and final. None of those is a tear-off, roof-deck or roof-covering stage, and on a reroof the final is the operative one. Two things still call for a phone call rather than an assumption. The City asks generally that "Inspections (roughs and finals) should be scheduled with our office as work progresses," and where a tear-off turns into framing replacement the general framing stage applies. And the City is blunt about closing the job out: "Completing and passing final inspections is the only way to close a permit on your property." Building Inspection is on 608-825-1184.

Not required — No impact-resistance or hail-rating mandate applies in Sun 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 City side, Chapter 15.04 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no UL 2218, Class 4, Class IV or FM 4473 requirement, and the City published permit guidance sets no shingle rating.

SUN PRAIRIE NAMES ROOFING ON BOTH LISTS, WHICH IS RARER THAN IT SOUNDS. The City Building Permit page lists the exterior work that needs a permit and puts roofing first: "Roof replacement on a house or a garage." Its separate list of work for which "A building permit is not required" runs to eight items - flooring changes, painting, cabinet replacement not involving plumbing, electrical or HVAC work, private sidewalk installation, storm window and screen installation, replacing deck boards, and dumpster enclosures without a roof - and roofing is not among them. So there is no square-footage or dollar threshold for a reroof: a roof replacement on a house or a garage needs a permit. The ordinance supplies the one concept that could take small work out of the requirement, and it is a definition rather than a number. Municipal Code section 15.04.030(C) defines a Minor repair as "repair performed for maintenance or replacement purposes on any existing one- or two-family dwelling which does not affect room arrangement, light and ventilation, access to or efficiency of any exit stairways or exits, fire protection, or exterior aesthetic appearance, and which does not increase a given occupancy and use," and adds that "No building permit is required for work to be performed which is deemed minor repair." Read the phrase exterior aesthetic appearance before assuming a patch qualifies. The permit fee is flat rather than valuation-based: the City fee schedule at section 15.16 charges "One or Two Family Dwelling Roof Replacement: $75.00 ea. permit" and "Multi Family, Commercial, Industrial Roof Replacement $150.00 ea. permit." And the City states the cost of skipping it: "If a building permit is not obtained prior to the start of the work, the city has the right to double the permit fee and fine you per day until a permit is obtained."

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. Sun Prairie adds nothing of its own - Chapter 15.04 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no wind design provision.

STATE-SET. Sun Prairie writes no reroofing layer rule of its own - Chapter 15.04 of the Municipal Code, all nineteen sections, was read in full and contains no layer limit and no recover rule - 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. There is no local route past two layers here of the kind some other Wisconsin municipalities publish, so a roof already carrying two applications is a tear-off in Sun 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. Sun Prairie has closed the first of those two branches, and it is one of the very few Wisconsin municipalities whose ordinance reaches ROOFING BY NAME when it does so. Municipal Code section 15.04.030(B), headed Existing Buildings, provides that "The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code shall also apply to buildings and conditions where," and lists among them at (B)(4): "Roof coverings. Whenever more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the roof covering of a building is replaced in any twelve-month period, all roof covering shall be in conformity with applicable sections of this chapter." Subsection (B)(5) adds "Any addition, or alteration, regardless of cost, made to a building, shall be made in conformity with applicable sections of this chapter." So on any reroof past a quarter of the roof, the state standards apply in Sun Prairie whatever the age of the house. One tension in the chapter is worth seeing rather than glossing: the definitions at section 15.04.030(C) define a Dwelling as "Any building, the initial construction of which is commenced on or after the effective date of this chapter, which contains one or two dwelling units, or ... An existing structure, or that part of an existing structure, which is used or intended to be used as a one- or two-family dwelling." Both limbs are published here as written; on an older house, confirm scope with Building Inspection on 608-825-1184.

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. Sun Prairie adds nothing of its own: Chapter 15.04 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no roof sheathing, decking or roof-nailing provision. Note that the City schedules a general framing inspection under section 15.04.020(I)(2) and asks that roughs be scheduled as work progresses, so replacing deck on a permitted job is work the City expects to be told about.

5.5% on materials - the Wisconsin state sales and use tax of 5% plus Dane County's 0.5% county sales and use tax, which the Department of Revenue rate chart lists for county code 13 with an effective date of 4/91. Dane County has levied it for decades, so there is no recent change to watch here. 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 Sun Prairie. 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.