Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Oconto Falls, Wisconsin

Rules another office applies inside Town of Oconto Falls

Town of Oconto Falls 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

  One- and two-family dwellings (site-built, modular and similar) inside the Town of Oconto Falls, under the statewide Uniform Dwelling Code

  • The code's scope covers one- and 2-family dwellings built on or after the effective dates under s. SPS 320.03 (effective-date section not opened).
  • Which body enforces it inside the Town (town, county, or state under SPS 320.065 state jurisdiction) was not verified; the Town's own enforcement status is unknown.
  • Other codes and agencies may apply to design and placement as noted in the SPS 320 notes.

  “the provisions of this code apply to all of the following: sps 320.02(1)(a) (a) all one- and 2-family dwellings built on or after the effective dates under s. sps 320.03.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater (septic) systems on habitable structures inside the Town of Oconto Falls, which lies in Oconto County (countywide county sanitary ordinance, applied inside the Town)

  • Applies to the county sanitary ordinance administered by the county zoning office; the Town itself was not shown to adopt a separate septic rule.
  • The sanitary ordinance is also tied to ch. 145 Wis. Stats. and DSPS chapters 381-391 per the county page.

  “The Sanitary Department of the Oconto County Zoning office enforces the Oconto County Sanitary Ordinance.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing, replacing or modifying a private onsite wastewater (septic) system on a habitable structure inside the Town of Oconto Falls (countywide county rule applied inside the Town)

  • With few exceptions, the work must be done by a properly licensed plumber and permitted by Oconto County.
  • The county says to contact the zoning office about when a permit is needed; the exceptions are not listed on the page.
  • Holding tanks are allowed only as a last resort (see off_grid_sanitation claim).

  “With few exceptions, all work performed on a POWTS must be by a properly licensed plumber and permitted by Oconto County.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Non-septic sanitation (privies, composting toilets, holding tanks) for habitable structures inside the Town of Oconto Falls (countywide county rule applied inside the Town)

  • Holding tanks are permitted only as a last resort.
  • Privies or alternatives may be used as the sanitary system only where the habitable structure has no plumbing and no water service.
  • Other provisions of the county sanitary ordinance were not opened.

  “If a habitable structure does not contain plumbing and has no water service, then privies, otherwise known as out-houses, or other alternatives to privies (i.e., composting toilets, etc.) may be used as a POWTS.”

• Permit processPartial

  Land-use and sanitary permits for property inside the Town of Oconto Falls, handled by Oconto County (countywide county process applied inside the Town)

  • The county page states the department issues permits and inspections; the step-by-step process and forms were not verified for Town parcels.
  • The sanitary permit form is limited to reconnection, privy, restoration and composting toilet permits (seen in search snippet only; not opened).
  • Town-level building permit process not established.

  “We provide information and assist with applications for county permits for land use, minor structures, assist in assigning Emergency 911 property addresses, process sanitary permits, issue sign permits, process applications for public hearing actions such as zone changes, conditional use permits and variances, conduct certified survey and plat reviews and assist state and federal agencies with their permitting when needed.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New construction inside the Town of Oconto Falls
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside the Town of Oconto Falls
• Inspections — Inspections of new construction inside the Town of Oconto Falls
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy approval for new homes inside the Town of Oconto Falls
• Local zoning — Land inside the Town of Oconto Falls (not the City of Oconto Falls) - whether the town itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance

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.