City of Watertown, Wisconsin - Building, Safety, & Zoning

City of Watertown, Wisconsin

city

106 Jones Street, Watertown, WI 53094

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STATE CODE, ADOPTED BY THE CITY AND EXTENDED TO EXISTING HOUSES, WITH A FLOATING (NOT FROZEN) REFERENCE. One- and two-family dwellings in Watertown are built to the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, the chapters of the Wisconsin Administrative Code numbered in the SPS 320s. That code is Wisconsin's own text rather than an adoption of the International Residential Code, so no IRC edition year applies to a house here. Municipal Code section 253-3(A)(1) provides that "The following codes are adopted by reference and made a part hereof," and subsection (A)(3) lists "Uniform Dwelling Code, Chapters SPS 320 to 325, Wis. Adm. Code, and all amendments thereafter. The Building Inspector and his delegated representatives are hereby authorized and directed to administer and enforce all of the provisions of the Uniform Dwelling Code, commencing December 1, 1978." Unlike some Wisconsin cities, Watertown's list includes ch. SPS 320 itself, the chapter carrying the state code's own scope, exemptions and definitions. The adoption floats rather than freezing an edition - "and all amendments thereafter" carries later amendments in automatically. Subsection (A)(3)(a) then does the thing that matters most for a roofer: "The Uniform Dwelling Code, as adopted, shall apply to all additions and alterations of existing one- and two-family dwellings." That sentence exercises an election Wisconsin gives every municipality: Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.04(2)(d) provides that "Any municipality may, by ordinance, adopt the provisions of chs. SPS 320 to 325 to apply to any additions or alterations to existing dwellings," and without that election the code would by default reach only dwellings built on or after the code's effective date. Watertown has made that election. Subsection (A)(3)(b) sets the conflict rule: "When a conflict exists between the local Building Code and the Uniform Dwelling Code, the Uniform Dwelling Code shall take precedence over the local Building Code." Subsection (A)(3)(c) brings detached garages with over 200 square feet of floor area under the Uniform Dwelling Code as well. Commercial work runs on a different code set: subsection (A)(1) and (A)(2) adopt Chapters SPS 361 to 366 (the Commercial Building Code, including SPS 364 HVAC and SPS 366 Existing Buildings) and Chapter SPS 360 (erosion, sediment and storm water control), which is not the subject of the residential fields recorded here. Chapter 253 of the Municipal Code was read in full - all seven articles, all 59 sections - and adds no roof-assembly requirement of its own beyond the framing and sheathing rules described under the deck sheathing field below. One caution the ordinance does not resolve: Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05(3) separately exempts "repairs or maintenance" from the Uniform Dwelling Code as a freestanding statement, distinct from the additions-and-alterations election Watertown has made, and neither the state code nor Watertown's ordinance says how that exemption interacts with SPS 321.28(6), which regulates reroofing by name. That tension is not adjudicated here.

Not required — No drip edge is required by code on a Watertown roof, at either level of government. The statewide Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, unlike the International Residential Code, carries no drip edge requirement at an eave or a rake: 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 one. The only "drip" language anywhere in SPS 320 or SPS 321, both read in full, is a masonry chimney cap rule: SPS 321.30(8) Chimney caps requires that caps "shall provide a one-inch overhang and drip edge on all sides," which is a chimney detail, not a roof-edge requirement. On the City side, Chapter 253 of the Municipal Code was read in full, all 59 sections, and the words "drip edge" do not appear in it at all. Practical point for a bid: drip edge may still be required as a matter of the shingle manufacturer's 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 - the trigger is roof slope, not climate zone, and 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." A roof steeper than 4:12 falls outside the literal requirement, although shingle manufacturer installation instructions - binding under SPS 321.28(3)(a) - may still call for it regardless of slope. Watertown adds nothing of its own: Chapter 253 of the Municipal Code was read in full, all 59 sections, and contains no ice dam or ice barrier provision. The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code sets this rule statewide, and Watertown has affirmatively extended the code to additions and alterations of every existing one- and two-family dwelling - Municipal Code section 253-3(A)(3)(a) - so the age carve-out that limits the construction standards in some other Wisconsin cities does not limit them here. What is separately unresolved is whether a like-for-like reroof counts as an "alteration" the City's election reaches or a "repair" SPS 320.05(3) exempts from the code entirely; see the roof-layer-limit field for that unresolved question, which bears equally on this one. About ice & water barrier

