Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Green Lake, Wisconsin

Green Lake’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New buildings and structures inside Green Lake city

  • Permit obtained from the building inspector
  • Section states no permit is required for work deemed minor (Sec. 15-1-3 definitions)

  “no new building or structure, or any part thereof, shall hereafter be erected, or ground broken for the same, or enlarged, altered, moved, demolished, razed or used within the city, except as herein provided, until a permit therefore shall first have been obtained by the owner, or his authorized agent, from the building inspector.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  One- and two-family dwellings inside Green Lake city

  • Future amendments to SPS 320-325 are incorporated
  • Also applies to existing buildings newly occupied as dwellings and alterations exceeding 50% of equalized value

  “the administrative code provisions describing and defining regulations with respect to one (1) and two (2) family dwellings in chapters sps 320 through 325 of the wisconsin administrative code are hereby adopted and by reference made a part of this chapter as if fully set forth herein.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Green Lake city limits

  • Chapter is part of the city's Title 13; version retrieved is the March 2023 posting

  “for the purpose and provision of this chapter, the city of green lake, wisconsin, is hereby organized into the following districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Green Lake city

  • Districts include R, R-1, R-2, R-3, C, LI, HB, CS, A, F-1, F-2, P-1, RB and GWP overlay

  “(a) r single-family residential lakeshore district. (b) r-1 single-family residential district. (c) r-2 two-family residential district. (d) r-3 multi-family residential district.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district, Green Lake city

  • Code calls it 'minimum surface area' of the building

  minimum building surface area: >= 900 square feet

  “building. (1) minimum surface area. nine hundred (900) square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district, Green Lake city

  • Other districts (R, R-2, R-3, A) have separate standards, e.g. R-2 minimum 15,000 sq ft

  minimum lot width: >= 70 feet · minimum lot area: >= 10000 square feet

  “lot size. (1) width. minimum seventy (70) feet. (2) area. minimum ten thousand (10,000) square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district, Green Lake city

  street yard: >= 25 feet · rear yard: >= 25 feet · side yard: >= 9 feet

  “yard setbacks. (1) street. minimum twenty-five (25) feet. (2) rear. minimum twenty-five (25) feet. (3) side. minimum nine (9) feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district, Green Lake city

  maximum height: <= 35 feet

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

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Green Lake or Green Lake County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Inside Green Lake city
• Inspections — Inside Green Lake city
• Certificate of occupancy — Inside Green Lake city
• Lot coverage — Inside Green Lake city
• Living in an RV — Inside Green Lake city

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.