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

Town of Lima’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, erection, alteration, enlargement, repair, moving, conversion, or demolition of a building, structure, or mechanical system inside Lima town.

  • Exceptions are those expressly provided in the ordinance.
  • A Wisconsin uniform building permit is issued only if filing and fee requirements are satisfied and plans are conditionally approved.
  • The ordinance exempts certain listed minor work and equipment replacement; re-roofing that would create a third or later roof layer requires a permit with structural load-bearing calculations.

  “Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Ordinance, no owner or contractor may construct, erect, alter, enlarge, repair, move, convert to other uses, or demolish any building, structure or mechanical system until a valid permit is obtained from the Town of Lima Building Inspector.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building work inside Lima town subject to the Town Building Code.

  • The ordinance incorporates future amendments, modifications, and revisions to the listed Wisconsin Administrative Code chapters.
  • For existing one- and two-family dwellings constructed before June 1, 1980, the stated application is to alteration, enlargement, or repair for which a permit is required.

  “The following Chapters of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, as well as all subsequent future amendments, modifications, and revisions, are adopted by the Town of Lima”

• InspectionsLimited

  Commercial buildings inside Lima town.

  • The Town has assumed HVAC and structural-inspection responsibilities for commercial buildings using certified commercial building inspectors.
  • The cited ordinance provides inspection-entry authority at reasonable hours; it does not establish a completed inspection schedule for all residential construction in the passage reviewed.

  “Provide HVAC and structural inspection of all sized commercial buildings with certified commercial building inspectors.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land-use changes and new construction inside Lima town.

  • The Town's building code states that enumerated work must meet the square-footage requirements in Section 4.3 of the Town of Lima Zoning Ordinance.
  • The Town's zoning-information document directs applicants to consult the Town Clerk regarding consistency with the Town Comprehensive Plan.

  “The aforementioned work shall also be required to meet the square footage requirements as set forth in Section 4.3 of the Town of Lima Zoning Ordinance.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town building permits inside Lima town.

  • Fees are established periodically by Town Board resolution.
  • If work begins before permit issuance, the permit fee is doubled.

  “At the time of building permit issuance, the applicant shall pay fees as established by resolution periodically by the Town Board.”

• Permit processPartial

  Commercial buildings, structures, and alterations, including new buildings and additions under 25,000 cubic feet, inside Lima town.

  • The listed plan-submission procedure applies to commercial buildings, structures, and alterations, including new buildings and additions less than 25,000 cubic feet.
  • Fees apply to commercial projects; plans must be signed and sealed under SPS 361.31.
  • The Town Board may waive jurisdiction for a project, type of project, or components, in which case plans must go to the Department for review and approval.

  plan sets: 4 sets (One set of specifications, component and system plans, and calculations showing code compliance are also required.)

  “All commercial buildings, structures, and alterations, including new buildings and additions less than 25,000 cubic feet, require plan submission as follows:”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Lima

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

• Well permitRequired

  Construction of a new private well inside Lima town.

  • The advance-notice requirement excludes high-capacity wells, reconstruction of existing wells, and wells on Native American property.
  • A Well Construction Notification Number must be obtained before construction; the stated notification fee is $50.50.
  • A Well Construction Report must be submitted to DNR within 30 days after construction.

  Well Construction Notification fee: 50.5 USD (The fee and notification number are not refundable or transferable.)

  “Obtain a Well Construction Notification Number prior to constructing a well. This applies to both drilled wells and driven point wells.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Lima town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Lima town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal dwellings inside Lima town.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Lima town.
• Setbacks — Structures inside Lima 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.