Bolthole Index

Washington County, Wisconsin

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of Newburg, Wisconsin

The Village of Newburg, Wisconsin has its own zoning code, so village zoning rather than the county sets what you can build inside village limits1. A new home needs a Uniform Dwelling Code building permit, and the village building inspector is the contact to start with23. On the Washington County side, septic permits come from Washington County, not the village4.

At a glance

Zoning
Village of Newburg Zoning Code applies inside village limits1
Building permit
Required for new one- and two-family homes under the state Uniform Dwelling Code; ask the village building inspector23
Septic permit
Washington County sanitary permit, with state approval first where required4
Owner-builder
Owner who lives in the home can take out the permits5
Single-family standards
Manufactured and site-built homes must meet the village's dwelling standards outside the Mobile Home District6
R-1 minimum lot
20,000 sq. ft. with 100 ft of frontage7
R-1 minimum home size
1,500 sq. ft. of living area8

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Newburg Building Inspector

Building permit questions and inspections for construction inside the Village of Newburg

(262) 423-7730

[email protected]

Zoning

Village of Newburg Village Hall (Village Clerk)

Village Clerk: keeps the official zoning map and zoning code questions start here; also village licenses and permits

(262) 675-2160

[email protected]

620 W Main St. PO Box 50 Newburg, WI 53060-0050

Septic permits

Washington County Natural Resources Department — Land Resources

County sanitary permits for septic systems (POWTS), erosion-control and stormwater applications on the Washington County side

(262) 335-4445

[email protected]

333 E. Washington Street, Suite 2300 P.O. Box 2003 West Bend, WI 53095-2003

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Newburg means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Newburg, Wisconsin have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and setbacks?

Yes. The Village of Newburg adopted its own Zoning Code, and it applies to land inside village limits1. The village is divided into zoning districts shown on an official zoning map that the Village Clerk keeps for public inspection9. Washington County does not administer general zoning anywhere, so the county does not set lot size or setbacks for village parcels10.

In the R-1 Single-Family Residential District, lots need at least 20,000 sq. ft. of area and 100 ft of frontage at the setback line7. Principal buildings in R-1 need a front yard of at least 40 ft, side yards of at least 15 ft and a rear yard of at least 50 ft11. Principal buildings in R-1 are capped at 35 ft tall, and accessory buildings at 15 ft12. A single-family home in R-1 needs at least 1,500 sq. ft. of living area8. Other districts have different numbers, so find your parcel's district on the zoning map before you rely on any of these.

Can you put a manufactured home or tiny home on a lot in Newburg?

Outside the Mobile Home District, a single-family dwelling in Newburg, including a manufactured home, must meet the village's Single-Family Dwelling Standards6. The standards call for a minimum width of 24 feet, a core living area of at least 24 feet by 24 feet, a pitched roof with a 3.5:1 minimum slope and eaves that extend at least 16 inches6. Those width and core-area rules, together with the R-1 minimum of 1,500 sq. ft. of living area, mean a tiny home is unlikely to qualify as a principal dwelling in R-18.

We could not confirm Newburg's rules for living in an RV on a lot or for accessory dwellings. Ask the Village Clerk before you buy13.

Do you need a building permit in Newburg, and who issues it?

Yes for a new house. Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code requires a building permit before construction of a new one- or two-family dwelling, and work begins only after plans are approved and the permit is issued and posted2. Inside Newburg, the village's own Building Inspector is the contact for building permit questions3. Alterations and additions are handled differently from municipality to municipality, so ask the inspector what your project needs2.

A UDC owner-builder can pull the construction and erosion-control permits personally if the owner lives in the home now or will after it is finished5. Once the shell is up, call for an inspection of each phase before covering the work; the inspector has two business days after your request before you may cover it14. The village's fee schedule and the exact application steps were not confirmed, so ask the inspector for current forms and fees.

How do septic permits work in Newburg, Wisconsin?

Septic is not a village permit. Washington County issues sanitary permits and inspects private onsite wastewater treatment systems throughout Washington County, and state approval is needed before applying for the County sanitary permit where the state requires it4. A new-home building permit cannot be issued for a dwelling on a private onsite system until a sanitary permit has been issued2. Plan to apply for the sanitary permit early.

Newburg sits in both Washington and Ozaukee counties, so the county that handles a given parcel's septic depends on which side of the line it falls. For a Washington County parcel, contact the Washington County Land Resources office15. For an Ozaukee County parcel, we could not confirm the office; ask the Village Clerk which county your parcel is in. Ask the village too whether a lot can connect to village sewer, because that changes whether you need a septic system at all.

Building a home in Newburg: the steps, in order

  1. Find the parcel's zoning district on the zoning map kept by the Village Clerk, and confirm lot size, setbacks and minimum home size for that district9.
  2. Confirm which county the parcel is in, then, on the Washington County side, start the sanitary permit with Washington County Land Resources; state approval may come first4.
  3. Apply for the building permit through the village Building Inspector, with plans32.
  4. Begin construction only after the permit is issued and posted2.
  5. Call for inspections of each phase before covering the work14.
  6. Take occupancy after a final inspection that finds no major health or safety violations; some municipalities also issue occupancy permits16.

What stays with Washington County, and what to check before you buy in Newburg

The county's rules for unincorporated land do not decide village zoning, but a few things stay with the county. Septic permits come from the county, as above4. A driveway, culvert or new road that touches a Washington County Trunk Highway right-of-way needs a County Access Permit from the Washington County Highway Department17. For land outside village limits, see the Washington County page.

