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

Town of Center’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction, additions and alterations on land inside Center town limits; the Town of Center issues the general building permit

  • Zoning permit from Rock County must be issued first (pending no issues), then the town general building permit.
  • Building permit is issued only after the building inspector sets the fee and payment reaches the Town of Center.

  “payment will need to be received by the town of center before the building permit is issued.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveway on a parcel inside Center town limits (page heading 'new driveway, new address')

  • Driveway permit application goes to the Town clerk with a $150.00 fee; a 911 rural address sign application through Rock County is also part of the step.

  driveway permit fee: 150 USD

  “mail your completed driveway permit application and application fee of $150.00 to the clerk at town of center.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town of Center permit fees: general building permit fee set by the building inspector; driveway, address sign and conditional use fees published on the town building page

  • Building permit fee is advised after the county zoning permit issues and is paid to the Town of Center before the building permit issues.
  • Address sign fee: Option 1 (sign and post) $50.00; Option 2 (sign only) $40.00, paid through the Rock County link.

  driveway permit application fee: 150 USD (payable to Town of Center, mailed to the clerk) · conditional use permit application fee: 400 USD (payable to Town of Center, mailed to the clerk) · 911 address sign and post: 50 USD (option 1; option 2 sign only is $40.00)

  “the building inspector will advise you and the town of center (pending no issues) of the permit fee.”

• Permit processPartial

  Permit sequence for new construction, additions and alterations inside Center town limits (town-published steps; county zoning permit and state/county sanitary steps are published only by link)

  • Step 1: zoning permit application with payment to Rock County; county notifies the Town clerk and Building Inspector once issued.
  • Step 2: general building permit application; fee advised by building inspector; payment to Town before permit issues.
  • Permit application forms and the sanitary application are linked, not reproduced on the page.

  “1) complete the zoning permit application (link below) with payment to rock county.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Center

Town of Center 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 septicMixed (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater (sanitary) systems on land inside Center town limits: Rock County issues the county sanitary permit for reconnections, repairs and non-plumbing sanitation systems; the state sanitary permit applies to other system types

  • Town page directs master plumbers and contractors to the state and county sanitary permit applications (POWTS).

  “application for county sanitary permits are for re-connections, repairs, and non-plumbing sanitation systems only.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit eligibility for Center town
• Building code adopted — Building code applicable to new homes inside Center town limits
• Inspections — Inspections for construction inside Center town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificate for a new home inside Center town limits
• Local zoning — Land inside Center town limits: whether the town adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance

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.