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Department of Safety and Professional Services
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Safety and Buildings Division

Credential and Manufactured Home Services:
1400 East Washington Avenue
Madison, WI 53703
Mailing Address: Varies, see forms.
View Map/ get directions

Plan Review, Inspection and Other Services:
201 W. Washington Ave.
Madison, WI 53703
Mailing Address: Varies, see forms.
View Map/ get directions


Media Contact Only:
Katherine Koschnick
(608) 266-2112
Katherine.Koschnick@wi.gov

Office of Governor
Scott Walker
Link to Governor Walkers's web site

 
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Contacts Forms Code Plan Review Email Group Resources Q&A

S&B Commercial Building Code Program

 The Safety and Buildings Division reviews plans for public buildings and places of employment prior to construction for compliance with the state statutes and building codes. This includes multifamily buildings. S&B staff provide consultation and education for designers, builders, and local officials through plan reviewers and field inspectors. The division cooperates with local certified municipalities which provide plan review and inspection services for certain types of buildings. Inspection certifications are administered by S&B. Building materials are evaluated for conformance with standards.

  NEWS

Lighting Plan Submittals No Longer Required 
Effective immediately, Safety Buildings Division's Commercial Building Program will no longer require the submittal of either emergency egress lighting plans or lighting energy conservation plans to our agency. Instead following are revised expectations:

Emergency Egress Lighting - Building designers shall provide at the project site an egress plan showing where exit lights and emergency egress lighting will be required for new buildings, additions and alterations that create new egress paths. Effective July 1, 2012, this egress plan shall be included with the building plan submittal to our agency. In addition to the egress plan at the jobsite, there shall be emergency lighting cut-sheets, calculations or other means to show compliance of the installed fixtures. Local inspectors may request additional information.

Energy Conservation – Building designers, electrical designers or electrical contractors shall provide fixture layouts, fixture cut-sheet, energy calculations or other documentation at the project site.

These changes are the result of observed, improved compliance in lighting designs and installation since we instituted a temporary enforcement emphasis several years ago. We appreciate the efforts of designers, contractors and code officials to allow these changes. These changes will allow our agency to re-order our priorities as building plan submittals increase this year.
The City of New London is now a delegated agent municipality for commercial buildings plan review of small building projects and for inspections of projects of all sizes.  See list of delegated municipalities.
Free insert pages allow the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code language to be put into the 3-ring binder format of International Code Council codes.
A Statement of Scope has been issued in advance of beginning a code development project related to updating the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code to reflect and adopt the 2012 International Code Council code editions. The code work could possibly include several building codes related to the Commercial Building Code.

  S&B Commercial Buildings Program Contacts

- Email technical questions about commercial buildings, SPS 360-366, to DspsSbBuildingTech@wi.gov

- Fax technical questions about commercial buildings, SPS 360-366, to 608-283-7402

- Technical questions about general lighting plan review can be emailed to DspsSbBuildingTech@wi.gov, or faxed to 608-283-7402.

- Technical questions about emergency lighting plan review can be emailed to DspsSbEmergencyLighting@wi.gov, or faxed to 608-283-7421.

- Email questions about plan review scheduling, or about address and personnel changes to DspsSbPlanSchedule@wi.gov

- Commercial Buildings Plan Reviewers list

- Commercial Buildings Code Inspectors districts map

- List of delegated municipalities GO
- Commercial Buildings Delegated Municipality Application Form, PDF file. For information about the form and process, contact Gloria Kocovsky, gloria.kocovsky@wi.gov, 608-267-9706. 

- Printable list of contacts for commercial buildings construction questions.

- Commercial Building Section Chiefs:
Steve Dobratz - Green Bay, steve.dobratz@wi.gov, 920-492-5611
Brian Ferris - Holmen, brian.ferris@wi.gov, 608-785-9335
Tom Kasper - Madison, tom.kasper@wi.gov, 608-267-7586
John Spalding - La Crosse/Hayward, john.spalding@wi.gov, 608-789-4693


- Commercial Buildings Code Advisory Council

- Accessibility: Send email questions to: DspsSbBuildingTech@wi.gov or contact a commercial buildings plan reviewer. - ICC/ ANSI Standard A117.1-2003 is referenced by the International Building Code for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities.

  S&B Building Materials Evaluation, under product approval system as outlined in SPS 361.50.
Alphabetical listing of manufacturers of approved building materials. 

Building materials evaluation letters as PDF files.

Five alternate standard evaluations, see SPS 361.51.

** SBD-8028 Wisconsin Buildings Product Review Application (R2/08) PDF file


An email group has been set up for the Commercial Building Program. You can sign up to receive occasional messages from the S&B about topics concerning the commercial building code.