Washington County's effective property tax rate is 1.2%18. Only about 15.4% of the county's soils are rated not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system19.

Watch-outs

  • Newburg lies in both Washington and Ozaukee counties, so confirm which county your parcel is in before planning septic or driveway permits13.
  • We could not confirm the village's building permit fees, its floodplain rules or its rules for short-term rentals and RV living; ask the Village Clerk or Building Inspector before you buy133.
  • The R-1 numbers above apply only to the R-1 district; other zoning districts have their own standards9.

Sources

  1. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Village of Newburg), quoted and re-checked
  2. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  3. Village of Newburg Building Inspector (newburgwi.gov)
  4. Septic Systems/POWTS, quoted and re-checked
  5. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 155.04 Single-Family Dwelling Standards (Village of Newburg), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 155.09 R-1 Single-Family Residential District (Village of Newburg), quoted and re-checked
  8. § 155.09 R-1 Single-Family Residential District (Village of Newburg), quoted and re-checked
  9. § 155.08 Zoning Districts (Village of Newburg), quoted and re-checked
  10. County Land Information Plan 2024, quoted and re-checked
  11. § 155.09 R-1 Single-Family Residential District (Village of Newburg), quoted and re-checked
  12. § 155.09 R-1 Single-Family Residential District (Village of Newburg), quoted and re-checked
  13. Village of Newburg Village Hall (Village Clerk) (newburgwi.gov)
  14. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Washington County Natural Resources Department — Land Resources (permitapp.washcowisco.gov)
  16. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Permits, quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 15, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of Newburg

Village of Newburg’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Newburg village, Wisconsin.

    • The code states that the regulations are the Village of Newburg Zoning Code.
    • The code was current through Ordinance 05-2019 when published.
    “This chapter shall be known as, referred to or cited as the "Zoning Code, Village of Newburg, Wisconsin."”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts and the official zoning map inside Newburg village.

    • The district boundaries are shown on the Village Zoning Map dated March 1997.
    • The official map and chapter are kept by the Village Clerk and available for public inspection during office hours.
    • A district-boundary amendment is not effective until recorded and the certified change is filed with the zoning map.
    • Annexations after the chapter's effective date are placed in A-1 Agricultural District unless the annexation ordinance temporarily places them elsewhere; the Plan Commission must evaluate permanent classification within one year.
    • When zoning, shoreland-wetland, and floodplain regulations conflict, the most restrictive combination controls.
    “For the purposes of this chapter, the village is hereby divided into the following zoning districts.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured dwellings and manufactured homes erected or installed inside Newburg village.

    • The dwelling must meet all listed § 155.04 standards.
    • The rule does not apply in the Mobile Home District in the same manner.
    • The standards include a full basement or other permanent enclosed structure under the State Uniform Dwelling Code, minimum width of 24 feet, core living area at least 24 feet by 24 feet, a pitched roof with minimum slope 3.5:1, eaves extending at least 16 inches, and specified roofing.

    minimum width: >= 24 feet · core living area width: >= 24 feet · core living area length: >= 24 feet · minimum roof slope: >= 3.5:1 · minimum eave projection: >= 16 inches

    “No single-family dwelling, including dwellings constructed on the building site, manufactured dwellings and manufactured homes, shall be erected or installed in any zoning district except the Mobile Home District unless such dwelling meets all of the following standards:”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Newburg

Village of Newburg 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

    Single-family dwellings in Newburg village's R-1 Single-Family Residential District.

    • The R-1 district requires minimum living area of 1,500 square feet.
    • The general § 155.04 standards also require minimum width of 24 feet and a core living area at least 24 feet by 24 feet for covered single-family dwellings.

    minimum living area: >= 1500 sq. ft. · minimum dwelling width: >= 24 feet · minimum core living area: 24 by 24 feet

    “Living area Minimum 1,500 sq. ft. Off-street parking Minimum two spaces per unit, both of which shall be in an enclosed structure (see also § 155.33)”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots in Newburg village's R-1 Single-Family Residential District.

    minimum lot frontage at setback: >= 100 feet · minimum lot area: >= 20000 sq. ft.

    “Lot frontage at setback Minimum 100 ft. Lot area Minimum 20,000 sq. ft.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Principal buildings and accessory buildings in Newburg village's R-1 Single-Family Residential District.

    • Asterisks in the source cross-reference § 155.05(C) and (F) for further restrictions.

    principal front yard: >= 40 feet · principal side yards: >= 15 feet (See § 155.05(C) and (F) for further restrictions.) · principal rear yard: >= 50 feet · accessory front yard: >= 40 feet (See § 155.05(C) and (F) for further restrictions.) · accessory side yards: >= 5 feet (See § 155.05(C) and (F) for further restrictions.) · accessory rear yard: >= 5 feet

    “Principal Building: Front yard Minimum 40 ft. Side yards Minimum 15 ft.* Rear yard Minimum 50 ft. Building height Maximum 35 ft. Accessory Buildings: Front yard Minimum 40 ft.* Side yards Minimum 5 ft.* Rear yard Minimum 5 ft.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Principal and accessory buildings in Newburg village's R-1 Single-Family Residential District.

    principal building height: <= 35 feet · accessory building height: <= 15 feet

    “Building height Maximum 35 ft. Accessory Buildings: Front yard Minimum 40 ft.* Side yards Minimum 5 ft.* Rear yard Minimum 5 ft. Building height Maximum 15 ft.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Newburg village.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Newburg village.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Newburg village.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Newburg village.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Newburg village.
18 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Newburg publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Washington County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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