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

Town of Herman’s own rules

• Living in an RVLimited

  Placement of a camper on property for recreational or hunting use inside Herman town.

  • The county land-use permit applies before construction or relocation projects.
  • The town page identifies camper placement for recreational or hunting use as a land-use-permit example.

  “cabin or placing a camper on a your property for recreational/hunting use.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  A structure used for sleeping purposes inside Herman town.

  • Structure must meet minimum Wisconsin UDC standards.
  • County Planning review and a Town of Herman cabin permit are required.

  “any structure that can be used for sleeping purposes must meet minimum wi- udc standards, and require review by county planning and a cabin permit from the town of herman.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Access to a parcel from a Town of Herman road.

  • Access from a county road must be obtained from the Shawano County Highway Department.

  “a driveway access permit is required anytime you need to provide access to a parcel of land from a town road for any purpose. access from a county road is obtained from the shawano county highway dept. on richmond st.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Herman

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

• Building permitRequired

  Structures built, moved, or structurally altered inside Herman town under Shawano County general-zoning jurisdiction.

  • Permit must be obtained before construction or relocation.
  • After-the-fact permits are charged a triple fee.

  “Required land use permits must be obtained prior to beginning a construction or relocation project. After-the-fact permits will be charged a triple fee.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New one- and two-family dwellings, including manufactured homes, inside Herman town.

  • The cited state program governs one- and two-family dwellings, including manufactured homes.

  “The program governing one- and two-family dwelling units (including manufactured homes) is also called the UDC program, referring to the Uniform Dwelling Code.”

• InspectionsRequired

  New one- and two-family dwellings inside Herman town subject to the Uniform Dwelling Code.

  • The state program includes construction standards and inspection procedures.

  “The following inspections are required on new one- and two-family dwellings.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Herman, Shawano County, Wisconsin; Shawano County administers general zoning there.

  • The county's shoreland jurisdiction applies within 1,000 feet of navigable lakes, ponds, or flowages and within 300 feet of navigable rivers or streams.

  “Towns under Shawano County General Zoning Jurisdiction included: Town of Angelica Town of Aniwa Town of Birnamwood Town of Fairbanks Town of Germania Town of Grant Town of Green Valley Town of Herman”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Parcels inside Herman town under Shawano County general zoning.

  • Parcel zoning is identified through the Shawano County GIS Viewer zoning layer.
  • Acceptable uses and limitations depend on the specific zoning district.

  “the shawano county gis viewer can be used to find your parcel, and by selecting the “zoning” box in the layer list, you can see what your property is zoned.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Structures inside Herman town under Shawano County general zoning.

  • Exact setback depends on the parcel's zoning district.
  • Shoreland requirements can also apply.

  “also in the code of ordinances you can look up your specific zoning district to determine setbacks, and other zoning limitations:”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured-home installations inside Herman town.

  • A UDC permit is required for new one- and two-family dwelling units, including manufactured-home installations.

  “A permit under the UDC is required for new one- and two-family dwelling units. This includes stick-built, modular, and manufactured home installations.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater systems inside Herman town.

  • Applies to all types of private sewage systems identified by the county as POWTS.

  “The Shawano County Planning & Development Department is responsible for the review and issuance of sanitary permits and inspection of all POWTS.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Structures inside Herman town that will have plumbing.

  • A plumber must complete the sanitary-permit application.
  • A 911 address is required to complete the application.
  • The plumber must submit the application to Shawano County.
  • Fee depends on the system type and review required.

  “a sanitary permit is required for all structures which will have plumbing in it. this will require hiring a plumber to complete the sanitary permit application, a 911 address is required to complete this application, and the plumber will need to submit the application to the county.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private onsite wastewater treatment systems inside Herman town.

  • Maintenance includes pumping and visual inspection of the drainfield, or inspection of treatment tanks and verification that sludge and scum are below one-third of tank capacity.
  • Owner must ensure maintenance and submission of required information to the county.
  • Failure to have service completed and recorded results in a $200 special charge on the next property-tax bill.

  special charge for unrecorded maintenance: 200 USD (Added to the parcel's next property tax bill)

  “it is the owner’s responsibility that maintenance be performed and that the appropriate information be submitted to the shawano county planning and development department.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Hunting, fishing, or recreational structures inside Herman town that use a privy or non-plumbing toilet.

  • A county privy permit or non-plumbing toilet permit is required.

  “if you are building a hunting, fishing, recreational structure a privy permit or non-plumbing toilet permit is required from the county.”

• Well permitRequired

  Construction of a new private well inside Herman town.

  • High-capacity wells, reconstruction of existing wells, and wells on Native American property are exceptions to the cited notification requirement.
  • A Well Construction Notification Number must be obtained before construction.

  “obtain a well construction notification number prior to constructing a well. this applies to both drilled wells and driven point wells.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Herman town.

  • Shawano County states that its Planning and Development Department has county-wide jurisdiction over the Land Division Ordinance.

  “in addition, the shawano county planning and development department has jurisdiction county-wide with the following ordinances: powts (private on-site wastewater treatment system ordinance), non-metallic mining ordinance, floodplain ordinance, shoreland-wetland zoning ordinance, land division ordinance,”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development inside floodplain or floodway areas of Herman town.

  • Structures in a floodway are prohibited.
  • Building in a floodplain may be possible depending on zone and following appropriate steps such as floodproofing.
  • An H&H study may be required depending on flood zone.

  “building of structures in a flood way is prohibited, building in a floodplain may be possible depending on the zone, and if appropriate steps are followed such as flood proofing.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Land-use permitting for construction or relocation projects inside Herman town.

  • Applicant must submit the preliminary land-use application to the county department.
  • County review determines further permits and additional information required.
  • Fee must be paid in cash or check payable to Shawano County Planning & Development.
  • Permit lasts 12 months and may be renewed before expiration for an additional year.

  permit duration: 12 months (May be renewed prior to expiration for an additional year)

  “upon issuance, a land use permit is in effect for 12 months. a land use permit may be renewed prior to expiration for an additional year.”

Still unanswered

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

• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of structures inside Herman town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Herman town.
• Minimum lot size — Lots inside Herman town.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Herman town.
• Building height — Buildings inside Herman 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.