Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Menominee County, Wisconsin

Yes, for covered work on fee land. Town of Menominee Ordinance No. 63 requires the permit before construction begins and doubles the permit fee when work starts first². Wisconsin's statewide Uniform Dwelling Code applies to one- and two-family dwellings built since June 1, 1980, although its listed exclusions include detached garages and accessory buildings¹¹. The local application requires two copies of the plans². The permit question changes if the parcel is owned by the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin or held in federal trust for the Menominee Indian Nation, because the county zoning ordinance excludes those lands³. Confirm the parcel's legal status before treating the county process as controlling.

The Menominee County Building & Zoning Office publishes five building or zoning application types and tells applicants to choose the form that fits the project, complete it and submit all applicable fees¹. The office is at 3270 Courthouse Lane, Keshena, WI 54135-0279, and its main number is 715-799-5710¹. Town of Menominee Ordinance No. 63 authorizes the Building Inspector to issue permits to an owner or authorized agent². The published schedule lists $850 for a single-family dwelling permit plus a $33 Wisconsin Uniform Building Permit seal, and a $75 standard zoning permit for structures¹. Exterior changes generally need a county zoning permit as well as the applicable building permit, with listed exceptions for interior remodeling that does not change the footprint and individual trade permits¹.

Taxable or fee land within Menominee County jurisdiction is zoned under the Menominee County Zoning Ordinance¹. The county ordinance excludes land owned by the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and land held in federal trust for the Menominee Indian Nation³. R-1 lots generally require at least 20,000 square feet and 80 feet of width; residential structures need 10-foot side yards and 25-foot rear yards¹⁰. Legend Lake Residential lots also generally require at least 20,000 square feet, with 10-foot side and rear setbacks, subject to shoreland rules⁸. County shoreland rules generally require 75 feet between a building and the ordinary high-water mark, subject to exceptions and adjustments¹². R-1 height limits are 35 feet for a principal structure and 20 feet for an accessory structure¹³. Legend Lake Residential allows at most 25 percent lot coverage, subject to shoreland rules, and requires at least 676 square feet of main-floor living area, four horizontal dimensions of 26 feet or more, and a frost-free full-perimeter foundation^8,14. Agriculture and single-family housing are principal uses in A-1, but that district still has dimensional rules and some farm-related uses need conditional approval¹⁵.

The Menominee County Zoning Department oversees private onsite wastewater treatment systems on fee land⁵. Permits are required for new systems, alterations, replacements and reconnections; the application also requires review and approval of a soil and site evaluation⁵. A newly constructed building cannot be occupied until its POWTS is approved, installed and inspected⁴. Only 8.8% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so establish septic feasibility before committing to a building site¹⁶. Treatment tanks must be serviced within three years after installation and at least every three years afterward, or sooner when sludge and scum reaches the ordinance's threshold⁵. Contact the septic program at 715-799-5710 x2 before design work begins⁵.

An RV, travel trailer, bus or similar recreational shelter may be used for habitation only where the applicable zoning district allows the use outright or by conditional approval⁷. In the Legend Lake Residential District, seasonal camping runs from April 16 through October 14 and requires approved septic, well and electrical service¹⁷. Legend Lake guest camping is limited to two additional units, 10 consecutive days and 20 days per year; short-term camping is limited to 15 consecutive days and 30 days per year, followed by five days off site¹⁷. Legend Lake accessory structures cannot be used for human habitation¹⁷. The ordinance does not use the term tiny home. In Legend Lake Residential, single-family housing is the only permitted principal use, so a tiny home qualifies only if it meets the house standards of at least 676 square feet of main-floor living area, four horizontal dimensions of 26 feet or more and a frost-free full-perimeter foundation⁸. Elsewhere, no distinct countywide tiny-home rule was confirmed; ask the Zoning Department how the unit would be classified³. Manufactured homes are allowed as single-family houses in the R-1 district, which has a 20,000-square-foot minimum lot¹³. The R-2 district allows a single mobile home on its own lot, with an approved stand, tie-downs and maintained skirting¹⁸.

1. Confirm whether the parcel is taxable or fee land under county jurisdiction or tribal-owned or federal trust land outside the county ordinance^1,3.

1. Ask the Building & Zoning Office for the parcel's district, floodplain or shoreland overlays, dimensional limits and correct application¹.

1. Complete the soil and site evaluation and obtain required POWTS approval before relying on a homesite⁵.

1. Choose the applicable published application and submit completed forms, two plan copies and all applicable fees before work starts^1,2.

1. Call for each construction-phase inspection before covering the work⁶.

1. Obtain the occupancy permit after health-and-safety issues are cleared; the home cannot be occupied before issuance².

Start with title and land status because county building and zoning rules exclude tribal-owned and federal trust land³. Confirm the zoning district, shoreland limits and whether the site falls in the county Floodplain Overlay District before drawing a site plan¹. A concrete or asphalt driveway or other added impervious surface within 300 feet of surface water requires a county zoning permit¹. A division of a parent parcel of at least 10 acres that creates at least three new parcels falls under the county subdivision ordinance¹⁹. Test septic feasibility early because only 8.8% of county soils lack severe conventional drain-field limitations¹⁶. An ordinary new private well generally requires advance Wisconsin DNR notification, while specified high-capacity and institutional wells require prior approval⁹. Budget around an effective property-tax rate near 3.6% and a median annual bill near $3,527¹⁶.