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

Rules another office applies inside Town of Deerfield

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

• Building permitRequired

  Remodeling, additions, new one- or two-family dwellings, pools, and altered electrical services inside Deerfield town.

  • The county page lists exemptions for Town of Warren, Village of Wild Rose, and City of Wautoma; Deerfield town is not listed.

  “permits and inspections are required for all remodeling, additions, and new 1 or 2 family dwellings”

• InspectionsRequired

  Covered one- and two-family dwelling work inside Deerfield town.

  • The county page lists exemptions for Town of Warren, Village of Wild Rose, and City of Wautoma; Deerfield town is not listed.

  “The Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) is administered through Waushara County and permits and inspections are required for all remodeling, additions, and new 1 or 2 family dwellings, as well as swimming pools and altered electrical services for all municipalities except the Town of Warren*, the Village of Wild Rose, and the City of Wautoma.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Deerfield, which is an unincorporated town within Waushara County; zoning is administered by Waushara County rather than identified as a Town of Deerfield ordinance.

  • The county rule applies in unincorporated areas of all 18 townships; the stated exception concerns specified Town of Warren lands, not Deerfield.

  “all unincorporated areas (outside of City and Village limits) of all 18 Townships, except those lands in the Town of Warren”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Homes inside Deerfield town subject to Waushara County zoning.

  • Land-use permits for dwellings can be approved only after the applicable sanitary permit has been obtained.

  minimum dwelling floor area: >= 1200 square feet (Town of Deerfield)

  “1200 sq ft required in Town of Deerfield”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Travel trailers and recreational vehicles in county-zoned portions of Deerfield town.

  • The units may be used for recreational purposes in most zoning districts but must leave with occupants.
  • They cannot be stored on vacant land.
  • A conditional-use permit may allow unoccupied storage on parcels over 10 acres zoned General Agricultural.

  General Agricultural parcel size for conditional storage: > 10 acres (unoccupied storage of travel trailer or recreational vehicle)

  “In those areas of Waushara County which are governed by the County Zoning Laws, travel trailers and recreational vehicles cannot be stored on vacant lands. These units can be used for recreational purposes in most zoning districts, but must leave with the occupants.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private septic systems inside Deerfield town where land is not served by municipal sewer.

  • Applies in all county areas not served by municipal sewer; soil tests by a licensed Certified Soil Tester are required before permits issue.

  “Septic System requirements are administered by the County Zoning Office”

• Septic permitRequired

  New, repaired, replaced, or altered septic systems inside Deerfield town where land is not served by municipal sewer.

  • All work must be done by a qualified licensed plumber.
  • A soil test by a licensed Certified Soil Tester is required before permit issuance.

  “Permits are required for repairing, replacing, and altering existing septic systems, as well as installing new ones.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Existing septic systems inside Deerfield town.

  • Visual inspection occurs every three years.
  • Pumping must be completed by a licensed septage hauler.
  • Inspection and servicing must be reported to the County Zoning Office.

  inspection interval: per 3 years

  “All septic systems must be visually inspected every three years”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Nonplumbing sanitation systems inside Deerfield town.

  • A county sanitary permit is required before installation.
  • A structure served solely by the system may not contain plumbing or be connected to water.
  • If running water is supplied, another acceptable sewage-disposal method must be provided.

  “Buildings served solely by a nonplumbing sanitation system shall not contain any plumbing and shall not be connected to a water supply. [...] A county sanitary permit must be obtained”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and subdivisions inside Deerfield town.

  • Land divisions creating new lots of 15 acres or less must be surveyed and front on a public road.

  survey threshold: <= 15 acres (new lots created by a land division)

  “apply in all the unincorporated areas of Waushara County”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  County building-permit process for work inside Deerfield town.

  • Except for electrical-service installations and upgrades, a separate zoning/land-use permit is required.
  • The county says it generally cannot issue a building permit without a zoning permit.
  • Application packet is submitted electronically after required information is gathered.

  “With very few exceptions, we cannot issue a building permit without a zoning permit. STEP 2: Because we’re trying to go paperless, we ask that you submit your application packet electronically.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Deerfield town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential construction inside Deerfield town.
• Lot coverage — Land inside Deerfield town subject to county zoning.
• Building height — Land inside Deerfield town subject to county zoning.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Deerfield 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.