Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hartford, Wisconsin

Hartford’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside City of Hartford (Washington County), WI

  • Chapter 13 copy reviewed is marked revised 7/9/2024; the city's separate Zoning Hub site was not readable.

  basic use districts: 25 districts (plus seven overlay districts)

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, the city of hartford is hereby divided into twenty-five (25) basic use districts and seven (7) overlay districts designated as follows”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside City of Hartford

  • Districts include A-1 agricultural, RS-1 to RS-6 single-family, RD two-family, RM multi-family and B business districts.

  “a-1 agricultural district ------------------------------rs-1 single-family residential district rs-2 single-family residential district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  RS-1 single-family residential district, one- or two-story dwellings, City of Hartford

  • No bedroom shall be less than 100 sq ft.
  • For three or more levels, the area of any two floors must equal or exceed the normal minimum first floor area.

  min total floor area, 2 or fewer bedrooms: >= 850 sq ft (main entry level at least 700 sq ft) · min total floor area, 3 bedrooms: >= 1000 sq ft (main entry level at least 700 sq ft) · min total floor area, 4+ bedrooms: >= 1150 sq ft (main entry level at least 700 sq ft)

  “two (2) or less 850 square feet 700 square feet three (3) 1,000 square feet 700 square feet four (4) or more 1,150 square feet 700 square feet”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  RS-1 single-family residential district, City of Hartford

  • Residential planned unit developments may vary lot size under Section 13.0400 conditional use standards.
  • Other RS districts (RS-2 to RS-6) have different values not captured here.

  minimum lot area: >= 40000 sq ft · minimum lot width at building setback line: >= 150 feet

  “d) lot area and width 1) lots shall have a minimum area of 40,000 square feet. 2) lots shall have a width of not less than 150 feet at the building setback line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — A-1 agricultural district farm uses, City of Hartford

    “farm uses as provided herein including farm structures hereafter erected, moved, or structurally altered shall provide a contiguous area of not less than five (5) acres, and no farm parcel shall be less than 300 feet in width at the building setback line.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  RS-1 single-family residential district, City of Hartford

  • Detached garages, sheds and carports in RS-1 have separate setbacks (street yard 40 ft interior/through lots, 25 ft corner lots; side and rear 5 ft).
  • Other districts differ.

  street setback from right-of-way: >= 45 feet · side yard each side: >= 20 feet · rear yard: >= 35 feet

  “there shall be a minimum building setback of 45 feet from the right-of-way of all abutting streets. 2) there shall be a side yard on each side of all structures not less than 20 feet in width. 3) there shall be a rear yard of not less than 35 feet.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  RS-1 single-family residential district, City of Hartford

  • Limit is on first-floor area of principal plus all accessory buildings.

  maximum building first-floor area: <= 10 percent of lot area

  “the sum total of the first floor area of the principal building and all accessory buildings shall not exceed 10 percent of the lot area.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  RS-1 single-family residential district, City of Hartford

  • Detached garage/shed walls limited to 10 feet in RS-1.

  maximum principal building height: <= 35 feet

  “no principal building or parts of a principal building shall exceed 35 feet in height.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building permits inside City of Hartford

  • Fee amounts are in a linked schedule not opened.

  “building inspection online permit application: click here to submit *if you are not a registered contractor in our system complete this form permit fees: click to view fee schedule”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permits inside City of Hartford

  • Online application; contractors not registered in the system use a separate form.
  • Commercial plan review via e-plan exam, completed within 15 business days when paperwork and fees are submitted.
  • No payments accepted after 4:15 pm.

  “review will be completed within 15 business days when all required paperwork and fees are submitted.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Hartford or Washington County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits inside City of Hartford
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside City of Hartford
• Building code adopted — Building code inside City of Hartford
• Inspections — Building inspections inside City of Hartford
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates inside City of Hartford

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.