Bolthole Index

Wood County, Wisconsin

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Pittsville, Wisconsin

Pittsville, Wisconsin requires a city building permit to build or add onto a building, with qualifying alterations also covered.1 Pittsville sets zoning inside city limits, while Wood County Planning & Zoning handles private septic systems.23 Pittsville prohibits using an RV as a dwelling unit.4

At a glance

Building permits
Required for building, additions and qualifying alterations; apply through the city clerk-treasurer1
Zoning
City zoning applies inside Pittsville corporate limits2
Private septic
Wood County Planning & Zoning issues sanitary permits3
RV living
An RV cannot be used as a dwelling unit4
Minimum home size
Residential District: 960 square feet; Agriculture Use District: 960 for single-family and 1,920 for two-family dwellings56
Owner-builder
Owner-occupants may apply without Dwelling Contractor Certification; required permits and code compliance still apply7

Who to call

Building permits

Pittsville City Building Inspector

Building-code and inspection questions

(715) 572-5888

Building permits

Pittsville City Clerk/Treasurer

City building-permit applications and routing zoning questions

(715) 884-2422

5318 First Avenue PO Box 100 Pittsville, WI 54466

Zoning

City of Pittsville Forms & Permits

Published zoning and driveway application forms

Septic permits

Wood County Planning & Zoning, Sanitary Program

Private septic regulation, inspection and sanitary permits

(715) 421-8466

Wood County Courthouse 400 Market Street Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Pittsville, WI?

Pittsville requires a building permit from the city clerk-treasurer before building or adding onto a building, or making alterations exceeding $500 per project in any 12-month period.1 Structural changes and major mechanical changes involving extensions also require building permits; restoration or repair to a previous code-compliant condition is exempt when the building inspector determines that the exemption applies.1

Pittsville directs applicants to the city fee schedule for building-permit charges.8 An owner who occupies or will occupy the dwelling can apply without Dwelling Contractor Certification, but must still obtain required permits and meet the building code.7

Who handles Pittsville building permits and zoning applications?

Pittsville building-permit applications go through the city clerk-treasurer, whose published phone is (715) 884-2422.19 Pittsville lists a City Building Inspector at (715) 572-5888 for building-code and inspection questions.10 The city publishes a Zoning Permit Application on its Forms & Permits page.11

City building and zoning approvals do not replace a sanitary permit for a private septic system: Wood County Planning & Zoning remains the septic authority inside Pittsville.23 Ask the clerk to route parcel-specific zoning questions and confirm the inspection contact before scheduling work.910

Does Pittsville have zoning, and what size home can you build?

Pittsville zoning applies throughout the city corporate limits, and new structures, uses, changes of use and structural alterations require zoning approval.2 In Pittsville’s Residential District, the minimum building floor area is 960 square feet and all buildings together may cover no more than 45% of the lot.512

Pittsville’s Agriculture Use District requires 960 square feet for a single-family dwelling and 1,920 square feet for a two-family dwelling; building coverage is limited to 5% of the lot.613 Those district rules make the parcel’s zoning designation central to a small-home plan.56 Ask the city clerk to route questions about the parcel’s district, minimum lot size and setbacks before committing to a house layout.9

How do private septic permits work inside Pittsville?

Wood County Planning & Zoning regulates and inspects private septic systems serving Pittsville properties and issues sanitary permits.3 Installation, extension, enlargement, conversion, substantial alteration or a change of use of a private system requires the appropriate sanitary permit before work begins.14

The property’s soil and groundwater test results, together with submitted plans, form the basis of the sanitary application.15 A new dwelling using private septic cannot receive its building permit until the sanitary permit has been issued, so settle wastewater design before the house permit.16 The septic system must be inspected before backfilling and cannot be used before county approval and a Certificate of Compliance.17 Call the county Sanitary Program at (715) 421-8466.15

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Pittsville?

