Bolthole Index

Juneau County, Wisconsin

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

New one- and two-family homes in the Town of Orange, Juneau County, require a Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code building permit, and Orange is the delegated municipality for the application.1 Juneau County handles sanitary permits for private septic systems, while county shoreland and mapped floodplain rules can add separate land-use approval.23

At a glance

Building permit
Required for new one- and two-family dwellings1
Building code
Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code applies4
Building inspections
Required through the inspector named on the UDC permit5
Septic permit
Juneau County sanitary permit required6
Owner-builder
Available to a qualifying owner-occupant; permits still apply7
RV living
General private-parcel rule not confirmed; ask the Town Clerk8
Floodplain work
County land-use permit required in mapped areas9

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Orange Building Inspector

Building inspection and UDC permit questions for the Town of Orange

608-745-4070

[email protected]

916 Silver Lake Drive - P.O. Box 340, Portage, WI 53901

Zoning

Town of Orange Clerk

Town building-permit applications and questions about local land-use, camping and driveway ordinances

608-344-8453

[email protected]

N8242 6th Ave, Camp Douglas, WI 54618

Septic permits

Juneau County Sanitation & Zoning Department

Sanitary permits, POWTS plan review, shoreland building permits and floodplain land-use permits

608-847-9391

[email protected]

650 Prairie Street, Mauston, WI 53948

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Orange 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 Orange, Wisconsin?

Yes. A UDC building permit is required for a new one- or two-family dwelling in the Town of Orange, including stick-built, modular and manufactured-home installations.1 Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code governs these homes, and Orange is listed as a delegated municipality for UDC permitting and inspection.4 Required inspections cover footings, foundation and reinforcement, rough work, insulation and final inspection.5 A qualifying owner-occupant may apply without Dwelling Contractor Certification, but the permit is still required.7 Building-permit fees vary locally, so obtain the current amount from the Town Clerk.10

Who issues building permits in the Town of Orange?

The Town of Orange is the delegated municipality for new-home UDC applications, so begin with the Town Clerk and Town Building Inspector.11 The town lists its inspector through General Engineering Company.12 The UDC package includes the application, contractor license information, scaled plans, energy documentation, truss plans, water calculation, wall-bracing worksheet and fee.11 A home using private sewage must receive its sanitary permit before a local permit is issued.13 County-regulated shoreland or mapped floodplain sites may need separate land-use review from Juneau County Sanitation & Zoning.314

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

We could not confirm a complete, current general zoning schedule for the Town of Orange, so do not assume a parcel is unrestricted. Ask the Town Clerk about allowed use, RV occupancy, tiny-home placement and ordinary setbacks.8 Juneau County administers specialized shoreland, wetland and mapped floodplain controls, but that does not establish general countywide residential zoning.3 In the shoreland-wetland area, an unsewered lot for each main building generally needs 20,000 square feet and 100 feet of water-edge frontage.15 A sewered shoreland lot generally needs 10,000 square feet and 65 feet of average water-edge frontage.16

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Orange?

Juneau County administers sanitary permits for private onsite wastewater systems in the Town of Orange.2 The permit must precede installation or construction of a structure requiring private sewage.6 County approval also precedes a non-plumbing sanitation system.17 Juneau County reviews qualifying at-grade and mound systems up to 1,000 gallons per day; other designs may require DSPS review.1819 The system must be inspected and accepted.20 Only about 0.5% of Juneau County soils avoid a very-limited rating for conventional drain fields, so arrange soil evaluation early.21

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Town of Orange?

We could not confirm a general Orange rule allowing full-time RV occupancy or establishing where a tiny home may be placed. Ask the Town Clerk for current rules before buying or moving a unit onto land.8 A manufactured home installed as a new dwelling requires a UDC permit, but that construction rule does not itself approve placement or long-term use.22 Juneau County's confirmed RV limits apply specifically to campgrounds in regulated floodplain districts, not ordinary private-parcel RV living.23 Those campgrounds need a county land-use permit and flood-warning, evacuation, sewage, well and anchoring measures.24

Building a home in the Town of Orange: what are the steps?

