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

Town of Fairfield’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings, signs, structures, and covered alterations or moves in the area subject to the Fairfield zoning ordinance.

  • A written application and permit from the building inspector are required before work.
  • Permit must be posted prominently before and during construction, alteration, or moving.
  • Permit lapses unless the work described in the permit commences within one year of issuance.

  permit commencement deadline: <= 1 year (from permit issue date)

  “No building, sign or other structure or any part thereof shall hereafter be built, enlarged, altered, or moved within the area subject to the provisions of this ordinance until a building permit has been applied for in writing and obtained from the building inspector.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Building activity governed by Fairfield's zoning ordinance.

  • The building inspector operates under the zoning administrator's supervision.

  “The building inspector shall supervise and inspect all building activity and assist zoning activity as directed by the Administrator and the Agency.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Vacant land and buildings or structures erected, altered, or moved in the area subject to the Fairfield zoning ordinance.

  • Apply concurrently with the building-permit application.
  • The certificate is issued within 10 days after conforming construction, alteration, repair, or moving is completed.
  • The town board may allow a temporary certificate for part of a building.

  issuance period: <= 10 days (after compliant work is completed)

  “No vacant land shall be occupied or used and no building or structure hereafter erected, altered or moved shall be occupied or used until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the building inspector.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Fairfield town, outside incorporated cities and villages.

  • The ordinance divides the town area outside incorporated cities and villages into four use districts.

  use districts: 4

  “the entire area of the Town of Fairfield outside the limits of incorporated cities and villages are hereby divided into four (4) use districts, namely:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Fairfield town outside incorporated cities and villages.

  • District boundaries are shown on the town zoning map, which is part of the ordinance.

  published districts: 4 districts

  “The boundaries of these four (4) districts are shown upon the map of the Town of Fairfield, being designated the "Zoning Map of the Town of Fairfield, Wisconsin", and made a part of this ordinance.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Camping on a lot with an existing residence in the Agriculture Conservancy District inside Fairfield town.

  • State-approved sanitary systems must be available.
  • The rule is stated within the ordinance's camping provisions.

  “State approved sanitary systems shall be available.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Planned unit developments and conservation subdivisions inside Fairfield town.

  • A PUD requires a conditional-use permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission before it may proceed under the land division and subdivision ordinance.
  • The cited procedure applies to PUDs.

  “In order to create a PUD pursuant to Land Division and Subdivision Ordinance Section 1.39, a Conditional Use Permit must first be obtained from the Planning and Zoning Commission.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Fees under Fairfield's zoning ordinance.

  • Fees are reviewed annually and adopted by town-board resolution.

  “Fees shall be reviewed annually by the Town Board and a fee schedule adopted by resolution.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Fairfield town.

  • Submit a scaled location sketch with lot dimensions, building size and location, intended use, number of families, highway-centerline distances, and other necessary information.
  • The permit must be requested in writing from the building inspector.

  “All applications for a building permit shall be accompanied by a location sketch drawn to scale, showing the location, actual shape and dimensions of the lot to be built upon, the exact size and location of the building on the lot, the existing or intended use of building, the number of families to be accommodated, the distances between the nearest point on the building and the center line of the highway, and other information with regard to the proposed building and neighboring lots and buildings as may be called for on the application or may be necessary to provide for the enforcement of this ordinance.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Fairfield

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  One- and two-family dwellings built since June 1, 1980, including those inside Fairfield town.

  • The county describes the UDC as applying to one- and two-family dwellings built since June 1, 1980.

  “The UDC is enforced in all Wisconsin municipalities.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Buildings used wholly or partly for seasonal or temporary habitation in Fairfield's Environmental Conservancy District.

  • The provision applies to seasonal or temporary habitation in the Environmental Conservancy District.

  minimum floor area: >= 400 square feet (seasonal or temporary habitation)

  “Buildings used in whole or in part for seasonal or temporary habitation shall have a floor area of not less than 400 square feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in Fairfield's Agriculture Conservancy District.

  • Applies except where another ordinance provision provides otherwise.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (except as otherwise provided in the ordinance)

  “Except as otherwise provided in this ordinance, no building shall exceed a height of 35 feet.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Camping units at campgrounds in the Recreational-Commercial District inside Fairfield town.

  • The prohibition concerns continuous year-round occupancy or use as a permanent abode or legal residence.

  “Occupancy of a camping unit on a continuous, year-round basis or utilization of a camping unit as a permanent abode or legal place of residence shall be prohibited.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater treatment systems inside Fairfield town.

  • Sauk County's Land Resources and Environment Zoning Services Division administers the Private Onsite Waste Water Treatment Systems Ordinance.

  “Private Onsite Waste Water Treatment Systems Ordinance.”

• Septic permitRequired

  A new residence with private septic inside Fairfield town.

  • Submit the permit application and plot plan.
  • Submit a septic maintenance agreement, plumber/installer-signed POWTS application, soil test, and state-approved septic plans.

  “In addition to the permit application and plot plan”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Fairfield town.
• Setbacks — Principal residential development inside Fairfield town.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Fairfield town.
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes used as dwellings inside Fairfield town.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured homes used as dwellings inside Fairfield 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.