Bolthole Index

Portage County, Wisconsin

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

Town of Lanark is a town in Portage County, Wisconsin. Septic permits inside Town of Lanark come from Portage County (Portage County Planning & Zoning Department - On-Site Waste (POWTS) · (715) 346-1334). 24 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 29, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Portage County page.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Lanark

Town of Lanark’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New dwellings in Lanark town (UDC building permit issued by the town)

    • Construction may proceed only after the town UDC building permit is issued.
    • County zoning permit and sanitary permit may also be required before the building permit (see zoning and septic claims).
    • Other improvements may also require a permit; scope not quoted here.
    “a uniform dwelling code (udc) building permit is required for all new dwellings and may be required for other improvements. these permits are issued by the town.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Driveways and culverts serving land in Lanark town

    • Driveway and culvert permits may be required; town roads are handled through the town clerk, county roads through the county highway department, state roads through WisDOT.
    • Town lists a driveway zoning ordinance and a culvert placement ordinance; their text was not opened.
    “driveway and culvert permits may be required. contact the appropriate agency depending on your location”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Lanark

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

  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning district lookup for land in Lanark town, which is under Portage County zoning.

    • District identification is through the county GIS website; the district map itself was not opened.
    • Permitted-use and special-exception lists for each district were not reviewed in this record.
    “please contact our office with any questions, or utilize our gis website for zoning district information.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Dwellings in the R1 Rural & Urban Fringe district in Lanark town

    • Footnote (g) on the R1 minimum-floor entry is the 720 sq ft year-round / 400 sq ft seasonal split quoted here.
    • Table notes that less than 720 square feet may be allowed for farm dwellings (footnote not mapped in this record).

    minimum floor area, year-round dwelling: >= 720 sq ft (400 sq ft for seasonal dwellings (less than six months calendar year))

    “720 square feet for year-round dwelling (6 months or more/calendar year), 400 square feet for seasonal dwellings (less than six months calendar year).”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R1 Rural & Urban Fringe district lots in Lanark town under Portage County zoning

    • Table is the county's Zoning Standards and Setbacks summary for towns under county zoning; footnote letters are not mapped individually in this record.
    • Minimum lot area and width shown in county table; confirm against the current county ordinance (Chapter 7) before relying on it.

    minimum lot area: >= 2 acres · minimum lot width: >= 200 ft

    “720 (g) 2 acres 200 25 (b) r2 single family”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Structures and septic components on land in Lanark town under Portage County zoning

    • Water setback stated for building setbacks in the county table; septic component distances from the same table.
    • Navigable-waterway distances (25 ft to septic tank / 50 ft to drainfield) appear in the table but are not quoted in this record.

    water setback (from ordinary high water mark): >= 75 ft · septic tank from property line: >= 2 ft · drainfield from property line: >= 5 ft

    “water: 75 feet from the ordinary high water mark (ohwm) building setbacks septic tank (2 feet from a property line) 5 feet drainfield (5 feet from a property line)”
    3 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    Principal buildings in the A1 Exclusive Agricultural district in Lanark town

    • Table lists a separate 20-ft total building height maximum in its notes that is not tied to a district in this record.

    maximum height: <= 35 ft

    “a1 exclusive agricultural 35 720 35 acres 200 25 (b) 25 (b) unlimited”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Placing campers on land in Lanark town under Portage County zoning

    • Camper placement is allowed only in agricultural, conservancy, and/or rural limited zoning districts; prohibited in other districts.
    • Zoning permit required for camper placement.
    “placement of campers in agricultural, conservancy and/or rural limited zoning districts (prohibited in other districts)”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Private onsite wastewater (septic) systems on land in Lanark town

    • State delegates POWTS regulation to counties; the county applies its Private Sewage System Ordinance and state code SPS 383.
    • Covers land in Lanark town as part of the county program.
    “for decades, under state statute, the state of wisconsin has delegated the responsibility of regulation of powts (private onsite waste treatment systems) also known as septic systems, to wisconsin counties.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New homes and additions that add bedrooms or disrupt the building sewer on land in Lanark town

    • Sanitary permit must be issued before the county zoning permit.
    • Application is made through a licensed plumber for a septic system with running water; homeowners may apply for non-plumbing sanitary permits.
    “a sanitary permit is required before a zoning permit can be issued for new homes and additions to homes which increase the number of bedrooms or disrupt the existing building sewer line.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Newly installed private septic systems on land in Lanark town

    • Inspection applies to newly installed systems; maintenance-inspection rules are not quoted here.
    “administration of the private sewage system ordinance, including issuing sanitary permits for new septic systems. and inspection of newly installed systems.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Non-plumbing sanitation (privies or outhouses) on land in Lanark town

    • Requires a non-plumbing sanitary permit from the county.
    • Plumbing-based septic systems follow the county sanitary permit process.
    “homeowners are allowed to apply for non-plumbing sanitary permits such as privies or outhouses.”
  • Well permitRequired

    Private well construction on land in Lanark town (Wisconsin DNR well notification)

    • Well notification number and associated fee are obtained before well construction, through the well installer or the DNR.
    “private well construction: contact your well installer or the wisconsin department of natural resources (dnr) to obtain a required well notification number and pay the associated fee prior to well construction.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Structural changes to buildings in a mapped floodplain on land in Lanark town

    • Zoning permit required for structural changes to buildings in a floodplain; the floodplain ordinance text was not opened.
    • Shoreland and floodplain rules in the county ordinance may impose further limits.
    “structural changes to buildings in a floodplain”
  • Permit processPartial

    Zoning permit application steps for land in Lanark town

    • Application is submitted to the county at least two weeks before construction starts; includes a lot drawing with setbacks and a staked location.
    • Town UDC permit and county sanitary permit are separate steps; town building permit process details are not published in the pages opened.
    “return the completed application to our office at least 2 weeks prior to the intended start of construction.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for Lanark town
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings in Lanark town
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage on land in Lanark town
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on land in Lanark town
  • Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy in Lanark town
6 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Lanark publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Portage County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Lanark means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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