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

Town of Kewaskum’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and mechanical systems inside the Town of Kewaskum.

  • A permit is required before construction begins.
  • Listed exceptions include certain reroofing, minor repairs, replacement equipment, and accessory structures of 120 square feet or less.
  • A permit for new construction is not issued until driveway work through the road right-of-way is complete and the Town Engineer gives final approval.

  “No owner or contractor may commence construction of any building or mechanical system prior to obtaining a valid permit from the Building Inspector.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Electrical wiring personally installed by an owner in the owner's single-family residence in the Town of Kewaskum.

  • The owner must own and occupy the residence.
  • The owner must obtain a permit, pay fees, personally perform the work, request inspections, and receive Building Inspector approval.

  “A property owner may personally install electrical wiring in his/her own single-family residence owned by and occupied by the owner provided that such owner shall:”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction regulated by Town of Kewaskum Chapter 14.

  • The Town adopted the listed Wisconsin Administrative Code chapters and subsequent revisions; the Building Inspector enforces them.

  adopted codes: SPS 302.31, SPS 305, SPS 316, SPS 320-325, SPS 361-366, SPS 375-379, and SPS 380-387

  “The following Chapters of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, as well as all subsequent revisions, are adopted by the Town and shall be enforced by the Building Inspector.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted building projects inside the Town of Kewaskum.

  • The owner, contractor, or applicant must request inspections under the Wisconsin Administrative Code time frame or at least 48 hours in advance, as applicable.
  • Failure to request an inspection does not result in deemed approval.

  “the owner and/or contractor shall request all of the following inspections in conformity with the appropriate time frame defined in the Wisconsin Administrative Code or at least 48 hours in advance by the applicant/contractor or property owner as applicable.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of a building inside the Town of Kewaskum.

  • The Building Inspector must complete required inspections and find compliance with applicable codes.
  • A temporary occupancy permit may be issued for 30 days or another specified term only for minor noncompliance that does not threaten safety, health, or welfare.
  • Town and, if applicable, Washington County debts must be paid before the Chapter 14 occupancy permit is issued.

  “No person may have occupancy of a building until an occupancy permit is issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Kewaskum, Wisconsin.

  • Zoning district boundaries are established by the Town zoning map.

  “For the purpose of this chapter, the Town is hereby divided into the following 8 Zoning Districts:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside the Town of Kewaskum.

  • District boundaries are shown on the Town zoning map.
  • The code identifies EA Agricultural Preservation, A-1 Agricultural/Open Space, R-1 Single-Family Residential, B-1 Business, M-1 Manufacturing, I-1 Institutional, P-1 Park, and C-1 Lowland Conservancy Overlay districts.

  “1) EA Agricultural Preservation District 2) A-1 Agricultural/Open Space District 3) R-1 Single-Family Residential District 4) B-1 Business District 5) M-1 Manufacturing District 6) I-1 Institutional District 7) P-1 Park District 8) C-1 Lowland Conservancy Overlay District”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New construction inside the Town of Kewaskum requiring a building permit.

  • The driveway must be complete through the road right-of-way portion.
  • The Town of Kewaskum Engineer must give final approval before the building permit is issued.

  “A building permit shall not be issued on any new construction until such a time that the driveway construction is complete through the road right-of-way portion of the driveway and final approval has been received from the Town of Kewaskum Engineer.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town zoning permits, occupancy permits, conditional-use permits, sign permits, land-disturbing permits, zoning amendments, appeals, and variances.

  • Fees are established by Town Board resolution from time to time and are on file in the Town Fee Schedule in the Town Clerk's office.

  “All fees shall be established by separate resolution by the Town Board from time to time as deemed appropriate and shall be on file in the Town Fee Schedule in the office of the Town Clerk”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town building permits for proposed construction or demolition.

  • For work expanding a building, a new building, or work required by the Inspector, the owner or contractor must submit two sets of building plans.
  • For a new building or addition, a scaled plot plan showing proposed work, existing buildings, and property lines is required.
  • The Building Inspector issues the permit when state, county, and local submission requirements are satisfied.

  building-plan sets: 2 sets (Any work that expands a building, a new building, or as required by the Building Inspector)

  “The owner or contractor shall, with respect to any proposed construction or demolition, submit 2 sets of building plans to the Building Inspector for any work which expands the size of a building, any new building or as required by the Inspector.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Kewaskum

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Principal buildings in the Town's R-1 Single-Family Residential District.

  • The R-1 district is limited to no more than one dwelling unit per acre and is served by onsite soil-absorption sanitary sewerage systems and private wells.

  minimum floor area: >= 1200 sq ft (Principal building in R-1 district)

  “The dwelling shall have a minimum of 1,200 square feet”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Parcels in the Town's R-1 Single-Family Residential District.

  • R-1 density may not exceed one house per acre.

  minimum parcel area: >= 1 acre (R-1 district) · minimum parcel frontage at road right-of-way: >= 50 ft (R-1 district) · minimum parcel frontage at building setback line: >= 150 ft (R-1 district)

  “Parcel area ..............................................................Minimum one acre Parcel frontage at road right-of-way.......................Minimum 50 ft. Parcel frontage at building setback line..................Minimum 150 ft.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal buildings in the Town's R-1 Single-Family Residential District.

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft (R-1 principal building)

  “Building height.............................................Maximum 35 ft.”

Still unanswered

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

• Lot coverage — Residential lots inside the Town of Kewaskum.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside the Town of Kewaskum.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside the Town of Kewaskum.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside the Town of Kewaskum.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside the Town of Kewaskum.

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.