For the purpose of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings assigned to them in this section. Words and phrases not herein otherwise defined shall have the meanings accepted by common usage.
ACCESSORY BUILDING
A detached building, not used as a dwelling unit, the use of which is incidental to the use of the main building and which is located on the same lot as the main building. "Accessory building" does not mean farm building.[1]
ADDITION
Any new construction whereby an existing building or structure, or building or structure in the course of construction, is increased in area or cubical content.
ADJOINING LOT LINE
The line between adjoining lots, plots of land or parcels of land of different or same ownership.
ALLEY
A municipal right-of-way which affords a secondary means of vehicular access to abutting properties. A street shall not be considered an alley.
ALLOWABLE STRESS
The specified maximum permissible stress of a material expressed in load per unit area.
ALTERATION
A substantial change or modification other than an addition or repair to a dwelling or to systems involved within a dwelling.
APARTMENT
A room or suite of rooms which is occupied or which is intended or designed to be occupied by one family for living or sleeping purposes.
APPROVED or APPROVAL
An approval of the Department or its authorized representative. (Approval is not to be construed as an assumption of any legal responsibility for the design or construction of the dwelling or building component.)
AREA
As applied to dimensions, means the maximum horizontal projected area of a building, structure, room, apartment or open space, not including overhangs.
ATTIC
A space, not suitable for human occupancy, under the roof and above the ceiling of the topmost story of any building or part thereof.
BALCONY
A landing or porch projecting from the wall of a building.
BASEMENT
That portion of a dwelling between floor and ceiling which is below or partly below and partly above grade but so located that the vertical distance from the grade to the floor below is more than the vertical distance from grade to ceiling.
BEARING
That area of any structural unit of a building or structure which is in direct contact with the supports which receive the loads from that unit.
BUILDING
Any structure built for the support, shelter or enclosure of persons, animals, chattels or property of any kind.
BUILDING COMPONENT
Any subsystem, subassembly or other system designed for use in or as part of a structure which may include structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire protection systems and other systems affecting health and safety.
BUILDING, EXISTING
A building erected prior to adoption of this chapter or one for which a legal building permit has been issued.
BUILDING INSPECTOR
The officer charged with the administration and enforcement of this chapter or his regularly authorized deputy.[2]
BUILDING SYSTEM
Plans, specifications and documentation for a system of manufactured building or for a type or a system of building components which may include structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and variations which are submitted as part of the building system.
CEILING HEIGHT
The clear vertical distance from the finished floor to the finished ceiling.
CEMENT or CEMENT LIME MORTAR
See § 756-24.
CHIMNEY
One or more vertical, or nearly so, passageways or flues for the purpose of conveying flue gases to the atmosphere.
CHIMNEY CONNECTOR
Same as smoke pipe.
CLOSED CONSTRUCTION
Any building, building component, assembly or system manufactured in such a manner that it cannot be inspected before installation at the building site without disassembly, damage or destruction.
COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE (COP), COOLING OR HEATING
The ratio of the rate of net heat removal or net heat output to the rate of total energy input, expressed in consistent units and under designated rated conditions.
COMBUSTION EFFICIENCY
Combustion efficiency is expressed in percentage and is defined as 100% minus stack losses in percent of heat input. Stack losses are:
A. 
Loss due to sensible heat in dry flue gas;
B. 
Loss due to incomplete combustion; and
C. 
Loss due to sensible and latent heat in moisture formed by combustion of hydrogen in the fuel.
COMPLIANCE ASSURANCE PROGRAM
The detailed system documentation and methods of assuring that manufactured dwellings and dwelling components are manufactured, stored, transported, assembled, handled and installed in accordance with this chapter.
COOLING LOAD
The rate at which heat must be removed from the space to maintain a selected indoor air temperature during periods of design outdoor weather conditions.
CUBIC CONTENTS
The actual cubic space enclosed within the outer surfaces of the outside or enclosed walls, outer surfaces of the roof and the finished surfaces of the lowest floors of a building or structure. Does not include the contents of courts which are open to the sky.[3]
DEGREE DAY, HEATING
Degree days are figured as the number of degrees the mean outdoor temperature deviates from 65° F. each day during the heating season.
