Housing Wins
Along with our members, we work to improve housing in Wisconsin. In the past five years, we have succeeded in:
Reducing the exposure period for a claim resulting from a building or remodeling project from 10 years to 7
Streamlining process for housing development in areas that contain wetlands
Raising the bar for passing automatic sprinkler requirements in homes, ensuring that all sides of the issue must be explored before adding additional regulations
Eliminating the acre conversion fee on former agricultural land
Addressing park fees in state statutes as an impact fee only and not in multiple places
And that's just the start. With the help of thousands of industry professionals throughout the state, we work to shape policies at the state level, ensuring safe, affordable, and accessible housing is available to all Wisconsinites.
Latest wins
2023-2024 Session:
Legislative session recaps
Summaries of the past two legislative sessions.
2021-2022:
2021 Wisconsin Act 1: exempts PPP loans from state income and franchise tax and allows deduction of expenses paid from such income
2021 Wisconsin Act 4: provides immunity for entities from civil liability for a COVID-19-related injury or death, except in the case of reckless or wanton conduct or intentional misconduct
2021 Wisconsin Act 67: funds two additional positions at the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) for review and approval of private onsite wastewater treatment systems (POWTS) applications
2021 Wisconsin Act 80: allows a 3-year extension for DOT and DNR permits and plat or certified survey maps
2021 Wisconsin Act 221: creates a workforce housing rehabilitation loan program at the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA)
2021 Wisconsin Act 237: reforms the categories for the initial 12-hour credits and requires 4 hours of credits for the continuing education credits consist of “construction laws and codes and contracts, liability, and risk management”
Defeated legislation that would have allowed for local municipalities to create “stretch codes” to exceed Uniform Dwelling Code and the Commercial Building Code
State Budget Wins:
125 million for rural broadband
Income tax reduction: 6.27 to 5.3
No changes to prevailing wage or additional contractor registration
2019-2020:
Construction and those companies supplying construction materials were deemed “essential businesses” when Wisconsin was under the “Safer at Home” Executive Order
Legal interpretation and follow up FAQs on the “Safer at Home” Executive Order and statewide mask mandate
Mandating that local units of government cannot require both a written and electronic building permit for a single family home. 2019 WI Act 38 and 2019 WI Act 38 summary memo.
The authorization of $16.7 million of surplus funds from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) for housing and economic development initiatives including $10 million for rural workforce housing initiatives
Flexibility for repairs to nonconforming buildings that reside in a floodplain. 2019 WI Act 175 and 2019 WI Act 175 summary memo.
Codifying the wetland “in-lieu fee” program in state statutes (was previously only mentioned as an administrative rule/DNR guidance) and a more timely schedule for the release of wetland credits. 2019 WI Act 169 and 2019 WI Act 169 summary memo.
Additional funding for technology upgrades at the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) to speed up contractor permitting timeframes
No changes to the reforms that we were able to achieve during the previous four legislative sessions
Defeated detrimental changes to tax incremental financing (TIF) laws
Defeated a rule requiring unnecessary inspections in commercial buildings
Defeated a provision to allow municipalities to exceed revenue caps
2017-2018:
Reduction of the exposure period for a claim resulting from a building or remodeling project from 10 years to 7
Streamlined process for housing development in areas that contain wetlands
More clarification and flexibility for developers using bonds for infrastructure that is paid for by the developer and dedicated to a municipality
Prohibition of a developer's agreement mandating building codes that exceed the statewide uniform standards of the Uniform Dwelling Code
One- and two-family electrical code moved to 6 year review
Application and approval process for conditional use permits streamlined
Greater housing affordability for multifamily residents by following state law on sprinkler requirements
Elimination of forestry mill tax resulting in a property tax cut for homeowners
Elimination of personal property tax
State statutes to create a "Wisconsin REScheck" software for one- and two-family dwelling code compliance
Administrative rules dealing with building codes can now be stopped by the legislature for any reason; it was previously difficult to stop a rule once introduced
2015-2016:
Prohibition of automatic fire sprinklers in one- and two-family dwellings by administrative rule change
An additional property tax cut for Wisconsin homeowners
Statewide uniform standards for shoreland zoning
Timelines for the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC)
Waiver to building code for certain religious sects
Federalizing the lead paint standard
Current historic tax credit retained
Prohibition on local builder requirements that are above what state law currently requires
Electronic process reform for submitting one and two family building permits
Additional property rights for landowners (wetland reforms, new definition of "ASNRI", statewide uniformity), giving them greater flexibility to build and remodel on land they own
Historic Advocacy
The Wisconsin Builders Association has been advocating on behalf of builders and homeowners since 1947. Learn more about our successes through the years.