Not required — No mid-roof or roof-covering inspection stage is published, at either level of government. Municipal Code section 253-24 Inspection of work lists, in full, the events that trigger a required notification to the Building, Safety, and Zoning Division: "(A) The laying of any concrete for footings or garage slabs. (B) Completion of foundation and before backfilling. (C) Building rough-in has been completed, insulation installed, and before wall is enclosed. (D) Final inspection prior to occupancy." None of those four is a tear-off, roof-deck, or roof-covering stage, and (C) is framed around enclosing a WALL rather than a roof. On a permitted reroof, the final inspection is the operative one. Neither Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320 nor SPS 321, both read in full, sets a statewide mid-roof or roof-covering inspection stage of its own - inspection scheduling for a one- or two-family dwelling is left to the enforcing municipality's own ordinance, which for Watertown is section 253-24 above.

Not required — No impact-resistance or hail-rating mandate applies in Watertown, at either level of government. 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 - SPS 320 (all of it) and SPS 321 (all of it), including the roof coverings and reroofing sections, were both read in full and searched by term, with zero occurrences of "impact," "hail," "UL 2218," "Class 4" or "Class IV." 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 253 of the Municipal Code was read in full, all 59 sections, and the same search returns zero for every one of those terms, and the City's published BS&Z Fee Schedule sets no shingle rating either.

WATERTOWN NAMES "REPAIRED" WORK IN ITS GENERAL PERMIT RULE, AND THEN CARVES OUT A DISCRETIONARY MINOR-REPAIRS EXCEPTION THE ORDINANCE NEVER DEFINES AGAINST ROOFING. Municipal Code section 253-11(A) provides that "No wall, building or structure or any part thereof shall hereafter be built, repaired, enlarged, altered or moved within the City except as hereinafter provided... unless a permit therefor shall have first been obtained by the owner or his agent from the Building Inspector. The responsibility for obtaining permits rests equally upon the owner and the contractor as an accessory." Section 253-16 Minor repairs then provides the exception: "The Building Inspector may authorize minor repairs which do not change the occupancy area, structural strength, fire protection, exits, light or ventilation of the building without a building permit." Neither section says whether a like-for-like roof covering replacement counts as a minor repair; it is left to the Building Inspector's case-by-case authorization. Section 253-14 Waiver of plans lets the Building Inspector waive submitted PLANS - not the permit itself - "for alterations, repairs or moving, provided that cost of such work does not exceed $1,000." The Uniform Dwelling Code layers a second, separate question on top of the local one: Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05(3) provides that "The provisions of this code do not apply to repairs or maintenance to dwellings or dwelling units," and SPS 320.07(61) defines "Repair" as "the act or process of restoring to original soundness, including redecorating, refinishing, nonstructural repairs or maintenance, or the replacement of existing fixtures, systems or equipment with the equivalent fixture, system or equipment" - wording broad enough to describe a like-for-like reroof. Set against that is SPS 321.28(6), which regulates installing a new roof covering over an existing one by name (see the layer-limit field). Wisconsin has not resolved which of those two provisions governs a like-for-like tear-off, and this record does not resolve it either. What is settled is the fee side if a permit IS pulled: the City's BS&Z Fee Schedule, read in full, carries no dedicated roofing or residing line item at any dollar threshold - the applicable charge is the general Building Permit fee, an Administrative Fee of $50.00 plus an Inspection Fee of $0.30 per square foot, cited to sections 253-20 and 253-22B of the fee schedule. Ask Building, Safety, & Zoning before tearing off; the answer turns on the Building Inspector's own discretion under section 253-16, not on a stated dollar or square-footage threshold.

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. Watertown adds nothing of its own for dwellings - Chapter 253 of the Municipal Code was read in full, all 59 sections including Article V's fire-district provisions and Article VI's bay-window projection rule, and none of it sets a wind design load for a house.

