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Waukesha, WI Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Incorporated statutes
Wis. Stat. §§101.61, 101.615, 101.645, 101.647
Adopted by
Waukesha Municipal Code § 16.01
Enforced through
Chapter 16 Building Code inspections
Enforcing office
Building Inspector / Dept. of Buildings
Default penalty
$10 to $2,500 first offense (§25.05)

Summary

Waukesha's Building Code folds Wisconsin's smoke and carbon monoxide detector statutes directly into City law. Municipal Code §16.01 incorporates Wis. Stat. §§101.145, 101.149, 101.61, 101.615, 101.645 and 101.647 by reference, so a dwelling without a working CO detector is a City Building Code violation, not just a state-law matter.

SUPPLEMENT. ... The provisions of this chapter shall be deemed to supplement any and all laws of the State and orders of the State Department of Safety and Professional Services relating to buildings. ... SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS. Sections 101.145, 101.149, 101.61, 101.615, 101.645, and 101.647 of the Wisconsin Statutes, pertaining to installation of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in dwellings, are incorporated into this Building Code by reference as if fully set forth herein.

View official code

Full Breakdown

01 establishes the Building Code's minimum standards and states that the chapter supplements, rather than replaces, state law and orders from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. 647, covering installation of these devices in dwellings, are incorporated into the Waukesha Building Code as if fully printed there. That incorporation sits alongside the City's adoption of the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code (Wis. Admin. Code SPS chs. 360-366) and the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (SPS chs. 02. Because the detector requirement is written into the Building Code rather than left solely to the state, City inspectors and code enforcement can act on it directly during permitting, inspections and complaint response, using the enforcement tools set out elsewhere in Chapter 16.

Violations & Fines

A dwelling found without a required carbon monoxide detector is in violation of Chapter 16, punishable under the general §16.25 penalty clause, which defaults to the citywide §25.05 schedule: a forfeiture of $10 to $2,500 for a first offense and $100 to $5,000 for each subsequent offense, with every continuing day counted as a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Waukesha require carbon monoxide detectors in homes?
Yes. Municipal Code §16.01 incorporates Wisconsin's carbon monoxide detector statutes directly into the City Building Code, so the requirement is enforced as a local Building Code standard.
What law requires CO detectors in Waukesha dwellings?
Wisconsin Statutes §§101.61, 101.615, 101.645 and 101.647, which §16.01 of the Waukesha Municipal Code adopts by reference into the local Building Code.
Who enforces the carbon monoxide detector rule in Waukesha?
The City's Building Inspector and Department of Buildings, referenced in §16.02, enforce Chapter 16 requirements including the incorporated smoke and CO detector statutes.
What's the penalty for missing a required CO detector in Waukesha?
It falls under the general Chapter 16 penalty in §16.25, which defaults to $10 to $2,500 for a first offense and $100 to $5,000 for repeat offenses under §25.05, with each day treated separately.

Sources & Official References

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