1. Start at the Plan Review page for general information on submitting electronically. Also check the Delegated Municipality List to see if you can submit your plan review to the local municipality in lieu of DIS.
2. You may submit the following types of commercial building plan reviews to DIS:
   • Bleacher Only
   • Commercial Building and Bleacher
   • Commercial Building and HVAC
   • Commercial Building and HVAC and Kitchen Hood
   • Commercial Building and Kitchen Hood
   • Commercial Building Only
   • Fire Alarm Only
   • Fire Alarm and Fire Suppression
   • Fire Suppression Only
   • HVAC and Kitchen Hood
   • HVAC Only
   • Pedestrian Access Structure Only
   • Petition for Variance
   • Preliminary Plan Review
   • Waterslide - Structural
3. Use the instructions and guidance documents on the eSLA Support page to establish your eSLA login profile and navigate the application process.
4. Use the Plan Review Checklist and Code Templates (Forms section below) to ensure all required information is included in your submittal. Be sure to include the following documentation in the Attachments section of your application:
• Plan Submittal - One file of the entire commercial building plan set.
• Signature Page - Required for:
  • Supervising Professional when total building volume is 50,000 cf or larger
  • Owner when the application requests early permission to start
  • Component Submittal
• Additional Documentation - Combine all documentation into one file. Include:

  Required for All Plan Reviews

  • Submittal Checklist
  • Structural Calculations, stamped and sealed
  • Building Envelope Calculation (i.e. COMcheck or equal), stamped and sealed
  • Heat Loss Calculations, stamped and sealed
  • Hydraulic Calculations, stamped and sealed
  • Worksheets (as applicable)
    Required per Applicable Scope of Work
  • Voltage Drop, Battery Calculations
  • Specifications (optional)
  • Material Cut Sheets (optional)
5. Start your plan review application on the eSLA portal.

Buildings may be inspected at various stages during construction. The inspections will be done by a DIS Commercial Building Inspector, except when the project is located within a delegated municipality where a local inspector will provide the inspection services. You may also need local permits.

Municipalities delegated for inspections

DSPS Commercial Building Inspection District Map

Lighting Plan Submittals No Longer Required

DIS no longer requires the submittal of either emergency egress lighting plans or lighting energy conservation plans to our agency. Instead, the following are the 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.

2013 Act 270 Grandfathered Ordinances

2013 Act 270 establishes a uniform commercial building code in Wisconsin while allowing municipalities to grandfather fire detection, prevention, and suppression ordinances that relate to the construction, alteration, or addition to a public building or building that is a place of employment. An ordinance that is grandfathered has passed the requirements laid out by the Legislature in Wisconsin Statute §101.02(7r)(b).

2013 Act 270 Grandfathered Ordinances

2015 ICC Code Changes and Amendments

2015 ICC Administrative & Changes to the IBC

2015 ICC-Changes to the IECC

2015 ICC-Changes to the IFGC

2015 ICC-Changes to the IMC

COMcheck for Commercial Buildings

COMcheck is a Federal Department of Energy (DOE) software approved in Wisconsin for demonstrating compliance with commercial building envelope requirements and interior/exterior general lighting requirements ONLY (HVAC portions of the program are not acceptable). COMcheck can be used for commercial buildings or high-rise (>3 stories) multi-family buildings. Within COMcheck, a user is required to choose the code option of "2015 IECC" unless 2015 IECC section C401.2 Item 1 is applied which would then allow the application of ASHRAE 90.1-2013, in which case the option "90.1 (2013) Standard" must be used. Although IECC C406 is NOT adopted for use in Wisconsin, COMcheck users are reminded that they must indicate an Additional Efficiency Package Option on the screen in order for the COMcheck programming to evaluate the entered data.

REScheck for Commercial Building Code Requirements for Low-Rise Multi-Family Residential Buildings

REScheck is another software application from DOE used for demonstrating building envelope compliance for low-rise multi-family (3 dwellings or more, 3 stories or less, above grade). Within REScheck, a user is required to choose the code option of "2015 IECC" as the code type to demonstrate building envelope compliance.

Building Materials Evaluation, under the product approval system as outlined in SPS 361.50. Product approval is generally voluntary. If a product meets the applicable codes and standards, then no further approval is necessary. If an alternative method of compliance is desired, then a petition for variance for a specific project or a product ​approval for various projects are options. If a national evaluation service such as ICC-ES has approved a product under a code or standard that we have adopted without relevant Wisconsin amendment, then we will generally accept that approval in lieu of a Wisconsin approval.

Wisconsin product approvals are typically valid for five years unless there is a relevant code change. During the approval period, the product approval may be included with individual project submittals and used for the term of the project approval, which may extend past the product approval term. Product approvals are listed on this website for the term of their approval. Contact DIS if a copy of an expired approval is needed.

Click Here for Manufacturers of Approved Building Materials

SPS 361.51 Alternate Standards

Submit product approval applications via eSLA

Manufactured Perimeter Control and Slope Interruption Departmental Approval Process​