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

Rules another office applies inside Town of Liberty

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New dwellings in Liberty town, under the state Uniform Dwelling Code (SPS 320-325)

  • Applies to new dwellings; a town may enforce its own UDC ordinance under s. 101.65, and Liberty town's adoption was not located.
  • Where a municipality neither adopts a s. 101.651(2m) resolution nor an enforcement ordinance, DSPS oversees enforcement and inspection of new dwellings.
  • A municipality may not enforce a dwelling ordinance that does not conform to the state UDC (s. 101.65(1c) as quoted in the code).

  “in municipalities not adopting a resolution under s. 101.651 (2m), stats., and not adopting an ordinance to enforce the code under s. sps 320.06, the department will oversee enforcement and inspection services for new dwellings, including manufactured buildings used as dwellings.”

• InspectionsRequired

  New dwellings in Liberty town if the town does not enforce its own UDC ordinance (then DSPS oversees inspection)

  • If Liberty town adopts its own enforcement ordinance, the town performs inspections instead.
  • Town inspection procedure was not located.

  “in municipalities not adopting a resolution under s. 101.651 (2m), stats., and not adopting an ordinance to enforce the code under s. sps 320.06, the department will oversee enforcement and inspection services for new dwellings, including manufactured buildings used as dwellings.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning district dimensional table that the county publishes for unincorporated areas, including Liberty town where the town is under Manitowoc County General Zoning

  • Table lists district codes GA, LE, SE, RR, HD, LR, CB, ID and NA; text extraction did not clearly map every district row, so only rows that could be read are used in other claims.
  • Source is the county guide, not the text of Chapter 8 of the county code; district definitions should be confirmed there.

  “existing zoning classifications lot requirements districts area in sq. feet/ acres”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lake residential (LR) district parcels in Liberty town under Manitowoc County General Zoning, if any Liberty land is so zoned (county table, not a Liberty town ordinance)

  • Table note: the 10,000 or 20,000 figure depends on whether the lot is sewered or unsewered; the extracted text does not map each figure to each case, so confirm in Chapter 8.
  • Exclusive lot width shown as 100 in the same row.

  minimum lot area, sewered vs unsewered: 10,000 or 20,000 sq ft (* lot size requirement for a sewered lot vs. an unsewered lot) · minimum exclusive lot width: >= 100 ft

  “lake residential 10,000 or 20,000* 100 35’ 60' or 100' 7.5’/5’ 75'”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Rural residential (RR) district parcels in Liberty town under Manitowoc County General Zoning (county table, not a Liberty town ordinance)

    “rr 43,560 rural residential 1 acre hd high density residential.5 acre lr na natural areas”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lake residential (LR) district parcels in Liberty town under Manitowoc County General Zoning (county table, not a Liberty town ordinance)

  • Road setback is 60 ft from a town road and 100 ft from a county or state highway (CTH/STH), per the table header.
  • Setbacks from the ordinary high water mark (OHWM) are 75 ft; the guide notes Lake Michigan setbacks are in most cases much greater than 75 feet.
  • Other district rows (GA, LE, SE, RR) could not be reliably mapped from the extracted table and are not stated here.

  road setback, town road: >= 60 ft · road setback, county or state highway: >= 100 ft · side and rear property line setback, principal / accessory: 7.5 / 5 ft · setback from ordinary high water mark: >= 75 ft

  “lake residential 10,000 or 20,000* 100 35’ 60' or 100' 7.5’/5’ 75'”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lake residential (LR) district parcels in Liberty town under Manitowoc County General Zoning (county table, not a Liberty town ordinance)

  • Farm structures and parts thereof are exempt from height restrictions.
  • Height for other districts was not reliably mapped from the table and is not stated.

  maximum structure height: <= 35 ft (farm structures and parts thereof are exempt)

  “***farm structures and parts thereof are exempt from height restrictions.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New home construction served by a private septic system in unincorporated Liberty town

  • A soil evaluation is required first to determine the system type.
  • A licensed plumber designs the system and submits an application; the permit is issued once the plan is approved.
  • Changing plumbers after a permit is issued requires a new plan, application and fees.
  • Setback distances from lot lines, buildings, wells, and water bodies apply under the guide.

  “5. the soils evaluation is then taken to a licensed plumber who will design a septic system for the property and submit an application for review. once the plan is approved, a permit will be issued and the plumber can install the system.”

• Subdividing landLimited

  Creating or building on a parcel in unincorporated areas, including Liberty town, under the county guide

  • Applies only if the parcel is not an existing tract of land and is less than 15 acres.
  • Full land division rules were not located; this claim covers only the certified survey map requirement in the guide.

  parcel size threshold for certified survey map: < 15 acres (applies only if the parcel is not an existing tract of land)

  “3. if the parcel is not an existing tract of land and is less than 15 acres, a certified survey map is required.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access for a structure in unincorporated Liberty town

  • Driveway access must be confirmed with the county highway department or the town before construction.
  • Location of the driveway could prevent access; existing field access may limit residential use.
  • Driveway requirements in Chapter 8 section 8.35(3) are referenced by the guide but were not opened.

  “2. check with the county highway department or the town to make sure a driveway access will be permitted.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Structures in unincorporated Liberty town on land that may include floodplain or wetland

  • Floodplain or wetland may prevent a structure from being built; the county zoning department must confirm.
  • Construction within 300 feet of a navigable water body may require impervious-surface calculations from a licensed professional, plus county review, permit and fee (county Chapter 9 shoreland ordinance).
  • Excavation deeper than 5 feet, filling of wetlands and similar uses need a county permit.

  distance from navigable water triggering impervious-surface calculation: <= 300 ft

  “6. any construction located within 300 feet of a navigable body of water may require impervious surface calculations from a licensed professional.”

• Permit processPartial

  Permit sequence for new structures in unincorporated Liberty town

  • Sequence in the county guide: county zoning-setback permit with site plan (step 9), soil evaluation and licensed plumber septic design (steps 4-5), then town building permit (step 10).
  • The town's own permit form, fee and review steps were not located, so the process is partial.

  “9. obtain a zoning/setback permit from manitowoc county planning & zoning department.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home in Liberty town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings in Liberty town
• Local zoning — Whether Liberty town (Manitowoc County) adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Liberty town
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits in Liberty 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.