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Roofing in Racine, Wisconsin

Hail belt

Yes — a permit is required to replace a roof in Racine, WI, issued by City of Racine, Wisconsin - Department of City Development, Building Inspection Division. The Building Inspection Division, part of the Department of City Development, issues roofing permits from 730 Washington Avenue, Room 103, Racine, Wisconsin 53403, telephone (262) 636-9171. A reroof is applied for on the city's own one-page Residential Roof Permit Application, which asks for the project address, the owner and contractor details, a description of work and the project cost, the location of the work by tick box (house, garage, shed or other), the material (asphalt, cedar shake, steel or other), and whether the job is a complete tear-off with two or more layers being removed. The application must be submitted with the permit payment, a copy of the contractor's DC and DCQ numbers, and a signed cautionary statement where one is required; an owner or occupier acting as their own general contractor must sign that statement. The residential roofing permit fee is $100.00 per building and a commercial roof permit is 0.5 percent of the cost of the job with a $100.00 minimum. Under Sec. 18-93 a building permit is valid for eighteen months from the date of issuance, and a uniform dwelling code permit expires 24 months after issuance if the dwelling exterior has not been completed. A weather-resistant permit card signed by the chief building inspector must be posted at the job site during construction, and the permit itself becomes void if work is not commenced within four months or is suspended for 60 days. Racine, Wisconsin sits in one of the country's most hail-prone regions. This hub aggregates Racine's roofing permit and contractor-registration requirements and impact-resistant material options — every fact linked to its sourced directory record.

Roofing permits & building code in Racine

Roofing permit and contractor-licensing rules in Racine are set locally by City of Racine, Wisconsin - Department of City Development, Building Inspection Division. Wisconsin requires a state credential before a residential building permit can be issued — under Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.31 the permit applicant must hold a Department of Safety and Professional Services Dwelling Contractor or Dwelling Contractor-Restricted certification — and the state Uniform Dwelling Code governs one- and two-family construction statewide, so a city sets its own permit administration rather than its own roofing-code provisions — always confirm the current requirements with the authority before starting work.

Roofing permit
Required
Contractor registration
Required
Adopted building code
One- and two-family dwellings in Racine are built to the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, chs. SPS 320 to 325 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, which is Wisconsin's own text rather than an adoption of the International Residential Code, which is why its roofing rules differ from those of the IRC. Racine has adopted that code by ordinance. Municipal Code Sec. 18-30 provides that "[t]he following state administrative codes and subsequent revisions are adopted for municipal enforcement," and the list includes "Wis. Admin. Code chs. SPS 320—325—Uniform Dwelling Code" and "Wis. Admin. Code chs. SPS 361—366—Wisconsin Commercial Building Code," the section having last been amended by Ord. No. 0003-24, adopted June 4, 2024. That same ordinance repealed Secs. 18-31 and 18-32, which had separately adopted the state uniform dwelling code and the state historic building code, so the Sec. 18-30 list is now the whole of the city adoption. A Wisconsin municipality that exercises jurisdiction adopts the dwelling code in its entirety and may not add requirements within the scope of that code without the approval of the Department of Safety and Professional Services. Racine also keeps a municipal building code of its own at Chapter 18, Article II, and its scope section, Sec. 18-27, states that the article "shall govern the design and construction of alterations and additions to all buildings and structures not subject to the state building codes, and the demolition and moving of all buildings and structures" - so the city sections and the state dwelling code reach different buildings. There is no International Residential Code edition year to quote for a Racine dwelling.
Registration details
  • license: State level: Wisconsin requires a contractor credential in order to obtain a building permit for a one- or two-family dwelling, and it is a pair of credentials rather than one. The contracting business must hold a Dwelling Contractor certification issued by the Department of Safety and Professional Services, which is proof of financial responsibility, meaning a bond or liability insurance together with worker's compensation and unemployment insurance statements; and the business must hold, or employ as an employee, a person holding a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier certification, which requires at least 12 hours of approved coursework in construction law, construction codes and construction business practices taken within the year before application. A restricted version of the certification is issued to an applicant bonding under $25,000. There is no separate roofing licence in Wisconsin: a roofer holds the same dwelling contractor credential a framer or a siding contractor holds. An owner who resides, or who will reside, in the dwelling and who applies for the permit personally is exempt, and there is no dollar threshold. City level: Racine enforces the state credential at the counter rather than issuing one of its own. Its Residential Roof Permit Application requires a "Copy of DC and DCQ Numbers" with the application, and the cautionary statement page bound into that application states that "[a]ll contractors shall possess an appropriate contractor credential issued by the Wisconsin Division of Industry Services" and that contractors "are also required to only subcontract with contractors that hold the appropriate contractor credentials." Racine licenses electricians and stationary engineers under Chapter 22 of its municipal code, and that chapter carries no roofing or general building contractor licence.
Permit process
The Building Inspection Division, part of the Department of City Development, issues roofing permits from 730 Washington Avenue, Room 103, Racine, Wisconsin 53403, telephone (262) 636-9171. A reroof is applied for on the city's own one-page Residential Roof Permit Application, which asks for the project address, the owner and contractor details, a description of work and the project cost, the location of the work by tick box (house, garage, shed or other), the material (asphalt, cedar shake, steel or other), and whether the job is a complete tear-off with two or more layers being removed. The application must be submitted with the permit payment, a copy of the contractor's DC and DCQ numbers, and a signed cautionary statement where one is required; an owner or occupier acting as their own general contractor must sign that statement. The residential roofing permit fee is $100.00 per building and a commercial roof permit is 0.5 percent of the cost of the job with a $100.00 minimum. Under Sec. 18-93 a building permit is valid for eighteen months from the date of issuance, and a uniform dwelling code permit expires 24 months after issuance if the dwelling exterior has not been completed. A weather-resistant permit card signed by the chief building inspector must be posted at the job site during construction, and the permit itself becomes void if work is not commenced within four months or is suspended for 60 days.

View the full Racine permitting authority record →

Impact-resistant roofing materials for Racine hail

Racine, Wisconsin sits in one of the country's most hail-prone regions. For hail exposure, the highest impact rating a roof covering can earn is UL 2218 Class 4. These cataloged material categories reach Class 4:

Class 4 impact-resistant materials

Class 4 Impact-Resistant Shingle Corrugated Metal Panel Metal Shingle Rubber (Polymer) Shingle Standing-Seam Metal Roof Stone-Coated Steel Synthetic Shake Synthetic Slate Synthetic Tile

Browse every option on the Class 4 impact-resistant materials hub, and read the Class 4 impact-resistant shingles buyer's guide. Many insurers offer premium credits for a documented Class 4 roof — confirm terms with your carrier.

Local permitting authority

City of Racine, Wisconsin - Department of City Development, Building Inspection Divisioncity

Roofing guides

Class 4 Impact-Resistant ShinglesGuide Asphalt vs. Metal vs. TileGuide Wind & Fire RatingsGuide

Sources