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

Town of Saratoga’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction, enlargement, alteration or demolition of buildings inside Town of Saratoga limits

  • A permit is obtained from the town building inspector before work begins, so construction may proceed after the permit is issued.
  • Application follows the procedures referenced in section 2.2(b).

  “no building or structure or any part thereof shall hereafter be built, enlarged, altered or demolished within the town or moved into, without or within the town, except as hereinafter provided, unless a permit thereof shall first be obtained by the owner or his agent from the building inspector.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Town of Saratoga limits under the town building code (Ordinance No. 9-7-16A, 2024 version)

  • The town code adopts the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code for one- and two-family dwellings; the body text of section 1.2 was not captured, so the adoption wording comes from the table of contents heading.
  • Section 1.1(a) limits the code to new one- and two-family dwellings and to structures other than new dwellings and alterations to existing buildings.

  “chapters sps 320 to sps 325, wisconsin uniform dwelling code, are hereby adopted by reference and made a part of this chapter and shall apply to all new one- and two-family dwellings and all additions to existing and new oneand two-family dwellings.”

• InspectionsRequired

  New one- and two-family dwellings and other covered construction inside Town of Saratoga limits

  • Plan review and on-site inspections are performed by an inspector and/or agency certified by DSPS; the section 2.4 inspection schedule was not captured.
  • Inspection is a condition of the work being approved, not a bar to construction.

  “to provide plan review and on-site inspections performed by an inspector and/or agency certified by; dsps”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Any dwelling inside Town of Saratoga limits under the town building code, townwide (not verified against zoning districts)

  • Section 4.6(b) applies a different density rule to planned residential unit developments (under Wood County Land Subdivision Ordinance #701) and condominiums (Wis. Stat. ch. 703): no more than one dwelling per acre.
  • Section 4.6(a)(2): there shall be only one dwelling per parcel.
  • The town zoning district minimum, if any, was not verified and may be stricter.

  minimum lot size for any dwelling: >= 1 acre (may include ½ the road right-of way on the front lot line)

  “except as provided in b in this section, minimum lot size for any dwelling shall be one (1) acre, which may include ½ the road right-of way on the front lot line.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Homes (dwellings) inside Town of Saratoga limits under the town building code, townwide (not verified against zoning districts)

  • Zoning-district height limits, if any, were not verified.

  maximum building height, all homes: <= 35 feet

  “for all homes the height restriction is thirty-five (35) foot.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Accessory structures inside Town of Saratoga limits under the town building code, townwide (not verified against zoning districts)

    “for all accessory structures the height restriction is twenty (20) foot.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit application process inside Town of Saratoga limits

  • The procedure is incorporated by reference to SPS 320.09; the town's own steps (forms, fees, inspector contact) were not captured.
  • Plans, data, specifications and surveys may be waived at the building inspector's option for minor alterations.

  “application for town building permits shall be made in accordance with procedures in sps 320.09 for obtaining uniform building permits.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Town of Saratoga limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy approval for new dwellings inside Town of Saratoga limits
• Local zoning — Land inside Town of Saratoga limits: whether the town administers its own zoning ordinance
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and schedule for Town of Saratoga
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Town of Saratoga limits

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.