Department of Neighborhood Services
COMMERCIAL ENFORCEMENT
841 N. Broadway 1st Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 286-3874

New ordiances have been passed that impact Vacant Buildings, Abandoned Property in Pre-Foreclosure, and occupancies with a high fire risk such as places of assembly and hazardous materials that require a Fire Prevention Permit. Click on the respective link to learn more.

New Regulations for Junk Collecting vehicles and operators. Learn the requirements to collect junk, what forms must be filed and what limits to the operation of collecting junk. Special notices if operating out of your home. See in the Brochure section, Requirements for Junk Collectors. 

In the Forms Section under Public Information, check out the Home Occupation Licence Application (DNS-164) and if the building is leased or rented you will need the Owner's Consent Form, also in the FORMS section of the DNS Public Information page.

Do you own a building with 5 or more stories? URGENT NEWS you should know!

The Commercial enforcement Section is responsible for enforcing the building codes as they apply to all commercial businesses. Existing buildings are inspected for compliance with fire codes and building safety codes.

One of the primary functions are annual fire inspections. Many owners can avoid violations by learning what are the most commonly cited violations. For a free copy of the Common Fire Code Violations, click below.

The following penalties apply for violations. There isn't a set amount for a single fire code violation. Under penalties or failure to comply (200-19), violations that are cited on a notice from our department an owner may be subjected to prosecution and to daily penalties of $150 to $10,000 in the manner provided in Section 200-19.

The owners are also subject to reinspection fees in accordance with Section 200-33-48, of City Code of Ordinances a fee may be charged for any reinspection, except no fee shall be charged for the final reinspection when compliance is recorded. The fee is $50 for the first reinspection, $75 for the second, $150 for the third, and $300 for the fourth and all subsequent reinspection.

Reinspection fees shall be a lien upon the real estate where the reinspection were made and shall be assessed and collected as a special tax.


MILWAUKEE SIGN ORDINANCE
The City of Milwaukee has enacted a sign ordinance. The changes are significant and mostly impact business and commercial establishments that advertise on their buildings. Review the new law, find out how many, how large and where signs can go. The following brochure will cover most instances. If you have a specific question or want to ask "what if" question, call the Development Center for a free answer. (414) 286-8211. Milwaukee's Sign Ordinance.pdf

COMMERCIAL ENFORCEMENT Contact

Supervisor- Jumanne Cheatham Send a message to -> jcheat@milwaukee.gov

Supervisor- Michael Mannan Send a message to-> mmanna@milwaukee.gov

Manager Ronald Roberts Send a message to-> rrober@milwaukee.gov

Seasonal Heating Problems? Here is a chart of the minimum heating requirements for every commercial occupancy. Once there, use the FIND feature of your browser to go directly to your type of building, i.e., school, office, garage.

Smoke Alarm and Fire Alarm Testing Requirements sheet. PDF