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

Town of Mifflin’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and structures inside Mifflin town subject to Iowa County zoning.

  • A zoning permit is required before building, locating, or enlarging a building, sign, or other structure.
  • The office must grant or deny a complete application in writing within 30 days; the permit expires 24 months after issuance unless the project is complete enough for a Certificate of Compliance.
  • Minor structures are exempt from the zoning-permit requirement.

  application decision period: <= 30 days (From receipt of a completed application.) · permit expiration: 24 months (Unless the project is complete enough for a Certificate of Compliance.)

  “No building, sign or other structure or any part thereof shall hereafter be built, located, enlarged until a zoning permit has been obtained from the Office.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Buildings and structures inside Mifflin town subject to Iowa County zoning.

  • The applicant must notify the county office for inspection as part of the Certificate of Compliance process.
  • The certificate is issued only if the building, premises, and proposed use conform with the ordinance.

  “it is the responsibility of the applicant to notify the Office for inspection.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupation or use of a building or structure inside Mifflin town subject to Iowa County zoning.

  • The county calls the required approval a Certificate of Compliance.
  • It must be issued before occupation or use and only upon conformity with the ordinance.

  “No building or structure hereafter erected, altered or moved shall be occupied or used until a Certificate of Compliance is issued by the Office.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Mifflin, Iowa County, Wisconsin; Iowa County administers the county zoning ordinance there rather than this being identified as a Town of Mifflin ordinance.

  • The county ordinance applies in Iowa County towns that adopted it; the county FAQ states all 14 towns had adopted county zoning by 1980.
  • The county zoning ordinance excludes incorporated cities and villages.

  “All but one town adopted the original county zoning regulations in 1969 and, by 1980, all 14 towns had adopted county zoning.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  County zoning districts applicable to adopted county-zoning territory inside Mifflin town.

  • Actual district boundaries are designated on the official zoning map, maintained on file by the county office.
  • A parcel-specific zoning determination requires the official zoning map.

  “The Official Zoning Map designates the location and boundaries of the various zoning districts within Iowa County and is incorporated herein by reference.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Camping units, including wheeled camping units, inside Mifflin town subject to Iowa County zoning.

  • A camping unit may be used only for recreational purposes and not as a residence.
  • Onsite rental is prohibited unless permitted in the applicable zoning district.
  • Wheeled camping units must retain wheels and be ready to move; additions are prohibited.

  “A camping unit shall only be used for recreational purposes and not to be occupied as one’s place of residence.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite sanitation for structures inside Mifflin town subject to Iowa County zoning.

  • A valid sanitary permit must be issued before a zoning permit for a structure connected to a water source or with internal plumbing.
  • The county publishes sanitary and sanitary-privy permit applications.

  “Any structure that is to be connected to a water source or have internal plumbing must have a valid sanitary permit issued prior to any zoning permit.”

• Septic permitRequired

  A structure inside Mifflin town that will connect to a water source or have internal plumbing.

  • The valid sanitary permit must be issued before the county zoning permit.

  “Any structure that is to be connected to a water source or have internal plumbing must have a valid sanitary permit issued prior to any zoning permit.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Camping units and accessory structures inside Mifflin town subject to Iowa County zoning.

  • No gray-water or black-water discharge from a camping unit may occur onto or below ground or into water.
  • An accessory convenience bathroom must be served by an adequately sized private onsite wastewater treatment system and obtain any required sanitary permit.

  “No discharge of a gray or black water tank shall occur onto the ground surface or subsurface or into a water body or stream.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Access from land inside Mifflin town onto an Iowa County highway, where the highway-access ordinance applies.

  • The county Highway Commissioner or designee must approve the access-permit application before installation, alteration, change, replacement, or extension.
  • For a proposed new residence or first proposed structure on a vacant zoning lot, the county zoning application also requires a town written statement that there is an approved driveway.

  “No access subject to this Ordinance shall be installed, altered, changed, replaced or extended until an application for an access permit has been approved”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  County zoning-permit process for construction inside Mifflin town.

  • Applications must use forms supplied by the county office and are reviewed for ordinance compliance.
  • A complete application must be granted or denied in writing within 30 days.
  • The county publishes a zoning, floodplain, and shoreland permit application packet.

  written decision period: <= 30 days (From receipt of the completed application.)

  “Zoning, Floodplain & Shoreland Permit Application Packet”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Mifflin

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  AR-1 Agricultural Residential District inside Mifflin town.

  • The district maximum lot area is 39.99 acres.

  minimum lot area: >= 1 acre · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet

  “Lot Width Minimum 100 feet Lot Area Minimum 1 acre Maximum 39.99 acres.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  AR-1 Agricultural Residential District inside Mifflin town.

  • The yard may be reduced by up to 10 feet from a lot line only with a documented agreement of the affected neighbor or neighbors recorded with the Iowa County Register of Deeds.

  yard setback: >= 20 feet (Or structure height, whichever is greater; may reduce up to 10 feet under the recorded-neighbor-agreement condition.)

  “Yards, all structures Minimum 20 feet or structure height, whichever is greater”

• Building heightSpecified

  AR-1 Agricultural Residential District inside Mifflin town.

  residence height: <= 50 feet · accessory-structure height: <= 30 feet

  “Building Height For Residence 50 feet Maximum Building Height For Accessory Structures 30 feet”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Mifflin town.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Mifflin town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residences in the AR-1 Agricultural Residential District inside Mifflin town.
• Lot coverage — AR-1 Agricultural Residential District inside Mifflin town.
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Mifflin 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.