NOTE: For example, if, on December 15, the low temperature was +30° F. and the high temperature was +50° F., the mean temperature would equal (30° + 50°) ÷ 2 = 40°; therefore, 65° - 40° = 25° days.
DEPARTMENT
The State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.
DETACHED BUILDING
Any building which is not physically connected to the dwelling.
DWELLING
A building which is designed or used or which is intended to be used as a residence or place of abode.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY RATIO
The ratio of net cooling capacity in BTU per hour to total rate of electric input, in watts, under designated operating conditions.
EQUIPMENT
As specifically regulated by this chapter, includes heating, cooling, air conditioning and ventilating systems, plumbing and sanitary systems, electric light and power systems, telephone, electronic and radio signal and annunciator systems, dry cleaning, dyeing and washing machines, elevators and dumb waiters, gas pipe systems, standpipes, sprinkler systems, fire protection apparatus, fire extinguishers and pumps, oil burners, stokers and conveyors, refrigerating systems, devices, machinery and apparatus of every description, furnaces, boilers, high- or low-pressure steam systems, gasoline pumps, all movable or portable containers of every description, all air pressure or other tanks and all other self-contained systems used in conjunction with buildings or structures.
ESTABLISHED GRADE
The grade of the street as established by the Director of Public Works/Village Engineer.
FAMILY
As defined in § 745-2.[4]
FARMING
The operation of a farm premises owned or rented by the operator.
FARM OPERATION
The planting and cultivating of the soil and growing of farm products, substantially all of which have been planted or produced on the farm premises.
NOTE: According to § 102.04(3), Wis. Stats., the farm operation includes the management, conserving, improving and maintaining of the farm premises, tools, equipment improvements and the exchange of labor or services with other farmers; the processing, drying, packing, packaging, freezing, grading, storing, delivery to storage, carrying to market or to a carrier for transportation to market and distributing directly to the consumer; the clearing of such premises and the salvaging of timber and the management and use of wood lots thereon but does not include logging, lumbering and wood-cutting operations, unless the operations are conducted as an accessory to other farm operations.
FARM PREMISES
The area which is planted and cultivated. The farm premises does not include greenhouses, structures or other areas unless used principally for the production of food or farm products.
FARM PRODUCTS
Agricultural, horticultural and arboricultural crops. Animals considered within the definition of agricultural include livestock, bees, poultry, fur-bearing animals and wildlife or aquatic life.
FIREBOX
That part of the fireplace used as a combustion chamber.[5]
FIRE DISTRICT
Zoned areas of the municipality within which wood frame construction is limited, except as otherwise provided for in this chapter.
FLOOR AREA
The net area of any floor space enclosed by exterior walls, fire walls or absolute fire separation, exclusive of open spaces.
FOOTINGS
That portion of the foundation of a structure which spreads and transmits loads directly to the soil or the piles.
FOUNDATION
The supporting structure as a whole, below the lowest floor, upon which rests the superstructure of a building or structure.
GARAGE
A building or portion thereof in which a motor vehicle containing gasoline, distillate or other volatile flammable liquid in its tank is stored, repaired or kept.
GARAGE, PRIVATE
A building or a portion of a building in which only motor vehicles used by the tenants of the building or buildings on the premises are stored or kept.
GAS APPLIANCE
Any furnace or heater, air conditioner, refrigerator, stove having an electrical supply cord, dishwasher, dryer, swimming pool heater or other similar appliance or device used in a dwelling or dwelling unit which uses a gaseous fuel for operation.
GRADE, BUILDING
Elevation of ground adjacent to the structure.
GRADE, LUMBER
The classification of lumber in regard to stress and grade.
HABITABLE ROOM
Any room used for sleeping, living, dining or for food preparation, excluding such enclosed places as closets, pantries, bath or toilet rooms, hallways, laundries, storage spaces, utility rooms and similar spaces.
HEARTH
The floor of the fireplace. The inner part of the hearth is located within the fireplace opening. The outer part of the hearth is outside the fireplace opening.
HEATED SPACE
Any space provided with a supply of heat to maintain the temperature of the space to at least 50° F. Heat supplied by convection from the energy-consuming systems may satisfy this requirement in basements, if the energy-consuming systems are not insulated.
