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

Rules another office applies inside Town of Goetz

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

• Building permitRequired

  New construction, additions, alterations and land disturbances inside the county shoreland zone in the Town of Goetz (within 1000 feet of a lake, pond, or flowage, or 300 feet of a river or stream)

  • Shoreland zone only; the summary does not state that this applies outside it.
  • Shoreland zoning applies within 1000 feet of any lake, pond, or flowage, or within 300 feet of any river or stream, per the county summary.

  “The Chippewa County Shoreland Zoning Ordinance applies to all areas of Chippewa County that are within 1000’ of any lake, pond, or flowage, or within 300’ of any river or stream.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite septic (wastewater) systems on land inside the Town of Goetz, an unincorporated town in Chippewa County

  • Chippewa County's sanitation ordinance (chapter 62) governs siting, design, installation, inspection and maintenance of septic systems; the county summary does not state a per-town exception.
  • Goetz-specific administration was not separately confirmed on an official Goetz page.

  “The Chippewa County Private Sewage System Ordinance is administered county-wide.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Sanitary (septic) permits for private septic systems on land inside the Town of Goetz, issued through Chippewa County

  • Sanitary permits are applied for on paper forms as of the county's online-permit page; online submittal is limited to signs and private wells.
  • Permit scope and fees not verified beyond the application listing.

  “Every private sewage system shall require a separate application and sanitary permit.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Creation of newly created parcels inside the Town of Goetz under the Chippewa County land division rules

  • The county summary cites the land division ordinance, chapter 38, for minimum lot sizes and surveys on new parcels.
  • The county summary does not say whether the chapter applies in every town; applicability is not separately verified.

  “The Chippewa County Land Division Ordinance is one of the ordinances that is effective in every township within Chippewa County. This ordinance regulates the division of land.”

• Permit processPartial

  Permit application process for land inside the Town of Goetz, administered by Chippewa County

  • Online permitting through the county portal since October 2024, but only signs and private wells were online as of 2026-01-16.
  • Other applications, including sanitary permits and zoning, remain paper-based until further notice.

  “Please continue to use paper applications for the other applications such as, but not limited to: addresses, sanitary permits and zoning, until further notice.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home built by the owner inside the Town of Goetz
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for new construction inside the Town of Goetz
• Inspections — Building inspection for new dwellings inside the Town of Goetz
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside the Town of Goetz
• Local zoning — Whether the Town of Goetz (Chippewa County, WI) adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside its 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.