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

Village of Bayside’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  One- and two-family dwellings inside Bayside village limits.

  • Architectural Review Committee approval is required before the Building Inspector issues the building permit.
  • Razing and demolition require a razing permit but not Architectural Review Committee approval.
  • The final permit must issue and work commence within six months of committee approval unless the Building Inspector grants an extension.

  “No one- or two-family dwelling may be built [...] unless a building permit [...] is first obtained”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures inside Bayside village limits covered by Chapter 104.

  • The adopted Wisconsin Administrative Code chapters include SPS 305, SPS 316, SPS 320-325, SPS 361-366, SPS 375-379, and SPS 381-387, together with subsequent revisions.

  “The following chapters of the Wisconsin Administrative Codes, as well as all subsequent revisions, are adopted by the municipality and shall be enforced by the building inspector.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted building projects inside Bayside village limits.

  • Owner or contractor must request inspections at required phases under the Wisconsin Administrative Code or at least 48 hours in advance, as applicable.

  advance inspection request: >= 48 hours (Where Wisconsin Administrative Code timing does not instead apply.)

  “In order to permit inspection of a building project at all necessary phases without causing delay for the owner, the owner and/or contractor shall request all of the following inspections in conformity with the appropriate time frame defined in the Wisconsin Administrative Code or at least 48 hours in advance by the applicant/contractor or property owner as applicable.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Bayside village limits.

  • Chapter 125 regulates development and the village board may amend district boundaries or chapter provisions.

  “unregulated and unrestricted development.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Bayside village limits.

  • Districts are shown on the Official Zoning Map of the Village of Bayside, on file in the office of the village clerk.
  • Floodplain districts are also established under § 110-1.

  “"A" residence district, "B" residence district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  New residences in Bayside A, B, and C residential districts.

  • Minimum house area excludes porches, breezeways, and garages.
  • A and B: 1,800 square feet one-story; 2,200 square feet more than one story. C: 1,500 square feet one-story; 1,750 square feet more than one story, 1,000 square feet of which must be on the first floor.

  A and B one-story minimum house area: 1800 square feet · C one-story minimum house area: 1500 square feet

  “Class "A" and "B" residential districts: 1,800 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  A residence district inside Bayside village limits.

  • Lot area includes abutting land reserved for highway purposes to its centerline.
  • New lots also require at least 85 feet of frontage, subject to listed special exceptions.

  minimum lot area per family: >= 40000 square feet

  “The lot area of a lot on which a dwelling is erected or proposed to be erected, together with the area of abutting land reserved for highway purposes, whether private or public, to the centerline thereof, shall not be reduced to less than 40,000 square feet for each family.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — B residence district inside Bayside village limits.

    “The lot area of a lot on which a dwelling is erected or proposed to be erected shall not be reduced to less than 22,000 square feet for each family.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  A residence district inside Bayside village limits.

  • Front yard is at least 30 feet where no later setback applies.
  • Street-centerline setbacks may be reduced based on lot depth, but cannot be less than 15 feet plus half the abutting road or reserved-area width.
  • Side yards can be reduced for lots less than 100 feet wide but cannot be less than 15 feet.

  minimum front yard: >= 30 feet (Where a setback is not otherwise provided.) · minimum rear yard: >= 20 feet

  “A front yard of not less than 30 feet shall be provided for every building on a lot for which a setback is not hereafter provided for.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Dwellings in Bayside A, B, and C residence districts.

  • The maximum is based on gross lot area.

  A maximum dwelling coverage: <= 15 percent of gross lot area · B maximum dwelling coverage: <= 25 percent of gross lot area · C maximum dwelling coverage: <= 35 percent of gross lot area

  “15 percent [...] 25 percent [...] 35 percent”

• Building heightSpecified

  Residences in Bayside A, B, and C residence districts.

  • Height is measured vertically from grade to roof peak.
  • Accessory elements including cupolas, antennae, and chimneys may reach 42 feet.
  • No structure may exceed two stories; attic space above a second floor may be developed if other building-code requirements are met.

  maximum structure height: <= 35 feet above normal grade (Accessory elements may not exceed 42 feet above normal grade.)

  “No structure shall exceed 35 feet above normal grade. Structure height shall be measured vertically from grade to roof peak. Accessory elements including cupolas, antennae, chimneys, etc., shall not exceed 42 feet in height above normal grade.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Human-habitation buildings inside Bayside village limits adjacent to a village sanitary sewer.

  • The limitation applies where a building is adjacent to the sanitary sewer.
  • This evidence does not establish rules for parcels not adjacent to a sanitary sewer.

  “All buildings used for human habitation and located adjacent to a sanitary sewer in the village shall be connected with such sanitary sewer. Any person failing to comply with this section with respect to such connection for more than ten days after notice in writing by the village manager shall be subject to the penalties provided in section 1-13.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Buildings used for human habitation inside Bayside village limits that are adjacent to a sanitary sewer.

  • A building must be adjacent to a sanitary sewer in the village.
  • Failure to connect for more than ten days after written notice may result in penalties or village-installed connection assessed as a special tax.
  • New sewer connections or substantially increased use also require the applicant's written certification concerning Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Rule 7.13 permission.

  “shall be connected with such sanitary sewer.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Commercial building plan submissions inside Bayside village limits.

  • Fees are per the municipal fee schedule and apply to all commercial projects.

  “Fees per municipal fee schedule. Fees apply to all commercial projects.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  One- and two-family building-permit applications inside Bayside village limits.

  • Application must be in writing on the village form or through the authorized online portal.
  • Applicant must submit two sets of plans and a survey for new construction, repairs, or additions.
  • The Building Inspector issues a permit only if the proposal complies with all village ordinances and the Uniform Dwelling Code.

  permit commencement deadline: <= 180 days (Unless the Architectural Review Committee establishes a required commencement date more than 180 days when approving issuance.)

  “via the Village's authorized online portal.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owners constructing residential buildings inside Bayside village limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Bayside village limits.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Bayside village limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Bayside village limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Bayside village limits.

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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Bayside means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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