Masonry Building Cleaning: Sandblasting.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 80-29
in effect80-29. Masonry Building Cleaning: Sandblasting.
1. PERMIT REQUIRED. No person, firm or corporation shall undertake to clean the exterior of an existing masonry building without first obtaining a permit from the department of neighborhood services. When chemical or abrasive cleaning or sandblasting methods are to be used, the applicant must file a notarized statement stating familiarity with and intent to comply with the environmental regulations of the Wisconsin department of natural resources. When the public way is occupied by any materials, equipment, scaffolding and/or structures, a separate permit shall also be obtained from the commissioner of public works as provided in ss. 115-10 and 115-32.
2. TERMS OF THE PERMIT. a. A building cleaning permit shall be valid only for the number of days stated and for such hours as specified therein. Said permit shall be posted prominently on the site.
b. Precautionary measures such as drop curtains, canvas drops, coverings, and/or mixed sand and water methods which would effectively confine the disposal of particulate matter, fugitive dust, or other material must be utilized and specified in the permit so as not to create a public nuisance or to exceed air quality standards in accordance with the Wisconsin Statutes and ch. NR 400, Wis. Adm. Code.
c. If such cleaning is to be done with steam, the steam boiler and all of its accessories including piping hose and nozzle must be properly licensed as provided in ch. 223.
d. The chemical names or trade names of all detergents, chemicals, acids, and cleaning materials to be used in the cleaning of the building must be stated in the terms of the permit. All detergents, chemicals, and acids used in cleaning must be biodegradable, as well as nontoxic and noninjurious to life or property.
e. Paint strippers or paint removers required to remove lead-based paint from masonry shall be biodegradable, nontoxic, and noninjurious to life or property. The use of abrasives and caustic or lye-based paint removers is expressly prohibited.
f. The commissioner of neighborhood services shall not issue a permit for masonry building cleaning of an historic property unless a certificate of appropriateness has been issued by the historic preservation commission as provided in s. 320-21-11.
3. PERMIT FEE. See s. 60-57 for the required permit fee.
4. REVOCATION OF PERMIT. The commissioner of neighborhood services or the commissioner’s authorized representative shall have the authority to summarily halt the abrasive cleaning operation by suspension or revocation of the masonry building cleaning permit if the commissioner or the commissioner’s authorized representative finds the permit holder to be in violation of the terms of the permit as specified in sub. 2.
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/Volume-1/CH80.pdf#page=15Fetched: 10/26/2026