Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Sister Bay, Wisconsin

Village of Sister Bay’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings, additions, accessory buildings, decks and mechanical systems inside Sister Bay village

  • Chapter does not apply to children's play structures or agricultural buildings
  • Minor re-siding, re-roofing, interior finishing, minor repairs, equipment replacement are exempt as deemed by the building inspector
  • Structural load calculations required for a third or more roofing layer

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Sister Bay village

  • Adopts Wis. Admin. Code SPS chapters 302, 305, 316, 320-325 (Uniform Dwelling Code), 360, 361-366, 375-379, 381-387 and NFPA 58
  • UDC expanded to additions and alterations of one- and two-family dwellings built before June 1, 1980
  • Village has not adopted certified municipality status under SPS 361.60

  “the following chapters of the wisconsin administrative codes, as well as all subsequent revisions, are adopted by the village and shall be enforced by the building inspector:”

• InspectionsRequired

  Buildings inside Sister Bay village, inspected by the village building inspector

  • Occupancy permit issued only after all required inspections

  “if the building inspector, after completing all required inspections, finds that a building has been constructed in accordance with the applicable codes, then the inspector shall issue an occupancy permit.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings inside Sister Bay village

  • Temporary occupancy permit for 30 days or a specified term if only minor non-safety defects

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

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Sister Bay village limits

  “zoning code chapter 66 of the municipal code of the village of sister bay, wisconsin last text amendment: february 17, 2026 last zoning map amendment: april 21, 2026”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Sister Bay village

  • Also business, institutional, park and overlay districts, and a zoning map

  “sec. 66.0311 r-1 single-family residence district 11 sec. 66.0312 r-2 multiple-family residence district 15 sec. 66.0313 r-3 large lot residence district 19 sec. 66.0314 r-4 small lot residence district 23 sec. 66.0315 cs-1 countryside district 27”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single Family Residence District, inside Sister Bay village

  • Table also lists floor areas for two bedrooms (1,000 sq ft) and three or more bedrooms (1,200 sq ft)
  • Minimum width 24 feet

  minimum floor area, one bedroom: >= 900 sq ft

  “minimum floor area (one 900 square feet bedroom)”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single Family Residence District, inside Sister Bay village

  • Interior lot minimum width 75 feet; corner lot 110 feet
  • R-1 allowed only where public sewer and water are available

  minimum lot area: >= 20000 sq ft

  “r-1 district dimensional lot standards table minimum area 20,000 square feet lot minimum width (interior 75 feet lot) minimum width (corner lot) 110 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Single Family Residence District principal structures, inside Sister Bay village

  • Footnotes [1] and [2] of the table were not resolved
  • Front yard on public street measured 70 feet from street right-of-way centerline; not on public street 40 feet from edge of easement or pavement
  • Water setbacks in Sec. 66.0304 and special setbacks in 66.0307 may also apply

  side yard: 10 feet one side; 25 feet total · rear yard: >= 40 feet

  “side yard 10 feet one side; 25 feet total [2] rear yard 40 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 Single Family Residence District, inside Sister Bay village

  • Expressed as a minimum green space requirement rather than a maximum coverage

  minimum green space: >= 50 percent of lot

  “minimum green space 50% of lot must be left as green space”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Single Family Residence District principal structures, inside Sister Bay village

  • Accessory structures: 35 feet but not above principal structure height
  • Height modifications in Sec. 66.0601 not reviewed

  maximum height: <= 35 feet

  “accessory maximum height structures 35 feet, but shall not exceed height of principal structure”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on residentially zoned lots inside Sister Bay village

  • Permanent habitation means living in one place for more than ten consecutive days
  • Exception only within an approved campground or mobile home park
  • RVs may not be parked or stored outside on a residential lot for more than 24 hours unless in rear or side yard at least 10 feet from lot lines

  habitation limit: <= 10 consecutive days (approved campground or mobile home park)

  “permanent habitation is defined as living in one place for more than ten (10) consecutive days.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings inside Sister Bay village (building code chapter only)

  • Exempts agricultural buildings from Chapter 14 only; zoning still applies

  “this chapter applies to all dwellings, structures, buildings and residential accessory buildings. notwithstanding this section, this chapter shall not apply to children's play structures or agricultural buildings.”

• Short-term rentalsAllowed

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1 district inside Sister Bay village

  • Also listed as permitted in R-2 and CS-1
  • State or local licensing or lodging tax rules were not reviewed

  “(a) single-family dwellings, including short-term rentals. (b) licensed community and other living arrangements”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Sister Bay village
• Camping on your land — Camping on private land inside Sister Bay village
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Sister Bay village
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured homes inside Sister Bay village
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Sister Bay 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.