Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Amery, Wisconsin

Amery’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction and specified building work inside Amery city limits.

  • Normal repairs are exempt.
  • Re-roofing, interior finishing, cabinetry, and minor repair as deemed by the Building Inspector are exempt from the cited alteration requirement.
  • Permit application is by the owner or authorized agent to the Building Inspector or City Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer.

  “until a permit therefor shall first have been obtained pursuant to this chapter by the owner, or his/her authorized agent”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Plumbing repair or installation in an owner-occupied single-family building inside Amery city limits.

  • A permit must be issued.
  • Work must comply with § 193-5.
  • This exception is from the licensed-plumber requirement.

  “a property owner may make repairs or installation in a single-family building owned and occupied by him/her as his/her home, provided that a permit is issued”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  One- and two-family dwellings inside Amery city limits.

  • The adopted code includes subsequent revisions.
  • The code is adopted for municipal enforcement.

  “The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, Chapters SPS 320 to SPS 325 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, and subsequent revisions are adopted for municipal enforcement.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Plumbing work on premises inside Amery city limits.

  • The person doing plumbing work must notify the Building Inspector before the work is covered.
  • Use is barred until inspection and approval.

  inspection timing: <= 24 hours (Building Inspector shall inspect or cause the work to be inspected within 24 hours after notification.)

  “Upon completion of the plumbing work on any premises, the person doing such work shall notify the Building Inspector before such work is covered up”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  A building moved and altered inside Amery city limits.

  • The restriction applies until the proposed exterior alterations have been completed.
  • The cited rule is not evidence of a general certificate-of-occupancy requirement for every building.

  “No certificate of occupancy shall be issued for said building until the exterior alterations proposed to be made have been completed.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Construction of a residential building inside Amery city limits.

  • Sewer, water, grading, and graveling must be installed in streets necessary to serve the property.
  • A receipt for payment of electrical hookup must be presented before the building permit issues.

  “No building permit shall be issued for the construction of any residential building until sewer, water, grading and graveling are installed in the streets”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Property proposed for building inside Amery city limits.

  • The property must abut a street dedicated for street purposes.
  • The subdivision and required improvements must be accepted by the City Council before building permits issue.

  “No building permits shall be issued until the subdivision and required improvements are accepted by the City Council.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Amery city limits.

  • Application must use a form furnished by the City Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer.
  • The Building Inspector or Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer may require other information.

  “Application for a building permit shall be made in writing upon a form furnished by the City Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer”

Rules another office applies inside Amery

Amery 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

  Buildings in the R-2 Two-Family Residential District inside Amery city limits.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (Or three stories.) · maximum stories: <= 3 stories (Or 35 feet.)

  “Building height. Maximum 35 feet or three stories.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Amery or Polk County directly.

• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Amery city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes used as dwellings inside Amery city limits.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Amery city limits.
• Who permits septic — Private onsite wastewater systems serving land inside Amery city limits.
• Septic permit — Private onsite wastewater systems inside Amery 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 Amery 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.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.