Racine's building law lives in Chapter 18 of the Municipal Code, and it is granular: a chief building inspector established by ordinance, reinspection fees, a mechanical division running from furnaces to oil burners — and Section 18-392, which requires a building permit for a hoop house by name.
The Building Inspection Division of the Department of City Development, at 730 Washington Avenue, Room 103, administers and enforces the city and state building, heating, plumbing, electrical and zoning codes, issues permits, inspects construction and investigates violations, with the Chief Building Inspector leading the office.
This guide covers the City of Racine. Mount Pleasant, Sturtevant, Caledonia and the county's Development Services office are separate authorities — the county handles shoreland, sanitary and unincorporated zoning, none of which reaches inside the city.
Permits here come with a clock. Under Section 18-93, printed on the city's own application forms, every building permit is valid for 18 months from the date of issuance. Let it lapse mid-project and you are back at the counter — and work started without a permit may draw double permit fees.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →What requires a building permit in Racine?
Typically permit required
- New buildings, additions, alterations and repairs within Chapter 18's scope, on both tracks
- Hoop houses — a permit category of their own under Section 18-392
- Plumbing, electrical and HVAC work under Section 18-393 trade permits
- Mechanical appurtenances under Division 6 — furnaces, boilers, gas and oil appliances, air conditioning and refrigeration systems
- Moving or securing damaged and unsafe buildings, which Chapter 18 regulates expressly
Often exempt
- Ordinary maintenance and finishes that do not alter structure or systems
- Work below Chapter 18's stated thresholds — confirm the current lines with the Department
- Buildings used for farming — exempt from the state commercial building code under Wis. Stat. 101.05(5), with farming defined by DSPS rule; a produce stand stays exempt only while at least 90 percent of what it sells was grown or produced on the farm
- Primitive rural hunting cabins — carved out of municipal jurisdiction by Wis. Stat. 101.65(1g)
- Bed-and-breakfast establishments as defined by statute — outside the commercial building code under Wis. Stat. 101.05(2), though a third floor in use or a new addition must meet the Uniform Dwelling Code
What is actually local, and what is not
Racine adopts the state codes at Section 18-30 and cannot vary their technical content; what Chapter 18 adds is administration with teeth. The 18-month permit life, the hoop-house category, reinspection fees set by ordinance and the double-fee posture on unpermitted work are all local law layered on the statewide standards.
Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code covers one- and two-family homes. Its Commercial Building Code covers public buildings, workplaces and buildings of three or more units. Local ordinances must conform to both. Wisconsin rules
Who handles permitting in Racine?
The Building Department, led by the Chief Building Inspector, issues permits and inspects for the city. Racine holds second-class-city delegation covering commercial buildings of all sizes and contracts plan review to E-Plan Exam per the state's delegated-authority roster.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | City of Racine Building Inspection Division (Department of City Development) |
| Counter | 730 Washington Avenue, Room 103, Racine, WI 53403 |
| Phone | (262) 636-9171 — department; (262) 636-9497 — Chief Building Inspector |
| Commercial plan review | All sizes via city delegation; performed by E-Plan Exam |
| Ordinance backbone | Municipal Code Chapter 18, Buildings and Building Regulations |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →In 2025, building permits issued in Racine authorized 292 new privately owned housing units, 8 of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Permit types
Residential permits
Houses run on the Uniform Dwelling Code with permits from 730 Washington Avenue. The city's forms carry the full state apparatus: the 101.65(1r) advisory that an uninsured or unbonded contractor may leave the owner exposed, the owner-occupier Cautionary Statement for those acting as their own general contractor, and the DHS 163 lead-safe block for pre-1978 buildings — triggered at 6 square feet of disturbed paint per room inside, 20 square feet outside, or any window work.
How Wisconsin contractor licensing works
Wisconsin certifies dwelling contractors and licenses electricians and plumbers at state level (see Wisconsin rules). Racine adds no municipal trade license; its local force is Chapter 18's administrative machinery, from the permit clock to the mechanical division.
