Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Somerset, Wisconsin

Village of Somerset’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New buildings, additions, alterations and moves inside Somerset village

  • Permit not required for replacement of major equipment (furnaces, AC, water heaters)
  • Re-roofing, interior finishes, cabinetry and minor repair exempt as deemed by the building inspector
  • Minor repairs under $1,000 may be authorized without a permit
  • No permit unless property abuts a dedicated street
  • Residential permit not issued until sewer, water, grading and graveling are installed in the streets serving the property
  • Code does not apply to children's play structures and agricultural buildings

  minor repair threshold: < 1000 USD (fair market value including labor, as determined by building inspector)

  “no building of any kind shall be moved within or into the village and no new building or structure, or any part thereof, shall hereafter be erected, or ground broken for the same, or enlarged, altered, moved, demolished, razed or used within the village, except as herein provided, until a permit therefor shall first have been obtained”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Buildings inside Somerset village

  • Adopts Wisconsin SPS codes and subsequent revisions for municipal enforcement (UDC SPS 320-325, electrical SPS 316, camping units SPS 327, commercial SPS 361-366, historic SPS 375-379, plumbing SPS 381-387).

  “the following wisconsin administrative codes and subsequent revisions are adopted for municipal enforcement: ch. sps 316, wis. adm. code electrical code chs. sps 320 to sps 325, wis. adm. code uniform dwelling code”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Somerset village

  • Inspections: footing/foundation; rough carpentry, HVAC, electric, plumbing; drain tile/basement floor; underfloor plumbing/electric service; insulation; final; erosion control
  • Applicant must request each inspection 48 business hours in advance

  inspection request notice: >= 48 hours (business hours)

  “the following inspections shall be requested forty-eight (48) hours (business work) in advance by the applicant/contractor or property owner as applicable”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings constructed or altered into dwellings inside Somerset village

  • Applied for with the building permit
  • Issued within 10 days after final inspection, as-built grading certificate by registered engineer/surveyor, and landscaping requirements of § 13-1-23(i)
  • Not issued until sewer, water, grading and graveling are available to the property (§ 15-1-2(d)(3))

  “no building hereafter constructed or altered into a dwelling shall be occupied in whole or in part for human habitation until the issuance of a certificate by the building inspector affirming that such dwelling conforms in all respects to the requirements of this chapter”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Somerset village (St. Croix County)

  • Evidence is the building code's reference to the village zoning code; the zoning title (Title 13) text itself was not opened.

  “the provisions of this chapter supplement the laws of the state of wisconsin pertaining to construction and use and the zoning code of the village and amendments thereto to the date this chapter was adopted”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Residential construction inside Somerset village

  • Permit issuance depends on sewer and water being installed in the streets serving the property; this is a permit precondition, and a separate mandatory-connection ordinance (Title 9) was not opened
  • Receipt for electrical hookup payment required

  “no building permit shall be issued for the construction of any residential building until sewer, water, grading and graveling are installed in the streets necessary to service the property for which the permit is required”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building permits inside Somerset village

  • Fees for one- and two-family dwellings based on valuation per square foot rates in § 15-1-19, or contractor's estimate if greater

  “the schedule of fees for various permits as required by the village of somerset shall be as follows”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit applications inside Somerset village

  • Two sets of plans and plot plan required
  • Permit lapses if work not begun within 6 months or not completed within 24 months

  “a building permit shall lapse and be void unless building operations are commenced within six (6) months or if construction has not been completed within twenty-four (24) months from the date of issuance thereof.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Somerset or St. Croix County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside Somerset village
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Somerset village
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family districts inside Somerset village
• Minimum lot size — R-1 and rural districts inside Somerset village
• Setbacks — R-1 and rural districts inside Somerset village

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.