Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 16.87 (2026)
Approval of contracts by secretary and governor; audit
✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases:
SyfertCases citing this section
WI-LEGdocs.legis.wisconsin.gov
JustiaChapter on Justia
CornellLII Search
CasesGoogle Scholar
16.87(1)(a)(a) “Construction work” includes all labor and materials used in the framing or assembling of component parts in the erection, installation, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, conversion, razing, demolition or removal of any appliance, device, equipment, building, structure or facility.
16.87(1)(am)(am) “Disabled veteran-owned business” means a business certified by the department of administration under s. 16.283 (3).
16.87(1)(b)(b) “Environmental consultant services” includes services provided by environmental scientists, engineers and other experts.
16.87(2)(a)(a) A contract for engineering services or architectural services or a contract involving an expenditure of $10,000 or more for construction work, or $30,000 or more for limited trades work, to be done for or furnished to the state or a department, board, commission, or officer of the state is exempt from the requirements of ss. 16.705 and 16.75.
16.87(2)(b)(b) The department shall attempt to ensure that 5 percent of the total amount expended under this section in each fiscal year is paid to minority businesses, as defined in s. 16.75 (3m) (a) 4.
16.87(2)(c)(c) The department shall attempt to ensure that at least 1 percent of the total amount expended under this section in each fiscal year is paid to disabled veteran-owned businesses.
16.87(3)(3) Except as provided in sub. (4), a contract under sub. (2) is not valid or effectual for any purpose until it is endorsed in writing and approved by the secretary or the secretary’s designee and, if the contract involves an expenditure over $600,000, approved by the governor. Except as provided in sub. (4), no payment or compensation for work done under any contract involving $2,500 or more, except a highway contract, may be made unless the written claim is audited and approved by the secretary or the secretary’s designee. Any change order to a contract requiring approval under this subsection requires the prior approval by the secretary or the secretary’s designee and, if the change order involves an expenditure over $600,000, the approval of the governor.
16.87(4)(4) This section does not apply to contracts by the department of natural resources for environmental consultant services or engineering services for hazardous substance spill response under s. 292.11 or environmental repair under s. 292.31, or for environmental consultant services to assist in the preparation of an environmental impact statement or to provide preapplication services under s. 23.40.
16.87 HistoryHistory: 1973 c. 90; 1975 c. 39, 199; 1977 c. 418; 1979 c. 221 ss. 68, 81, 82; 1983 a. 27; 1983 a. 390 s. 6; 1985 a. 29 s. 3202 (1); 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 227; 1999 a. 197; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 391; 2009 a. 299; 2011 a. 32; 2011 a. 260 s. 80; 2013 a. 192; 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 237; 2023 a. 19.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 2
cases, 1983–1991 · leading case: J.F. Ahern Co. v. Wisconsin State Bldg. Comm'n, 336 N.W.2d 679 (Wis. Ct. App. 1983).
J.F. Ahern Co. v. Wisconsin State Bldg. Comm'n, 336 N.W.2d 679 (Wis. Ct. App. 1983). “, and sec. 16.87, Stats. 1977. Indeed, a contract involving the expenditure of $2,500 or more for construction work is ineffectual for any purpose unless it is indorsed in writing and approved by the secretary or the secretary’s designated assistant.”
Martinez v. Dep't of Indus., Labor & Human Relations, 466 N.W.2d 189 (Wis. Ct. App. 1991). “Because the governor had an absolute check on the commission's exercise of power pursuant to sec. 16.87, Stats. (1977), the commission's powers did not usurp executive powers or unduly burden the executive branch.”
— Wis. Stat. § 16.87(3) — 1 case
J.F. Ahern Co. v. Wisconsin State Bldg. Comm'n, 336 N.W.2d 679 (Wis. Ct. App. 1983). “, and sec. 16.87, Stats. 1977. Indeed, a contract involving the expenditure of $2,500 or more for construction work is ineffectual for any purpose unless it is indorsed in writing and approved by the secretary or the secretary’s designated assistant.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.