HomeMy WebLinkAboutBuildingGuideInteriorRemodeling1-2family 1 2/6/2024
This handout will help guide you through the permit application process. Following the steps below will help
to expedite the issuance of your building permit. Please plan ahead and pick one of the following methods to
apply for your permit. We suggest that you apply for the permit a minimum of 2 weeks prior to your start
date. Permits can be applied for by using the following methods below:
In Person:
This is the best method to discuss the specifics of your project with an inspector. In many cases, if all the
required information is submitted, and the information is found acceptable, the permit can be issued at that
time.
How to Apply: You may apply for your permit at the Inspection Services Division, City Hall, 215 Church
Ave (2nd floor - room 205).
Submit the following for review:
• A detailed description of all proposed work.
• Plans. Floor plans are required where the floor plans are changing, wall openings are being enlarged or
where walls are being removed/added. Floor plans are required for converting attics to living spaces and
for basement remodeling projects. Plans shall detail the following: room usage/sizes, door/window loca-
tions/sizes, location of stairways/hallways/fireplaces, location of the furnace/water heater/electrical panel,
finish materials, ceiling heights, heights under beams/duct work, stairway headroom smoke detector
locations, header sizes, beam sizes and/or footing sizes if structural work will be performed.
• Beam and header calculations.
Owners may obtain building permits for construction projects if the house is owner occupied. All contractors
shall include their Dwelling Contractor Certification and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier Certification numbers
from the State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. Our office is required by the
State of Wisconsin to verify these certifications prior to issuing permits to contractors performing work on one
and two family dwellings. Inspectors are available for consultation and to issue permits from 7:30am-4:30pm
Monday through Friday.
Payment
The City of Oshkosh accepts cash, check or credit/debit cards for payment (a service fee applies when using
cards). If you have questions on permit fees please see page 2.
Inspection Requests
After the permit is obtained inspections can be requested by calling the Inspection Request Line at (920) 236-
5128. This is an automated line, and you will need the permit number or address and inspection type you are
requesting to schedule.
Underground Utilities: Call Diggers Hotline 3 Work Days Before You Dig! 1-800-242-8511
1 & 2 Family Interior Remodeling Permits
City of Oshkosh Inspection Services Division
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Online:
When applying for a permit online please follow this link: http://www.oshkoshwi.gov/EvolvePublic/
How to Apply
Step 1: Click on “New Account” or “Login” located in the right hand corner and enter your contact infor-
mation. If you have an existing account with our department you may need to contact our office at
(920) 236-5050 to set up a password.
Step 2: Click on “Permit Application” on the left side of the screen. Select “Residential Building” for the cate-
gory and “Remodel/Alteration/Other” for the type, click Next.
Step 3: Enter the address of the project, click next. If the address does not show up enter it in the third box,
click next.
Step 4: Enter a detailed description of your project and the cost. The cost should include the fair market value
for labor (even if you as the owner are doing the work) and material costs. Only the highlighted fields
need to be filled in, click next.
Step 5: If you are applying as the owner, you may also if you choose, add any contractors you may have hired
for your project. This is not required. Only contractors that have obtained permits in the past with the
City of Oshkosh may be added, as they will have an existing account. If you are applying as the owner,
but a contractor will be doing the work, a cautionary statement to owners will be needed.
Step 6: Upload the following for review: framing plans (floor plans, beam/header calculations),
Step 7: Read the Esignature statement and check the “I agree to conditions” box, hit finish.
Step 8: You will see a message that your application has been submitted for review. Someone from the City
will contact you if additional information is required and/or when the permit is ready to be issued.
* Please note that no construction can commence until after the permit is approved, paid and obtained.
* When the permit is ready to be issued, you will be notified for payment via email including
payment instructions. Please check spam or trash folders if you have not received an email.
* Inspections can be scheduled after the permit has been obtained.
Permit Fees:
See the following link to view permit fees: https://www.oshkoshwi.gov/InspectionServices/
PermitFeeSchedule.pdf
• Inspection Services fee schedule for building fees. Questions please contact (920) 236-5050.
• Assessors fee schedule for property record maintenance fees. Questions please contact (920) 236-5070.
• Planning Services fee schedule for zoning fees. Questions please contact (920) 236-5059.
Make checks payable to be payable to “City of Oshkosh”.
