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

Village of Hobart’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and structures moved, built, enlarged, altered, or demolished inside Hobart village.

  • Exceptions apply to minor repairs or alterations that, in the Director's opinion, do not affect listed building characteristics.

  “No building or structure or any part thereof shall hereafter be moved, built, enlarged, altered, or demolished within the Village, except as hereinafter provided, unless a permit therefor shall first be obtained by the owner, or his agent, from the Village.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures erected and altered within Hobart village.

  • The chapter incorporates the State Uniform Dwelling Code and cited Wisconsin Administrative Code provisions by reference.

  “The State Uniform Dwelling Code and all referenced codes and amendments thereto are adopted and incorporated into this Code by reference.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Applicable phases of permitted buildings and structures inside Hobart village.

  • Applicant or authorized representative must request applicable phase inspections; final inspection occurs after completion and before occupancy.

  “The permit applicant or an authorized representative shall, in writing or orally, request inspections of the following applicable phases of any building or structure:”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Permitted buildings and structures inside Hobart village.

  • The code requires final inspection before occupancy; this finding does not establish a separately issued certificate of occupancy for every project.

  “Final inspection after completion of all code requirements and prior to occupancy to determine compliance with all requirements of this code and terms of the permit.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Hobart village limits.

  • District-specific regulations in Chapter 295 apply.

  “Part III Land Use Legislation [...] Chapter 295 Zoning (§ 295-1 – § 295-384)”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Hobart village.

  • District rules are codified in Chapter 295.

  “Article VI R-1 Residential District [...] Article VII R-2 Residential District [...] Article VIII R-3 Residential District”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family residential dwellings in the A-1 Agricultural District inside Hobart village.

  • Applies to a single-family dwelling in A-1.

  minimum dwelling size: >= 1200 square feet (single family)

  “Minimum size of residential dwelling shall be 1,200 square feet for a single family.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  A-1 Agricultural District inside Hobart village.

  • A-1 also requires 200 feet minimum zoning-lot frontage.

  minimum lot area: >= 5 acres · minimum zoning lot frontage: >= 200 feet

  “Area: five acres minimum. Zoning lot frontage: 200 feet minimum.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal structures in the A-1 Agricultural District inside Hobart village.

  • Accessory buildings and driveways have separate measurements in the same table.

  front yard: >= 40 feet (from right-of-way) · side yard: >= 25 feet · rear yard: >= 25 feet

  “Front yard | 40 feet minimum from right-of-way | 40 feet minimum from right-of-way | 10 feet from property line Side yard | 25 feet minimum | 25 feet minimum | 10 feet from property line Rear yard | 25 feet minimum | 25 feet minimum | 10 feet from property line”

• Septic permitRequired

  A structure intended for human occupancy on Hobart land not served by public municipal sewer.

  • A valid holding-tank permit or valid septic-tank permit must accompany the Village building-permit application.

  “Application for a building permit for a structure intended for human occupancy on lands not served by public, municipal sewer shall be approved only if said application is accompanied by a valid holding tank permit or a valid septic tank permit.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Human-occupancy structures on Hobart land not served by public municipal sewer.

  • A valid holding-tank permit or septic-tank permit is required as a condition of building-permit approval.

  “Application for a building permit for a structure intended for human occupancy on lands not served by public, municipal sewer shall be approved only if said application is accompanied by a valid holding tank permit or a valid septic tank permit.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Any structure seeking a Village building permit inside Hobart village.

  • The road that offers access must be approved, whether it is public or private.

  “Application for a building permit for any structure shall require approval of the road offering access to said structure, whether said structure is erected on public roads or private roads.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Tourist rooming houses and short-term rentals operating inside Hobart village.

  • Chapter 240 contains short-term-rental and property-manager license provisions; operative licensing conditions require further extraction.

  “No person may maintain, manage, or operate a short-term rental more than 10 nights each year without a short-term rental license.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Village building permits.

  • Amount is established by Village Board resolution; fee schedule is published and available at the Village Clerk's office.

  “The building permit fee shall be paid to the Village Clerk and shall be in an amount as established by the Village Board by resolution, a schedule of which fees shall be published by the Village Board and available at the office of the Village Clerk.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Village building-permit applications.

  • Application is written and must provide information reasonably necessary to determine code compliance; plans generally require two complete sets, subject to the stated waiver.

  “Application for a permit shall be made in writing to the Village providing all information necessary to reasonably determine the proposed project complies with all applicable codes.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Hobart village.
• Lot coverage — Land inside Hobart village.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Hobart village.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Hobart village.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Hobart village.

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 Hobart 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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