Janesville, WI Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Sec. 10-16(a) requires inspections to be conducted as prescribed by Wisconsin Administrative Code chapters SPS 320 and 361, and mandates an occupancy inspection before a building is occupied or used for business activity. Sec. 10-16(b) coordinates that inspection duty across fire, health and building officials, requiring any enforcement officer who finds a code violation during an inspection to immediately notify the administrative officer with jurisdiction over it. Under Sec. 10-16(c), the Building Inspector can demand a certified report from the registered architect or engineer supervising a project, confirming the work matches approved plans, specifications, permit terms and accepted engineering standards.

Sec. 10-16(d) gives anyone aggrieved by a Building Inspector ruling 20 days from written notice to appeal, but routes the appeal differently by building type: new one- and two-family dwellings and any building under the Wisconsin Administrative Building Code go to the State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, while City of Janesville Building Code determinations go to the local Zoning Board of Appeals. Separately, Sec. 10-18 requires the Building Inspector to make a final inspection of every new building, addition and alteration and to issue a certificate of occupancy stating the approved use before anyone may occupy the space; occupying without that certificate, or in conflict with its stated conditions, is unlawful, and the Inspector can order a noncompliant use vacated within ten days of notice.