Commercial permits
Commercial plans route through the city's all-size delegation with E-Plan Exam reviewing; approval precedes the permit and the 50,000-cubic-foot seal-and-supervise requirements apply as everywhere in Wisconsin. The 18-month permit life applies to commercial permits the same as residential — phase long projects accordingly.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Mechanical work, and where the state reviews directly
Commercial plan review in Wisconsin is a two-step: under Wis. Stat. 101.12(3)(h) the plan approval comes first and the local permit cannot issue without it. The state review trigger is 25,000 cubic feet, plus categorical triggers at any size for schools, high-hazard occupancies and residential buildings of three or more units. At 50,000 cubic feet plans must be prepared, signed and sealed by a Wisconsin-registered design professional, with a supervising professional retained for construction observation. Commercial plumbing plans go to review at 16 or more fixtures.
Racine permit costs and fees
Fees follow the city’s 2026 schedule, with reinspections at $100 each and a doubled fee for starting without a permit. The number that catches people is not a fee at all — it is the calendar.
| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Permit life | 18 months from issuance, Section 18-93 — renew before it lapses |
| Unpermitted work | Double permit fees may be charged, per the city's forms |
| Reinspection | $100 per inspection on the 2026 fee schedule |
| Trade and building fees | Per the current adopted schedule at filing |
Pre-1978 buildings carry the lead-safe trigger. Disturb 6 square feet of paint in a room, 20 square feet outside, or any window in a pre-1978 dwelling or child-occupied building and DHS 163 lead-safe certification applies — the block is printed on Racine's own permit forms.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Trade permits and who may pull them
Trades are state-credentialed and permitted under Section 18-393, with the mechanical division adding its own permit requirements for heating and refrigeration equipment.
Permit required
- Electrical — state license; city permit under Chapter 18
- Plumbing — state license; city permit
- HVAC and mechanical — state registration; Division 6 permits for furnaces, boilers, gas and oil appliances, and air conditioning systems
- One- and two-family general work — state Dwelling Contractor plus Qualifier, or the owner's Cautionary Statement
Typically exempt
- Owner-occupants within the state exemptions, Cautionary Statement signed
- Maintenance below Chapter 18 thresholds
How to apply for a Racine building permit
Mount Pleasant, Sturtevant, Caledonia and county Development Services are separate counters.
Check the named categories — including Section 18-392 if the project is a hoop house.
State trade licenses, Dwelling Contractor papers or the owner's Cautionary Statement, lead-safe certification where DHS 163 triggers.
Standard application plus construction plans and site survey.
18 months from issuance under Section 18-93 — renew before expiry on long projects.
Through final, with reinspection fees set by ordinance if a visit fails.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
Racine's review moves at the pace of a complete submittal; the local failure mode is temporal, not technical — projects that drift past the 18-month line and lapse mid-build. Phase the permit strategy on anything long, and renew before Section 18-93 runs out.
Inspections in Racine
The Department inspects building and trade work through final, investigates violations, and charges ordinance-set reinspection fees for failed visits. Unsafe and damaged buildings have their own Chapter 18 provisions, including on moving them.
Racine permit search and official resources
- Racine Municipal Code Chapter 18 — the permit clock, the hoop-house section and the mechanical division
- City of Racine — Building Department forms and contacts
- DSPS plan review — state triggers and current submission data
- Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code — SPS 320 to 325 as published
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Racine permit good for?
18 months from the date of issuance, under Section 18-93 — it is printed on the application forms. Renew before it lapses on long projects.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does a hoop house really need a building permit?
Yes — by name. Section 18-392 of the Municipal Code requires building permits for hoop houses.
What happens if work starts without a permit?
The city's forms warn that any work done without permits may result in double permit fees.
Who reviews commercial plans?
The city holds all-size second-class-city delegation and contracts the review to E-Plan Exam, so plans stay in the city's process.
When do lead-safe rules apply?
In pre-1978 dwellings and child-occupied buildings: at 6 square feet of disturbed paint per room, 20 square feet of exterior paint, or any window work, DHS 163 certification applies.
Which code governs my house project?
The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, SPS 320 to 325. Wisconsin never adopted the International Residential Code.
Simplify Racine permitting with Alliance Permitting
Racine is administered by ordinance and calendar. We scope against Chapter 18's named categories, file complete at 730 Washington Avenue, and manage the 18-month clock — renewals included — so the permit outlives the project instead of the other way around.
Ready to break ground in Racine sooner?
Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the Racine Building Inspection Division, assemble the submittal, file it, and track it through issuance — corrections included.
More Wisconsin permitting guides
More Wisconsin permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Racine permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.