Pittsville prohibits using a recreational vehicle as a dwelling unit, and the same rule covers tents, garages, unfinished homes, trailers and accessory buildings.4 An RV therefore cannot serve as your dwelling while you build in Pittsville.4 Residential accessory structures also cannot be occupied as dwelling units.18

A small permanent dwelling must meet the applicable district’s floor-area rules: Pittsville’s Residential District minimum is 960 square feet, as is the single-family minimum in the Agriculture Use District.56 Manufactured and mobile homes require conditional-use approval in approved residential districts, with common-council approval following a plan-commission recommendation.19 We could not confirm a separate tiny-home authorization or general temporary-camping rule; ask the city clerk to route those questions before purchasing a unit.9

Building a home in Pittsville: what are the steps?

  1. Start with the city’s zoning application and confirm the proposed use and district requirements before fixing the building design.112
  2. If the home will use private septic, obtain Wood County’s sanitary permit before the dwelling building permit.16
  3. Apply through the Pittsville city clerk-treasurer, then begin construction only after plans are approved and the building permit is issued and posted.116
  4. Notify the inspector identified on the UDC permit for footing, foundation, rough-work, insulation and final inspections.20

Pittsville can also withhold a subdivision-related building permit until the common council accepts the subdivision or certified survey and required improvements; dedicated-street frontage is required unless the stated waiver is granted.21

What should you check before buying land in Pittsville?

Pittsville publishes an Application for Driveway Permit; ask the city about driveway approval before relying on a proposed entrance.11 A new or altered connection to a Wisconsin state trunk highway requires WisDOT approval.22 For a new private well that is not a high-capacity well, Wisconsin requires a DNR Well Construction Notification Number before construction and a construction report within 30 days afterward.23

Confirm the parcel’s sewer and water service, floodplain status, lot dimensions and setbacks with the city before choosing a building location.9 For land outside Pittsville corporate limits, use the Wood County guide; Pittsville’s zoning jurisdiction is inside the city.2

Watch-outs

  • Pittsville’s agricultural-building height exception does not establish a general agricultural building-permit exemption; ask the city building inspector about the proposed structure.2410
  • We could not confirm a general Pittsville certificate-of-occupancy requirement; ask the city building inspector what final approval your project needs.10
  • Pittsville private septic systems need county inspection and approval before use, even when city building approvals are in hand.17

Sources

  1. Pittsville Code § 8-37, Required building permits (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Pittsville Code § 48-8, Jurisdiction and general provisions (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Wood County Sanitary Program (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  4. Pittsville Code § 48-10, Site regulations (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  5. Pittsville Code § 48-48, Residential District (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Pittsville Code § 48-47, Agriculture Use District (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Wisconsin DSPS UDC permit application instructions (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Pittsville Code § 8-37, Required building permits (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  9. Pittsville City Clerk/Treasurer (pittsvillewi.gov)
  10. Pittsville City Building Inspector (pittsvillewi.gov)
  11. City of Pittsville Forms & Permits (pittsvillewi.gov)
  12. Pittsville Code § 48-48, Residential District (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  13. Pittsville Code § 48-47, Agriculture Use District (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  14. Wood County Ordinance #702, Private Sewage System (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  15. Wood County Planning & Zoning, Sanitary Program (woodcountywi.gov)
  16. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Wood County Ordinance #702, inspections (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  18. Pittsville Code § 48-302, Accessory uses or structures (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  19. Pittsville Code § 48-329, Manufactured and mobile homes (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  20. Wisconsin DSPS Uniform Dwelling Code inspections (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  21. Pittsville Code Chapter 8, building permit infrastructure and subdivision requirements (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked
  22. Frequently asked questions – State highway connection permits (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Well and heat exchange notification (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Pittsville Code § 48-47, Agriculture Use District (Pittsville), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 Pittsville

Pittsville’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Building, adding onto, or altering buildings within Pittsville city.

    • A permit is required for alterations exceeding $500.00 per project in any 12-month period, building, or additions.
    • Structural changes and major mechanical changes involving extensions require permits.
    • Restoration or repair to a previous code-compliant condition, as determined by the building inspector, is exempted.
    • Fees are stated in the city fee schedule.

    alteration threshold: > 500 USD (per project in any 12-month period)

    “No person shall alter, in excess of $500.00 value, per project, in any 12-month period, build, or add onto any building within the scope of this chapter without first obtaining a building permit for such work from the city clerk-treasurer.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    All structures, lands, water and air within Pittsville city's corporate limits.