  1. Ask the Town Clerk to confirm land-use, RV, driveway and dimensional rules.8
  2. Ask Juneau County whether shoreland or mapped floodplain controls apply; covered floodplain work needs approval first.9
  3. Complete soils work and obtain the county sanitary permit before the local building permit when using private sewage.13
  4. Obtain the state well-construction notification number before drilling a typical new private well.25
  5. Submit the UDC application, plans, contractor information and documents through Orange.11
  6. Call the inspector named on the UDC permit for required inspections.5

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

Confirm the intended home type, temporary RV use and driveway plan with the Town Clerk.8 Ask Juneau County to identify shoreland or mapped floodplain controls; floodplain districts include Floodway, Floodfringe, General Floodplain and Flooded Agriculture-Cranberry Farms.26 Treat septic feasibility as an early contingency because only about 0.5% of county soils avoid the most restrictive conventional drain-field rating.21 Floodplain applications may require a scaled site plan showing structures, access, water and septic systems, flood limits and elevations.27 Juneau County's effective property-tax rate is about 1.5%, with a median annual bill near $2,517; these are county benchmarks.2829

Watch-outs

  • Confirm Orange's current RV, camping, tiny-home and ordinary setback rules with the Town Clerk.8
  • A county sanitary permit must precede a local permit for a building using private sewage.13
  • Mapped floodplain work needs county approval first, and its fee schedule comes from Juneau County Sanitation & Zoning.930

Sources

  1. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Orange), quoted and re-checked
  2. Juneau County Chapter 15 Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Ordinance (Town of Orange), quoted and re-checked
  3. Sanitation & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  4. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Orange), quoted and re-checked
  5. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Orange), quoted and re-checked
  6. Juneau County Chapter 15 Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Ordinance (Town of Orange), quoted and re-checked
  7. Instructions for Submitting a UDC Permit Application (Town of Orange), quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Orange Clerk (townorange.com)
  9. Juneau County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  10. Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 302.34 (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Town of Orange), quoted and re-checked
  12. Town of Orange Building Inspector (townorange.com)
  13. Requirement for Plan Review Prior to Issuing Local Permits, quoted and re-checked
  14. Juneau County Sanitation & Zoning Department (co.juneau.wi.gov)
  15. Juneau County Code, Appendix A, Sec. 3.1 — Lots not served by public sanitary sewer, quoted and re-checked
  16. Juneau County Code, Appendix A, Sec. 3.2 — Lots served by public sanitary sewer, quoted and re-checked
  17. Juneau County Chapter 15 Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Ordinance (Town of Orange), quoted and re-checked
  18. Delegated Agents for Private On-Site Wastewater Treatment System (POWTS) Plan Review, quoted and re-checked
  19. Juneau County POWTS Plan Review Delegation Letter, quoted and re-checked
  20. Juneau County Chapter 15 Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Ordinance (Town of Orange), quoted and re-checked
  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. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
  23. Juneau County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  24. Juneau County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  25. Well and heat exchange notification (Town of Orange), quoted and re-checked
  26. Juneau County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  27. Juneau County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  28. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  29. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  30. Juneau County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked

Written October 10, 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 Orange

Town of Orange’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

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

    • Applies to stick-built, modular, and manufactured home installations.
    • Permit issuance and construction remain subject to UDC application requirements and applicable local requirements.
    “A permit under the UDC is required for new one- and two-family dwelling units. This includes stick-built, modular, and manufactured home installations.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Dwellings inside Orange town, Wisconsin.

    • The official town ordinance index identifies the adoption as Ordinance 2011-01; the ordinance PDF itself could not be retrieved during this research.
    “2011-01 - Adopting Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code”
  • InspectionsRequired

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

    • Required inspections are footings, foundation and reinforcement, rough, insulation, and final.
    • The inspector is 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.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development, repairs, modifications, additions, and changes of use in mapped floodplain areas inside Orange town under the Juneau County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance.

