Bolthole Index

Juneau County, Wisconsin

Building permits, zoning and land rules in the Town of Marion, Wisconsin

New one- and two-family homes in the Town of Marion, in Juneau County, require a Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code building permit, including stick-built, modular and manufactured-home installations.1 Marion is listed as a delegated municipality, so start with the town for its current application procedure and inspector.2 Juneau County, not the town, runs shoreland-wetland and floodplain zoning, and issues sanitary permits for septic systems, with state review for designs outside its delegated authority.345

At a glance

Building permit
Required for new one- and two-family homes, including modular and manufactured-home installations1
Building inspections
Required during construction; notify the inspector shown on the UDC permit6
Local zoning
County shoreland-wetland and floodplain zoning applies where mapped; general town zoning not confirmed37
Septic
A local sanitary permit and approved plan review are required for new or modified private systems8
Private well
Obtain a Wisconsin well construction notification number before drilling or driving a new well9
RV or tiny-home living
Local occupancy and land-use rules could not be confirmed; ask the town before buying or moving a unit onsite7
Owner-builder
An owner-occupant may qualify for an exemption from contractor credentials, but permits and inspections still apply10

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Marion Clerk

Town contact for the current UDC building-permit application procedure and inspector

608-547-6734

[email protected]

N4258 25th Ave, Mauston, WI 53948

Zoning

Juneau County Sanitation & Zoning Department

County sanitary permits and plan review, shoreland and wetland rules, floodplain rules, land-use permits and survey maps

608-847-9391

[email protected]

650 Prairie Street Mauston, WI 53948

Septic permits

Juneau County Sanitation & Zoning Department

Sanitary permits for new, replacement, modified, repaired and reconnected private septic systems

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Marion means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in the Town of Marion, Wisconsin?

Yes. A UDC building permit is required for a new one- or two-family dwelling in the Town of Marion, including a stick-built home, modular home or manufactured-home installation.1 The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code governs these dwellings and their inspection procedures.11

The Town of Marion is listed as delegated, so contact the municipality rather than assuming the state online system is the application route.2 The state’s published process says an application must include the permit application, contractor-license information, plans, required project data and the application fee.12 Marion-specific fees and processing times could not be confirmed; ask the Town of Marion Clerk before budgeting or scheduling work.

Who issues building permits in the Town of Marion, and who should you call?

The Town of Marion has delegated UDC authority for new one- and two-family dwellings, but the current inspector or permit issuer is not identified in the available town-specific material.13 Start with the Town of Marion Clerk at 608-547-6734 or [email protected] and ask for the current UDC application, fee schedule and inspector.7

New one- and two-family homes require inspections during the footing, foundation and reinforcement, rough-work, insulation and final stages; the permit identifies whom to notify.14 An owner who lives or will live in the dwelling may be exempt from the Dwelling Contractor and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier requirements, but the UDC permit and inspections still apply.10

Does the Town of Marion have zoning for RVs, tiny homes, lots and setbacks?

Juneau County administers shoreland-wetland and floodplain zoning, and the county source does not establish general countywide residential zoning.3 Shoreland zoning reaches land within 1,000 feet of a lake or flowage, 300 feet of a navigable river or stream, and all floodplains, and a zoning permit is required before construction starts there; buildings must sit at least 75 feet from the ordinary highwater mark of navigable water.15 We could not confirm a Town of Marion zoning ordinance, zoning map or official statement that the town has no general zoning for other land. Before treating a parcel as buildable, ask the Town of Marion Clerk for the rules that govern the proposed use, minimum lot size, setbacks, dwelling size, building height and accessory dwellings.

We also could not confirm local rules for living in an RV, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or manufactured-home occupancy. A manufactured-home installation used as a new dwelling is covered by the UDC building-permit requirement, but that does not answer whether a particular parcel allows the proposed residential use.16 Juneau County separately regulates mapped floodplain areas, and a land-use permit is required before covered development begins there.17

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Marion?