Many of the older houses in the City were built prior to the passage of modern building codes. Most structural
items such as headers, beams, roof rafters, and ceiling and floor joists were undersized at the time of construc-
tion. The City of Oshkosh requires that properly sized headers be installed when the wall coverings have been
removed. Sagging or undersized floor and ceiling joist systems and roof rafters should be strengthened or re-
placed. In addition to the building code requirements outlined in the State of Wisconsin Uniform dwelling
code which the City of Oshkosh adopts to apply to all dwellings, once walls are opened all exposed
electrical must be updated to conform to the current code requirements. The next few pages contain a few
code requirements that we wanted to highlight.
Building Code Requirements:
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Fire Blocking:
Fire blocking is a material or system used to retard or prevent the spread of flames or hot gases through adja-
cent concealed spaces into rooms. Many of the older houses in the City are “balloon framed”, there is no fire
blocking between stud cavities and floor joist cavities. Balloon framing occurs when single or multiple studs
have been installed and run from the bottom of the first floor to the top plate of the second floor. As the walls
are opened up, the building code requires that fire blocking materials be installed at the intersection of the stud
and floor joist cavities to create two separate spaces. Please see page 9 to view some examples of fire block-
ing:
Fire blocking shall be provided in the following locations:
• In concealed spaces of walls and partitions, including furred spaces, at the ceiling and floor levels.
• At all interconnections between concealed vertical and horizontal spaces.
• At all openings around wires, cables, vents, pipes, ducts, chimneys and fireplaces, at the ceiling and floor
levels.
Fire blocking materials shall consist of one of the following:
• Two-inch nominal lumber.
• Two layers of One-inch nominal lumber.
• One thickness of Three Quarter inch nominal plywood or OSB with any joints backed with the same mate-
rial.
• One thickness of Half inch gypsum wallboard, face nailed or face screwed to solid wood, with any joints
backed with the same material.
• For wires, cables, pipes and vents only, non-shrinking caulk, putty, mortar, or similar material may be
used provided no dimension of the opening exceeds Half inch around the penetrating object.
• For chimneys, fireplaces and metal vents only, metal or another noncombustible material shall be used.
Air Sealing:
Exterior joints, seams or penetrations in the dwelling envelope, which are sources of air leakage, shall be
sealed with durable caulking materials, closed with gasketing systems, taped, or covered with water-vapor-
permeable house wrap. This also applies to penetrations of utility services through walls, floor and roof as-
semblies, and penetrations through the top and bottom plates. Sealing shall be provided at the attic and
crawlspace panels, at recessed lights and around all plumbing and electrical penetrations. The slits (used and
unused) in the electrical boxes located in ceilings (attic areas) or exterior walls also need to be sealed.
Exits from the 2nd floor:
At least 2 exits shall be provided from the second floor. One of the exits shall be a stairway that leads to
grade. The second exit may be a stairway, balcony or egress window.
Egress Windows:
Second floors, basements and ground floors used for sleeping shall be provided with at least 2 exits. One of
the exits can be a window that complies with the following requirements:
• The window shall be openable from the inside without the use of tools or the removal of a sash. If
equipped with a storm or screen, it shall be openable from the inside.
• The nominal size of the clear window opening shall be at least 20 inches by 24 inches irrespective of
height or width.
• No portion of the window including stops or rails shall infringe on the required opening.
• The lowest point of clear opening shall be no more than 60 inches above the floor. When the lowest point
of the clear opening is more than 46 inches above the floor, a permanent platform shall be installed. The
platform shall be at least 20 inches in width, 9 inches in depth and not more than 24 inches above the floor.
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• The egress window shall be provided with an areaway. The areaway shall be at least equal to the width of
the window and shall be a minimum of 36 inches measured perpendicular from the foundation wall. If the
bottom of the areaway is more than 46 inches below adjacent grade or to the top of the areaway enclosure,
it shall be provided with a ladder or at least a step to aid egress.
• Ladders or other steps used for egress may infringe on the required area of the areaway by a maximum of 6
inches.
• The areaway shall be constructed such that water entering the areaway does not enter the building.
• Basements and ground floors used for sleeping shall be provided with at least 2 exits. One of the exits can
be a window that complies with the egress (as listed above) and natural light requirements (below).
Natural Light & Natural Ventilation:
• All habitable rooms shall be provided with natural light by means of glazed openings. The area of the
glazed openings (glass only) shall be at least 8% of the net floor area (habitable rooms, other than bed-
rooms, located in the basement do not require natural light).
• Natural ventilation shall be provided to all habitable rooms by means of openable doors, skylights or win-
dows. The net area of the openable doors, skylights or windows shall be at least 3.5% of the net floor area
of the room.