HEATING LOAD
The probable heat loss of each room or space to be heated, based on maintaining a selected indoor air temperature during periods of design outdoor weather conditions. The total heat load includes the transmission losses of heat transmitted through the wall, floor, ceiling, glass or other surfaces; the infiltration losses or heat required to warm outdoor air which leaks in through cracks and crevices around doors and windows, or through open doors and windows; or heat required to warm outdoor air used for ventilation.
INDEPENDENT INSPECTION AGENCY
Any person, firm, association, partnership or corporation certified by the Department to perform certified inspections under this chapter.
INITIAL CONSTRUCTION
The date of issuance of the Wisconsin Uniform Building Permit.
INSTALLATION
The assembly of a manufactured building on site and the process of affixing a manufactured building to land, a foundation, footing or an existing building.
INTERMITTENT IGNITION DEVICE
An ignition device which is actuated only when a gas appliance is in operation.
LANDING
The level portion of a stairs located within a flight of stairs or located at the base and foot of a stairs.
LINTEL
The beam or girder placed over an opening in a wall which supports the wall construction above.
LISTED and LISTING
Equipment or building components which are tested by an independent testing agency and accepted by the Department.
LOADS
A. 
DEAD LOADThe weight of the walls, floors, partitions, roofs, and other structural parts of a building or structure.
B. 
LIVE LOADAll imposed, transient, moving loads or loads due to impact and including movable partitions in a building or structure other than dead loads.
LOFT
An upper room or floor which is open to the floor below.
LOT
A parcel of land in a single ownership, occupied or to be occupied by not more than one principal or main building and the accessory buildings or uses customarily incidental to it, including such open spaces as are required by this or other codes and having its principal frontage upon a street.
LOT LINE
A line or lines dividing one lot, plot of land or parcel of land from an adjoining lot, plot of land or parcel of land.
MANUFACTURE
The process of making, fabricating, constructing, forming or assembling a product from raw, unfinished, semifinished or finished materials.
MANUFACTURED BUILDING
A. 
Any structure or component thereof which is intended for use as a dwelling and:
(1) 
Is of closed construction and fabricated or assembled on site in manufacturing facilities for installation, connection or assembly and installation at the building site; or
(2) 
Is a building of open construction which is made or assembled in manufacturing facilities away from the building site for installation, connection or assembly and installation on the building site and for which certification is sought by the manufacturer.
B. 
The term "manufactured building" does not include a building of open construction which is not subject to Subsection A(2) above. A single- or double-width mobile home is not considered a manufactured home and is not subject to this chapter.
MASONRY
A. 
HOLLOW UNITA masonry unit in which the net cross-sectional area, parallel to the bearing face, is less than 75% of the gross cross-sectional area.
B. 
SOLID UNITMasonry units having net cross-sectional areas of 75% or more of the gross cross-sectional area are classified as solid units.
MULTI-WYTHE WALL
A masonry wall composed of two or more wythes of masonry units tied or bonded together.
MUNICIPALITY
The Village of Fox Point, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.[6]
NONCONFORMING BUILDING
A lawfully existing building, premises, structure, use, materials or equipment which does not conform to the requirements of this chapter.
OCCUPANCY or USE
The purpose for which a building, structure, equipment, materials or premises, or part thereof, is used or intended to be used as regulated by this chapter.
OPEN CONSTRUCTION
Any building, building component, assembly or system manufactured in such a manner that it can be readily inspected at the building site without disassembly, damage or destruction.
OWNER
Any person having a legal or equitable interest in the dwelling.
PERM
The designation for the unit permeance which is a substitute for the unit, one grain per (hour) (square foot) (inch of mercury vapor pressure difference).
PERSON
Any individual, person, partnership, firm, organization, association or corporation, their agents, heirs or assigns.
PILASTER
A projection of masonry or a filled cell area of masonry for the purpose of bearing concentration loads or to stiffen the wall against lateral forces.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING
A single main building or structure on a lot for specific use or occupancies.
RECREATIONAL DWELLING UNIT
A permanent structure occupied occasionally or seasonally solely for recreational purposes and not used as a principal residence.
REPAIR
The reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing building for the purpose of its maintenance. The word "repair" or "repairs" shall not apply to any change of construction.
REQUIRED
Mandatory by provisions of this chapter.