    • New structures, uses, changes of use, and structural alterations require a zoning permit and compliance with applicable local, county, and state regulations.
    “The jurisdiction of this chapter shall apply to all structures, lands, water and air within the corporate limits of the city.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family and two-family dwellings in Pittsville's Agriculture Use District.

    • The district requires 960 square feet for a single-family dwelling and 1,920 square feet for a two-family dwelling.
    • The district table applies unless otherwise designated in the chapter.

    single-family minimum floor area: 960 square feet · two-family minimum floor area: 1920 square feet

    “Minimum floor area of buildings: 960 square feet for a single-family dwelling, and 1,920 square feet for a two-family dwelling.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Pittsville's Agriculture Use District.

    • The limit is stated as coverage by all buildings over the entire lot area.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 5 percent of entire lot area

    “Maximum lot coverage by all buildings: five percent of entire lot area.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    Pittsville's Agriculture Use District.

    • There is no height limit for buildings or structures used exclusively for agricultural purposes.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet (no height limit for structures used exclusively for agricultural purposes)

    “Maximum building height: 35 feet; provided, however, that there shall be no height limit for buildings or structures used exclusively for agricultural purposes.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Pittsville's Residential District.
      “Maximum building height: 35 feet; provided, however, that there shall be no height limit for buildings or structures used exclusively for agricultural purposes.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Use of a recreational vehicle as a dwelling unit inside Pittsville city.

    • The section also prohibits use of a cellar, basement, unfinished home, garage, tent, trailer, or accessory building as a dwelling unit.
    • Basements may be used as dwelling units only when specifically designed for that use through proper damp-proofing, fire-protecting walls, and other imposed requirements.
    “No cellar, basement or unfinished home, garage, tent, recreational vehicle, trailer or accessory building shall, at any time, be used as a dwelling unit.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured and mobile home placement and occupancy inside Pittsville city.

    • Permitted in approved residential districts only as a conditional use.
    • Homes must comply fully with city building and technical codes and applicable federal, state, and county regulations.
    • Placement permits require common-council approval after plan-commission recommendation.
    • Placement outside an approved park, subdivision, or permitted industrial lot is prohibited, subject to specified dealer, service, sales-display, garage, and rear-yard exceptions.

    sales-display period: <= 120 days (no business may be carried on therein)

    “Manufactured and mobile homes shall be permitted in approved residential districts only as a conditional use and only if fully compliant with all city building and technical codes. Permits for placement of manufactured and mobile homes may be obtained only after approval by the common council after a recommendation from the plan commission.”
  • Accessory dwellingsProhibited

    Occupation of an accessory use or structure as a dwelling unit in residential districts inside Pittsville city.

    • The provision applies to accessory uses or structures in residential districts.
    • Accessory structures cannot be established before the principal use or structure is present or under construction.
    “Accessory uses or structures in residential districts shall not involve the conduct of any business, trade or industry except for home occupations as defined herein and shall not be occupied as a dwelling unit.”
  • Who permits septicCounty

    Private onsite wastewater systems serving property inside Pittsville city are regulated and inspected by Wood County Planning & Zoning, subject to state plumbing rules and Wood County Ordinance #702.

    • The county page identifies Wood County Planning & Zoning as the agency responsible for regulation, inspection, sanitary permits, and code enforcement.
    “The Wood County Planning & Zoning Office is the County agency responsible for the regulation and inspection of septic systems as well as the issuance of sanitary permits and any code enforcement that may be required.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation, extension, enlargement, conversion, structural alteration, or change of use of a private onsite wastewater treatment system inside Pittsville city.

