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

Rules another office applies inside Town of Eaton

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

• Building permitRequired

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

  • Applies to stick-built, modular, and manufactured-home installations.
  • Eaton town is listed by DSPS as delegated for UDC permitting and inspection.

  “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 dwelling units inside Eaton town.

  • Required inspection stages are footings, foundation and foundation reinforcement, rough, insulation, and final.
  • The applicant must notify the inspector identified on the UDC permit when ready for inspection.

  “The following inspections are required on new one- and two-family dwellings. When ready for inspection, notify the inspector identified on your UDC permit.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  County-zoned land inside Eaton town.

  • Eaton is listed as a town under the Manitowoc County General Zoning Ordinance.

  “(EA) Exclusive Agriculture (GA) General Agriculture (LE) Large Estate Residential (SE) Small Estate Residential (RR) Rural Residential (HD) High Density Residential (LR) Lake Residential (CB) Commercial/Business (ID) Industrial (NA) Natural Areas”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in the General Agriculture (GA) district inside Eaton town.

  • The stated minimum excludes road right-of-way.

  minimum lot size: 10 acres (exclusive of road right-of-way) · minimum lot width: 150 feet

  “Minimum lot size 10 acres, exclusive of road right-of-way. • Minimum 150' lot width.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lots in the Small Estate Residential (SE) district inside Eaton town.

    “Minimum lot size 2 acres, exclusive of road right-of-way. • Minimum 150 ft. lot width.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal, conditional-use, and accessory structures in the General Agriculture (GA) district inside Eaton town.

  • Principal and conditional-use structures have a different property-line setback from accessory structures.

  principal and conditional-use property-line setback: 25 feet · accessory-structure property-line setback: 10 feet

  “25' property line setback for principal and conditional use structures. • 10' property line setback for accessory structures.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Principal, conditional-use, and accessory structures in the Small Estate Residential (SE) district inside Eaton town.

    “25 ft. property line setback for principal and conditional use structures. • 10 ft. property line setback for accessory structures.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in the Small Estate Residential (SE) district inside Eaton town.

  • A different maximum height may be permitted by section 8.25 or chapters 20, 24, or 25.
  • All structures are subject to the Airport Approach Protection Ordinance.

  maximum building height: 35 feet (unless a different maximum height is permitted by sec. 8.25 or chs. 20, 24, or 25)

  “35 ft. maximum height, unless a different maximum height is permitted by sec. 8.25 or chs. 20, 24, or 25. However, all structures are subject to the Airport Approach Protection Ordinance.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Buildings in the General Agriculture (GA) district inside Eaton town.

    “60' maximum height for buildings except farm structures not used for human habitation provided they are under airport height limitation.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater treatment systems serving land inside Eaton town.

  • The county Planning & Zoning Department administers County Code Chapter 13 and Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter SPS 383.
  • The county page identifies the regulated systems as POWTS, also known as septic systems.

  “The Planning & Zoning Department administers Chapter 13 of the Manitowoc County Code and Chapter SPS 383 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, which regulate the installation and maintenance of Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS), better known as “septic systems.””

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing, locating, moving, reconstructing, extending, enlarging, altering, converting, modifying, or changing the connected land use of a private sewage system inside Eaton town.

  • The property owner must hold a valid sanitary permit.
  • Applications must be submitted to the County on a state-approved form signed by a master plumber or master restricted plumber (sewer).

  “No person may install, locate, move, reconstruct, extend, enlarge, alter, convert, or modify a private sewage system or change the land use connected to the system, unless the owner of the property on which such private sewage system is located, or is to be located, holds a valid sanitary permit.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private onsite wastewater treatment systems serving land inside Eaton town.

  • Systems must be inspected every three years.
  • The inspection must be conducted by an eligible licensed or certified professional; pumping is required when sludge and scum equal one-third of tank volume.

  routine inspection interval: per 3 years

  “Manitowoc County and the State of Wisconsin require that all Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS) be inspected every 3 years to ensure their proper operation.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Eaton town.

  • A Certified Survey Map is required when the parcel is not an existing tract of land and is less than 15 acres.

  parcel size threshold: < 15 acres (when the parcel is not an existing tract of land)

  “If the parcel is not an existing tract of land and is less than 15 acres, a Certified Survey Map is required.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveway work or culvert installation on a County Trunk right-of-way inside Eaton town.

  • This claim is limited to County Trunk rights-of-way; town-road access requirements were not established.

  “Issues driveway permits for any driveway work or culvert installed on County Trunk right-of-ways.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Vacation home rentals in the General Agriculture (GA) district inside Eaton town.

  • Vacation home rentals are listed as a conditional use in the GA district.

  “Conditional Uses [...] • Vacation home rentals.”

Still unanswered

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

• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for construction inside Eaton town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Eaton town.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Eaton town.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Eaton town.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Eaton 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.