Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Liberty, Wisconsin

Town of Liberty’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Permanent buildings and structures erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, moved, enlarged or demolished inside Liberty town

  • Construction may proceed only after the building permit is obtained.
  • Exempt: replacing a roof, windows, or siding with like materials, and sheds less than 100 square feet.
  • Failure to obtain a permit before construction doubles the required permit fee.

  “no permanent building or structure shall be erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, moved, enlarged or demolished until a building permit has been obtained from the building inspector.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Dwellings (permanent or seasonal) built inside Liberty town

  • Ordinance is a 2004 revision of a building code manual; the signature and effective dates on the copy are blank.
  • Dwellings must meet the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code as stated in the town ordinance.

  “all buildings and structures designed as dwellings, either permanent or seasonal, shall meet all the requirements of the wisconsin uniform dwelling code.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Every structure (year-round, seasonal or mobile) constructed, reconstructed, erected, altered, moved or enlarged inside Liberty town; the ordinance names no separate district

  • Lots of record as of August 1, 2004 with legal access to County Highway S between County Highway M and the western town border are exempt if they were at least one acre before land was sold to the county for the 2005 reconstruction, and may not be further subdivided without losing the exemption.
  • All principal structures, as defined by the Outagamie County zoning ordinance, must be established on a separate lot of record.

  minimum lot area: >= 1 acre (certain lots on County Highway S (see conditions)) · minimum lot width: >= 132 feet · maximum lot depth: <= 2.5 times width

  “every structure, whether year-round, seasonal or mobile, hereafter constructed, reconstructed, erected, altered, moved or enlarged shall comply with the following regulations: 1. minimum lot area = one acre.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  All permanent structures (homes, garages, sheds, decks, pools and the like) inside Liberty town; the ordinance names no separate district

  • Setbacks and yard requirements apply to all permanent structures, including homes, garages, sheds, decks, pools and the like.
  • Road setbacks are measured from the right-of-way.

  road setback from state and county highways: >= 55 feet (measured from right-of-way) · road setback from town roads: >= 55 feet (measured from right-of-way) · minimum side yard: >= 20 feet (changed in revision a) · minimum rear yard: >= 35 feet

  “road setbacks (measured from right-of-way): a. 55 feet from state and county highways b. 55 feet from town roads”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes placed in Liberty town

  • Manufactured homes are treated as single-family dwellings only where a zoning district allows a single-family housing unit; the ordinance does not identify any district.
  • Homes constructed before October 1, 1974, or without the required Wisconsin approved seal, are prohibited.
  • A building permit is required before moving a manufactured or mobile home into the town.
  • A manufactured or mobile home may not be left unoccupied for 60 days or more.

  construction date for permitted manufactured home: >= 1974-10-01 date (homes constructed before this date are prohibited)

  “manufactured homes that were constructed prior to october 1, 1974 or are without the required wisconsin approved seal are prohibited.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit application and lapse rules in Liberty town; septic and floodplain approvals run through the county

  • Application is made in writing on the form furnished by the building inspector, with owner name and address, legal description, and plot plan.
  • Permit lapses unless construction starts within six months of issuance and is completed within 18 months, unless extended in writing by the building inspector.
  • Approved permits must be displayed on the premises during construction.

  construction start deadline: <= 6 months (from date of issuance; extendable in writing by building inspector) · construction completion deadline: <= 18 months (from date of issuance; extendable in writing by building inspector)

  “a building permit shall lapse and be void unless building operations are commenced within six months from the date of issuance and the building is completed within 18 months from the date of issuance, unless otherwise extended, in writing by the building inspector.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Liberty

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private domestic sewage treatment and disposal systems for structures inside Liberty town

  • Applies to structures that require connection to a private domestic sewage treatment and disposal system.
  • Building permit for such a structure is issued only after the county sanitary permit is obtained.

  “building permits for structures requiring connection to a private domestic sewage treatment and disposal system shall be issued only after a county sanitary permit has been obtained.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New structures in Liberty town that need a private domestic sewage treatment and disposal system; the county sanitary permit is issued by Outagamie County

  • The county sanitary permit must be obtained before the town building permit is issued for such a structure.

  “building permits for structures requiring connection to a private domestic sewage treatment and disposal system shall be issued only after a county sanitary permit has been obtained.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in floodplain, shoreland and wetland areas inside Liberty town where county jurisdiction applies

  • Outagamie County must approve before the town issues a building permit for such development.
  • Building permits for this development are under county jurisdiction.

  “building permits for development in the floodplain, shore land and wetland are jurisdiction of the county shall not be issued until approved by outagamie county.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for permits in Liberty town
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Liberty town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new buildings in Liberty town
• Local zoning — Whether Liberty town (inside Outagamie County) adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts in Liberty 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.