The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services recently announced that a modernized Wisconsin Commercial Building Code will take effect Sept. 1. That’s when the Legislative Reference Bureau will publish the new, upgraded code, which establishes standards for commercial buildings in the state, including multifamily residential buildings.
Through this update, Wisconsin will move to 2021 International Building Code (IBC) standards with some Wisconsin-specific adjustments.
To ease any impact of this update on the building industry, DSPS will also accept plans submitted under the current (2015) code through the month of September. Starting Oct.1, all commercial building plans submitted to DSPS for approval must meet the standards set in the upgraded code.
Any supplemental sub-submissions to DSPS — such as fire suppression/alarm, HVAC, boilers, elevators and refrigeration — must be aligned with the code under which the commercial building plan was approved, regardless of how many months later they follow.
DSPS has been preparing for this code adoption by updating relevant licensing exam questions and training its staff. The department plans to have relevant exams updated to reflect improvements to the code starting Oct. 1. It will also offer two virtual webinars to industry professionals to explain key code upgrades and answer questions.
