101.63 Departmental duties. The department shall:

(1) Adopt rules which establish standards for the construction and inspection of one- and 2-family dwellings and components thereof. The rules shall include separate standards, established in consultation with the uniform dwelling code council, that apply only to the construction and inspection of camping units that are set in a fixed location in a campground for which a permit is issued under s. 97.67, that contain a sleeping place, and that are used for seasonal overnight camping. Where feasible, the standards used shall be those nationally recognized and shall apply to the dwelling and to its electrical, heating, ventilating, air conditioning and other systems, including plumbing, as defined in s. 145.01 (10). No set of rules may be adopted which has not taken into account the conservation of energy in construction and maintenance of dwellings and the costs of specific code provisions to home buyers in relationship to the benefits derived from the provisions. Rules promulgated under this subsection do not apply to a bed and breakfast establishment, as defined under s. 97.01 (1g), except that the rules apply to all of the following:

(a) The 3rd floor level of a bed and breakfast establishment that uses that level other than as storage.

(b) A structural addition that is made to a bed and breakfast establishment that alters the dimensions of the structure.

(2) Adopt rules for the certification, including provisions for suspension and revocation thereof, of inspectors for the purpose of inspecting building construction, electrical wiring, heating, ventilating, air conditioning and other systems, including plumbing, as defined in s. 145.01 (10), of one- and 2-family dwellings under sub. (1). The rules shall specify that the department may suspend or revoke the certification of an inspector under this subsection for knowingly authorizing the issuance of a building permit to a contractor who is not in compliance with s. 101.654. Upon receipt of a recommendation of the uniform dwelling code council under s. 101.62 (5) (b) to suspend or revoke the certification of a building inspector, the department shall suspend or revoke the certification if the department determines the building inspector has engaged in incompetent, negligent, or unethical conduct. Persons certified as inspectors may be employees of the department, a city, village, town, county, or an independent inspection agency. The department may not adopt any rule that prohibits any city, village, town, or county from licensing persons for performing work on a dwelling in which the licensed person has no legal or equitable interest.

(2m) Promulgate rules for certifying the financial responsibility of contractors under s. 101.654. These rules shall include rules providing for the assessment of fees upon applicants for certification of financial responsibility under s. 101.654 and for the suspension and revocation of that certification. The amount of the fees assessed under this subsection may not exceed an amount that is sufficient to defray the costs incurred in certifying the financial responsibility of applicants under s. 101.654.

(3) Contract to provide inspection services, at municipal expense, to any municipality which requires such service under s. 101.65.

(5) Review the rules adopted under this subchapter once every 3 years.

(5m) Once every 6 years, review those portions of the state electrical wiring code promulgated by the department under s. 101.82 (1) that apply to dwellings. In its review, the department shall consult with the uniform dwelling code council and any council or committee created by the secretary to advise the department regarding the state electrical wiring code.

(6) Issue special orders which it deems necessary to secure compliance with this subchapter and enforce the same by all appropriate administrative and judicial proceedings.

(7) Prescribe and furnish to municipal authorities a standard building permit form for all new one- and 2-family dwellings. On or before January 2, 2017, the department shall furnish to municipal authorities the standard building permit form prescribed under this subsection in electronic form. The standard permit form shall include all of the following:

(a) A space in which the municipal authority issuing the permit shall insert the name and license number of the master plumber engaged in supervising the installation of plumbing or installing the plumbing at a new one- or 2-family dwelling.

(b) A space in which the municipal authority issuing the permit shall insert the name of the person to whom the building permit is issued and the number and expiration date of the certificate of financial responsibility issued to that person under s. 101.654.

(7m) On or before January 2, 2017, establish by rule a system through which a person may electronically submit an application to a municipal authority for a building permit, through which the person may be issued the building permit in electronic form from the municipal authority, and through which the municipal authority may submit copies of issued building permits to the department. The rule shall prescribe a standard building permit application form that shall be furnished to all municipal authorities and used by all applicants for building permits for new one- and 2-family dwellings, except that the department may approve a municipal authority's use of a different application form. The rule shall require a municipal authority to use the standard building permit form prescribed under sub. (7), unless the department approves a municipal authority's use of a different form. A municipal authority shall begin implementation of the system established under this subsection no later than January 2, 2018.

(8) Hear petitions regarding the dwelling code, rules and special orders in accordance with s. 101.02 (6) (e) to (i) and (8).

(9) Establish by rule a schedule of fees sufficient to defray the costs incurred under this subchapter.

(10) Assist the uniform dwelling code council in preparing the report as required under s. 101.62 (4).

(11) Develop and maintain computer software available to the public that provides the information, tools, and calculations required for a person to determine whether plans for the construction of, addition to, or alteration of a dwelling comply with the energy efficiency requirements of the uniform dwelling code promulgated under sub. (1).

History: 1975 c. 404; 1979 c. 221; 1981 c. 20; 1983 a. 27; 1983 a. 189 s. 329 (8); 1987 a. 343; 1993 a. 26, 126, 414; 1999 a. 9, 135; 2003 a. 90; 2005 a. 25, 200; 2007 a. 67; 2011 a. 78; 2013 a. 23; 2015 a. 29, 49, 55, 211; 2017 a. 59, 68, 240, 365, 366.