Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Preston, Wisconsin

Town of Preston’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New buildings, structures, moves, enlargements, alterations, demolitions, and uses in Preston town covered by Adams County's building program.

  • Exceptions are those exempted in § 166-19.
  • parameters and plan requirements may be required by the Building Inspector.

  “No building of any kind shall be moved within or into Adams County and no new building or structure or any part thereof, as defined in § 166-5, except as exempted in § 166-19, shall hereafter be erected, or ground broken for the same, or enlarged, altered, demolished or used within Adams County except as herein provided, until a permit therefor shall first have been obtained by the owner or his authorized agent.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Permitted floodplain-regulated construction or use in Preston town under Adams County floodplain administration.

  • The certificate is not required where no permit is required.
  • If ordinance provisions are met, issuance is within 10 days after written notification that permitted work is complete.

  “Certificate of compliance. No land shall be occupied or used and no building which is hereafter constructed, altered, added to, modified, repaired, rebuilt or replaced shall be occupied until a certificate of compliance is issued by the Planning and Zoning Administrator, except where no permit is required, subject to the following provisions:”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on individual lots in Preston town in districts where recreational vehicles are a permitted use.

  • The RV must not be a permanent installation, must remain mobile, and must be licensed for highway use.
  • Other general RV rules include a maximum 45-foot length and 8-foot-6-inch body width.

  maximum RV length: <= 45 feet · maximum RV body width: <= 8 feet 6 inches

  “Recreational vehicles/camping units shall have a length of 45 feet or less and a body width of eight feet six inches or less.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping on individual lots in Preston town in districts where camping is a permitted use.

  • No more than two camping units may be located on a parcel.
  • The unit may not be permanent, must remain mobile, must be highway licensed if applicable, and requires acceptable sewage and gray-water disposal.

  maximum camping units per parcel: <= 2 units

  “No more than two camping units shall be located on any parcel;”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Tiny homes in Preston town subject to Adams County comprehensive zoning.

  • Tiny homes are restricted to licensed campgrounds.

  “Tiny homes are allowed only in licensed campgrounds.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater systems serving structures in Preston town.

  • State action may also be required for a proposed POWTS design.

  “Refers to a permit issued by the state or governmental unit (Adams County Planning and Zoning Department) responsible for the regulation of private sewage systems per § 145.19, Wis. Stats.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Structures in Preston town that require connection to a private onsite wastewater treatment system.

  • A separate application and sanitary permit is required for every POWTS installation, component replacement or modification, permit renewal, revision, transfer, or change of plumber.
  • Applications and design plans must be submitted to Adams County Planning and Zoning with appropriate documentation and review fees.

  “A sanitary permit shall be obtained prior to issuance of a building permit for construction, establishment or installation of a structure requiring connection to a POWTS per § 145.195, Wis. Stats. Every POWTS installation, component replacement and/or modification, permit renewal, revision, transfer or change of plumber shall require a separate application and sanitary permit.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New or replacement POWTS and non-plumbing sanitation installations, repairs, modifications, testing, or reconnections in Preston town.

  • State or Adams County Planning and Zoning exemptions may apply.
  • The system must be inspected and approved before placement into service or occupancy/use of a structure it serves.

  “All POWTS or non-plumbing sanitation systems new or replacement installations, repairs, modification, testing or reconnections shall be inspected and approved by the Adams County Planning and Zoning Department prior to being placed into service or any structure served by the same may not be occupied or used unless otherwise exempted by the state or the Adams County Planning and Zoning Department pursuant to this article.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Floodplain-regulated development in Preston town administered by Adams County Planning and Zoning.

  • Occupancy or use is prohibited until a certificate of compliance is issued, except where no permit is required.
  • The certificate confirms conformity with the chapter; application is concurrent with permit application.

  “Land use (zoning) permit. A land use permit shall be obtained before any new development, repair, modification or addition to an existing structure or change in the use of a building or structure, including sewer and water facilities, may be initiated.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Adams County sanitary permits and related wastewater reviews for Preston town.

  • Fees are required as part of a permit application and for sanitary document review and inspections.
  • The Planning and Zoning Committee may set and amend fees from time to time.

  “Monetary fees are herein established to defray the cost of administration of this article and shall be required as part of a permit application and for, but not limited to, sanitary document review and inspections. The fees shall be set and amended from time to time by the Adams County Planning and Zoning Committee.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Preston

Town of Preston does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Zoned property inside Preston town; the applicable minimum dwelling size is set by the property's Adams County zoning district.

  • Only livable floor space is included, measured outside wall to outside wall.
  • Individual districts may also impose minimum structure widths.

  “Minimum dwelling size. The minimum livable floor area of any dwelling unit shall include only livable floor space, as measured from outside of wall to outside of wall, and may also include minimum structure widths, as provided for in individual districts.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Zoned property inside Preston town; applicable lot area and width are set by the property's Adams County zoning district.

  • No building may be erected on a lot with less area or width than the district regulation specifies.
  • The cited section references § 400-65 for exceptions.

  “No building shall be erected on a lot of less area or lot width than as specified by the regulations of the district in which such building is located. Exceptions: See § 400-65.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Zoned property inside Preston town; applicable setbacks are set by the property's Adams County zoning district.

  • Existing setbacks, open space, or lot area may not be reduced below district requirements.

  “No lot area shall be reduced so as to create a lot of less than the required size or so that the existing setbacks, open space, or lot area would be reduced below that required by the regulations for the district in which such lot is located.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Zoned property inside Preston town; maximum ground coverage is set by the applicable Adams County zoning district.

  • The total includes the principal building and all accessory buildings and structures.

  “Maximum ground coverage permitted. The maximum total ground coverage of the principal building and all accessory buildings and structures shall not exceed that specified by the regulations for the district in which such buildings are located.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Preston or Adams County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction in Preston town.
• Inspections — Building construction in Preston town.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Preston town.
• Building height — Building height in Preston town.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy in Preston town.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Preston means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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