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

Town of Grant’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New one- and two-family dwellings inside Grant town.

  • Application must be submitted to the Zoning Administrator before building.
  • The current zoning ordinance separately requires a zoning permit for construction, enlargement, structural alteration, moving, or demolition, subject to listed exceptions.

  “No person shall build or cause to be built any one- or two-family dwelling without first submitting an administrative building permit to the Zoning Administrator.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Buildings inside Grant town where a Uniform Dwelling Code permit is required.

  • Inspection timing and manner are those necessary to secure compliance with applicable laws, ordinances, rules, and orders.

  “When a Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) is required, buildings shall be inspected at such time and in such manner as may be necessary to secure compliance with the laws, ordinances, rules and orders applicable thereto.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  A completed building inside Grant town where a Uniform Dwelling Code permit is required and the building will be occupied as a residence.

  • The Building Inspector issues a Certificate of Compliance after inspection or prescribes changes necessary for compliance.

  “No building or part thereof shall be occupied as a residence until such Certificate of Compliance has been issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Grant town, Portage County, Wisconsin.

  • The ordinance also states that the Town is subject to Portage County shoreland, floodplain, subdivision, private sewage, and sexually oriented businesses ordinances.

  “For the purposes of this Ordinance, the Town of Grant, Portage County, Wisconsin is hereby divided into eight districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Grant town.

  • District boundaries appear on the Town of Grant Zoning Map, which is adopted and incorporated by reference and may be amended by the Town Board under applicable law.

  “For the purposes of this Ordinance, the Town of Grant, Portage County, Wisconsin is hereby divided into eight districts as follows: 1. Low Density Residential 2. High Density Residential 3. Exclusive Agriculture 4. Transition Agriculture 5. General Agriculture 6. Commercial 7. Industrial 8. Conservancy”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots inside Grant town.

  • Maximum coverage differs between interior and corner lots.

  maximum coverage interior lot: <= 50 percent · maximum coverage corner lot: <= 60 percent

  “No building with its accessory buildings shall occupy in excess of fifty percent of the interior lot or sixty percent of a corner lot.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes inside Grant town in districts where single-family or two-family residences are permitted or conditional uses.

  • The structure must meet the ordinance definition of manufactured home.
  • Pre-July 15, 1976 structures are defined as mobile homes.

  “For purposes of zoning code enforcement, manufactured homes shall be allowed as permitted and conditional uses where “single family residences” and “two family residences” are shown as permitted and conditional uses.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Adding a driveway inside Grant town.

  • The Town planning and zoning page lists adding a driveway among activities requiring a zoning permit.

  “Zoning permits are required for a new residence or commercial building; an addition; when establishing an address; when moving a building into, within or through the town; if building an accessory building or adding an addition to an accessory building; for installing an outdoor wood burner furnace; if razing a building; for adding a driveway, deck, porch, or pool; and more.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Zoning permits inside Grant town.

  • Fees are set by the Town Board from time to time.

  “The Town Board shall from time to time set fees for permits under this Section.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town zoning permits inside Grant town.

  • Application must include a scale location sketch and the information called for by the application or needed to enforce the ordinance.
  • Town website says a new-residence zoning permit requires an approved sanitary permit and, when applicable, a Portage County shoreland zoning permit.

  “To complete the process you will need to provide the Zoning Administrator with (1) a location sketch drawn to scale showing the location, shape dimensions of the lot, the building and existing buildings, (2) a property tax statement for the lot,and (3) a sanitary permit.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Grant

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Low Density Residential, R-2 High Density Residential, and A-1 Exclusive Agriculture districts inside Grant town.

  • The ordinance also provides that no zoning permit may issue for a year-round living area under 720 square feet, except 400 square feet in the Conservancy District.
  • R-2 residences must be at least 20 feet wide.

  minimum floor area R-1: 720 sq ft · minimum floor area R-2: 720 sq ft (Residence not less than 20 feet wide.) · minimum floor area A-1: 720 sq ft

  “(R-1) Low Density Residential 35 ft. 25 ft.(8) 720 sq. ft. 2 Acres 160 ft (3) 15 ft. 25 ft. (4) (R-2) High Density Residential 35 ft. 18 ft.(2) 720 sq ft.(5) 20,000 sq ft. (7) 100 ft. (3) 15 ft. 25 ft (4) (A-1) Exclusive Agriculture 35 ft. 35 ft. 720 sq. ft 35 Acres NA 25 ft. 25 ft.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Low Density Residential, R-2 High Density Residential, and A-1 Exclusive Agriculture districts inside Grant town.

