Appleton, WI Building Safety: Scaffold & Sidewalk Shed (2026)

Section 4-188 of the Appleton Municipal Code governs every demolition in the city. Before work starts, the applicant must obtain a demolition permit under section 4-66(a) and section 4-161(a)(6), file proof of workers' compensation, automobile and general liability insurance with the City Clerk, and post a $5,000 permit bond with the Department of Public Works naming the City as beneficiary against any loss from negligence, malfeasance or misfeasance during the work. If the job disturbs 2,000 square feet of soil or places more than 200 cubic yards of fill, a separate erosion and sediment control permit is required under section 24-10(a)(1).

Subsection (d), "Property to be protected," is the scaffold rule itself: streets, alleys and private property must be protected by erecting proper fences and scaffolds, and any scaffold built on a street or alley needs a top cover of planks, guard rails and toe-boards to stop debris from falling onto sidewalks or streets, with the scaffold top set at least eight feet above the sidewalk or alley. The same section requires sewer and water service to be disconnected and sealed before demolition, doors and windows boarded if a site is left open, and a Department of Public Works street occupancy permit if razing will block a public street, alley or sidewalk.

Once demolition finishes, disturbed ground must be graded and reseeded with at least four inches of topsoil unless the site is a commercial property with an approved site plan. Open excavations left unguarded are declared a public nuisance under section 12-30(12).