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

Town of Lima’s own rules

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private on-site wastewater treatment systems serving land inside Lima town.

  • Grant County CS&Z reviews sanitary-permit applications and design plans.
  • State sanitary permits are required for the enumerated POWTS work.

  “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, renewal, revision, transfer, or plumber change for property inside Lima town.

  • Each listed action requires a separate individual application.
  • Applications and design plans are submitted to Grant County CS&Z with documentation and review fees.
  • A holding-tank application requires the owner to enter a Grant County holding-tank agreement.

  “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. Each shall require a separate and individual application.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Installed POWTS, POWTS components, vault privies, and sanitary devices serving property inside Lima town.

  • The County Conservation, Sanitation and Zoning Department must inspect and approve installation before permit expiration.
  • If an installation inspection identifies a design change requiring revision, the revision application is due within 30 days after the inspection.

  installation completion period: 2 years (Permit expires if the covered system or device is not installed, inspected, and approved before then.)

  “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 nonplumbing sanitation systems and camper-unit transfer containers on land inside Lima town.

  • A Grant County vault-privy nonplumbing sanitation-system permit application is required.
  • The application must include a detailed plot plan showing servicing access and horizontal and vertical setbacks, state product approval, installation instructions, tank size, an installation and maintenance agreement, and a licensed septage-service-operator servicing contract.

  “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

  A Lima town property subject to a Grant County limited-use agreement because public sewer connection is pending.

  • A limited-use agreement is required when connection to public sewer is pending and a treatment tank is to store sewage for a limited period to allow occupancy or continued occupancy.
  • The agreement needs DNR public-sewer approval verification and a municipality or sanitary-district statement verifying the date sewer will be available.
  • The owner must connect to preapproved public sewer once available.
  • The agreement is valid for six months only and is subject to an administrative fee.

  limited-use agreement validity: 6 months (Subject to an administrative fee.)

  “If weather and/or site soil condition were to inhibit the installation of the drain field component of an approved POWTS design or when connection to public sewer is pending and the treatment tank component is to be used for influent (sewage) storage for a limited period of time to allow occupancy or continued occupancy of the dwelling, a limited use agreement is required.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Lima

Town of Lima 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, including stick-built, modular, and manufactured-home installations, inside Lima town.

  • The permit is a UDC permit.
  • Lima town is listed by DSPS as delegated.

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New one- and two-family dwellings, including manufactured-home installations, inside Lima town; Lima town is listed by DSPS as a delegated UDC municipality.

  • The state UDC program governs one- and two-family dwelling units.
  • The delegated-agent list identifies Lima town, Grant County as delegated.

  “The program governing one- and two-family dwelling units (including manufactured homes) is also called the UDC program, referring to the Uniform Dwelling Code. Enforces construction standards and inspection procedures including evaluation of building materials.”

• InspectionsRequired

  New UDC one- and two-family dwelling projects inside Lima town.

  • DSPS lists Lima town, Grant County as a delegated municipality.
  • The UDC program includes inspection procedures.

  “The following inspections are required on new one- and two-family dwellings. When ready for inspection, notify the inspector identified on your UDC permit.”

• Permit processPartial

  New one- and two-family dwelling UDC permits inside Lima town.

  • If the municipality covering the project has delegated authority, the applicant contacts the municipality directly.
  • If the municipality does not have proper authority, the applicant submits to DSPS via eSLA.
  • The underlying state program requires a UDC permit for new one- and two-family dwellings.

  “If the municipality covering your project location has been delegated authority to issue permits, and the project is not for a state-owned building or land, contact the municipality directly.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Residential construction inside Lima town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Construction and occupancy inside Lima town.
• Local zoning — Land inside Lima town, Grant County, Wisconsin.
• Zoning districts — Land inside Lima town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Lima 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.