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

Village of Arlington’s own rules

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Plumbing work on an owner-occupied single-family residence inside Arlington village

  • Only for plumbing permits; owner must own and occupy the home

  “only licensed master plumbers may receive such permits, except that a permit may be issued to a property owner to install plumbing in a single family residence which is owned and occupied by such owner as his home.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction in Arlington village; village adopts state plumbing and electrical codes by reference and defines the Uniform Dwelling Code

  • Sec. 15.01 defines the uniform dwelling code as Wisconsin Administrative Code chapters; the exact UDC adoption sentence was not captured verbatim
  • Future state amendments are made part of the chapter

  “the administrative code provisions describing and defining regulations with respect to one (1) and two (2) family dwellings in comm chapters 20 through 25 of the wisconsin administrative code are hereby adopted and by reference made a part of this chapter as if fully set forth herein.”

• InspectionsRequired

  New, altered or relocated buildings inside Arlington village

  • Inspection by village building inspector within 10 days after notice of completion

  inspection timeframe: <= 10 days

  “within ten (10) days after the notification of the completion of the erection, alteration or relocation of the building or of intent to commence a use, the village building inspector shall make an inspection of the premises and any building thereon and of the intended use thereof”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings and land use inside Arlington village

  • Occupancy permit not issued until sewer, water, grading and graveling are installed in streets serving the property
  • Fee set by village board resolution

  “no person shall occupy any building until sewer, water, grading and graveling are installed in the streets necessary to service the property and a certificate of occupancy shall not be issued until such utilities are available to service the property.”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land within the corporate limits of Arlington village (Columbia County)

  “the jurisdiction of this chapter shall apply to all structures, lands, water and air within the corporate limits of the village of arlington.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Arlington village zoning districts

  • Official zoning map kept by village clerk

  “r-1 low density single-family residential district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 low density single-family residential district inside Arlington village

  • Other districts (R-2, R-3, etc.) not captured

  minimum lot area: >= 12150 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 90 ft

  “area: minimum twelve thousand one hundred fifty (12,150) square feet. b. width: minimum ninety (90) feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 low density single-family residential district inside Arlington village

  • Detached accessory structures: rear yard only, 3 ft from lot lines (Sec. 13.12(b)(2))

  street yard: >= 30 ft · rear yard: >= 30 ft · side yard each side: >= 8 ft

  “yards. a. street: minimum thirty (30) feet. b. rear: minimum thirty (30) feet. c. side: minimum eight (8) feet each side.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 low density single-family residential district inside Arlington village

  • Exemptions for chimneys, spires and similar projections (Sec. 13.12(a))
  • Detached accessory structures max 18 ft

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft

  “building height. maximum thirty-five (35) feet.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on residential lots inside Arlington village

  • Parking for storage only
  • No cooking at any time
  • No permanent sewer, water or electric connection
  • Max two RVs per property

  dwelling use limit: <= 14 days per calendar year (overnight sleeping only)

  “recreational vehicles shall not be: a. used for dwelling purposes, except for overnight sleeping for a maximum of 14 days in any one calendar year. cooking is not permitted at any time.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Tent or trailer dwelling use inside Arlington village

  • Tents and trailers may not be used as dwelling units; RV overnight sleeping limited to 14 days per year

  “no cellar, basement or unfinished home, garage, tent, trailer or accessory building shall, at any time, be used as a dwelling unit.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  R-1 low density single-family district inside Arlington village

  • Mobile homes excluded; modular homes allowed only if double wide at least 24 ft by 36 ft, on approved foundation with wheels and axles removed, with 2:12 minimum roof pitch

  “single-family detached dwellings, excluding all mobile homes; for purposes of this chapter, modular homes are included in the definition of single-family dwelling.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Occupancy of buildings inside Arlington village

  • Occupancy and certificate of occupancy tied to sewer and water being installed in the serving streets; an explicit mandatory-connection distance rule was not found

  “no person shall occupy any building until sewer, water, grading and graveling are installed in the streets necessary to service the property”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Zoning and occupancy permit inside Arlington village

  • Fee amount set by village board resolution; schedule not captured

  “for the purpose of defraying the cost of inspection and administrative processing, such application shall be accompanied by such fee as established by resolution of the village board.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning and occupancy permits inside Arlington village

  • Application to building inspector before or with building permit application

  “application for such permit shall be made to the building inspector prior to or at the same time as the application for a building permit or prior to the commencement of any use not involving a building permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Minimum dwelling size — R-1 district inside Arlington village
• Lot coverage — Principal buildings inside Arlington village
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Arlington village
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwellings inside Arlington village
• Who permits septic — Septic systems inside Arlington 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.