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

Town of Geneva’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, repair, razing, or remodeling of one- or two-family dwellings, accessory buildings, commercial buildings, and remodeling in the Town of Geneva, Walworth County, Wisconsin.

  • The required permits must be obtained before the covered work begins.
  • The Town Building Inspector furnishes permits, which must be filed with appropriate fees with the Town Building Inspection Department.
  • Minor repairs or alterations to residential structures are excluded when, in the Building Inspector's opinion, they do not change or affect occupancy, area, structural strength, fire protection, exits, insulation, or another code-regulated component.
  • Minor repairs or alterations to commercial or industrial structures are excluded when, in the Building Inspector's opinion, they do not change occupancy, area, structural strength, fire protection, exits, lights, ventilation, or another code-regulated component.
  • A permit lapses if operations do not begin or the structure is not razed within six months, or if the structure is not completed, repaired, or razed within two years of issuance.
  • The Building Inspector may revoke a permit upon written notice if applicable ordinances, laws, orders, plans, or specifications are not being complied with.

  permit commencement deadline: 6 months (Building operations must commence or the structure must be completely razed within six months from the permit date.) · permit completion deadline: 2 years (The structure must be completed, repaired, or razed within two years of permit issuance.)

  “No person shall build or cause to be built, repaired or razed any one or two-family dwelling, any accessory building, commercial building, or any remodeling without first obtaining all required building permits for such construction or razing.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land in the Town of Geneva, Walworth County, Wisconsin; the Town's building ordinance adopts the Walworth County Zoning Ordinance.

  • Walworth County administers its zoning codes within unincorporated Walworth County.
  • The County's General Zoning Code applies to all unincorporated Walworth County lands except the Town of Bloomfield.
  • The County's Shoreland Zoning Code applies to unincorporated lands within 1,000 feet of a lake, pond, or flowage; 300 feet from a river or stream; or the landward edge of the 100-year flood elevation, whichever is greater.
  • County zoning does not apply within an extraterritorial-zoning area administered by Elkhorn, Fontana, or Williams Bay.

  “Walworth County administers two zoning codes within unincorporated areas of Walworth County. Both codes are located in Chapter 74 of the Walworth County Code of Ordinances. The County's General Zoning Code applies to all lands within unincorporated Walworth County except for the Town of Bloomfield.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Geneva

Town of Geneva 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)

  Private onsite wastewater treatment systems serving property in the Town of Geneva, Walworth County, Wisconsin.

  • Walworth County Land Use and Resource Management issues sanitary permits for the County and inspects system installations for compliance with state codes.
  • A septic system is the wastewater-treatment facility when the property is not connected to city sewer or a sanitary district.
  • State law requires every private onsite wastewater treatment system to be pumped, inspected, and reported to the county in which it is located.

  “LURM issues all Sanitary Permits for the County and inspects all system installations for compliance to State codes.”

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.