  • All lots are subject to Portage County Sanitary approval.
  • The R-2 minimum lot area is 30,000 square feet for a duplex.

  minimum lot area R-1: 2 acres · minimum lot area R-2: 20000 sq ft (30,000 sq ft for a duplex.) · minimum lot area A-1: 35 acres

  “(R-1) Low Density Residential 35 ft. 25 ft.(8) 720 sq. ft. 2 Acres 160 ft (3) 15 ft. 25 ft. (4) (R-2) High Density Residential 35 ft. 18 ft.(2) 720 sq ft.(5) 20,000 sq ft. (7) 100 ft. (3) 15 ft. 25 ft (4) (A-1) Exclusive Agriculture 35 ft. 35 ft. 720 sq. ft 35 Acres NA 25 ft. 25 ft.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Low Density Residential, R-2 High Density Residential, and A-1 Exclusive Agriculture districts inside Grant town.

  • Buildings above 35 feet must be referred to the Town Board to determine adequate fire protection before a zoning permit issues.
  • Churches, schools, and other public buildings may be up to 50 feet if each applicable yard setback is increased at least one foot per additional foot of height above the district limit.

  maximum residential height R-1: <= 35 ft · maximum residential height R-2: <= 35 ft · maximum residential height A-1: <= 35 ft

  “(R-1) Low Density Residential 35 ft. 25 ft.(8) 720 sq. ft. 2 Acres 160 ft (3) 15 ft. 25 ft. (4) (R-2) High Density Residential 35 ft. 18 ft.(2) 720 sq ft.(5) 20,000 sq ft. (7) 100 ft. (3) 15 ft. 25 ft (4) (A-1) Exclusive Agriculture 35 ft. 35 ft. 720 sq. ft 35 Acres NA 25 ft. 25 ft.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private sewage inside Grant town.

  • The Town zoning ordinance identifies Portage County's Private Sewage Ordinance as governing in the Town.

  “The Town is subject to Portage County’s Shoreland and Floodplain Zoning, Subdivision, Private Sewage and Sexually Oriented Businesses Ordinances.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction inside Grant town that requires sanitary facilities.

  • Sanitary permits must be obtained before construction; facilities in private residences and public buildings must be installed before occupancy and meet Wis. Stat. § 145.19, Wis. Admin. Code ch. SPS 383, and the Portage County Sanitary Ordinance.

  “Sanitary permits shall be obtained prior to construction. Sanitary facilities shall be installed in all private residences and public buildings before occupancy meeting the requirements of Wis. Stat. § 145.19, the Wis. Admin. Code Ch. SPS 383, and the Portage County Sanitary Ordinance.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private sanitary facilities for residences and public buildings inside Grant town.

  • A sanitary permit must be obtained before construction.
  • Facilities must be installed before occupancy and meet state law, SPS 383, and the Portage County Sanitary Ordinance.

  “Homeowners are allowed to apply for non-plumbing sanitary permits such as privies or outhouses.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision inside Grant town.

  • The Town ordinance identifies Portage County's Subdivision Ordinance as applicable in the Town.

  “The Town is subject to Portage County’s Shoreland and Floodplain Zoning, Subdivision, Private Sewage and Sexually Oriented Businesses Ordinances.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Projects in shoreland or floodplain areas inside Grant town.

  • A Portage County zoning permit is required when the Grant-town project is located in shoreland or floodplain areas.

  “Residents of the Towns of Grant and Pine Grove will also need a Portage County Zoning Permit if their project is located within Shoreland or Floodplain areas.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals in the R-1 Low Density Residential and R-2 High Density Residential districts inside Grant town.

  • Short-term rentals are conditional uses requiring the ordinance's conditional-use review and Town Board approval process.

  “3. Bed and Breakfast Establishments and short-term rentals (i.e., tourist rooming house)”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Grant town.
• Living in an RV — Long-term recreational-vehicle occupancy on private land inside Grant town.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Grant town.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Grant town.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Grant 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.