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

Town of Dovre’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, remodeling, alteration, expansion, or enlargement of buildings and structures inside Dovre town.

  • Exempts buildings or structures exempted by the town ordinance.
  • A building permit is acquired from the Town of Dovre Board for approval and issued by the Building Inspector.

  “Town of Dovre requires Building Permits for the construction, remodeling, alteration, expansion, or enlargement of all Dwellings, Manufactured Homes, commercial buildings/structures, swimming pools/hot tubs, garages, new camping units as defined in Wis. Admin. Code § SPS 327.08(9), outbuildings, and all other buildings and structures, except as such buildings or structures are exempt by this Ordinance.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Land divisions and residential development inside Dovre town.

  minimum lot size: 2 acres

  “Town of Dovre has 2 acre minimum lot size and all land divisions of less than 17 acres need to be shown on a Certified Survey Map, and approved by the Town of Dovre and Barron County.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Dwellings and development adjacent to town or county highways and adjoining properties inside Dovre town.

  • The stated highway setback applies to county and town highways.
  • The adjoining-property setback is stated for dwellings.

  highway setback from right-of-way: >= 50 feet (County and town highways; alternatively 83 feet from centerline, whichever is greater.) · highway setback from centerline: >= 83 feet (County and town highways; alternatively 50 feet from right-of-way, whichever is greater.) · dwelling setback from adjoining-property boundary: 50 feet

  “The setback from county and town highways shall be 50 feet from the right of way or 83 feet from the centerline of such highway whichever is greater. The dwelling setback from boundary line of adjoining properties shall be 50 feet.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems inside Dovre town.

  • Barron County Zoning reviews septic permits and inspections.

  “All septic permits and inspections are reviewed by Barron County Zoning.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Septic-system work inside Dovre town.

  • All septic permits are reviewed by Barron County Zoning.

  “A Sanitary Permit is required prior to the installation of a private sewage system.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Dovre town that are less than 17 acres.

  • The land division must be shown on a Certified Survey Map.
  • The Certified Survey Map must be approved by both Dovre town and Barron County.

  land-division threshold: < 17 acres (Land divisions less than 17 acres.)

  “Town of Dovre has 2 acre minimum lot size and all land divisions of less than 17 acres need to be shown on a Certified Survey Map, and approved by the Town of Dovre and Barron County.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways accessing Dovre town roads inside Dovre town.

  • The town document states that driveway permits are required on all Dovre town roads.
  • The driveway application must be approved by the Town Board before proceeding.

  “Town of Dovre requires Driveway Permits on all Dovre Town Roads.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Driveway permits inside Dovre town.

  • The $25 fee is stated in the driveway-application procedure.
  • If a required culvert and endwalls are supplied by the town, the owner is billed at town cost for those items.

  driveway permit application fee: 25 USD

  “Obtain the driveway application and ordinance from our Patrolperson or Town Clerk. The fee is $25.00.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Driveway permits inside Dovre town.

  • Applicant obtains the application and ordinance from the patrolperson or town clerk.
  • The patrolperson assesses culvert needs and forwards the application to the chairperson; final approval is at the next regular town board meeting.
  • Use of the proposed driveway is allowed during review so as not to hinder construction.

  “The Patrolperson will assess the property for the need of a culvert and advise you accordingly. The patrolperson will forward the application to the Chairman, who will visit the property and may grant provisional approval for the location. Final approval will be determined at the next regular Town Board Meeting.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction inside Dovre town.
• Building code adopted — Building work inside Dovre town.
• Inspections — Building work inside Dovre town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of structures inside Dovre town.
• Local zoning — Land inside Dovre town, Wisconsin.

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 Dovre 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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