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

Town of Richmond’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Any building or structure, or part thereof, built inside Richmond town limits

  • Construction may not begin before the permit is issued; commencement includes beginning excavation or constructing forms for cement work.
  • The permit is issued by the town building inspector; see chapter 14 of the town code for building regulations, not opened.
  • Sanitary district approval is required for any habitable building inside a sanitary district (Sec. 17.18(2)).

  “no building or structure, or any part thereof, shall hereafter be built within the town unless a permit therefore shall first be obtained by the owner or his agent from the building inspector.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Richmond town (Shawano County) limits. The town adopts and administers its own zoning code, Chapter 17, under Wis. Stat. 62.23(7).

  • The code text available to research is the Chapter 17 recodification with amendments through October 1, 2021, hosted on energyzoning.org rather than a town domain. The town's ordinance page lists Chapter 17 as amended December 12, 2023; that current text was not opened.
  • Uses and structures must comply with the zoning code and all other applicable town, county and state regulations (Sec. 17.03(1)).

  “these regulations are adopted under the authority granted by §62.23(7), wi stats.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts within Richmond town limits

  • Districts: R-1 single-family, R-2 multi-family, R-3 mobile home park, C-1 commercial, M-1 industrial, A agricultural, CON conservancy. Boundaries are on the official zoning map kept by the town clerk; the map itself was not opened.

  “the town is hereby divided into the following zoning districts: (a) r-1 single-family residential district (b) r-2 multi-family residential district (c) r-3 mobile home park district (d) c-l commercial district (e) m-1 industrial district (f) a agricultural district (g) con conservancy district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Multi-family dwelling units in the R-2 multi-family residential district inside Richmond town limits

  • Minimums apply per dwelling unit; the 2-bedroom (800 sq ft) and 3-bedroom (1,000 sq ft) minimums come from the same R-2 table and were read from the 2021 text.
  • Multi-family lots require 200 feet frontage and 60,000 square feet lot area per the R-2 table.

  1 bedroom unit minimum floor area: >= 600 square feet · 2 bedroom unit minimum floor area: >= 800 square feet · 3 bedroom unit minimum floor area: >= 1000 square feet

  “1 bedroom unit………….... minimum 600 square feet 2 bedroom unit…………… minimum 800 square feet 3 bedroom unit…………… minimum 1,000 square feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings (site-built, manufactured, or constructed on the building site) in every zoning district except the mobile home park district, inside Richmond town limits

    “the dwelling shall have a minimum width of 24 feet and a core area of living space at least 24 feet by 24 feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  A agricultural district inside Richmond town limits

  • Lot frontage minimum is 200 feet; residence yard and building requirements are the same as the R-1 district.

  minimum lot area: >= 5 acres

  “lot frontage…………………….minimum 200 feet lot area…………………………minimum 5 acres”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residences in the A agricultural district inside Richmond town limits

  • Residence yard and building requirements are stated as the same as the R-1 district; see the R-1 setback claim.

  “residence: yard and building requirements…….same as r-1 district”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Accessory buildings on any lot inside Richmond town limits (a rear-yard occupancy cap, not a total lot-coverage percentage)

  • No overall lot-coverage percentage was found in the opened text; the only numeric limit is the rear-yard occupancy cap for accessory buildings.

  accessory buildings share of required rear yard area: <= 30 percent

  “accessory buildings shall not occupy more than 30% of the required area for the rear yard.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residences in the A agricultural district inside Richmond town limits

  • Residence height follows the R-1 district rule (35 feet maximum); see the R-1 building height claim.

  residence building height (via R-1 rule): <= 35 feet

  “residence: yard and building requirements…….same as r-1 district”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured dwellings and manufactured homes placed on a single-family lot inside Richmond town limits, outside the mobile home park district

  • Must meet all single-family dwelling standards in Sec. 17.03(8): a full basement or other permanent enclosed structure under the state uniform dwelling code (not resting on a metal frame where the foundation meets the sills), minimum 24-foot width, 24 by 24 foot core area, and a pitched roof of at least 3:1 slope with 16-inch eaves.
  • Mobile home parks are a separate district (R-3); the exception in Sec. 17.03(8) names the 'r-2 mobile home park district', a label conflict flagged for review.

  “no single-family dwelling, including dwellings constructed on the building site, manufactured dwellings and manufactured homes, shall be erected or”

• Subdividing landLimited

  Housing projects of two or more buildings on a site not subdivided into customary lots and streets, inside Richmond town limits

  • The town board may approve a development plan that complies with the zoning code applied to the whole plot. The Chapter 236 Wis. Stats. plat/CSM rule is referenced but its text was not opened.
  • The separate land-division (subdivision) ordinance was not located.

  “when a housing project consisting of a group of two or more buildings is to be constructed on a site not subdivided into customary lots and streets”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveways installed, altered, changed, replaced or extended after the zoning code's effective date on residential lots (the rule does not apply in the C-1, M-1 or A districts) inside Richmond town limits

  • Vehicle ingress and egress openings are capped at 24 feet at the street line and 30 feet at the roadway.
  • No direct private access to an existing or proposed controlled-access arterial without permission of the agency with access control jurisdiction (Sec. 17.16(4)).
  • The town also lists a separate driveway ordinance on its ordinances page; not opened.

  driveway opening at street line: <= 24 feet (C-1, M-1 and A districts exempt) · driveway opening at roadway: <= 30 feet (C-1, M-1 and A districts exempt)

  “openings for vehicular ingress and egress shall not exceed 24 feet at the street line and 30 feet at the roadway. this requirement shall not apply in the following zoning districts: 1. c-1 commercial district. 2. m-1 industrial district 3. a agricultural district”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Bed and breakfast establishments in the R-2 multi-family residential district inside Richmond town limits; no general short-term rental rule was found

  • Rooming and boarding houses for paying guests, including bed and breakfast establishments, are listed in the R-2 district; the permitted/conditional status was read from the 2021 text.
  • No general vacation-rental or short-term rental ordinance was located in the opened text.

  “to 4 paying guests or boarders, including bed and breakfast establishments”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Conditional-use application for ponds over 100 square feet in the R-1 district; building permit fees were not found in the opened text

  • Initial application fee $250; the $50 annual renewal fee does not apply to this conditional use.
  • Building permit fee schedule (chapter 14 or a town fee resolution) was not located.

  conditional use initial application fee (pond over 100 sq ft): 250 USD (annual renewal fee of $50 does not apply to this conditional use)

  “this conditional use is not subject to the annual renewal fee of $50.00 per year, but is subject to the initial application fee of $250.00”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process inside Richmond town limits

  • The zoning code sets the permit requirement and the issuing officer (building inspector) but not the application form, fees, or review timeline; chapter 14 was not located.
  • Sanitary district approval is required before a habitable building is constructed within a sanitary district (Sec. 17.18(2)).

  “no building or structure, or any part thereof, shall hereafter be built within the town unless a permit therefore shall first be obtained by the owner or his agent from the building inspector.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Richmond town limits
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Richmond town limits
• Inspections — Construction inspections inside Richmond town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new buildings inside Richmond town limits
• Living in an RV — Occupancy of an RV on private land inside Richmond town limits

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.