    • A land-use permit is required before work begins.
    • The ordinance applies to floodplain areas shown on the floodplain zoning maps.
    • The ordinance states it was approved and became effective March 21, 2023.
    “A land use permit shall be obtained before any development; repair, modification or addition to an existing structure; or change in the use of a building or structure, including sewer and water facilities, may be initiated.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

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

    • Submit the application to Orange town because it is listed as delegated.
    • Required materials include the application, contractor license numbers, scaled plans, REScheck, truss plans, water calculation, wall-bracing worksheet, and permit fee.
    • The application path changes to DSPS eSLA if the municipality lacks proper authority; the official list identifies Orange town as delegated.
    “Regardless of which agency has authority, your application must include:”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Orange

Town of Orange 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-occupant applying for a Wisconsin UDC construction or erosion-control permit inside Orange town.

    • The applicant must be or become the owner-occupant of the dwelling.
    • The applicant may apply without a Dwelling Contractor Certification and must accept the stated cautionary responsibility language.
    “I vouch that I am or will be an owner-occupant of this dwelling for which I am applying for an erosion control or construction permit without a Dwelling Contractor Certification and have read the cautionary statement regarding contractor responsibility on the reverse side of the last ply of this form.”
  • Who permits septicCounty

    Private onsite wastewater systems inside Orange town, which is a Wisconsin town area administered as unincorporated territory for county POWTS purposes.

    • County administration operates under Wisconsin POWTS requirements.
    • State review or approval may also be required for particular systems.
    “A County Sanitary Permit shall be obtained prior to constructing or installing a non-plumbing sanitation system.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Septic permitRequired

    Construction or installation inside Orange town of a structure requiring a private sewage system or non-plumbing sanitation system.

    • The permit must be obtained before installation, establishment, or construction.
    • Starting construction before obtaining the permit is a violation and may result in fees twice the stated amount and other enforcement.
    • A sanitary permit is not required for addition of manhole risers or replacement of manhole covers, risers, baffles, filters, or pumps.
    • A County Sanitary Permit is required before constructing or installing a non-plumbing sanitation system.
    “A sanitary permit shall be obtained by the property owner, his agent or contractor, in the name of the property owner, prior to the installation, establishment or construction of any structure that requires a private sewage system or non-plumbing sanitation system.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Private onsite wastewater systems inside Orange town.

    • The installed system must be inspected and accepted before completion.
    • County or state inspection requirements under the ordinance and SPS 383 apply.
    “A copy of the approved plans shall be maintained at the construction site until the private sewage system installation is completed, inspected and accepted.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Required — POWTS construction and installation inside Orange town.
      “Inspection of POWTS construction and installation is required in accordance with the plan review conditional approval letter.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Non-plumbing sanitation systems inside Orange town.

    • A County Sanitary Permit is required before constructing or installing a non-plumbing sanitation system.
    • The ordinance includes pit privies and other non-plumbing systems subject to state and county requirements.
    “A County Sanitary Permit shall be obtained prior to constructing or installing a non-plumbing sanitation system.”
  • Well permitLimited

    New private wells inside Orange town.

    • A DNR Well Construction Notification Number is required before construction.
    • Exceptions include high-capacity wells, reconstruction of existing wells, and wells on Native American property.
    • A Well Construction Report must be submitted within 30 days after construction.

    notification fee: 50.5 USD (heat exchange notification has no fee)

    “Exceptions to the notification requirement are high capacity wells, reconstruction of existing wells and wells on Native American property.”
  • Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Farming operations inside Orange town for purposes of the State Commercial Building Code plan-approval exemptions.

    • The exemption covers farming operations including sales of farm products raised there.
    • Public horse boarding stables and riding arenas are not exempt.
    “Farming operations including sales of farm products that are raised there (public horse boarding stables and riding arenas are not exempt).”

Still unanswered

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

  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for buildings inside Orange town.
  • Local zoning — Land inside Orange town.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Orange town.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Orange town.
  • Minimum lot size — Permanent homes and other residential lots inside Orange town
13 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • 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 Orange publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Juneau County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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