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

Town of Woodland’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Building permit for construction inside Woodland town limits, issued through the Town of Woodland plan commission and town board, then the contracted building inspector

  • Driveway permit and building permit are separate and may be obtained at different times.
  • Plan Commission meets the 2nd Monday of each month; applicant must present in person.
  • No work may begin before all permits are in place; additional fees may be assessed if work begins before permitting is complete.
  • After town approval, the approved form goes to General Engineering Company, which issues the building permit online after fees are paid.

  “NO work should begin before all permits are in place.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Building plan review and inspection for new construction inside Woodland town, through the town's contracted building inspection firm

  • Town contracts General Engineering Company of Portage, WI as its building inspection firm.
  • The page confirms plan review by the building inspector; it does not state a field-inspection schedule, so the scope is recorded as limited.

  “The building inspector will review your application/plans”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division or subdivision of land inside Woodland town

  • Town ordinance index lists a 'Land Division Ordinance'; its text was not opened, so the conditions are not quoted.
  • Record shows the title only.

  “These regulations shall apply to all lands within the Town of Woodland”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access onto a parcel inside Woodland town

  • Town driveway permit is obtained before the building permit; both must be in place before work begins.
  • Applicant must appear in person at the Plan Commission and Town Board; no appearance means the project does not move forward.
  • Driveway ordinance text was not opened.

  “The undersigned herby applies for permit to construct a driveway in the Town of Woodland”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town of Woodland driveway and building permit process inside Woodland town

  • Applicant must bring completed form and two site plan copies to the Plan Commission (2nd Monday of each month) and attend in person.
  • If approved at Plan Commission, the project goes to the Town Board the same night.
  • After town board approval, the form goes to General Engineering Company, which handles the building permit online.

  “this application must be presented at the Plan Commission and the Regular Board meeting”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Woodland

Town of Woodland 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 septicCounty (with conditions)

  Sanitary (septic) permits for land inside Woodland town; Sauk County issues the sanitary permit and the town page sends owners to the county

  • Town page points owners to Sauk County for land use and sanitary permit forms.
  • Record uses county as rule-maker with unincorporated-only geography because the schema does not allow municipality-specific for a county authority; applies to Woodland town.

  “Land Use and Sanitary Permits have now gone fully on-line.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home inside Woodland town
• Building code adopted — Which building code governs new dwellings inside Woodland town
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificate for a new home inside Woodland town
• Local zoning — Whether Woodland town administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside Woodland town limits
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts applicable inside Woodland 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.