  Resources

- Questions and Answers about the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code

- Building systems that need to be considered before a commercial / public building construction project is finished. PDF Document.

- Building construction may require state wetlands permit. Wetland Clues Checklist, PDF file. Department of Natural Resources "Locating Wetlands" Web site. "Waking Up to Wetlands" brochure, PDF file.

- Online video courses offered by the U.S. Department of Energy about building energy codes. See catalog.

- Carbon Monoxide Detector / Alarms in multi-unit residential brochure, SBD-10882 (R7/11), PDF file

- Minimum Carbon Monoxide Detector / Alarm Locations in Multi-Unit Residential Buildings, PDF file. December 16, 2011.

- Building Plan Review and Inspection Under Wisconsin's Commercial Building and Heating Codes (brochure), PDF file

- Information on state building plan review requirements before municipalities issue permits, PDF file can be posted by municipalities

- Cover-All Building Systems says Titan Buildings may not have adequate load capacity - See Notice, PDF file
- Cover-All Buildings Systems issued an updated warning (PDF file) about the structural safety of its buildings.

- Mercury-containing devices may no longer be sold in Wisconsin under a new law that went into effect Nov. 1, 2010.. More Info.

- How are campgrounds in Wisconsin affected by the Commercial Buildings program? 

- Memo to HVAC Contractors, PDF file

- Structural Steel Welding Program Brochure, PDF file

"Kitchen Hood installation and Replacement" PowerPoint presentation (PDF file) to Spring 2010 inspector updates sessions by Randy Dahmen, S&B Commercial Buildings Plan Reviewer

S&B PowerPoint presentations from the 2010 UW Code Refresher
- Jim Smith, "Existing Buildings," PDF file (very large file)
- Jim Smith, "Preview of the Proposed New Wisconsin Commercial Building Codes," PDF file (large file)

- Jim Smith PowerPoint presentation January 28, 2010, UW Stevens Point, "Fundamentals of Codes and Standards," PDF file

- 2010 PowerPoint presentation for Southwest Wisconsin Building Inspectors Association: Jim Smith, "Commercial Buildings Code Update 2010," PDF file

- 2010 PowerPoint presentation for Northwest Wisconsin Buiding Inspectors Association: Jim Smith, "Commercial Buildings Code Update 2010," February 25, 2010, PDF files, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

- SB PowerPoint Presentation, "2008 Roofing Provisions," by Jim Smith for the Wisconsin Roofing Contractors Assoc., May 14, 2008, PDF file

- Commercial building codes are available online, article by Jim Smith, S&B Commercial Building Code Program Manager

- Fire protection systems are not mandated in all new aircraft hangars in Wisconsin, PDF file


Wisconsin Commercial Building Code, SPS 360-366

The Wisconsin Commercial Building Code can be obtained from Document Sales, as noted here, or is free online.

The adopted International Code Council codes and commentary are available from that organization n, http://www.iccsafe.org/.

There is no longer an "Enrolled" version of the Commercial Building code combining in one document the Wisconsin codes and the ICC codes.

Free insert pages are online for putting Wisconsin portions of the September 1, 2011, code chapters into the 2009 International Code Council code books (ICC 3-ring binder format).

  Links:

- A Wisconsin Department of Health Services Web site about plan review of construction and remodeling of health care facilities. More info about S&B plan submittal of health care facilities.


- ICC/ ANSI Standard A117.1-2003 is referenced by the International Building Code for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities

Link to federal site for software for downloading, http://www.energycodes.gov:

- COMcheck-EZ, federal Department of Energy software approved in Wisconsin for showing compliance with thermal envelope requirements, interior and exterior lighting requirements ONLY (HVAC portions are not acceptable. Note COMcheck-Plus is not acceptable.) COMcheck is used for commercial buildings or high-rise (>3 stories) multi-family buildings.
- REScheck, another software application from DOE, can be used for low-rise multi-family (three dwellings or more, three stories or less).

- International Code Council Web site, http://www.iccsafe.org/

- The Department of Regulation and Licensing has a web site for looking up information on people to whom they provide credentials, such as architects and engineers.


- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requires proper inspections, notification and removal of materials carrying asbestos during renovations and demolitions. For more information on Wisconsin Administrative Code, NR 447, visit the DNR website: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/aw/air/reg/asbestos/.

County Web sites || City/Town/Village Web sites || State Portal || Build Your Business

The Department of Safety and Professional Services Safety and Buildings Division is an equal opportunity service provider and employer. If you need assistance to access services or need material in an alternate format, please contact us, 608-266-3151, TDD Relay dial 711 in Wisconsin or 800-947-3529.