City of Waukesha, Wisconsin - Department of Community Development, Building Inspection Division

City of Waukesha, Wisconsin

city

201 Delafield Street (Waukesha City Hall), Waukesha, WI 53188

Not required

Required

Building Inspection sits in the Department of Community Development at Waukesha City Hall, 201 Delafield Street, and Municipal Code section 16.03(1) provides that permits are obtained from that department before construction, improvement or alteration of buildings or structures. Roofing is not named in that list, and the last item in it picks up "Any other activities for which a permit fee is shown on the Fee Schedule maintained pursuant to Municipal Code section 16.07(1)" - which is the fee schedule that carries the residential re-roofing exemption. Where a permit IS needed, residential applications are filed electronically through the eTRAKiT portal rather than on paper: the City document library publishes 26 one- and two-family forms, and the Addition, Alteration and New Construction applications all route to eTRAKiT. A contractor needs a Contractors Account with the City, called an AEC account, before applying. Only a homeowner who resides at the job address may apply as an owner, and must sign a Cautionary Statement to Property Owners. Permits expire 24 months after the approval date and may be renewed once, for up to 12 further months, if the renewal is filed at least 60 days before expiry. Applications for work already commenced are charged double the scheduled fee. Residential inspections are scheduled by phone or email with the Residential One- and Two-Family Construction Permitting and Inspections staff at 262-524-3530; electrical and plumbing inspections are scheduled online through eTRAKiT.

STATE CODE, ADOPTED BY THE CITY AND EXTENDED TO EXISTING HOUSES. One- and two-family dwellings in Waukesha 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. Waukesha Municipal Code section 16.01(6)(b) adopts it in these words: "The provisions of Chs. SPS 320 to 325 and 327, Wis. Adm. Code, all amendments adopted thereto, and this chapter shall apply to construction and inspection procedures used for all new and existing one- and two-family dwellings, manufactured buildings used as dwellings, and newly constructed community-based residential facilities providing care, treatment, and services for 3 to 8 adults. State building permit seals will not be required for permits for one- and two-family dwellings built before June 1, 1980." That matters more than it looks: the state code by its own terms does not reach dwellings begun before June 1, 1980 or alterations to them unless the municipality adopts chs. SPS 320 to 325 for that purpose, and Waukesha has done exactly that by naming new AND EXISTING dwellings. Commercial and three-family and larger buildings run on a different code set, the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code, which section 16.01(6)(a) adopts as SPS chs. 360 to 366; that is a separate track and is not the subject of the residential fields recorded here. Chapter 16 of the Municipal Code was read in full, all 27 sections, and the only roof-assembly requirement it adds is the reroofing layer rule at section 16.16.

Not required — No drip edge is required by code on a Waukesha 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 chimney cap rule, which is not a roof edge requirement. On the City side, Chapter 16 of the Waukesha Municipal Code was read in full, all 27 sections, and every other chapter of the City code was searched as well; the phrase does not appear, and the only roofing provision the City writes for itself is the layer rule at section 16.16. Waukesha could not add one for a one- or two-family dwelling in any event, because Wisconsin bars a municipality from enforcing a dwelling ordinance that does not conform to the state code. 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) requires ice dam protection on shingled or shake roofs that extend over a heated area of the dwelling or an attached garage and that have a slope of 4 in 12 or less. It must be sheet metal or a product labelled as meeting ASTM D1970, and it must 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 Waukesha 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. Waukesha adds nothing to this: Chapter 16 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no ice barrier or ice dam provision, and neither does any other chapter of the City code. 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. On the vintage half of that, Waukesha has acted: Municipal Code section 16.01(6)(b) applies chs. SPS 320 to 325 to "all new and existing one- and two-family dwellings," and adds only that state building permit seals are not required for permits on dwellings built before June 1, 1980. So an older Waukesha house is not outside the state code. About ice & water barrier

Not required — No mid-roof or roof-deck inspection stage is published by the City. The Waukesha Inspections page states that "Inspections are required for all new construction, alterations and repairs to commercial and residential buildings" and lists the stages: "footing foundation, residential erosion control, rough framing, electrical and plumbing rough, insulation, and final occupancy." No roof, roof-deck, tear-off or in-progress roofing stage appears in that list. Municipal Code section 16.071(1) requires the applicant to give notice at "the completion of construction phases as required by the permit," so the stages a given job must stop at are the ones written on its own permit; the Building Inspection Division then inspects within two business days of notice, except for final inspections. In practice the question rarely arises on a reroof at all, because the City publishes that re-roofing a one- or two-family dwelling with no structural changes needs no building permit, and an unpermitted job has no inspection stages. Where deck replacement or framing work does pull a permit, ask which stages that permit will carry rather than assuming the reroof is inspected only at the end.

