Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Little Rice, Wisconsin

Rules another office applies inside Town of Little Rice

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

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, placement, enlargement or alteration of structures on land inside Little Rice town (county zoning applies because the county handout lists little rice as zoned in its entirety)

  • Permit is required before a structure is built, erected, placed, enlarged, altered or moved, per the county handout's permit list.
  • Permits are issued by Oneida County Planning & Zoning; the town homepage says all permits except driveway permits are handled by Oneida County.
  • A permit is also required when construction costs exceed $2,500.00 or the structure is 200 sq ft or more, per the handout's item 4.
  • No zoning permit is issued for a structure intended for human occupancy until a sanitary permit has been approved (county handout).

  threshold cost: > 2500 USD (cumulative fair market value of labor and materials)

  “a zoning permit shall be obtained before: a. a structure is built, erected, placed, enlarged, altered or moved.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  New dwellings and other dwelling construction inside Little Rice town, Oneida County, WI, under the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC)

  • Per the county handout, the town itself enforces UDC and 'each town may handle udc enforcement in a different manner', so the enforcement pathway inside the town was not confirmed.
  • The handout's statement is dated 'as of december 18, 2003'; that is a statute date, not a claim effective date.

  “wisconsin law requires enforcement of the uniform dwelling code (udc) for all municipalities. each town may handle udc enforcement in a different manner.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Use of a recreational vehicle as a dwelling on private land inside Little Rice town (county zoning)

  • An RV used as a dwelling for more than five consecutive days requires a county zoning permit unless exempt under section 9.33(f) of the county code; the exemption text was not opened.
  • A county camping handout is listed on the county page but was not opened.

  consecutive days before permit: > 5 days (unless exempt under 9.33(f))

  “f. a recreational vehicle is used as a dwelling for more than five (5) consecutive days unless exempt under 9.33(f).”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater (septic/POWTS) systems on land inside Little Rice town

  • Town homepage says all permits except driveway permits are handled by Oneida County.
  • Oneida County Chapter 13 (private onsite waste water treatment systems ordinance) is listed on the county P&Z page; its text was not opened in this run.

  “all permits except the driveway permits are handled by oneida county.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Reconnecting, replacing, repairing or altering any part of a septic system on land inside Little Rice town (county-administered)

  • Applies to all towns in Oneida County, including Little Rice per the county handout.
  • No zoning permit is issued for a structure for human occupancy until a sanitary permit has been approved.
  • New installation permit terms were not separately opened; the handout quote covers reconnecting, replacing, repairing or altering.

  “sanitary permits are required in all towns for reconnecting, replacing, repairing or altering any portion of a septic system or any other sanitary facility.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Tourist rooming house (short-term lodging) use inside Little Rice town

  • Tourist rooming house uses are handled through county administrative-review permit and renewal applications listed on the county P&Z page.
  • The ordinance criteria and fees were not opened.

  “tourist rooming house – administrative review permit application tourist rooming house renewal application”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit process for construction inside Little Rice town

  • Zoning permits are obtained from Oneida County Planning & Zoning (Rhinelander courthouse or Minocqua branch).
  • Zoning permits expire two years from the date of issuance and cannot be renewed, per the county handout.
  • Other town, state or federal permits may also be required; the county handout says it is the applicant's responsibility to contact those governmental units.

  permit validity: 2 years (cannot be renewed)

  “a permit expires two (2) years from the date of issuance. a permit cannot be renewed.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for permits in Little Rice town
• Inspections — Building inspections for new dwellings inside Little Rice town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Little Rice town
• Local zoning — Land inside Little Rice town, Oneida County, WI: whether the town adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts applying inside Little Rice town

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.