Service area · Waukesha County
Exterior painting, roofing and windows in Oconomowoc
C&L Property Improvements is a family-owned company based in Muskego, about 31 road miles southeast of Oconomowoc, and it serves the City of Oconomowoc with painting, roofing, window, siding and remodeling work. The city's housing runs from summer-resort era houses by the lakes to subdivisions built in the last few years.
- Population
- 18,203 (2020 Census); 20,971 (2026 state estimate)
- Median year built
- 1982 (±5 years)
- Built before 1940
- 13.5% of units
- Owner-occupied
- 69.1% of occupied homes
- Drive from Muskego
- About 31 miles, ~48 min
- Roofing permit fee (2026)
- $8 per $1,000 of valuation
The Newport of the West, and the new edges
The City's own history says that “from the 1870s until the Great Depression, Oconomowoc was known as the ‘Newport of the West,’” when wealthy families built summer homes on its lakes. That era left a real share of old housing: 13.5% of units date from before 1940, a higher share than the City of Waukesha's 11.5%. Nearly half the stock, 48.5%, predates 1980.
The other half is recent and still arriving. The Census counted 18,203 residents in 2020; the state's estimate for January 2026 is 20,971, a rise of about 15% in six years. The median year built is 1982, and the 51.5% of units built in 1980 or later mostly fall under the state's Uniform Dwelling Code, which covers homes started on or after June 1, 1980.
Those two groups need different work. Older houses tend to mean wood trim with a long paint history, older windows, and lead paint to plan around on anything built before 1978. Newer houses raise questions about first roof replacements, window seals and interiors. On either kind, a cold climate makes prep and timing count for exterior paint.
What homeowners in Oconomowoc most often need
Painting older wood houses
On a wood-sided house, most of a lasting paint job is preparation: washing, scraping to sound paint, repairing soft wood, and priming bare spots. Timing matters too. Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore rate some premium exterior lines to 35°F, but Sherwin-Williams also requires that temperatures hold above that for 48 hours, and it says standard latex primers cannot go on below 50°F. See exterior painting.
Exterior PaintingWindows in older and newer homes
The City's published fee schedule does not list window replacement, and we found no written rule either way, so ask Building Inspection before ordering. On a pre-1978 house, any window replacement is covered by Wisconsin's lead-safe rule. See windows and doors.
Windows & DoorsRoof replacement
Roofing appears on the 2026 fee schedule at $8 per $1,000 of valuation, and under City code, fees double for work started before a permit is issued. On a code-covered home with a slope of 4:12 or less, ice-dam protection is required at the eaves. See roofing.
RoofingRemodels, large and small
Remodeling carries the same $8 per $1,000 valuation fee with a $50 minimum. Older houses bring plaster, old wiring and lead to plan for; newer ones usually open up more easily. See home remodeling.
Home RemodelingPermits in the City of Oconomowoc
The City's 2026 residential fee schedule lists “Roofing $8.00 per $1,000 of valuation,” the same rate for siding, and “Remodel $8.00 per $1,000 of valuation, $50.00 minimum.” A listed fee implies a permit, but we did not find a published page that states plainly which exterior projects need one, and window replacement is not addressed. Confirm your project with City Building Inspection before work starts.
Two practical rules are clearer. Fees are doubled when work starts before the permit (City code 14.101(8)(e)), and a dumpster in the right-of-way needs Public Works approval and may stay no more than 15 days. Applications go through the City's OpenGov portal.
This applies only inside City limits. Parts of the surrounding area are now the Village of Lac La Belle, and the Village of Oconomowoc Lake is separate again, each with its own permit process. The Waukesha County page explains the recent boundary changes.
City of Oconomowoc Building Inspection (opens in a new tab)
Sources
- 1.City of Oconomowoc, 2026 development fees (opens in a new tab)
- 2.City of Oconomowoc, Permits (opens in a new tab)
- 3.City of Oconomowoc, History (opens in a new tab)
- 4.WI DOA preliminary estimates, 1/1/2026 (opens in a new tab)
- 5.Wisconsin DNR lake page, Lac La Belle (opens in a new tab)
- 6.Wisconsin DNR lake page, Fowler Lake (opens in a new tab)
- 7.Wisconsin DNR lake page, Oconomowoc Lake (opens in a new tab)
- 8.TMJ4, Lac La Belle sued over merger with Town of Oconomowoc (news report) (opens in a new tab)
- 9.Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 110.03, permits (opens in a new tab)
- 10.Sherwin-Williams, Exterior product application FAQs (opens in a new tab)
- 11.2020 Census, P.L. 94-171 (opens in a new tab)
- 12.ACS 2020–2024 5-year, tables B25034/B25035/B25003 (opens in a new tab)
- 13.OSRM route from Muskego City Hall (opens in a new tab)
Three lakes, three governments
The Wisconsin DNR lists Lac La Belle at 1,154 acres, Fowler Lake at 97 acres and Oconomowoc Lake at 818 acres with a maximum depth of 60 ft. The water is shared by different governments. The Village of Oconomowoc Lake is its own municipality, and on January 1, 2025 most of the former Town of Oconomowoc, including the community of Okauchee, became part of the Village of Lac La Belle. A few scattered parcels remain a town. The City and the Village of Oconomowoc Lake went to court over that merger, and we have not verified where the case stands.
Questions from Oconomowoc
I have an Oconomowoc mailing address. Do I get permits from the City?
Only if the property is inside City limits. It may instead be in the Village of Lac La Belle, the Village of Oconomowoc Lake or what remains of the Town of Oconomowoc. Your property tax bill names the municipality.
What happens if work starts before the permit?
The City doubles the permit fee. Under Wisconsin's home-improvement rules, a contractor may not start work until all required state and local permits have been issued anyway.
When can the outside of the house be painted?
The dependable window here runs roughly May through September. Spring and fall work depends on the forecast, especially overnight lows and dew. The exterior painting season guide explains the temperature limits.
How far is Oconomowoc from C&L?
About 31 miles by road, roughly 48 minutes without traffic, at the western edge of the Waukesha County area we serve. Estimates are free and done in person.
Free estimates · Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–6 p.m. · Sat 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
A free estimate in Oconomowoc.
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.