A new or modified private onsite wastewater treatment system in the Town of Marion requires a local sanitary permit, and that permit depends on approved plan review.8 Juneau County has delegated plan-review authority for qualifying at-grade and mound systems with design flows up to 1,000 gallons per day.4 Designs that do not fully meet an approved component manual or approved product must go to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services for review.5

Juneau County says sanitary permits cover new installations, replacements or modifications, repairs, reconnections and non-plumbing systems such as outhouses and transfer tanks.18 The county application must be completed by a licensed plumber.18 Installation inspection is required under the plan-review approval letter, so contact the agency that issued the sanitary permit before covering the work.19

How do you build a home in the Town of Marion, step by step?

  1. Ask the Town of Marion Clerk to confirm the parcel’s land-use rules, the current UDC inspector, the application route and local fees; Marion-specific zoning and fee schedules could not be confirmed.
  2. If the site uses private wastewater, contact Juneau County Sanitation & Zoning for the soil and design path before finalizing the house location. A local sanitary permit depends on approved plan review.8
  3. Obtain the UDC building permit before starting a new one- or two-family dwelling.1
  4. Obtain a well construction notification number before a contractor builds a new drilled or driven-point well.9
  5. If any work lies in mapped floodplain, obtain the required land-use approval before development.17
  6. Schedule each required UDC inspection with the inspector named on the permit and arrange the required septic installation inspection with the sanitary-permit agency.619

What should you check before buying land in the Town of Marion?

Confirm buildability with both the Town of Marion and Juneau County before closing. Ask the town about local zoning, allowed residential uses, RV occupancy, tiny homes, setbacks, lot size, driveway access and permit fees because those Marion-specific rules could not be confirmed. Ask Juneau County Sanitation & Zoning whether shoreland, wetland or floodplain review affects the parcel, since land within 1,000 feet of a lake or flowage or 300 feet of a navigable stream needs a county zoning permit before construction15; the department publishes services for shoreland building permits, floodplain rules and land-use permits.20

Treat wastewater suitability as a major due-diligence item: only about 0.5% of Juneau County soils are mapped without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field.21 That county-level measure does not decide an individual site, but it supports arranging soil and system review early. Juneau County’s effective property-tax rate is about 1.5%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $2,517.2223

Watch-outs

  • A manufactured home still falls within the UDC permit requirement, while local siting and occupancy rules remain a separate question for the Town of Marion.16
  • Mapped floodplain development requires a land-use permit before covered work begins, including covered changes involving sewer or water facilities.24

Sources

  1. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  2. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  3. Sanitation & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  4. Delegated Agents for Private On-Site Wastewater Treatment System (POWTS) Plan Review (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  5. Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  6. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  7. Town of Marion Clerk (mds.wi.gov)
  8. Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  9. Well and heat exchange notification (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  10. Dwelling Contractor Qualifier (DCQ) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  11. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  12. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  13. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  14. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  15. General Shoreland Zoning Provisions, quoted and re-checked
  16. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  17. Juneau County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  18. Juneau County Sanitation & Zoning Department (co.juneau.wi.gov)
  19. Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS) (Town of Marion), quoted and re-checked
  20. Juneau County Sanitation & Zoning Department (co.juneau.wi.gov)
  21. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  24. Juneau County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked

Written October 9, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Marion

Town of Marion’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New one- and two-family dwelling units inside Marion town.

    • The requirement includes stick-built, modular, and manufactured home installations.
    • Because Marion town is listed as delegated, contact the municipality for permit issuance unless the project is for state-owned building or land.
    “A permit under the UDC is required for new one- and two-family dwelling units. This includes stick-built, modular, and manufactured home installations.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    New one- and two-family dwellings inside Marion town.

    • Required inspections are footings, foundation and foundation reinforcement, rough, insulation, and final.
    • The applicant must notify the inspector identified on the UDC permit.
    “The following inspections are required on new one- and two-family dwellings. When ready for inspection, notify the inspector identified on your UDC permit.”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    POWTS inside Marion town for at-grade and mound systems within Juneau County's delegated authority.

