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

Town of Balsam Lake’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New one- and two-family dwelling units inside the Town of Balsam Lake.

  • The town is listed by DSPS as a delegated UDC jurisdiction.
  • Applies to stick-built, modular, and manufactured-home installations.

  “town of balsam lake, polk county (48006) delegated pdf letter janet mabry, clerk, at 715-554-2028 or [email protected] ben campbell (west wisconsin inspection agency), cbi and udc, at 715-556-3136 or [email protected]”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Balsam Lake; Polk County administers zoning district changes for town parcels.

  • Evidence directly confirms Polk County Code zoning districts and a zoning-district map for the town, including a 40-acre Town of Balsam Lake parcel; it does not establish a town-adopted ordinance.

  “be it further resolved, that said district change to be recorded on the zoning district map of the town of balsam lake, which is on file in the office of the polk county zoning administrator pursuant to the polk county code of ordinances, chapter 42.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts in the Town of Balsam Lake.

  • The source identifies Residential Agricultural 5 and Mining districts for a specific town parcel and says the town zoning-district map is on file with the Polk County Zoning Administrator; it does not provide a complete district schedule.

  “be it further resolved, that, pursuant to wisconsin statute section 59.69(5)(e), the polk county board of supervisors does hereby amend the polk county code of ordinances so that the following described parcel of real estate be removed from the residential agricultural 5 (ra-5) zoning district and be rezoned to mining (m-1) zoning district”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Balsam Lake

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

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Owner-occupants applying for an erosion-control or construction permit inside the Town of Balsam Lake.

  • Applicant must be, or will be, an owner-occupant.
  • Applicant must make the quoted attestation and read the contractor-responsibility cautionary statement.

  “i vouch that i am or will be an owner-occupant of this dwelling for which i am applying for an erosion control or construction permit without a dwelling contractor certification and have read the cautionary statement regarding contractor responsibility on the reverse side of the last ply of this form.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New one- and two-family dwellings inside the Town of Balsam Lake.

  • The UDC applies to new one- and two-family dwelling units, including stick-built, modular, and manufactured-home installations.

  “A permit under the UDC is required for new one- and two-family dwelling units. This includes stick-built, modular, and manufactured home installations.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  UDC permit applications for new one- and two-family dwellings inside the Town of Balsam Lake.

  • The online request is sent to the intended municipality; the applicant receives confirmation upon filing and municipality approval.

  “upon successfully completing the permit application on the dsps online building permit system, the request is electronically sent to the intended municipality. you will receive a confirmation email from the online building permit system upon filing the application, and then again upon municipality approval.”

Still unanswered

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

• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered dwellings inside the Town of Balsam Lake.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside the Town of Balsam Lake.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside the Town of Balsam Lake.
• Setbacks — Structures inside the Town of Balsam Lake.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside the Town of Balsam Lake.

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.