Milwaukee County · about 9 miles east of Muskego
Roofing, siding and remodeling for Franklin homes
Half of Franklin's houses were built in 1990 or later, so most jobs here are on homes covered by Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code, in a city that requires permits for both re-roofing and re-siding and sends metal roofs to architectural review.
- Population (2020 Census)
- 36,816
- Median year built
- 1990 (ACS 2020–2024, ±2 yrs)
- Homes built before 1980
- 34.1%
- Owner-occupied homes
- 77.3%
- Drive from Muskego
- 9.0 mi east, about 21 min
- Re-roof permit
- Required per Franklin Inspection Services; $95 minimum plus $10 technology fee
A suburb that mostly arrived after 1980
Franklin began to shift from farmland to suburb in the early 1950s and became a city on August 15, 1956, according to the Encyclopedia of Milwaukee. Most of its housing came much later. The Census Bureau's 2020–2024 estimates put the median build year at 1990, with just 34.1% of homes built before 1980 and 3.0% before 1940. That is a younger housing stock than Greenfield's, Greendale's or Hales Corners'.
It makes Franklin a city of dwelling-code houses. Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code covers homes started on or after June 1, 1980, and alterations to those homes have to meet the code in force when the work is permitted. For a re-roof that means the two-layer limit and, on roofs of 4:12 slope or less over heated space, ice-dam protection at least 30 in. up from the roof edge and 12 in. past the inside face of the exterior wall.
The typical job here is replacing things for the first time: original roofs, the first round of siding and windows, and kitchens and bathrooms from the 1990s. Homes built in 1978 or later fall outside Wisconsin's lead-safe renovation rule entirely, but the third of the city built before 1980 can still fall inside it, and a pre-1978 house in Franklin is treated the same as one in Milwaukee.
What homeowners in Franklin most often need
Re-roofing, and the metal-roof review
Franklin requires a building permit for replacement roofs, and the permit needs the contractor's state credentials. If you are weighing metal, allow time: the city states that metal roofing requires Architectural Review Board approval. A complete roofing estimate for a 1990s house names the tear-off, the ice barrier coverage, the attic ventilation plan and the flashing at every wall and chimney.
RoofingSiding changes that need approval
Replacement siding needs a permit, and changing the siding type or the direction it runs can also require Architectural Review Board approval. That matters if you're moving from vinyl to fiber cement or adding vertical siding on the gables. Siding done right includes the water-resistive barrier, window and door flashing, and kickout flashing where a roof eave meets a wall.
SidingBathrooms original to the house
Many Franklin bathrooms are original to houses built around 1990. The city bills kitchens, baths and basement build-outs at $0.45 per sq ft of work area with a $165 minimum. A bathroom remodel on a dwelling-code house has to include exhaust of 50 cfm intermittent or 20 cfm continuous, vented outdoors, and a shower is the place for cement board and a sheet waterproofing membrane.
Bathroom RemodelingKitchens are permitted work
Franklin requires a permit to "remodel any living space," so a kitchen that moves walls, plumbing or wiring is permitted work. The kitchen remodeling page covers the work; the kitchen remodeling cost guide covers what drives the price, including Franklin's per-square-foot permit fee.
Kitchen RemodelingFranklin permits and architectural review
Franklin Inspection Services states that "building permits are required for the installation of replacement roofs" and "for the installation of new and replacement siding." Both applications require the contractor's state certifications. The city also notes that "State Code allows a maximum of two layers of shingles."
Fees come from Ordinance 2025-2714, effective December 2, 2025, or on publication if later. Re-roofing and re-siding are listed at $60.00 for residential work, but the $95.00 minimum permit fee plus a $10.00 technology fee applies. Kitchens, baths and basement build-outs run $0.45 per sq ft of work area, $165 minimum. Work started without a permit is charged triple fees on a first offense and quadruple after that.
Two decisions go beyond the permit: metal roofing needs Architectural Review Board approval, and so may a change in siding type or direction. Franklin's pages address egress windows but not like-for-like window replacement, so ask Inspection Services before ordering windows.
City of Franklin Inspection Services (opens in a new tab)
Sources
- 1.City of Franklin, Re-roofing (opens in a new tab)
- 2.City of Franklin, Re-siding (opens in a new tab)
- 3.City of Franklin, Permits issued by Inspection Services (opens in a new tab)
- 4.City of Franklin, Schedule of Building Permit Fees, Ord. 2025-2714 (opens in a new tab)
- 5.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 (opens in a new tab)
- 6.U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year, B25035 (opens in a new tab)
- 7.OSRM route from Muskego City Hall (approximate) (opens in a new tab)
Muskego's neighbor across the county line
Franklin's western boundary is Muskego's eastern one, and the line between them is also the line between Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. The older community name Saint Martins survives inside Franklin. C&L serves Franklin as part of Milwaukee County.
One population note: the 2020 Census counted 36,816 residents, while the state's Department of Administration uses a base of 36,116 after reassigning 700 residents to the City of Milwaukee.
Questions from Franklin
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Franklin?
Yes. Franklin requires a building permit for replacement roofs, and the application needs the contractor's state credentials. For residential re-roofing, the $95.00 minimum permit fee plus a $10.00 technology fee applies.
Can I put a metal roof on my house in Franklin?
Possibly, but not on a building permit alone. Franklin states that metal roofing requires Architectural Review Board approval, so build that review into your timeline before ordering material.
Does changing my siding style in Franklin need approval?
Replacement siding always needs a permit. Changing the type of siding or the direction it runs may also need Architectural Review Board approval, so describe the change when you apply.
Do Franklin homes need lead-safe painting?
Only the older ones. Wisconsin's lead-safe renovation rule covers homes built before 1978. With a median build year of 1990, most Franklin houses are outside it, but about a third were built before 1980, so check your house's year before exterior prep or window work.
Free estimates · Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–6 p.m. · Sat 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
A free estimate in Franklin.
What needs doing, roughly how old the house is, and when you would like it done. C&L will set up a time to look at it in person.