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

Village of Howard’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Building projects inside Howard village

  • Exempt work under sec. 40-149 as quoted in Ordinance 2020-04: maintenance/repairs not exceeding $2,000 labor and materials (except electrical permit) that do not change use, affect structure, fire hazards, exits or light, or replace major equipment; siding and roofing repair on one- and two-family dwellings; residential accessory buildings and sheds under 100 sq ft (except electrical permit); wood decks 24 inches or less above grade; private satellite dishes; fences; short-term temporary buildings.
  • Exempt work must still comply with all other rules and zoning regulations.

  accessory building exemption: < 100 square feet (electrical permit still required)

  “residential accessory buildings and storage sheds less than 100 square feet in floor area except for an electrical permit;”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Building construction inside Howard village (municipal code chapter 40)

  • Ordinance 2020-04 concerns commercial electrical inspections; the full adopted code editions were not opened.

  “review and take action on ordinance 2020-04, amending the village of howard building code to allow the village of howard to continue electrical inspections.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Howard village (Brown County) limits

  • Village Planning and Zoning page lists rezoning, conditional use, variance and site plan applications; the village code text itself was not opened.

  “pursuant to wis. stat. 62.23(7)(d)4, any resident of the village of howard who wishes to receive notice of any proposed zoning action that may be taken under wis. stat. 62.23(7)(d) subd. 1.a. or b. or 2. that affects the allowable use of the person's property”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New and reconstructed driveways inside Howard village

  • Approval comes from the village department of public works as part of permit submittals.

  “driveway design approval from the department of public works for all new and reconstructed driveways.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  New buildings and additions in a regulatory floodplain district inside Howard village

  • Design must be prepared by a registered professional engineer or architect with certification of compliance with the village floodplain and shoreland wetland zoning code.

  “floodproofing design for all new buildings and all additions or alterations to existing buildings located in a regulatory floodplain district.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building permit fees inside Howard village

  • Fee amounts were not opened; only the existence of the published fee schedule on the village page is confirmed.

  “driveway approval form (pdf) fence and hedge regulations impervious surface area outdoor sales permit (pdf) permit fee schedule sewer water hook ups (pdf)”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit applications inside Howard village

  • Required submittals include plans, recorded survey or plat, site plan showing impervious surface, erosion control plan, energy calculations for new one- and two-family dwellings, water calculations for new village water connections, and driveway approval.
  • Plans may be waived for smaller projects if the application describes the work sufficiently.

  “permit applications will be processed only upon receipt of all required submittals.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Howard

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private on-site sewage disposal systems inside Howard village; the Brown County Zoning department issues the sanitary permit (rule-maker is Brown County, recorded as other because the schema does not allow county scope with municipality-specific geography)

  • Applies where a new building or addition requires connection to a private on-site sewage system, per the village's applicant information sheet.

  “sanitary permit or approval from the brown county zoning department for all new buildings and all additions or alterations to existing buildings requiring connection to a private on-site sewage disposal system.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New buildings and additions needing a private on-site sewage system inside Howard village; village requires the Brown County sanitary permit or approval before its building permit issues

  • Applies only where the building requires connection to a private on-site system (not public sewer).

  “sanitary permit or approval from the brown county zoning department for all new buildings and all additions or alterations to existing buildings requiring connection to a private on-site sewage disposal system.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Howard village
• Inspections — Inspections of building work inside Howard village
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new buildings inside Howard village
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Howard village
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size by district inside Howard 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.