Not required — No impact-resistance or hail-rating mandate applies in Waukesha. 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. On the City side, Chapter 16 of the Waukesha Municipal Code was read in full and the entire City code searched, and no UL 2218, Class 4, Class IV or FM 4473 requirement appears anywhere in it; the City reroofing ordinance at section 16.16 addresses layer count only. Impact-resistant shingles are an insurer-driven upgrade in this market, not a code obligation. One caution for reading paperwork on a Waukesha 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.

The City draws the line at STRUCTURAL CHANGES AND AT THE THIRD LAYER, not at a dollar figure or a square-footage figure. The City of Waukesha 2026 Development Fees schedule, revised January 1, 2026, lists under Building Permit Fees the entry "Re-siding and re-roofing (with no structural changes): Residential (1& 2 Family)" against the disposition "No permit required." The same table charges "Re-siding, re-roofing, trim, window/door replacement: Multi-family/Commercial" at 14 dollars per 1,000 dollars of valuation with a maximum fee of 305 dollars, so the exemption is specific to one- and two-family work. Three things pull a residential reroof back into permit territory. Work that involves structural changes falls outside the exemption by its own terms, which reaches deck replacement, framing repair and rafter work. Municipal Code section 16.16 requires a permit for any request to go beyond two layers of roof covering. And Municipal Code section 16.12 requires the Building Inspector to examine a building damaged by fire or otherwise before a permit is issued to repair it, and bars a building permit where the cost of remodeling or repairing exceeds 50 percent of the fair market value of the building at the time of damage unless the building is made to conform fully to the building chapter, which is the provision a large storm-damage job runs into. Permit fees for work that does need one are doubled where the work started first. Confirm scope with Building Inspection at 262-524-3530 before treating a particular job as exempt.

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 the 20 pounds per square foot figure. The general load rule at SPS 321.02(1) requires a complete load path capable of transferring all loads from point of origin through the load-resisting elements to the foundation, 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 Waukesha 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 for Waukesha, and the 20 pounds per square foot figure must not be converted into one. Waukesha adds nothing of its own - the word wind does not appear anywhere in Chapter 16 of the Municipal Code, which was read in full.

TWO SETS OF RULES APPLY IN WAUKESHA AND A ROOFER SHOULD KNOW BOTH. The City has its own reroofing ordinance, Waukesha Municipal Code section 16.16, which reads in full: "A new roof covering may be applied on top of an existing roof covering. No more than 2 layers of roof covering will be allowed. If additional layers of roofing material are requested, calculations shall be submitted and a permit required." On top of that, 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 more 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 permanent roof covering. So at most two total layers, and less than that where the deck is wet or deteriorated or the existing roof is one of the listed materials - the two extra state conditions are not repeated in the City ordinance, and the City ordinance contemplates a request to exceed two layers with calculations and a permit while the state rule contains no such route. Both are published here as they are written and neither is chosen over the other; ask Building Inspection which it will apply before quoting a third layer. A complete tear-off to the deck is not restricted by either rule. 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. On the first of those two points Waukesha has acted, which sets it apart from most Wisconsin municipalities: Municipal Code section 16.01(6)(b) applies chs. SPS 320 to 325 to "all new and existing one- and two-family dwellings," so the age of the house does not put a Waukesha job outside the state code. The City reroofing ordinance at section 16.16 carries no vintage limit of its own either.

STATE-SET. Waukesha adds nothing of its own - Chapter 16 of the Municipal Code was read in full and contains no roof sheathing, decking or nailing provision - so the Wisconsin uniform dwelling code governs. 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," shall be "laid so that no continuous line of joints will occur except at points of support," and "shall be nailed or fastened to each beam." Note that 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 Waukesha job. Replacing deck is a structural change, which takes the job outside the City exemption from a building permit for re-roofing.

5.0% on materials - the Wisconsin state sales and use tax of 5% and nothing else. WAUKESHA COUNTY IMPOSES NO COUNTY SALES AND USE TAX, which makes it one of only a handful of Wisconsin counties where the familiar 5.5% figure is wrong: the Department of Revenue sales tax rate chart lists Waukesha, county code 67, with a 5% state rate and a blank county tax column. The City of Waukesha imposes no municipal sales tax either - the city of Milwaukee is the only municipality in Wisconsin that imposes one - and no premier resort area tax applies here. Note that the Department of Revenue chart repeats a city of Milwaukee row under Waukesha County because the city of Milwaukee is located in multiple counties; that row has nothing to do with the City of Waukesha. How the tax actually 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, with roofs listed 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.