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

Town of Viroqua’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, reconstruction, renovation, or moving of any building within Viroqua town when the estimated project cost exceeds $1,000.

  • The building permit and application instructions are available from the Town Clerk.
  • The ordinance also requires a building-site permit before excavation, construction, or structural changes.

  project-cost threshold: > 1000 USD (Construction, reconstruction, renovation, or moving of any building within the Town.)

  “3. building site permit. no person is permitted to commence excavation for or construction of any building structure, or structural changes in any existing building or structure, without first obtaining a building site permit from the town clerk.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Zoning inspections of private land or water inside Viroqua town.

  • The Town Zoning Committee may enter only at a reasonable time, after reasonable notice, and with owner consent.
  • For nonconsenting owners, the ordinance describes a presumption of violation upon reasonable suspicion and allows the committee to seek legal remedy.

  “members of the zoning committee may enter at any reasonable time onto a private land or water to make a zoning inspection so long as reasonable notice is provided to the owner and so long as the owner consents.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All lands and waters within Viroqua town, Vernon County, Wisconsin.

  • The ordinance states that stricter federal, state, or county building or land requirements take precedence.

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, the town of viroqua, vernon county, wisconsin is hereby divided into the following zoning districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Viroqua town.

  • The zoning-map boundaries are set forth on the Town of Viroqua Assessor's Plat Map and are adopted and updated by the Town Board.

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, the town of viroqua, vernon county, wisconsin is hereby divided into the following zoning districts: r – residential a – agricultural c – commercial i – industrial s – special purpose”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings erected, converted, enlarged, or structurally altered inside Viroqua town.

  • Accessory farm buildings and the listed structures and appurtenances are exempted from the ordinance's height regulations, but must comply with height regulations of their respective zones.

  “1. except as otherwise provided in this ordinance, the height of any building hereafter”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes inside Viroqua town.

  • No manufactured-home park may be established without Town Board approval.
  • A manufactured-home park is a conditional use in the R Residential District.
  • In the Agricultural District, a manufactured home used as a farm residence requires a conditional-use permit and must be on a foundation, have tongue and wheels removed within six months of placement, and be connected to water and sewer systems.

  tongue and wheel removal deadline: <= 6 months (Manufactured home used as a farm residence in the Agricultural District.)

  “3. no manufactured home park shall be established in the town without the approval of the town board.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Privies and non-plumbed sanitation arrangements inside Viroqua town.

  • A privy may be used only for a building with no plumbing and no connection to running water.
  • No plumbing, piping, or drains may be installed in the privy.
  • A county sanitary permit is required for a privy.
  • Portable restrooms, composting toilets, and incinerating toilets require an affidavit of non-plumbing.
  • Earthen pit privies are not permitted in Vernon County.

  “if a property has buildings that have no plumbing and are not connected to running water a privy (outhouse) may be used as a toilet only. no plumbing, piping or drains shall be installed in a privy.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and subdivisions within Viroqua town.

  • Except for assessor's plats, divisions resulting in a subdivision must be surveyed using a certified survey map under Wis. Stat. § 236.34.
  • Four or more residential building-site parcels created by successive divisions within five years require an approved plat under Wis. Stat. ch. 236.
  • No excavation, earthmoving, or road construction may begin before Town Board approval of the preliminary plat.

  successive divisions triggering approved plat: >= 4 parcels (Created within five years for residential building sites.)

  “b. where four (4) or more parcels are created by successive divisions, within a five (5) year period, for use as residential building sites, an approved plat as required by wis. stat. 236 shall be prepared”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  County sanitary permits for privies inside Viroqua town.

  • The applicant must also file a privy installation agreement with the Vernon County Register of Deeds; the brochure lists a separate filing fee.

  county sanitary permit fee for privy: 250 USD · privy installation agreement filing fee: 30 USD (Filed with Vernon County Register of Deeds.)

  “county sanitary permit application filled out and submitted to the zoning office along with the permit fee. ($250.00)”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Viroqua

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

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings in the R Residential District inside Viroqua town.

  • For an existing lot, a building or dwelling needs at least 10 feet from each adjoining property line on both sides; this does not change road, street, or highway setback requirements.

  front-yard setback: >= 53 ft (Measured from centerline of street or road to nearest building point or projection, including uncovered steps.) · side-yard setback: >= 25 ft (Ordinance text defines measurement from centerline of street or road.)

  “b. side yard. 25 feet (25’) minimum. the setback line shall be the minimum horizontal distance between the centerline of the street or road and the nearest point of a building or any projection thereof including uncovered steps.”

• Well permitRequired

  New private wells inside Viroqua town under Wisconsin DNR requirements.

  • High-capacity wells, reconstructed wells, and wells on Native American property are exceptions to the advance-notification requirement.
  • A Well Construction Notification Number is required before construction for drilled and driven-point wells.
  • The notification fee is $50.50; it is nonrefundable and nontransferable.
  • A Well Construction Report must be submitted to DNR within 30 days after construction.

  Well Construction Notification fee: 50.5 USD (No fee for Heat Exchange Notification.)

  “the well construction notification fee is $50.50.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural, agriculture-related, and accessory uses on farms in the A Agricultural District inside Viroqua town.

  • Uses must also comply with existing state statutes and county ordinances.
  • Agricultural and accessory uses listed in the conditional-use section require a Town conditional-use permit and applicable conditions.

  “1. agriculture uses, agriculture-related uses and accessory uses on farms, except for those that require a conditional use permit as expressed herein below under the section titled conditional uses.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Viroqua town.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption applicable inside Viroqua town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Viroqua town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwelling floor-area minimums inside Viroqua town.
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Viroqua 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.