Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Somers, Wisconsin

Village of Somers’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Dwellings, public buildings and detached accessory buildings (including agricultural buildings) inside the Village of Somers

  • Minor repairs deemed so by the building inspector need no permit.
  • Roof repair or reroofing over 25% of the roof in 12 months requires a permit.
  • Application needs plans, a lot plan, a certified survey and a zoning permit.
  • Some projects also need a Kenosha County zoning permit per the village building inspection page.

  “no dwellings, public buildings or detached accessory buildings, including agricultural buildings, shall be built, enlarged, altered, repaired, razed or moved into or within the village, unless a building permit for that work shall first be obtained by the owner or his agent, from the inspector.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside the Village of Somers

  • Adopts Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 302, 305, 316, 318, 320-325 (Uniform Dwelling Code), 326 (manufactured homes), 327 (camping units), 328 and 360-366 (commercial building code), with future amendments.

  “under the authority granted in § 101.12, wis. stats., the following codes of the wisconsin administrative code are hereby adopted and set forth in full together with any future amendments, revisions or modifications.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction requiring a permit inside the Village of Somers

  • Inspections apply if the nature and type of construction so require.
  • Minimum inspections: site, footings/foundations, rough framing/electrical/plumbing/HVAC/insulation, and final.

  “all buildings or construction, which require a permit, shall have the following minimum inspections, if the nature and type of construction shall so require.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings inside the Village of Somers

  • Issued only if no violation is found and the building is complete.
  • Temporary occupancy permit at inspector's discretion, not to exceed 30 days, for undue hardship.

  temporary occupancy maximum: <= 30 days (hardship, inspector's discretion)

  “no building or part thereof shall be occupied until a certificate has been issued, nor shall any building be occupied in any manner which conflicts with the conditions set forth in the certificate of occupancy.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside the Village of Somers (Kenosha County)

  • Search results indicate the village has a service agreement with Kenosha County for zoning and floodplain professional services; not verified on an opened page.

  “the purpose of this ordinance is to regulate and encourage the use of land, waters and structures in the village in a planned and orderly manner”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New, modified or repaired driveway approaches inside the Village of Somers

  • Permit issued by the village.

  “no person shall construct a new or modify or repair any existing driveway approach without first obtaining a permit from the village.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Somers or Kenosha County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Somers village
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Somers village
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Somers village
• Minimum lot size — Lots inside Somers village
• Setbacks — Setbacks inside Somers village

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.