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

Town of Baraboo’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Building, structure, addition, remodel, move, conversion or demolition work inside the Town of Baraboo

  • Minor repairs (excluding electrical and plumbing) that do not change room size, building envelope, occupancy, structural strength, fire protection, ventilation, exits or lights do not need a permit.
  • Application is filed in writing with the town clerk on a form; plans, specifications and a plot plan are required; the building inspector issues the permit after checking conformity and receiving the fee.
  • A permit under which no work starts within two years expires; it may be renewed if conditions and law are unchanged.

  permit expiration if no work commenced: 2 years (renewal allowed if conditions and law unchanged)

  “No person shall build, excavate for, erect or construct any building or structure, nor enlarge, remodel, move, convert or demolish any building or structure, or cause the same to occur, without obtaining a building permit therefor from the Building Inspector.”

• Building code adoptedPartial

  Scope statement for the Town of Baraboo building code (Chapter 30)

  • The chapter says it applies to one- and two-family residential work and accessory buildings; it does not state a separate code for other building types.

  “and shall apply to new one- and two-family residential buildings and structures, as well as additions or alterations to all existing one-and two-family residential buildings and structures and to accessory buildings.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Partial — New one- and two-family residential buildings and structures in the Town of Baraboo, plus additions and alterations to existing one- and two-family buildings and accessory buildings

    “The Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapters SPS 320 through 388, and all subsequent amendments, additions and recodifications thereto are hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference, and shall apply to new one- and two-family residential buildings and structures, as well as additions or alterations to all existing one-and two-family residential buildings and structures and to accessory buildings.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside the Town of Baraboo

  • The permit holder notifies the building inspector, who must inspect within two business days of notification unless weather or other circumstances intervene.
  • A final inspection is required after completion and before occupancy; the permit holder must apply in writing for it.
  • The building inspector may require further inspections for special circumstances.

  “Inspections shall be made of all new one- and two-family dwellings, additions and alterations and of other buildings covered under this ordinance.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Tents or recreational vehicles used on residential premises in the Town of Baraboo

  • Allowed only on a lot that has a permanent residence providing water and sanitary facilities.
  • No more than two camping units per lot or parcel under one ownership.
  • Stays limited to 15 consecutive days; units and equipment must be removed at the end of the stay.
  • State-approved sanitary systems must be available; loud or disruptive behavior prohibited; erosion-causing land disturbance prohibited; trash must be properly disposed.
  • The town board may grant a temporary 90-day permit for camping during construction; the rest of that subsection was not captured.
  • Chapter 25 refers to a 'town of baraboo zoning ordinance' in its campground provisions.

  camping stay length: <= 15 consecutive days (town board may grant temporary 90-day permit during construction) · camping units per lot: <= 2 units

  “Camping when located on the same lot as an existing residential dwelling in compliance with subsection A shall be allowed, subject to the following conditions:”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Houses and buildings used for human habitation or business located inside the Baraboo sanitary district, abutting a street, alley or right-of-way where a public sewer is located, inside the Town of Baraboo

  • Also applies where the town board deems an extension of the public sewer feasible.
  • Applies to new construction and to replacement of existing septic systems.
  • Connection must be completed before occupancy, at the owner's expense.
  • Non-compliance: written notice; if not connected within 10 days, a $10 per day forfeiture applies, each day a separate offense; alternatively the town may connect and assess the cost as a special tax.
  • Water connection requirements were not addressed in the chapters reviewed; this claim covers sewer only.

  sewer connection forfeiture: 10 USD per day (applies after 10 days from written notice to connect)

  “All houses, buildings, or properties used for human habitation, including occupancy, employment, recreation, business, or any other similar purpose, located within the Baraboo Sanitary District and abutting on any streets, alleys, or rights of way, in which a public sewer is located, or located anywhere where an extension of the public sewer is deemed feasible by the Town Board shall, at the owners’ expense, connect directly with the proper public sewer.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land division and platting inside the Town of Baraboo

  • Existence shown by the town's ordinance index; Chapter 29 text was not opened, so plat, lot and survey requirements are unverified.

  “The purpose of this chapter is to regulate and control the division of land within the Town of Baraboo in order to promote the public health, safety, morals, prosperity, aesthetics, and general welfare of the Town and its environs.”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit process for work in the Town of Baraboo

  • Apply to the town clerk on the form; applications must include plans, specifications and a plot plan.
  • Forms are available as a fillable PDF or through an online application; questions go to the building inspector.
  • Permit card must be posted on site.

  “Any person desiring a building permit shall file with the Town Clerk an application therefor in writing on a blank form to be furnished for that purpose.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Baraboo

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

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Baraboo (not the City of Baraboo): the Sauk County zoning ordinance (Chapter 7), which the Town of Baraboo board adopted and re-adopted for the town. Administered by Sauk County under Wis. Stats. 59.69 as recited in the resolution.

  • The town board approved repeal and reenactment of the Sauk County zoning ordinance in the town by Resolution 2026-21 on October 12, 2026; the resolution states the town adopted the county ordinance in 2014 and that the county performed a comprehensive revision with rewritten subchapters and added districts.
  • The town's ordinance index lists no separate town-authored zoning ordinance, but Chapter 25 (camping) refers to a 'town of baraboo zoning ordinance'; whether a town-authored zoning ordinance also exists was not resolved.
  • Zoning district lists and dimensional standards in Chapter 7 were not opened in this research; see zoning_districts and the dimensional topics, which are unknown.

  “approves the repeal and reenactment of the sauk county zoning ordinance in the town attached hereto as appendix a”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside the Town of Baraboo
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy approval for new construction inside the Town of Baraboo
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts applying inside the Town of Baraboo
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside the Town of Baraboo
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size for the main single-family residential district and any agricultural or rural-residential district inside the Town of Baraboo

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.