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

Town of Sevastopol’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction of buildings or mechanical systems inside Sevastopol town.

  • Minor repairs, listed normal equipment repairs, and agricultural buildings except specified electrical-service and demolition work do not require a building permit.
  • A third-or-more roof layer requires a permit with structural load-bearing calculations.

  “No owner or contractor may commence construction of any building or mechanical system prior to obtaining a valid permit from the municipal building inspector.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings within Sevastopol town.

  • The ordinance adopts listed Wisconsin Administrative Code chapters and all subsequent revisions.
  • The Uniform Dwelling Code is expanded to specified pre-1980 dwellings and accessory buildings.

  “The following Chapters of the Wisconsin Administrative Codes, as well as all subsequent revisions, are adopted by the Municipality and shall be enforced by the Building Inspector.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted building projects inside Sevastopol town.

  • Owner, contractor, or applicant must request listed inspections according to the applicable Wisconsin Administrative Code timeframe or at least 48 hours in advance.
  • Failure to request an inspection does not approve construction by default.

  advance notice: >= 48 hours (Unless the applicable Wisconsin Administrative Code specifies another timeframe.)

  “In order to permit inspection of a building project at all necessary phases without causing delay for the owner, the owner and/or contractor shall request all of the following inspections in conformity with the appropriate time frame defined in the Wisconsin Administrative Code or at least 48 hours in advance by the applicant/contractor or property owner as applicable.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of buildings inside Sevastopol town.

  • The inspector issues the permit after required inspections and code compliance.
  • A temporary occupancy permit may be issued for 30 days or a specified term if minor noncompliance does not threaten safety, health, or welfare.

  occupancy bond/completion deposit threshold: >= 50000 USD project cost (A $400 deposit is required at or above this total project cost, including labor, materials, and supplies.)

  “No person may have occupancy of a building until an occupancy permit is issued.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings inside Sevastopol town under the town building-permit ordinance.

  • Agricultural buildings remain subject to permits for a new or rewired electrical service and for demolition as specified in the ordinance.

  “Agricultural buildings (except as noted in par. 2.h. and 2.i., above)”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rental of a residential dwelling inside Sevastopol town.

  • A town license is required for more than ten nights each year.
  • The rental must have a valid Wisconsin tourist-rooming-house license and a Door County Tourism Zone Commission license.
  • A rental of less than seven consecutive days has a spacing restriction, effective for rentals beginning on or after July 1, 2022.
  • A recreational vehicle, camper, tent, or other temporary lodging arrangement may not provide additional guest accommodations.

  license trigger: > 10 nights each year (Town short-term-rental license required above this threshold.) · rental term definition: < 29 consecutive days (A short-term rental is offered for rent for a fee for fewer than 29 consecutive days.)

  “No person may maintain, manage, or operate a Short-term Rental more than ten (10) nights each year without a Town Short-term Rental license issued pursuant to this ordinance.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town building permit applications inside Sevastopol town.

  • Fees are established periodically by the town.
  • Starting work before permit issuance doubles the permit fee.

  “If work commences prior to permit issuance, the permit fee shall double.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town building and demolition permit applications inside Sevastopol town.

  • Owner or contractor must submit two building-plan sets for work expanding a building, a new building, or work required by the inspector.
  • New buildings or additions require a surveyed plat showing proposed work, existing buildings, and property lines.
  • Permit issuance requires satisfaction of state, county, and local submission requirements.

  permit validity: 2 years (May be extended 30, 90, or up to 180 days with inspector approval and payment of permit fees.)

  “The Inspector shall issue the requested permit if the owner or contractor demonstrates that all state, county and local submission requirements are satisfied. If a permit card is issued, it shall be posted at the job site in a visible location from the street. Permits are valid for two years. Permit may be extended for 30, 90, or up to 180 days with the Building Inspector’s approval and payment of permit fees.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Sevastopol

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

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  County zoning districts mapped within Sevastopol town.

  • District boundaries are shown on zoning maps prepared for each town and entitled Zoning Maps of Door County.
  • Exact parcel zoning requires the relevant town zoning map.

  “Zoning districts shall be bounded and defined as shown on zoning maps prepared for each town. The zoning maps shall be entitled, Zoning Maps of Door County.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational-vehicle camping units on private land inside Sevastopol town under county comprehensive zoning.

  • A camping unit includes recreational vehicles.
  • One-party lot camping is limited to eligible zoning districts, required sanitation, setbacks, one unit, and 30 total days per calendar year.
  • A camping unit must generally be removed after each stay.

  maximum private-lot camping: <= 30 days per calendar year (Approved campgrounds and construction-period camping have separate rules.)

  “Camping shall not exceed a total of 30 days in any calendar year.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping on a lot inside Sevastopol town under county comprehensive zoning.

  • Allowed in all zoning districts except Wetland, Commercial Center, Mixed Use Commercial, Light Industrial, Village Commercial, and General Commercial districts.
  • One-party camping needs approved onsite disposal, a self-contained holding tank discharged at an approved dump station, or a portable toilet discharged at an approved dump station.
  • Camping is limited to one unit and 30 days per calendar year.

  maximum camping: <= 30 days per calendar year (One-party camping on a lot; approved-campground and construction-period rules differ.)

  “Camping on a lot by one camping party including the landowner or by one camping party with the landowner's written permission shall be allowed without issuance of a regular zoning permit, subject to the following:”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation, construction, or specified modification of a POWTS inside Sevastopol town.

  • Owner must possess a valid sanitary permit and obtain plan approval.
  • Specified modifications include holding, treatment, or dispersal components, reconnection, and any repair.
  • State-owned property applications go to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.

  “Pursuant to s. 145.19, Stats., the installation or construction of a POWTS may not commence or continue unless all of the following have been fulfilled:”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  POWTS inside Sevastopol town.

  • All POWTS must be inspected and a written report timely filed with Door County Land Use Services.
  • Inspection must be performed by a listed licensed or certified professional.
  • Pumping is required when combined sludge and scum equals one-third of tank volume.

  inspection interval: per 3 years

  “At least once every three years all POWTS shall be inspected and a written inspection report (the required form is available from the Land Use Services Department) must be fully completed, executed, and then timely filed with the Land Use Services Department.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Sevastopol town.

  • State plats are subject to both Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 236 and the county ordinance.
  • If a town has adopted its own land-division ordinance, town approval is required before county submission; no Sevastopol-specific supplemental ordinance was verified.

  “The Door County Land Division is also in effect in all 14 towns.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Floodplain areas inside Sevastopol town.

  • Door County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance applies in all 14 Door County towns under state statute.
  • Parcel floodplain status and ordinance requirements must be determined before development.

  “Per state statute, the Door County Shoreland Zoning Ordinance and the Door County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance are in effect in all 14 towns.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Sevastopol town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Sevastopol town.
• Building height — Buildings inside Sevastopol town.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Sevastopol town.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy outside a documented manufactured-home park inside Sevastopol 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.