    • Juneau County has delegated POWTS plan-review authority for at-grade systems up to 1,000 gallons per day and mound systems up to 1,000 gallons per day.
    • The county's authority is limited to systems completely utilizing approved treatment and dispersal technologies or methods.
    • Individual Site Designs or systems not completely meeting an approved component manual or approved products must be submitted to DSPS.

    design flow: <= 1000 gallons per day (At-grade and mound systems only)

    “This letter is in regards to your application dated April 21, 2015 to Matt Janzen of the Department requesting plan review delegation authority to review mound and at-grade system plans with design wastewater flows up to 1,000 gallons per day.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • State (with conditions) — POWTS inside Marion town that fall outside Juneau County's delegated authority or involve state-owned property.
      “Plans which do not completely meet a DSPS approved component manual otherwise known as “Individual Site Designs” or approved products must be submitted to the DSPS for review.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New or modified POWTS inside Marion town.

    • The local permit is obtained from the local municipality or county covering the project location.
    • A local permit is conditional on an approved plan review.
    • State-owned POWTS applications are submitted to DSPS.
    “See the local municipality or county covering your project location. However, a local permit is conditional on an approved plan review.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    POWTS construction and installation inside Marion town.

    • Inspection must follow the plan review conditional approval letter.
    • Contact the agency that issued the POWTS permit.
    • For delegated project types this is generally Juneau County; other projects may be inspected through DSPS's county inspector lookup.
    “Inspection of POWTS construction and installation is required in accordance with the plan review conditional approval letter.”
  • Permit processPartial

    UDC permit applications for new one- and two-family dwellings inside Marion town.

    • The application requires project, owner, contractor, plan, and fee information.
    • For a new project, contractor and qualifier information is required unless the submitter indicates owner-occupancy.
    • The process page does not provide Marion-specific processing times or fees.
    “Regardless of which agency has authority, your application must include:”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Marion

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

  • Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    An owner of a dwelling inside Marion town who resides or will reside in it and applies for a building permit to work on that dwelling.

    • The exemption is from the Dwelling Contractor and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier requirements.
    • The applicant must be or become an owner-occupant of the dwelling.
    • The UDC permit and inspection requirements still apply.
    “Per Wisconsin Administrative code the above does not apply to an owner of a dwelling who resides or will reside in the dwelling and who applies for a building permit to work on that dwelling.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    New one- and two-family dwellings inside Marion town, including manufactured home installations.

    • The governing program is the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, SPS 320-325.
    • The DSPS page states the municipality covering the project may issue permits if delegated; otherwise application is submitted to DSPS.
    “The program governing one- and two-family dwelling units (including manufactured homes) is also called the UDC program, referring to the Uniform Dwelling Code.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Adopted — New one- and two-family dwellings, including manufactured homes, inside Marion town.
      “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.”
  • Well permitRequired

    Construction of a new private well inside Marion town.

    • A Well Construction Notification Number must be obtained before construction.
    • The rule applies to drilled wells and driven-point wells.
    • Exceptions are high-capacity wells, reconstruction of existing wells, and wells on Native American property; high-capacity wells or other wells requiring written DNR approval follow the approval's notification requirements.

    well construction notification fee: 50.5 USD (The cited DNR page states the fee and payment details elsewhere on the same page.)

    “Obtain a Well Construction Notification Number prior to constructing a well. This applies to both drilled wells and driven point wells. For high capacity wells or other wells that require written DNR approval, follow the notification requirements in your approval.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in mapped floodplain areas inside Marion town, Juneau County.

    • The community must review permit applications for flood safety and required federal or state permits.
    • Flood-prone new construction and substantial improvements must be anchored, use flood-resistant materials, minimize flood damage, and elevate mechanical and utility equipment to or above the flood-protection elevation.
    • Floodplain subdivisions must minimize flood damage, protect public utilities, provide drainage, and include regional flood-elevation and floodway data.
    • The ordinance was approved and became effective March 21, 2023.

    effective date: 2023-03-21

    “A land use permit shall be obtained before any development;”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Required — Development inside mapped floodplain areas within Marion town.
      “Development is allowed in the floodplain and typically only requires a land use permit and a building permit, but restrictions may apply.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Certificate of occupancy — New or altered buildings inside Marion town.
  • Local zoning — Land inside Marion town, Juneau County, Wisconsin.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Marion town.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Marion town; no district-specific rule was located.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside Marion town; no district-specific rule was located.
15 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Marion publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Juneau County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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