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

Town of Farmington’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New one- and two-family dwellings inside Farmington town (Town of Farmington, Jefferson County, WI)

  • Scope is limited to the construction and inspection of one- and two-family dwellings built since February 1, 1995 (section 1.3).
  • The ordinance states it was adopted 11 April 1996 and takes effect upon passage and publication.
  • The adopted code is the state Uniform Dwelling Code, administered by the town building inspector.

  “the wisconsin uniform dwelling code, chs. ilhr 20-25 of the wisconsin administrative code, and all amendments thereto, is adopted and incorporated by reference and shall apply to all buildings within the scope of this ordinance”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction and inspection of new one- and two-family dwellings inside Farmington town

  • Inspection is by the town building inspector, who must be certified by DILHR in the uniform dwelling code construction inspector category.
  • Applies to one- and two-family dwellings within the ordinance scope (section 1.3).

  “there is hereby created the position of building inspector, who shall administer and enforce this ordinance and shall be certified by dilhr, as specified by wis. stats., section 101.66(2), in the category of uniform dwelling code construction inspector.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  All homes built, constructed or placed in Farmington town (house, modular, manufactured, mobile, trailer or camper)

  • Applies to every 'home' as defined in the town ordinance, not only residential zoning districts.
  • Width minimum and square-footage minimum apply together.

  minimum floor area: >= 1160 square feet · minimum width: >= 24 feet

  “all homes shall have a minimum square footage of 1160 square feet.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Occupancy of a trailer or camper placed on a lot in Farmington town

  • The town's homes ordinance defines 'home' to include a trailer or camper, so those units are subject to the minimum width and minimum square footage rules.
  • A temporary permit may be issued at the town board's discretion for a mobile home; its length is set by the board.

  minimum width: >= 24 feet · minimum square footage: >= 1160 square feet

  “a "home" is any trailer, camper, mobile home, house, modular home, or manufactured home.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Small homes (tiny homes) placed or built on a lot in Farmington town

  • Any home, regardless of size, must meet the 1,160 square foot minimum and 24-foot minimum width to be placed in the town; a unit below those dimensions would not comply.
  • No separate tiny-home provision found.

  minimum square footage: >= 1160 square feet · minimum width: >= 24 feet

  “all homes shall have a minimum square footage of 1160 square feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured or mobile homes placed on a lot in Farmington town

  • A manufactured home is a 'home' under the town ordinance and must meet the minimum width and square footage.
  • A temporary permit for a mobile home may be issued at the town board's discretion; no permanent-placement exception found.

  minimum width: >= 24 feet · minimum square footage: >= 1160 square feet

  “a temporary permit for a mobile home may be issued at the town board's discretion and the length of this temporary permit shall be determined by the town board.”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural buildings in Farmington town, for the town building-permit requirement only

  • The exemption covers only the town building-permit requirement in Chapter 6, section 1.6.
  • It does not address zoning, farmland preservation or other land-use rules, which were not verified.

  “all agricultural buildings are exempt from the building permits.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits for one- and two-family homes in Farmington town

  • Fee is not published as a fixed schedule in the ordinance; it is set by the building inspector and approved by the town board.
  • No fee schedule was located on the town site in the pages opened.

  “the building permit fee shall be set by the building inspector and approved by the town board.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process for new one- and two-family homes in Farmington town

  • Chapter 6 names the building inspector as administrator and the town board as the variance authority; no application steps, forms or timelines are stated in the ordinance text.
  • Variance: any person whose home does not meet the requirements may seek a variance from the town board.

  “any person whose home does not meet the requirements set forth herein may seek a variance from the town board.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Farmington

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private on-site (septic) wastewater systems on land inside Farmington town

  • Governed by the Jefferson County private on-site wastewater treatment systems ordinance, as shown in a county Board of Adjustment appeal notice.
  • The town's Chapter 4 mentions septage only within its solid-waste definitions and does not set a sanitary-permit procedure.

  “this appeal is subject to section 16144(f) of the jefferson county private on-site wastewater treatment systems ordinance.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Septic (sanitary) system installation for a home in the town of Farmington

  • Sanitary permit is issued through Jefferson County, not the town, per the county Board of Adjustment record.
  • The permit was issued for a parcel in the town of Farmington; the minutes' sentence naming the issuing office is truncated in the captured text, so the issuing official's title is not stated here.

  “appeal of sanitary permit #14752 issued on march 31, 2026 for denise schumacher at w4884 river drive, parcel 008-0715-0633-001, in the town of farmington.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Farmington town
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy approval for new homes inside Farmington town
• Local zoning — Whether Farmington town adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts in Farmington town
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size for a single-family residential lot in Farmington 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.