A modernized Wisconsin Commercial Building Code will take effect September 1. That’s when the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) will publish the new, upgraded code, which establishes standards for commercial buildings in the state, including
multi-family residential buildings.
Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) Secretary Dan Hereth submitted the required adoption order to the LRB earlier this month to complete the code promulgation process.
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 October 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, refrigeration) must be aligned with the code under which the commercial building plan was approved, regardless of how many months later they follow.
The Department has been preparing for this code adoption by updating relevant licensing exam questions and training its staff. DSPS plans to have relevant exams updated to reflect improvements to the code starting October 1. The Department will also offer two virtual webinars to industry professionals to explain key code upgrades and answer questions.