Zoning, building permits and septic rules in St. Francis, Wisconsin

St. Francis’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and structures within St. Francis city limits.

  • Plans and specifications must be submitted to the Building Inspector.
  • The Common Council fee must be paid.
  • A building permit must be obtained before the listed work.

  “Permit required. No person shall build or cause to be built any building or other structure, and no building, structure or part thereof shall be moved, built, enlarged, altered or demolished within the City without first submitting plans and specifications to the Building Inspector, paying the fee established by resolution of the Common Council, and obtaining a building permit for such building.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  One- and two-family dwellings inside St. Francis city limits.

  • The Uniform Dwelling Code and appendixes are adopted as amended from time to time.

  “Uniform Dwelling Code adopted. The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, Chs. SPS 320 through 325, Wis. Adm. Code, and all appendixes thereto, as amended from time to time, is adopted by reference as part of this chapter as though fully set forth herein.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside St. Francis city limits.

  • Chapter 455 was adopted by the Common Council; district and use-specific rules apply.

  “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of St. Francis 10-5-2004 by Ord. No. 1170 (Ch. 17 of the 1981 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside St. Francis city limits.

  • Chapter 455 identifies conventional zoning districts and contains zoning-district and zoning-map provisions.

  “§ 455-21 R-1 Single-Family Residential District. § 455-22 R-2 Single-Family and Duplex Residential District. § 455-23 R-3 Residential Mixed Use District. § 455-24 R-4 General Multifamily and Commercial District.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land inside St. Francis city limits.

  • Approval by the Planning Commission and Council and certification by the City Clerk are required before the listed plat, recording, street, or improvement actions.
  • Listed exceptions include transfers by will or court order, leases not exceeding 10 years, mortgages, easements, qualifying exchanges between adjoining owners, and City-owned land.

  “No land within the City shall, after October 20, 1964, be divided by a subdivision plat or certified survey map, nor may such document be entitled to be recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds, nor may any street be laid out, nor may any improvements be made to the land, until the provisions of this chapter and Ch. 236, Wis. Stats., are met and the plat or certified survey map and the plan or plans of the subdivision shall have been approved by the Planning Commission and the Council and certified by the City Clerk.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development and uses in regulated flood-hazard areas inside St. Francis city limits.

  • The ordinance regulates mapped special flood hazard zones A, AO, AH, A1-30, AE, VE, V1-30, and V, plus applicable DNR- and community-approved mapped areas.
  • Failure to obtain the permit is a violation.

  “Land use permit. A land use permit shall be obtained before any development; repair, modification, or addition to an existing structure; or change in the use of a building or structure, including sewer and water facilities, may be initiated.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits inside St. Francis city limits.

  • The current fee schedule is on file with the City Clerk.
  • Final application of fees is determined by the Building Inspection Department and related City departments.

  “Fee schedule. Before receiving a building permit the owner or his agent shall pay to the Building Inspector a permit fee. A copy of the current fee schedule is on file with the City Clerk. Final application of these fees is to be determined by the Building Inspection Department of the City of St. Francis and other related departments.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Site-plan and architectural-plan approvals before applicable City building permits.

  • Applies before permits for new buildings, additions or alterations adding 50% or more floor area, and all second-floor additions.
  • No permit issues before a positive finding from the Aesthetic Control Board.

  “Purpose and intent. For the purposes of promoting compatible development and ensuring adequate public facilities, site plan and architectural plan review and approval, in accordance with this section, are required for all persons prior to issuance of a building permit for any new buildings and for any additions or alterations that add 50% or more floor area to an existing building and for all second-floor additions.”

Rules another office applies inside St. Francis

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

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal buildings in the R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside St. Francis city limits.

  • Exception provisions in § 455-13 apply.
  • The lower of the feet or stories limit governs.

  maximum building height: 35 feet (or 2.5 stories, whichever is less)

  “Maximum building height, except as provided under § 455-13: 35 feet or 2.5 stories, whichever is less.”

• Well permitRequired

  Construction of a new private well in Wisconsin, including inside St. Francis city limits where a private well is otherwise allowed.

  • High-capacity wells, reconstruction of existing wells, and wells on Native American property are exceptions to the stated notification requirement.
  • A Well Construction Notification Number must be obtained before constructing drilled or driven-point wells.

  “Obtain a Well Construction Notification Number prior to constructing a well. This applies to both drilled wells and driven point wells.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside St. Francis city limits.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside St. Francis city limits.
• Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside St. Francis city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside St. Francis city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside St. Francis city 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 St. Francis 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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