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

Town of Bloomer’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Improvements to property inside Bloomer town valued at $5,000 or more, such as additions, alterations, dwellings, barns, sheds, garages, basements and decorative or privacy fences (town land use/building permit)

  • Reroofing, residing, or replacing windows does not need a permit (town FAQ).
  • Portable or movable structures count: a structure on wheels or skids, or a tarp over a framework, needs a permit if valued at $5,000 or more.
  • Well, sanitary, soil erosion and UDC inspection permits are issued by Chippewa County, not the town.
  • Shoreland and floodplain areas also require a Chippewa County land use permit.

  land use permit valuation threshold: >= 5000 USD

  “a land use/building permit is required at any point that you are making an improvement to your property (ie: decorative/privacy fence, addition, alteration, dwelling, barn, shed, garage, basement, etc.) valued at $5,000 or more.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Bloomer town's limits that is not in the shoreland or floodplain zones: the town's own Zoning, Land Use and Building Ordinance administered by the town zoning administrator

  • Land within 300 feet of a stream or river, within 1000 feet of a lake or pond, or within a floodplain is governed by the state shoreland zoning ordinance and the floodplain ordinance administered by Chippewa County (town zoning page).
  • Ordinance text is not cited here: the town's official copy link was not located; the 2018-02 ordinance text was seen only on a third-party mirror (energyzoning.org).

  “the town of bloomer is a zoned township governed by four zoning ordinances depending upon geographic location and/or hydrologic features.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions (creating new lots) inside Bloomer town

  • The planning commission recommends and the town board approves; approval by Chippewa County is also required (town zoning page).
  • The town lists a Land Division Ordinance 2021-02 on its ordinances page; its text was not opened.

  “the planning commission makes recommendations to amend the zoning ordinance, rezone parcels, issue conditional use permits, make land divisions, etc. for the town board to approve, which in turn require approval by chippewa county.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways that connect to town roads inside Bloomer town

  • Driveways off county roads are permitted by the Chippewa County highway department, and driveways off state roads by WisDOT (town zoning page).
  • The FAQ says driveways off a town road are issued by the zoning administrator.

  “with regard to driveways, the governmental body having jurisdiction over a road issues driveway permits for those roads, such as the town of bloomer issues permits for the town roads, the chippewa county highway department for county roads, and the state of wisconsin department of transportation for state roads.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town land use permit fees for structures, driveways and signs inside Bloomer town

  • Permit cost is set by the size of the structure (town FAQ); the town fee schedule is linked from the zoning page but its amounts were not opened.
  • Building without a permit is fined at 2 times the original permit fee (town FAQ).

  fine for building without a permit: 2 multiple of original permit fee

  “the cost of the permit is determined by the size of the structure.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Bloomer

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

• InspectionsRequired

  Uniform Dwelling Code inspections for dwellings built inside Bloomer town (performed by Chippewa County, not the town)

  • The town does not perform UDC inspections; Chippewa County Planning and Zoning Department provides them (town zoning page).
  • County-administered rule applied countywide, including inside Bloomer town.

  “the town of bloomer does not issue well, sanitary, or soil erosion permits, nor does the town of bloomer perform any of the uniform dwelling code (udc) inspections. those permits and inspections are provided by the chippewa county planning and zoning department.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private on-site wastewater (septic) systems on land inside Bloomer town

  • The town does not issue sanitary permits (town zoning page).
  • The Chippewa County private sewage system ordinance is administered countywide, including inside Bloomer town.

  “the chippewa county private sewage system ordinance is administered county-wide.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing or buying a private on-site wastewater treatment system on land inside Bloomer town

  • Sanitary permit is issued by the county (the governmental unit responsible for private systems), not the town.
  • A sanitary permit is valid for 2 years from the date of issue and renewable for similar periods (Wis. Stat. 145.19(7)).
  • A $25 groundwater fee applies to each sanitary permit (Wis. Stat. 145.19(6)).

  groundwater fee per sanitary permit: 25 USD

  “no person may purchase or install a private on-site wastewater treatment system unless the owner of the property on which the private on-site wastewater treatment system is to be installed holds a valid sanitary permit issued under this section.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New private on-site wastewater treatment system installed inside Bloomer town

  • Inspection is performed by the responsible governmental unit (Chippewa County) after construction and before backfilling (Wis. Stat. 145.20(2)(d)).
  • The county also requires mandatory tank maintenance or pumping since 1985 (county POWTS page).

  “inspect all private on-site wastewater treatment systems after construction but before backfilling no later than the end of the next workday, excluding saturdays, sundays and holidays, after receiving notice from the plumber in charge.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Dwellings inside Bloomer town with running water plumbed in but no public sewer connection

  • Such structures must have a private system for holding or treatment and dispersal of sewage; a holding tank or treatment system is therefore required, not an unregulated outhouse or dump.
  • The county page does not describe any off-grid exemption.

  “all structures or premises in the county that are permanently or intermittently intended for human habitation or occupancy, which are not served by a public sewer and have running water plumbed into the structure, are required to have a system for holding or treatment and dispersal of sewage and wastewater.”

• Well permitRequired

  Private well construction for a home inside Bloomer town

  • The town does not issue well permits; Chippewa County Planning and Zoning does (town zoning page).
  • Town FAQ lists the well permit among the county steps before building.

  “2) from the county planning & zoning dept. - apply for 911 number, well permit, erosion control permit & septic system.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in the shoreland zone or floodplain areas inside Bloomer town

  • Shoreland zone is land within 300 feet of a stream or river, within 1000 feet of a lake, pond, etc., or within a floodplain, per the town zoning page.
  • Chippewa County issues all land use permits there, and the town also requires its land use permit in those areas.

  “in the shore land zone and floodplain areas, the chippewa county planning and zoning department issues all land use permits, but land use permits are also required from the town of bloomer in those areas.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for a home built by the owner inside Bloomer town
• Building code adopted — Building code applying to dwellings inside Bloomer town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Bloomer town
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and district list for land inside Bloomer town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for a single-family dwelling inside Bloomer 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.