Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Port Edwards, Wisconsin

Town of Port Edwards’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings erected, moved, structurally altered, or primary buildings demolished inside the Town of Port Edwards.

  • For a dwelling, the Town cannot issue a building permit until Wood County Planning and Zoning has issued a sanitary permit in accordance with Wisconsin State law.
  • If construction is not started within one year of the permit's issuing date, the permit expires.

  permit expiration if construction not started: 1 year (Measured from the issuing date on the permit.)

  “no building shall hereafter be erected, moved, or structurally altered, nor may a primary building be demolished until a building permit has been applied for and issued by the town of port edwards. no building permit shall be issued for a dwelling until a sanitary permit has been issued by the wood county planning and zoning office in accordance with wisconsin state law.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Port Edwards, Wisconsin.

  • Wood County states that, where a town has adopted its own zoning ordinance, town zoning administration and enforcement are the town's responsibility.

  “Due to the narrow scope of the Wood County Zoning Ordinance, (12) of the (22) towns have adopted their own town zoning ordinances. In such cases, zoning administration and enforcement are the town’s responsibility, not the Wood County Department of Planning and Zoning.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Dwellings in any zoning district inside the Town of Port Edwards.

  • Only one single-family dwelling may be constructed per two-acre parcel.
  • A duplex requires a four-acre parcel.

  minimum dwelling lot size: >= 2 acres (No dwelling may be constructed on a smaller lot in any district.) · minimum duplex parcel size: 4 acres (Duplexes.)

  “no dwelling may be constructed on any lot size smaller than 88,700 sq. ft., or two acres in any district. only one, single-family dwelling shall be constructed per two-acre parcel. a duplex requires a four-acre parcel.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town building-permit applications.

  • Applications are to the Road Superintendent.
  • The ordinance requires written applications and duplicate plans.
  • The lot and building location must be staked out before construction starts.

  “all applications for building permits shall be in writing to the road superintendent of the town of port edwards. the applications shall be accompanied by plans in duplicate,”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Port Edwards

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

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in the Town of Port Edwards Agricultural District.

  maximum total building ground coverage: <= 25 percent of lot size (Total of all buildings on a lot in the Agricultural District.)

  “the total ground area occupied by the total of all the buildings on a lot in this district shall not exceed 25% of the lot size.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lots in the Town of Port Edwards Residential District.

    “the total ground area occupied by the total of all buildings on a lot in this district shall not exceed 25% of the lot size.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Private camping with a camper in the Town of Port Edwards Residential District.

  • The camper may be occupied less than 30 weeks per year.

  camper occupancy: < 30 weeks per year (Private camping in the Residential District.)

  “private camping where camper is occupied less than 30 weeks per year.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Private camping with a camper in the Town of Port Edwards Residential District.

  • The camper may be occupied less than 30 weeks per year.

  camper occupancy: < 30 weeks per year (Private camping in the Residential District.)

  “private camping where camper is occupied less than 30 weeks per year.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes in the Town of Port Edwards Residential District.

  • A manufactured home requires a minimum two-acre lot per unit.
  • Manufactured homes are considered single-family dwellings or residences and are subject to the same regulations as other single-family dwellings.

  minimum lot area per unit: >= 2 acres (Manufactured homes in the Residential District.)

  “manufactured home – requires minimum two-acre lot per unit. manufactured homes and mobile homes are considered as single-family dwellings or residences and are subject to the same regulations as other single-family dwellings.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Sanitary permitting for dwellings inside the Town of Port Edwards.

  • The sanitary permit is issued by the Wood County Planning and Zoning office in accordance with Wisconsin State law.

  “no building permit shall be issued for a dwelling until a sanitary permit has been issued by the wood county planning and zoning office in accordance with wisconsin state law.”

• Septic permitRequired

  A dwelling for which a Town of Port Edwards building permit is sought.

  • A Wood County Planning and Zoning sanitary permit must be issued before the Town issues the dwelling building permit.
  • The permit is issued in accordance with Wisconsin State law.

  “no building permit shall be issued for a dwelling until a sanitary permit has been issued by the wood county planning and zoning office in accordance with wisconsin state law.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside the Town of Port Edwards.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside the Town of Port Edwards.
• Inspections — Building construction inside the Town of Port Edwards.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of construction inside the Town of Port Edwards.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside the Town of Port Edwards.

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.