Interior Circulation:
All doors and openings to common use areas (except bedrooms and bathrooms) shall be at least 80 inches high
and provide either a net clear opening width of 30 inches or be a 32 inch door.
• Only 50% of the bedroom doors are required to be 32 inches.
• At least one full bathroom is required to meet the doorway width requirement. If the full bathroom is lo-
cated on the 1st floor the doorway requirements shall meet this requirement for the 1st floor bathroom.
The above diagram details the requirements for egress windows located in habitable
rooms on the second floor of a dwelling. These are also the requirements for egress win-
dows located in basement bedrooms.
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Ceiling Height:
All habitable rooms, kitchens, hallways, bathrooms, and corridors shall have a ceiling height of at least
7 feet. Habitable rooms may have ceiling heights of less than 7 feet provided at least 50% of the
room’s floor area has a ceiling height of at least 7 feet. Beams and girders or other projections shall not
project more than 8 inches below the required 7 foot ceiling height.
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Stairway Requirements:
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Heating Dampers:
Volume duct dampers shall be provided to permit balancing of the heating system. The volume dampers shall
be provided with access. When remodeling basement areas the volume dampers are required to be accessible.
Acceptable means of access include a manufactured access panels, air grilles used as a cover, a plastic ceiling
cap or a damper accessible through an air diffuser or grill.
Habitable Rooms Without Natural Ventilation (Openable Windows):
Habitable rooms that do not have openable windows are required to provide mechanical ventilation. This can
be accomplished by installing an occupancy sensor that is hooked up to the furnace. In doing this the furnace
fan would run constantly while the room is occupied. A make-up air damper would also be required which
would bring fresh air in from the exterior of the house into the furnace return air system and thus would be
distributed within the habitable space. Another option would be a HRV (heating recovery ventilator) unit.
When determining how to comply with this code requirement please consult with your heating contractor on
what options would work for your specific situation.
Lighting:
At least one wall switch-controlled lighting outlet is required in the following locations:
• Every habitable room, bathroom, kitchen, etc.
• Hallways and stairways (interior stairways require a switch at each floor level where the difference be-
tween floor levels is six steps or more).
• Attached garages and detached garages with electric power.
• Attic, under floor spaces, utility rooms, and basements shall have at least one lighting outlet containing a
switch or controlled by a wall switch, at the usual point of entry, if these spaces are used for storage or
contain equipment requiring servicing.
• On the exterior side of exterior entrances and exits with grade access.
Receptacles:
• Receptacles in habitable rooms are to be located within 6 ft. of a door and every 12 ft. there after (there
shall be no point along a wall more than 6 ft. from a receptacle) and any wall greater than 2 ft. in width.
• A minimum of one receptacle for hallways longer than 10 ft.
• At least one receptacle outlet shall serve an island or peninsula.
• Bathroom receptacles are required to be on a 20-amp branch circuit and GFCI protected with no other
outlets.
• At least one bathroom receptacle is to be located within 36 inches of the outside edge of each basin.
• Laundry areas shall have at least one 120-volt receptacle outlet supplied by a 20-amp branch circuit.
• Kitchen countertop receptacles shall be placed so that at no point along the wall space, is greater than 2 ft.
measured horizontally from an outlet (typical 4 ft. spacing,) and any counter space greater than 12 inches.
Receptacles shall be on at least two 20-amp branch circuits and be GFCI protected.
• Outdoor receptacle outlets shall be installed at the front and back of the dwelling and not more than 6 1/2
ft. above grade. (GFCI protection required)
• At least one GFCI protected receptacle is required in all unfinished portions of a basement.
• All 15 & 20 ampere receptacles shall be tamper resistant.
Heating Code Requirements:
Electrical Code Requirements:
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General Installation Requirements:
• Romex (type NM cable) shall be supported
within 8 inches of a plastic box and 12 inches
of a metal box and every 4 1/2 feet thereafter
(holes in studs are considered support).
• Metallic boxes are to be grounded.
• Mechanically secure all ground wire splices
(green wire nuts, crimps, pigtails with wire
nuts, etc.).
• All devices are to be grounded, including
switches, receptacles, light fixtures, etc.
• All 120-volt, single phase, 15 & 20 ampere
branch circuits supplying outlets installed in
dwelling unit family rooms, dining rooms, liv-
ing rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms,
sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways,
or similar rooms or areas shall be protected by a
listed arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI), com-
bination-type, installed to provide protection of
the branch circuit.
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