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

Rules another office applies inside Town of Clifton

Town of Clifton 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 one- and two-family dwellings inside Clifton town.

  • If Clifton has delegated UDC authority, contact the municipality; otherwise the state directs applicants to DSPS.

  “A permit under the UDC is required for new one- and two-family dwelling units. This includes stick-built, modular, and manufactured home installations.”

• InspectionsRequired

  New one- and two-family dwellings inside Clifton town under the UDC.

  • Notify the inspector identified on the UDC permit when work is ready for inspection.

  required inspections: footings; foundation and foundation reinforcement; rough; insulation; final

  “the following inspections are required on new one- and two-family dwellings. when ready for inspection, notify the inspector identified on your udc permit. footings (includes excavation, etc.) foundation and foundation reinforcement rough (includes electrical, plumbing, hvac, framing, etc.) insulation final”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential R-1 District inside Clifton town, where that district is mapped.

  • A structure constructed after a division of an R-1 lot must meet the district's minimum floor-area and dwelling-width requirements; numeric schedule values require further ordinance review.

  “Any structures which are constructed on the lots created by the division after obtaining a zoning permit must meet the minimum floor area, minimum dwelling width, minimum lot width, minimum front yard, minimum rear yard, minimum side yard, maximum structure height, and minimum highway setback requirements for this district as contained in the zoning ordinance.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential R-1 District inside Clifton town, where that district is mapped.

  • R-1 division is allowed only where public sewer and water have been extended and every created lot meets the ordinance's minimum lot area.

  “Parcels or lots contained in this district can be divided into two or more lots only if public sewer and water utilities have been extended to this area and a only if each of the lots created by the division can meet the minimum lot area for this district as required by the zoning ordinance.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential R-1 District inside Clifton town, where that district is mapped.

  • The cited R-1 provision requires compliance with district front, rear, side, and highway setbacks; highway centerline setbacks may have specified conditional modifications.

  “Any structures which are constructed on the lots created by the division after obtaining a zoning permit must meet the minimum floor area, minimum dwelling width, minimum lot width, minimum front yard, minimum rear yard, minimum side yard, maximum structure height, and minimum highway setback requirements for this district as contained in the zoning ordinance.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential R-1 District inside Clifton town, where that district is mapped.

  • The cited R-1 provision requires compliance with the district's maximum-structure-height requirement; numeric schedule values require further ordinance review.

  “Any structures which are constructed on the lots created by the division after obtaining a zoning permit must meet the minimum floor area, minimum dwelling width, minimum lot width, minimum front yard, minimum rear yard, minimum side yard, maximum structure height, and minimum highway setback requirements for this district as contained in the zoning ordinance.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured housing proposed inside Clifton town's applicable Grant County zoning jurisdiction.

  • The unit must meet the stated FHA construction, quality, and safety standards and present valid manufacturer certification.
  • The dwelling must have a minimum width of 24 feet and its length must exceed its width along the entire width dimension.

  minimum dwelling width: >= 24 feet

  “A manufactured house must have a minimum width of 24 feet regardless of the method of manufacture in order to receive a zoning permit. The length of the structure must exceed the width along the entire width dimension.”

• Accessory dwellingsProhibited

  Accessory structures in the Residential R-1 District inside Clifton town, where that district is mapped.

  • The restriction is on using an accessory structure as a separate dwelling unit; it applies where a principal structure is present.

  “Accessory structures, including private garages and other structures clearly incidental to an existing residential use of the particular property, provided there is a principal structure present and no such accessory structure shall be used as a separate dwelling unit.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater systems serving land inside Clifton town.

  • Grant County Conservation, Sanitation and Zoning Department reviews sanitary-permit applications and inspections/approves installations.

  “A sanitary permit application and design plan shall be submitted for review with all appropriate documentation per Article IV, §§ 225-25 and 225-26 and Article VI with review fees to the Grant County CS&Z Department.”

• Septic permitRequired

  POWTS installation, component replacement, system modification, and listed permit transactions inside Clifton town.

  • Each transaction requires a separate application.
  • Applications require plans and documentation; holding-tank permits additionally require county agreements and a licensed-pumper servicing contract.

  “A state sanitary permit is required for every POWTS installation, component replacement or system modification and every renewal, revision, transfer or change of plumber to an existing sanitary permit.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  POWTS, components, vault privies, and sanitary devices installed inside Clifton town.

  • If installation is not installed, inspected, and approved within two years, the installation permit expires; renewal is required before expiration.

  installation permit period: 2 years (unless renewed before expiration)

  “If the POWTS, POWTS component, vault privy or sanitary device is not installed, inspected, and approved by the Grant County Conservation, Sanitation and Zoning Department, the permit for the installation shall expire two years from the date of issuance.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Vault privy or camper-unit transfer-container sanitation inside Clifton town.

  • A detailed plot plan, state product approval, installation information, agreement, and servicing contract are required for the cited county permits.

  “A Grant County vault privy nonplumbing sanitation system permit application shall be prepared and submitted per Article IV, §§ 225-25 and 225-26, with the following:”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Proposed structures in zoned portions of Clifton town under Grant County zoning.

  • The cited prohibition does not apply to land zoned exclusive agricultural or property subject to a farmland-preservation agreement.
  • The ordinance uses availability or comparable-cost standards, not a distance threshold.

  “No Zoning Permit shall be issued for any structure designed to use on-site sewage disposal facilities if existing municipal or central station disposal facilities are available to such site, or if such facilities can be constructed or installed at a comparable cost.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land division in Clifton town where Grant County's subdivision ordinance applies.

  • For R-1 property subject to the county subdivision ordinance, the owner or developer must obtain the necessary approvals before a division occurs.

  “Moreover, if the lot or parcel proposed to be divided is subject to Grant County’s Subdivision Ordinance, the owner or developer must first comply with Grant County’s Subdivision Ordinance and obtain the necessary approvals required by said Subdivision Ordinance before any division can occur.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Private access proposed on land inside Clifton town subject to Grant County zoning.

  • The displayed restriction applies if the township has a driveway-permit process.
  • Federal/state highway access is barred except as included in construction plans or later allowed by conditional-use permit.

  “No direct private access shall be permitted to the right-of-ways of any public road, street or highway except in compliance with the following provisions: If the township has a driveway permit process, the following will apply:”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  County zoning and floodplain permit processes applicable inside Clifton town.

  • The county page links a fee schedule; the amount and applicable permit type were not extracted.

  “Zoning Permit Application [...] Floodplain Permit Application [...] Fee Schedule [...] Complaint Form”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  County sanitary permits applicable inside Clifton town.

  • Application must be signed and dated by a master plumber and include system plans, soil evaluation, and fee.

  “Submit an application form signed and dated by a Master Plumber along with the system plans, soil evaluation, and permit fee.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Clifton town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of dwellings inside Clifton town.
• Lot coverage — Land inside Clifton town subject to Grant County zoning.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on land inside Clifton town.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on land inside Clifton 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.