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

Town of Kingston’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New buildings, additions, remodelings and improvements inside Kingston town

  • Shingle replacement is exempt.
  • Driveway and culvert work also needs a permit in some cases (see driveway_access claim).
  • A town permit application search snippet mentions a $10 fee; the PDF was not opened, so the fee is not recorded here.

  “building permits are required for: all new buildings. all additions, remodelings or improvements. (shingle replacements are exempt.)”

• Local zoningAbsent (with conditions)

  Land inside Kingston town's limits: the Town of Kingston has not adopted its own zoning ordinance; no town zoning ordinance was found on the town site

  • Green Lake County's own page states that six of the ten towns adopted the county zoning ordinance and that the Town of Kingston is among the four that did not.
  • Land division (subdivision) ordinances and development standards for shoreland and floodplain areas still apply in the town, per the county page.
  • The county shoreland ordinance (state-mandated) and floodplain zoning ordinance still apply inside Kingston town where mapped, and a land use permit is required for land-disturbing activity under those ordinances.

  “the remaining four towns refrained from adopting general zoning requirements: town of kingston, town of princeton, town of saint marie, and town of seneca.”

• Zoning districtsNot published

  Zoning districts inside Kingston town

  • No town zoning districts exist, per the county statement that the town did not adopt general zoning.

  “the remaining four towns refrained from adopting general zoning requirements: town of kingston, town of princeton, town of saint marie, and town of seneca.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land division (subdivision) inside Kingston town

  • The county page says these towns still have guiding ordinances related to land division; the town's own land division ordinance was not located on its ordinances page.
  • Ordinance text, fees and thresholds were not reviewed.

  “these towns still have guiding ordinances related to land division as well as development standards for shoreland and floodplain areas, among other regulations.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town of Kingston building, driveway and other permit applications

  • Forms are downloadable from the town site; completed forms and payment go in person or by mail to the town hall address on the page.

  “completed forms and payment can be submitted in person or mailed to:”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Kingston

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Residential building construction and alteration inside Kingston town, under the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code

  • The town site describes the state code and says the town building permit records property changes that do not require a state inspection.
  • The page does not name the inspecting agency.

  “state statute: the wisconsin uniform dwelling code protects the health, safety, and value of residental properties.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Changes to dwellings inside Kingston town that require a state inspection under the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code

  • Inspection applies only to changes the state code covers; the town building permit records changes that do not need a state inspection.
  • The page does not name the inspecting agency or say whether the town or the state inspects.

  “town ordinance: the town building permit records property changes that do not require a state inspection.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of any private on-site wastewater treatment system (septic) inside Kingston town

  • A sanitary permit is issued by the governmental unit responsible for POWTS regulation; which unit serves Kingston town was not confirmed.
  • A sanitary permit is valid for 2 years from the date of issue and is renewable for similar periods (Wis. Stat. 145.19(7)).

  sanitary permit validity: 2 years (renewable for similar periods)

  “no person may purchase or install a private on-site wastewater treatment system unless the owner of the property on which the private on-site wastewater treatment system is to be installed holds a valid sanitary permit issued under this section.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private on-site wastewater treatment systems installed inside Kingston town

  • The inspection is done by the governmental unit responsible for POWTS regulation, which was not identified for Kingston town.
  • Inspection is required after construction and before backfilling; the statute also excuses an on-site inspection where a new building does not require connection to an existing system.

  “inspect all private on-site wastewater treatment systems after construction but before backfilling no later than the end of the next workday, excluding saturdays, sundays and holidays, after receiving notice from the plumber in charge.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Land-disturbing work, including building placement, inside mapped floodplain areas of Kingston town

  • Applies to land inside the jurisdiction of the county floodplain zoning ordinance (Code of Green Lake County, chapter 300), which the county is required by state statute to enforce.
  • The quoted permit language covers the zoned towns and the jurisdiction of the ordinances the department administers; Kingston is unzoned, so the floodplain ordinance is the operative link.
  • Permit application requires a completed form, site plan and fee.

  “a land use permit is required for any land-disturbing activity, including the placement or alteration of any building or structure, within the zoned towns or within the jurisdiction of the ordinances this department administers.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  County land use permit fees for work inside Kingston town under county-administered ordinances

  • Fee is based on cost of construction.
  • Fee schedule is printed on page 2 of the county permit application; not opened.

  “application fee, based on cost of construction for the project”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for residential construction inside Kingston town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Kingston town
• Who permits septic — Which governmental unit issues sanitary permits for septic systems inside Kingston town
• Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid or non-standard sanitation (composting, privy, holding tank) inside Kingston town
• Well permit — Private well construction permit inside Kingston 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.