What Wisconsin’s Proposed Parking Structure Law Could Mean for Owners
Understanding Proposed Senate Bill 155 and What it Signals for Wisconsin Parking Structure Owners
Wisconsin is taking a closer look at parking structure safety with the introduction of Senate Bill 155, a proposal that would create a statewide process for assessing and documenting the condition of parking structures. Below is a breakdown of what the bill includes, how it differs from current practice, and what owners should keep in mind as it moves through the Legislature.
Why Wisconsin is Considering Senate Bill 155
Wisconsin’s proposal is part of a broader effort to modernize building safety, prompted by parking structure failures such as the Bayshore Mall collapse and the 2010 Milwaukee incident. These incidents highlighted vulnerabilities that continue to influence policy today. The bill reflects a growing push to strengthen building safety standards statewide. Other key motivators include:
- Long winters and heavy freeze-thaw cycles, which can widen cracks and cause concrete delamination (read more about the impact of freeze-thaw cycles here).
- Aging parking inventories in metro areas such as Milwaukee and Madison.
- A statewide push for consistent reporting so local authorities can better track structural conditions.
These factors resulted in a bill aimed at establishing predictable inspection timelines and clearer lines of responsibility for owners.
Overview of Senate Bill 155
If enacted, Senate Bill 155 would require parking structure owners to follow a recurring inspection and reporting process to verify structural integrity over time. At a high level, owners would need to:
- Work with a Wisconsin licensed professional engineer for each inspection.
- Ensure structures are evaluated within the initial and recurring timelines the bill outlines.
- Submit formal inspection reports to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) or the appropriate local authority.
- Address any significant structural issues identified in the report and work with DSPS or your local authority on any restrictions or repairs required until existing building-safe rules.
Inspection Timelines and Expectations
Unlike ad-hoc inspections or owner-driven maintenance schedules, Senate Bill 155 would establish statewide requirements for how often structures must be evaluated.
- Initial Inspection Window: Each parking structure must be inspected within five years after the bill takes effect.
- Ongoing Inspection Cycle: Inspections repeat every five years, creating a consistent long term inspection cadence.
- Inspection Report Delivery: Engineers must provide a written structural integrity report. Owners then submit this report to DSPS (or a designated local authority) within the timeframe set by the regulations.
This framework ensures both owners and regulators have up to date documentation of a parking structure’s condition. You can learn more about what our inspections and assessments involve here.
Enforcement and Penalties
The bill includes enforcement mechanisms to keep inspections on schedule:
- If an owner misses an inspection deadline, DSPS or the local authority may impose a $200 monthly penalty starting six months after the due date, for up to 12 months, until the inspection is completed. After that period, if the structure remains uninspected, DSPS must close the parking structure until an inspection report is submitted.
- If an inspection is still not completed after that period, DSPS would be required to close the structure until compliance is achieved.
- Structures could only reopen once a new inspection confirms they meet all applicable safety requirements.
Who Can Perform These Inspections?
Inspections must be completed by a professional engineer licensed in Wisconsin, ideally with background in structural assessments of parking structures. Additional experience requirements may be clarified if the bill becomes law.
Where the Bill Stands Now
Senate Bill 155 has been introduced and referred to committee for review. A companion bill, Assembly Bill 175, contains the same core language, and as of today, both bills remain in committee and could still be amended. If advanced, DSPS would develop the detailed rules, forms, and timelines needed to support implementation. During this review period, Wisconsin structure owners may want to:
- Review any existing condition reports they already have.
- Confirm whether their structures have known deficiencies or areas of concern.
- Begin planning for a possible five-year inspection cycle.
How StructureCare Can Support Wisconsin Structure Owners
Regardless of legislative outcomes, predictable inspections and ongoing maintenance are among the most effective ways to extend the life of a parking structure, especially in climates like Wisconsin where freeze-thaw deterioration is common. StructureCare can assist with:
- Comprehensive condition assessments
- Structural repair planning and execution
- Predictive maintenance strategies
- Documentation guidance for regulatory compliance
Our team of structural experts are ready to help Wisconsin owners understand how the proposed law may affect their parking structures and how to prepare for the potential shift toward more formalized inspections.