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

Village of Shorewood’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Design, construction, repair, alteration, demolition, moving, and occupancy of buildings and structures in Shorewood village.

  • The Village code applies subject to the Wisconsin Administrative Code and rules established under it.
  • Where Shorewood Building Code provisions conflict with the incorporated Uniform Building Code, the Shorewood Building Code governs.

  “The Wisconsin Uniform Building Code, current version, and acts amendatory thereto and supplementary thereof are hereby incorporated by reference and adopted and created as the Building Code of the Village of Shorewood, subject to the following provisions and additions:”

• InspectionsRequired

  Completed permitted one- and two-family dwelling projects inside Shorewood village.

  • This claim addresses the final inspection expressly required at project conclusion.
  • The Building Inspector or authorized certified Village agent may enter premises at reasonable hours for inspection purposes and require production of permits.

  “Final inspection. Once the project is concluded, a final inspection of the completed work by the Village is required.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New dwellings and dwellings with bedroom additions, and specified new, changed, or commercial building and tenant-space uses inside Shorewood village.

  • An occupancy permit is also required for new commercial buildings and tenant spaces, additions, change of use, and change of business owner or tenant.
  • Commercial occupancy permits renew every five years.
  • Temporary permits require safe and sanitary occupied areas and may not exceed 30 days before renewal is required.

  commercial occupancy-permit renewal interval: 5 years (All premises occupied for commercial use.) · temporary occupancy-permit period: <= 30 days (Renewal is required thereafter.)

  “Permit required. It shall be unlawful to use or permit the use of any building or premises or part thereof without first obtaining an occupancy permit from the Building Inspector. An occupancy permit is required for:”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Shorewood village limits.

  • Zoning is administered under Village Chapter 535 and its district and use regulations.

  “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of Shorewood 2-6-2023 by Ord. No. 3053.[1]Amendments noted where applicable.]”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Shorewood village limits.

  • District boundaries are shown on the Village Zoning Map, which accompanies and is part of Chapter 535.

  “Districts. For the purpose of this chapter, the Village of Shorewood is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals inside Shorewood village.

  • The code classifies short-term rentals as lodging for less than 30 days for transient guests who maintain a permanent place of residence elsewhere.
  • Lodging is allowed only in the districts marked in Table 535-25-1 and remains subject to all applicable zoning regulations.

  temporary lodging duration: < 30 days (Guests maintain a permanent residence elsewhere.)

  “Lodging. Establishments that provide temporary lodging for less than 30 days to transient guests who maintain a permanent place of residence elsewhere. Examples include hotels and motels, bed-and-breakfast inns, as described in § 97.01(1g), Wis. Stats., and short-term rentals, as described in § 66.1014(1)(c), Wis. Stats.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits and inspections inside Shorewood village.

  • The applicant pays fees when the building-permit application is filed.
  • The code states that fees are enumerated in the Village Fee Schedule; the retrieved code did not state amounts.
  • Commercial permit or inspection fees are likewise enumerated in the Village Fee Schedule.

  “Fees for building permits and inspections. At the time the application for a building permit is filed, the applicant shall pay the fees as enumerated in the Village Fee Schedule.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  New one- and two-family dwellings inside Shorewood village.

  • Application for new construction must be written on the Wisconsin Uniform Building Permit Application furnished by the Department of Safety and Professional Services.
  • The applicant submits three sets of plans when filing for new construction, repairs, or additions.
  • The Planning and Development Department issues a permit after finding compliance with Village ordinances and applicable building codes.

  plan sets required: 3 sets (New construction, repairs, or additions to one- and two-family dwellings constructed after June 1, 1980.)

  “Application for a building permit for new construction shall be made in writing upon the form designated as the Wisconsin Uniform Building Permit Application furnished by the Department of Safety and Professional Services.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Shorewood

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-4 Lake Drive Residence District No. 4 inside Shorewood village.

  • Applies to the R-4 district; other districts may have different dimensional requirements.

  minimum building area: >= 1200 square feet

  “R-4 Lake Drive Residence District No. 4. [...] Building: Area, minimum: 1,200 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-4 Lake Drive Residence District No. 4 inside Shorewood village.

  • Applies to the R-4 district; land between Lake Michigan's water edge and elevation 680.00 feet mean sea level is excluded from required land area under the cited chapter provision.

  minimum lot width: >= 60 feet · minimum lot area: >= 18000 square feet

  “R-4 Lake Drive Residence District No. 4. [...] Width, minimum: 60 feet. [...] Area, minimum: 18,000 square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-4 Lake Drive Residence District No. 4 inside Shorewood village.

  • Front setback is the greater of 25 feet or the average existing setback on the east side of North Lake Drive between the two closest intersecting streets extended.
  • Rear setback is subject to the R-4 bluff-area requirements.

  minimum front setback: >= 25 feet (Or the average specified existing setback, whichever is greater.) · minimum side setback: >= 5 feet

  “Front, minimum: 25 feet or the average of existing setbacks on the east side of North Lake Drive as established between the two closest intersecting streets extended, whichever is greater. [...] Side, minimum: five feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-4 Lake Drive Residence District No. 4 inside Shorewood village.

  • Up to 10% additional lot coverage is allowed for accessory structures.

  maximum principal-building lot coverage: <= 30 percent (Plus up to 10% for accessory structures.)

  “Lot coverage, maximum: 30% of the lot for the principal building, plus up to 10% for accessory structures.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-4 Lake Drive Residence District No. 4 inside Shorewood village.

  • Applies to the R-4 district; other districts may have different height limits.

  maximum building height: <= 30 feet

  “R-4 Lake Drive Residence District No. 4. [...] Height, maximum: 30 feet.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Shorewood village.
• Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Shorewood village.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Shorewood village.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Shorewood village.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Shorewood 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Shorewood 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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