Sheboygan, WI Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Section 26-66 establishes a building inspection department inside the city development department and folds the functions of building, electrical, plumbing, heating and housing inspections into it. Under § 26-69 the inspectors carry the powers and duties assigned by the other provisions of the Code, so the stage-by-stage steps for each trade sit in that trade's own article of Chapter 26. The electrical article, for example, requires the person doing the wiring to notify the electrical inspector on completion or before any wiring is hidden from view, and the inspector then has 48 hours to inspect (§ 26-230).

Access is the core inspection power. Under § 26-70 the building inspector, on written notice stating the reason, has free and unobstructed access within 24 hours after service of the notice, between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., to any part of a private home or premises where work has been or is being performed under a permit issued under Article II. No notice is needed for a building under construction or any public building: the inspector has free access at all times to determine compliance with the article and the applicable state and federal regulations.

Commercial occupancy has its own inspection step. Section 26-42 makes it unlawful to use a commercial building or premises that is newly erected, altered, converted from its previous occupancy, or vacant for more than one year until the building inspection department issues an occupancy permit. Once an application is received and the occupancy inspection is completed, the department sends an occupancy letter listing all violations, and the permit issues when all violations are corrected. A prospective occupant can request a conditional occupancy permit if the department finds no life-safety violations; the applicant then agrees to correct everything within 45 days, and a reinspection is scheduled after 45 days. No permit is required if the building use stays the same or the building is a legal home occupation.

Record keeping follows the inspections. Under § 26-67 every department employee files a complete inspection report on prescribed forms, the department keeps a record of all inspections and all fees collected, and the manager of planning and inspection services or a designee reports monthly and annually to the Common Council and weekly to the local press on all building activities. A building permit for an existing building, accessory building or accessory structure expires six months from issuance and is void if work does not start within 30 days or stops for more than 60 days (§ 26-44(a)).