STATE-SET. Watertown writes no reroofing layer rule of its own - Chapter 253 of the Municipal Code, all seven articles and all 59 sections, was read in full and contains no layer limit, no recover rule and no roof-covering overlay provision of any kind - so the statewide Uniform Dwelling Code rule governs unmodified. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.28(6) REROOFING provides that "New roof coverings may not be installed over existing roof coverings where any of the following conditions exist: (a) The existing roof or roof covering is water-soaked or has deteriorated such that it is inadequate as a base for additional roofing. (b) The existing roof is wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. (c) The existing roof has 2 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 Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code sets these roofing rules statewide, but its own scope has two carve-outs that read together. SPS 320.05(3) exempts "repairs or maintenance to dwellings or dwelling units" from the code as a freestanding statement, and SPS 320.07(61) defines "Repair" broadly enough to include "the replacement of existing fixtures, systems or equipment with the equivalent" - language that reads as though it could cover a like-for-like reroof - while SPS 321.28(6) above regulates reroofing by name. Wisconsin has not resolved which of those two provisions governs, and this record does not resolve it either; confirm with Building, Safety, & Zoning before assuming either one controls. What Watertown HAS settled, unlike some Wisconsin cities, is the separate question of whether the code reaches an OLDER dwelling at all: Municipal Code section 253-3(A)(3)(a) provides that "The Uniform Dwelling Code, as adopted, shall apply to all additions and alterations of existing one- and two-family dwellings," exercising the election Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.04(2)(d) gives every municipality to extend the code to existing housing stock rather than only new construction. That resolves the age question; it does not resolve the repair-versus-reroofing question above.

A STATE RULE FOR THE HOUSE AND A DIFFERENT LOCAL RULE STILL ON THE BOOKS - AND THE ORDINANCE'S OWN CONFLICT CLAUSE SAYS WHICH ONE CONTROLS. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.27(9) Roof sheathing, boards and planking sets the statewide standard for a one- or two-family dwelling in three parts. Structural sheathing: "The allowable loads and spans for structural sheathing shall be in accordance with the grade stamp on the panel." Roof boards: where 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 spacing is greater than 24 inches on center, "roof boards shall be tongue and groove, at least 1.5 inches thick." Roof planks: "tongue and groove or splined and at least 2 inches, nominal, in thickness," terminating "over beams unless the joints are end matched," and "laid so that no continuous line of joints will occur except at points of support." That grade-stamp/thickness formulation is Wisconsin's own, not the International Residential Code's, so do not carry an IRC sheathing specification onto a Wisconsin job. Watertown's own Municipal Code still carries a DIFFERENT, older local rule for roof sheathing: section 253-35(F) Plywood roofs provides that "If plywood is used on roofs, the minimum thickness shall be 3/8 inch spacing, and 1/2 inch thick for twenty-four-inch spacing." That sits inside Chapter 253's general Construction Standards article, which predates and duplicates ground the state Uniform Dwelling Code now also covers. Municipal Code section 253-3(A)(3)(b) settles which one governs a house: "When a conflict exists between the local Building Code and the Uniform Dwelling Code, the Uniform Dwelling Code shall take precedence over the local Building Code." So for a one- or two-family dwelling the state grade-stamp and board-thickness rule above controls. Section 253-35(F)'s older plywood-thickness rule remains the local Building Code's own text and would still be the operative rule for structures the Uniform Dwelling Code does not reach - for example a detached garage of 200 square feet or less, which section 253-3(A)(3)(c) excludes from Uniform Dwelling Code coverage (garages over 200 square feet ARE brought under the UDC by that same subsection).

5.5% on materials throughout the City of Watertown, and the figure does not change at the county line even though the City straddles two counties. The Wisconsin state sales and use tax is 5%, and both counties Watertown sits in levy the identical county add-on: the Department of Revenue's sales tax rate chart lists Jefferson County, code 28, at 0.50% (effective 4/91), and Dodge County, code 14, at 0.50% (effective 4/94) - so a Watertown address in either county totals 5.5%, and no blended or averaged figure is needed. The Department of Revenue sales tax rate chart, Guidance Document Number 100047 dated January 16, 2026, is the authority for both county components. No municipal sales tax applies: the City of Milwaukee is the only municipality in Wisconsin that imposes one. No premier resort area tax applies either - the Department of Revenue's list of the ten municipalities that impose that tax (Sturgeon Bay, the Town of Minocqua, Ephraim, Sister Bay, Rhinelander, Stockholm, Eagle River, Bayfield, Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton) does not include Watertown.