RESISTANCE, THERMAL (R)
A measure of the ability to retard the flow of heat. The R value is the reciprocal of a heat transfer coefficient, expressed by U (R = 1/U). The higher the R value of a material, the more difficult it is for heat to flow through the material.
ROOM
A space within a building or structure completely enclosed with walls, partitions, floor and ceiling except for necessary openings for light, ventilation, ingress and egress.
SHALL
As used herein, is mandatory. Same for "must."
SINGLE-WYTHE WALL
A masonry wall consisting of one unit thickness.
SMOKE CHAMBER
That part of a fireplace which acts as a funnel to compress the smoke and gases from the fire so that they will enter the chimney above.
SMOKE PIPE
A connector between the solid or liquid fuel-burning appliance and the chimney.
SQUARE FOOTAGE OF BUILDING
The actual area in square feet enclosed by the exterior perimeter of the building walls on each separate floor level.
STAIRWAY
One or more flights of steps, and the necessary platforms or landings connecting them, to form a continuous passage from one elevation to another.
STEP(S)
A unit(s) consisting of one riser and one tread, alone or in series.
STORY
That portion of a building located above the basement, between the floor and the ceiling.
STOVE
A nonportable, solid-fuel-burning, vented, nonducted, heat-producing appliance located in the space that it is intended to heat. This definition does not include cooking appliances.
STOVEPIPE
Same as smoke pipe.
STRAIN
A change in the physical shape of a material caused by stress.
STRESS
Internal resistance to an external force expressed in load per unit area; stresses acting perpendicular (compression or tension) to the surface, shear stresses acting in the plane of the surface, or bending stresses which cause curving.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
A branch of the physical sciences which uses the principles of mechanics in analyzing the impact of loads and forces and their effect on the physical properties of materials in the form of internal stress and strain.
STRUCTURE
As specifically regulated by this chapter, anything which is constructed, erected and framed of component parts and which is fastened, anchored or rests on a permanent foundation or on the ground for any occupancy or use whatsoever.
THERMAL TRANSMITTANCE (U)
Thermal transmittance (U) is the coefficient of heat transmission or thermal transmission (air to air) expressed in units of BTU per (hour) (square foot) (degree F). It is the time rate of heat flow. The U value applies to combinations of different materials used in series along the heat flow path and also to single materials that comprise a building section and includes cavity air spaces and surface-air films on both sides. The lower the U value of a material, the more difficult it is for heat to flow through the material.
THROAT
The throat of a fireplace is the slot-like opening above the firebox through which flames, smoke and other products of combustion pass into the smoke chamber.
UNUSUAL CONSTRUCTION
Any construction methods or materials not covered in this chapter.
VENT
A vertical flue or passageway to vent fuel-burning appliances.
VENT CONNECTOR
A connector between a fuel-burning appliance and the chimney or vent.
WALLS
As follows:
A. 
BEARING WALLA wall which supports any load in addition to its own weight.
B. 
CAVITY WALLA wall built of masonry units or of plain concrete, or a combination of these materials, so arranged as to provide an air space within the wall and in which the facing and backing (inner and outer parts) of the wall are tied together with metal ties.
C. 
CURTAIN WALLA nonbearing wall between columns or piers.
D. 
EXTERIOR WALLAn outer enclosing wall of a building or structure.
E. 
FACED WALLA wall in which the masonry facing and backing are so bonded as to exert common action under load.
F. 
NONBEARING WALLA wall which supports no load other than its own weight.
G. 
PANEL WALLA nonbearing wall in skeleton construction, built between columns or piers and wholly supported at each story.
H. 
PARTITIONAn interior vertical structure, usually of light construction, serving to enclose an area, room, space or division, extended from floor to ceiling and having wall surfaces of approved materials as permitted by this chapter.
I. 
RETAINING WALLWall used to resist laterally imposed pressures.
J. 
VENEERED WALLWall having masonry facing which is attached to the backing but not so bonded as to exert common action under load, also having outer facing for the purpose of providing ornamentation, protection or insulation.
WINDOW
A glazed opening in an exterior wall, including glazed portions of doors within a conditioned space.
WISCONSIN INSIGNIA
A device or seal approved by the Department to certify compliance with this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[3]
Editor's Note: The original definition of "dead load," which immediately followed this definition, was repealed at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[4]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[5]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[6]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).