    • No sanitary permit is required for specified servicing, repair, or replacement of broken or clogged sewer or effluent-line pipes when performed by Wisconsin-licensed persons and reported in advance.
    • Applications require the listed owner, parcel, lot, soil/site, plan, maintenance, and mapped wetland/floodplain information.
    • A sanitary permit must be issued before covered activity begins; permits expire after two years unless renewed and the renewal fee is paid.

    permit expiration: 2 years (unless renewed and renewal fee paid)

    “No person shall locate, install, move, reconstruct, extend, enlarge, convert, substantially alter or change the use of a POWTS or any of its component parts without the appropriate sanitary permit and without full compliance with the provisions of the permit and this ordinance and all applicable local, county and state regulations.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Newly installed or modified POWTS inside Pittsville city.

    • Inspection occurs after construction but before backfilling.
    • The installing plumber must allow inspection after notifying the county.
    • The system may not be used before county inspection and issuance of a Certificate of Compliance.
    “The private sewage system or non-plumbing sanitation system for newly constructed structures or structures requiring a reconnection permit shall be installed, inspected and approved before the structure may be occupied.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision or certified-survey development requiring a building permit inside Pittsville city.

    • Unless waived by the common council following a building-inspector recommendation, the property must abut a dedicated street.
    • The subdivision or certified survey and required improvements must be accepted by the common council before a building permit issues.
    “No building permits shall be issued until the subdivision or certified survey and required improvements are accepted by the common council.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Residential driveways serving property inside Pittsville city.

    • Special permission may be obtained from the common council or its committee.
    • The code specifies width limits but the opened section did not establish a separate driveway permit requirement.

    single-type driveway width at curbline: <= 24 feet (unless special permission is received) · single-type driveway width at sidewalk outer/street edge: <= 18 feet (unless special permission is received) · double-type driveway width at curbline: <= 24 feet (unless special permission is received) · double-type driveway width at sidewalk outer/street edge: <= 18 feet (unless special permission is received)

    “Unless special permission is first received from the common council, or committee thereof, a residential single-type driveway shall be no greater than 24 feet wide at the curbline and 18 feet wide at the outer or street edge of the sidewalk; residential double-type driveways shall be no greater than 24 feet wide at the curbline and 18 feet wide at the outer or street edge of the sidewalk.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Pittsville city building permits.

    • The building-permit section directs applicants to the city fee schedule; the amount was not stated in the opened section.
    “Building permit fees shall be as stated in the city fee schedule.”

Rules another office applies inside Pittsville

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

  • Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    An owner-occupant applying for a Wisconsin UDC erosion-control or construction permit for a dwelling in Pittsville city.

    • The applicant must be or become an owner-occupant of the dwelling.
    • The exemption is from Dwelling Contractor Certification, not from building-code compliance or required permits.
    “I vouch that I am or will be an owner-occupant of this dwelling for which I am applying for an erosion control or construction permit without a Dwelling Contractor Certification and have read the cautionary statement regarding contractor responsibility on the reverse side of the last ply of this form.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    One- and two-family dwellings, including manufactured homes, inside Pittsville city under Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code; Pittsville's code also expressly references the state uniform dwelling code.

    • Local zoning and accessory-building requirements also apply.
    “The program governing one- and two-family dwelling units (including manufactured homes) is also called the UDC program, referring to the Uniform Dwelling Code. Enforces construction standards and inspection procedures including evaluation of building materials.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    New one- and two-family dwellings in Pittsville city; DSPS lists Pittsville as a delegated municipality with a named inspection provider.

    • Required inspections are footings, foundation and foundation reinforcement, rough work, insulation, and final inspection.
    • The applicant must notify the inspector identified on the UDC permit.
    “The following inspections are required on new one- and two-family dwellings. When ready for inspection, notify the inspector identified on your UDC permit.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy or occupancy permit for buildings in Pittsville city.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private property inside Pittsville city.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Pittsville city.
  • Agricultural exemption — Potential exemption from Pittsville building, zoning, or permit requirements for agricultural structures or activities.
  • Short-term rentals — Short-term rental use inside Pittsville city.

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 Pittsville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Wood County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Wood County: county rules, score and offices