Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Bellevue, Wisconsin

Village of Bellevue’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Building, additions, alterations, structural changes, and major mechanical-system extensions inside Bellevue village limits.

  • Restoration or repair to a previous code-compliant condition may be exempted by the Building Inspector.
  • Work may not commence before permit issuance.
  • A permit fee is doubled on the first failure to obtain a permit before a construction phase, tripled on the second offense, and quadrupled on the third offense.

  “No person shall build, add onto, or alter any structure without first obtaining a building permit.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building construction inside Bellevue village limits.

  • The listed Wisconsin Administrative Codes, referenced codes and standards, and subsequent revisions are adopted for municipal enforcement by the Building Inspector.

  “The following Wisconsin Administrative Codes, their referenced codes and standards, and subsequent revisions are adopted for municipal enforcement by the Building Inspector, who shall be residentially and commercially certified by the Wisconsin Division of Safety and Buildings:”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Land and buildings subject to Bellevue's floodplain regulations.

  • Does not apply where no permit is required.
  • Application is concurrent with the permit application.
  • If ordinance provisions are met, the certificate is issued within 10 days after written completion notice.

  “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 Zoning Administrator, except where no permit is required, subject to the following provisions:”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Bellevue village limits.

  • Chapter 500 was adopted by the Bellevue Board on December 10, 2014; amendments are noted where applicable.

  “[Adopted by the Bellevue Board 12-10-2014. Amendments noted where applicable.]”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Bellevue village limits.

  • Residential districts include R-1, R1-60, R1-75, R-2, R-3, RR, and RMM.
  • The ordinance also publishes business, industrial, agricultural, public-use, institutional, conservancy, traditional-neighborhood-development, and planned-development district parts.

  “Part 500-500 Residential Districts (§ 500-501 – § 500-511) [...] Part 500-600 Business Districts (§ 500-601 – § 500-607) [...] Part 500-700 Industrial Districts (§ 500-701 – § 500-707) [...] Part 500-800 Agricultural Districts (§ 500-801 – § 500-806)”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Trailers, including travel trailers, outside an approved mobile-home park inside Bellevue village limits.

  • A special written permit requires hardship and/or immediate necessity, written consent, and is limited to 60 days for one premises in any 12-month period.
  • Only one trailer may receive a permit on a premises outside a park.
  • One unoccupied mobile home or travel trailer may be parked or stored, but no living quarters may be maintained or business practiced in it.

  maximum special-permit duration: <= 60 days (Per premises in any 12-month period.)

  “Upon a showing of hardship and/or immediate necessity for use, the Community Development Director or designee may issue special written permits allowing the location of a mobile home outside of a mobile home park for a period not to exceed 60 days for any one premises in any twelve-month period.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Divisions of land within Bellevue village limits.

  • A subdivision plat must be prepared, approved, and recorded under Chapter 410 and Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 236.
  • A division creating parcels of 10 acres or less that does not require a subdivision plat must have a certified survey map prepared, approved, and recorded.
  • Specified exceptions apply to certain divisions of fewer than five parcels, including transfers by will or court order, certain leases/mortgages/easements, certain boundary adjustments, and parcels over 35 acres.

  “Subdivision. Any division of land within the Village which results in a subdivision as defined herein shall have a plat thereof prepared, approved and recorded as required by this chapter and Ch. 236, Wis. Stats.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development, repair, modification, additions, and changes of building or structure use in areas governed by Bellevue's floodplain regulations.

  • The application is made to the Zoning Administrator.
  • The rule includes sewer and water facilities.
  • Before a floodplain development permit, the applicant must secure necessary federal, state, and local permits.
  • Permits expire no more than 180 days after issuance and may be extended up to 180 days for good and sufficient cause.

  permit expiration: <= 180 days (May be extended a maximum of 180 days for good and sufficient cause.)

  “A land use permit shall be obtained before any 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)

  Village building permits.

  • The Village Board determines and approves the fee.
  • Chapter 188 supplies multipliers for permits obtained after construction begins.

  “The building permit fee shall be determined and approved by the Village Board.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Village building-permit applications inside Bellevue village limits.

  • Village-required building permits must be submitted to the Building Inspector on forms provided under the Village Zoning Ordinance.
  • No work may commence before permit issuance.

  “Building permits required by the Village shall be submitted to the Building Inspector on forms provided as per Article XXXVII of the Village Zoning Ordinance. No work shall commence until the issuance of such permit.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Bellevue

Village of Bellevue 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 sizeSpecified

  Dwellings in the R-1, R-2, and RR zoning districts inside Bellevue village limits.

  • The main building must also have an enclosed garage for one or more cars; a required detached garage may not exceed 600 square feet.

  minimum floor area, one- or two-bedroom dwelling: 1000 square feet (R-1, R-2, and RR districts.) · minimum floor area, three-bedroom dwelling: 1125 square feet (R-1, R-2, and RR districts.) · minimum floor area, four-bedroom dwelling: 1300 square feet (R-1, R-2, and RR districts.) · minimum floor area, five-bedroom dwelling: 1600 square feet (R-1, R-2, and RR districts.) · minimum floor area, six-bedroom-or-more dwelling: 2000 square feet (R-1, R-2, and RR districts.)

  “One-bedroom dwelling: 1,000 square feet. [...] Two-bedroom dwelling: 1,000 square feet. [...] Three-bedroom dwelling: 1,125 square feet. [...] Four-bedroom dwelling: 1,300 square feet. [...] Five-bedroom dwelling: 1,600 square feet. [...] Six-bedroom or more dwelling: 2,000 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 and RR zoning districts inside Bellevue village limits.

  • The stated figures distinguish lots with public sewer from lots without public sewer.

  R-1 minimum lot area with public sewer: 11000 square feet (Single-family detached dwelling.) · R-1 minimum lot area without public sewer: 40000 square feet (Single-family detached dwelling.) · RR minimum lot area: 5 acres (Single-family detached dwelling, with or without public sewer.)

  “Single-family detached dwelling | 11,000 | 6,000 | 7,500 | 12,000 | 13,000 | 5 acres [...] Without public sewer [...] Single-family detached dwelling | 40,000 | — | — | — | — | 5 acres”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Primary structures in R-1 and RR zoning districts inside Bellevue village limits.

  • Front and corner-side setbacks are measured from the right-of-way.

  R-1 primary front setback: 30 feet (From right-of-way.) · R-1 primary side setback: 8 feet (Each side.) · R-1 primary rear setback: 25 feet · RR primary front setback: 30 feet (From right-of-way.) · RR primary side setback: 10 feet (Each side.) · RR primary rear setback: 25 feet

  “Front yard (from ROW) | 30 | 25 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 30 [...] Side yard | 8 each | 6 each | 6 each | 8 each | 20 each | 10 each [...] Rear yard | 25 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 25”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 and RR zoning districts inside Bellevue village limits.

  R-1 maximum impervious surface coverage: 50 percent · RR maximum impervious surface coverage: 40 percent

  “Maximum Impervious Surface Coverage [...] 50% | 65% | 60% | 50% | 50% | 40%”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Primary structures in R-1 and RR zoning districts inside Bellevue village limits.

  • Detached accessory structures may not exceed five feet over the principal structure or the district maximum, whichever is less.

  maximum primary-structure height, R-1: 35 feet · maximum primary-structure height, RR: 35 feet

  “Primary structures | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Bellevue or Brown County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction inside Bellevue village limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Bellevue village limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Bellevue village limits.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Bellevue village limits.
• Who permits septic — Private onsite wastewater systems inside Bellevue village limits.

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 Village of Bellevue 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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