To speed up commercial-plan approvals, state regulators are planning to make permanent a policy change that would no longer allow contractors and architects to schedule specific dates for plan reviews.

Tagged with: plan reviews Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

Lawmakers this week will consider extending a series of pandemic-related rules intended to freeze employers' unemployment-insurance payments, waive job-search requirements for people receiving unemployment benefits and curtail the need for in-person fire and electrical inspections.

Tagged with: unemployment benefits Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

State officials are taking steps to advance a policy tmeant to make it easier for high school students to train to become an electrician.

Tagged with: Dan Feyen Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services youth apprenticeship

Even as the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services remains under pressure to speed its processing of commercial-building plans, it has removed from its website a public calendar showing the extent of its review backlog.

Tagged with: Dawn Crim Duey Stroebel John Schulze plan reviews Roger Roth Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

As contractors know, in Wisconsin most commercial building plans must be reviewed by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Standards, or to a delegated local unit of government.

Tagged with: DSPS Duey Stroebel plan reviews Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services is resuming in-person trades exams after putting them off this spring in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Tagged with: coronavirus DSPS Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have prevented contractors from inspecting fire and smoke dampeners unless they were first certified in response to misgivings that a legislative panel would most likely have struck the proposal down.

Tagged with: Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin John Schulze Jonathan Kowalski Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

A proposed rule requiring contractors to earn a certification before inspecting fire and smoke dampeners is headed for further scrutiny following a committee's vote on Friday.

Tagged with: Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin fire protection Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

Even as COVID-19 has led to school closings, event cancellations and other social-distancing measures, Wisconsin's construction industry has largely made no plans to stop work – at least fornow.

Tagged with: coronavirus DSPS International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 159 International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 Jeff Beiriger Local 139 Plumbing Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Wisconsin Association Terry McGowan Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services Wisconsin Department of Transportation WisDOT

A bill meant to reduce a backlog of commercial-plan reviews drew a mixed response from construction officials at a public hearing in the state Capitol on Wednesday.

Tagged with: Commercial Building Code Council Dawn Crim Jeff Beiriger plan reviews Plumbers Code Advisory Council Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services