Waukesha, WI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

14, Building Material and Construction Equipment Encroachments, requires anyone who wants to place stone, brick, cement blocks, concrete, sand, dirt, gravel, lumber, or equipment of any type, including scaffolding of all descriptions, ladders, swinging scaffolds over streets, cranes, hoisting machines, elevators, or trenching and excavating machines, on a City street, alley, sidewalk, or public ground to first obtain a permit from the Building Inspector. The written application must describe the property by lot, block, street, and tax number, and state the character of the material to be stored.

Once material or equipment is in place, a continuous roadway of at least two-thirds of the curb-to-curb width, and never less than 18 feet, must remain open, and nothing may be stored within 15 feet of a fire hydrant or within 10 feet of a streetcar track, reduced to 5 feet where the track is double. A 5-foot passage must stay open for pedestrians, guarded by railings and lighted if it replaces the regular sidewalk, and the Building Inspector can require a roof over the sidewalk for public protection.

Before the permit issues, the applicant posts a $5,000 bond with the Board of Public Works, or substitutes a Certificate of Insurance naming the City of Waukesha as additional insured in the same amount, to cover liability from material or machinery in the right-of-way. 00 minimum charge. All permit money is deposited in the City's general fund and the City Clerk reports it annually to the Council.