Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Pine Lake, Wisconsin

Town of Pine Lake’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Dwelling construction inside Pine Lake town under the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code as adopted by the town

  • The town ordinance list includes a Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code 2025 ordinance; its text was not opened.
  • Oneida County states that each town may handle UDC enforcement in a different manner.

  “wi uniform dwelling code 2025.pdf you need adobe acrobat reader to view these files.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Creating new lots or land divisions inside Pine Lake town

  • Town plan commission review comes before Oneida County Planning and Zoning approval, after town board review.
  • The town's land division and condominium control ordinance is on its ordinance list; its text was not opened.

  “the plan commission will review your preliminary plans prior to submitting to oneida county planning and zoning for approval after the town board has also reviewed and approved.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access for properties inside Pine Lake town

  • Driveway permit application and address application are both required and go to the clerk with the required fee.
  • The town's driveway/private access road permit ordinance (2023) is on the ordinance list; its text was not opened.

  “driveway permits and address applications required for all properties and to obtain an address.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Pine Lake

Town of Pine Lake 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

  New construction on land inside Pine Lake town, permits obtained from Oneida County Planning and Zoning

  • Zoning permits are required for most structures, including seasonal and permanent dwellings, garages, storage buildings, decks, and grading or filling within 200 feet of the shoreland.
  • Construction may proceed after the permit is issued.

  “a permit is required for the construction or moving of any structure if the total fair market value of labor and materials anticipated for the total cost of constructing the structure is greater than $2,500.00 or greater than or equal to 200 square feet.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Pine Lake town limits, where the Oneida County Zoning and Shoreland Protection Ordinance (Chapter 9) is the zoning in force because the town has none of its own

  • County zoning applies in the unincorporated areas of all 20 townships, including Pine Lake town.
  • Shoreland zoning applies within 1,000 feet of a lake or 300 feet of a river or stream.

  “the following towns are zoned in their entirety: cassian, crescent, hazelhurst, lake tomahawk, little rice, lynne, minocqua, newbold, nokomis, pelican, piehl, pine lake, schoepke, stella, three lakes, woodboro and woodruff.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Oneida County zoning districts that apply to land inside Pine Lake town

  • Section 9.20 lists the districts, including forestry districts 1-a to 1-c, single family residential district 2, multiple family residential district 3, residential and farming district 4, recreational district 5, business districts 6 and 7, manufacturing district 8, general use district 10, and rural residential district 15.
  • The zoning district map (Master Zoning District Document) is the legal reference for boundaries, not the GIS layer.

  “districts created the following zoning districts are created: district 1-a - forestry district 1-b - forestry district 1-c - forestry district 2 - single family residential”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings, manufactured homes, mobile homes, house trailers and decks on land inside Pine Lake town, side and rear yard setbacks under county zoning section 9.71

  • The side and rear yard rule is subject to the exceptions in section 9.71(a), including yards adjoining a highway (governed by section 9.70), recreational camps (100 feet), livestock housing (100 feet), nonmetallic mining (30 feet), campgrounds (200 feet or 100 feet) and mobile home parks (100 feet or 50 feet).
  • Item 2 of section 9.71(a) (blocks within towns) was not fully read.

  side yard width (each of two): >= 10 feet (Exceptions in section 9.71(a)) · rear yard width: >= 10 feet (Exceptions in section 9.71(a)) · minimum buildable width of lot: >= 25 feet (Applies as a limit on reduction of buildable width) · minimum buildable depth of lot: >= 50 feet (Applies as a limit on reduction of buildable depth)

  “for all buildings, manufactured homes, manufactured buildings, mobile homes, house trailers, decks, there shall be two side yards and one rear yard, each of which shall be not less than ten (10) feet in width, provided further that the buildable width of a lot shall not be reduced to less than twenty-five (25) feet and the buildable depth shall not be reduced to less than fifty (50) feet except:”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Buildings and structures on land inside Pine Lake town, setback from public highway rights-of-way under county zoning section 9.70

    “the setback shall be 20’ from the right-of-way provided the right-of-way is clearly identified by one of the following documents”

• Who permits septicCounty

  Private onsite wastewater (septic) systems on land inside Pine Lake town

  • Oneida County sanitary permit application forms (OPOWTS series) and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce SBD-6398 form are used for county sanitary permits.
  • Privies and holding tanks are handled under a separate county page not read.

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

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homes in Pine Lake town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings in Pine Lake town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size on land inside Pine Lake town
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits on land inside Pine Lake town
• Building height — Building height limits on land inside Pine Lake 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.