Bolthole Index

Chippewa County, Wisconsin

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

The Village of New Auburn, Wisconsin, in Chippewa County, has its own zoning code, adopted in 20231. New homes inside village limits must connect to sewer or win a Village Board exemption, because new onsite septic systems and holding tanks are otherwise barred2. Building permits for a new house follow Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code3; the village's own permit office for it is unconfirmed, so call village hall.

At a glance

Zoning
Village of New Auburn runs its own zoning inside village limits1
Building permit (new home)
Required under the state Uniform Dwelling Code; the village form is filed through the village clerk34
New septic or holding tank
Barred unless the Village Board grants an exemption2
Sewer connection
Required where village sewer serves or can serve the site5
Land division
Village subdivision chapter and Wisconsin Chapter 236 apply6
Owner-builder
Owner who will occupy the home may take out the permits7

Who to call

Zoning

Village of New Auburn (Village Hall, Zoning Administrator)

Zoning questions and village forms for land inside the village

715-237-2223

Building permits

Village of New Auburn Building Inspector (building permit application)

Building permit applications, emailed to the building inspector

715-237-2223

buildinginspector@newauburn-wi.com

Septic permits

Chippewa County Department of Planning and Zoning (POWTS/Sanitary Permits)

County sanitary permits and tank maintenance tracking

715-726-7940

711 N Bridge Street, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

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 New Auburn means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does the Village of New Auburn have zoning?

Yes. The Village of New Auburn adopted its own zoning chapter in 2023, and it governs land inside the village's corporate limits1. The code is Chapter 350 of the village's municipal code, and village hall posts a zoning map8. Questions about zoning go to the village administrator or zoning administrator8.

Chippewa County's zoning chapter does not apply here: it covers land outside incorporated cities and villages9. So the county's lot-size, RV-camp and setback rules are not the village's rules. We could not confirm the village's rules on RVs, tiny homes, minimum house size, lot coverage or height from its published code, so ask the zoning administrator before you buy.

Parcels outside village limits fall under a town or the county instead; see the Chippewa County page.

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

A new one- or two-family home needs a permit under Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code, and construction starts only after plans are approved and the permit is issued and posted3. The village keeps its own building permit application, filed through the village clerk to the building inspector, and its form tells new-construction applicants to complete the state UDC form4.

We could not confirm from the village's published code whether the village or the state enforces the dwelling code inside New Auburn. Call village hall to confirm who inspects your project. Inspections happen at each phase before work is covered10.

An owner who will live in the home may take out the construction and erosion-control permits without being a certified contractor7.

How do septic permits work in the Village of New Auburn?

They mostly do not, because new onsite systems are barred. No new building, structure or use may use an onsite sewage treatment system or holding tank inside the village unless the Village Board grants a specific exemption2. Where village sewer serves the site or can be built to serve it, an exemption will not be granted or will be conditioned on hooking up to sewer5. Existing lawful systems that are not failing are not barred2.

If the Board does exempt a project, Chippewa County administers its private sewage system ordinance countywide11 and requires a sanitary permit for every private sewage system before installation12. We could not confirm which agency issues septic permits for addresses inside the village, so ask the county Department of Planning and Zoning13. Wisconsin also requires a building permit for a new dwelling using onsite wastewater treatment to wait until a sanitary permit issues3.

Can you split or subdivide land in New Auburn?

Dividing land inside village limits, or within its extraterritorial plat approval area, must comply with Chapter 236 of the Wisconsin Statutes and the village's subdivision chapter6. Exceptions include wills or court orders, leases of ten years or less, mortgages and easements6.

Building a home in New Auburn: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the zoning administrator which district your lot is in and what it allows8.
  2. Confirm sewer availability; new onsite septic needs a Village Board exemption2.
  3. Get the village building permit application and the state UDC form, and email them to the building inspector4.
  4. Obtain any well, driveway or other approvals the state says may also apply3.
  5. Call for an inspection at each phase before covering the work10.

What stays with Chippewa County and the state?

Wells and septic rules sit above the village. Wisconsin requires notice to the DNR before a new private well that is not high-capacity14, and Chippewa County requires a well location permit before installing a private well15. Whether that county permit is used inside village limits is unconfirmed; ask the county office. Land outside the village, including a driveway onto a county trunk highway16, follows county and town rules, covered on the Chippewa County page.

Watch-outs

  • New onsite septic systems and holding tanks are barred inside New Auburn village unless the Village Board exempts them, so verify sewer availability before you buy a vacant lot2.
  • We could not confirm the village's rules on RV living, tiny homes, minimum house size, fees or floodplain development; call village hall before relying on county rules, which do not apply inside village limits9.

Sources

  1. Chapter 350: Zoning (Village of New Auburn), quoted and re-checked
  2. ecode360.com (Village of New Auburn), quoted and re-checked
  3. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  4. Village of New Auburn Building Inspector (building permit application) (newauburn-wi.com)
  5. ecode360.com (Village of New Auburn), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 300: Subdivision of Land (Village of New Auburn), quoted and re-checked
  7. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Village of New Auburn (Village Hall, Zoning Administrator) (newauburn-wi.com)
  9. Chapter 70 – Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  10. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. chippewacountywi.gov, quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 62 – Waste Treatment & Disposal & Sanitation, quoted and re-checked
  13. Chippewa County Department of Planning and Zoning (POWTS/Sanitary Permits) (chippewacountywi.gov)
  14. Well and heat exchange notification (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. chippewacountywi.gov, quoted and re-checked
  16. Permits & Other Applications, quoted and re-checked

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 New Auburn

Village of New Auburn’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside the corporate limits of New Auburn village.

    • The zoning chapter was adopted by the Village Board on 2023-03-30 by Ordinance 2023-01.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of New Auburn 3-30-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-01. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    New onsite sewage-treatment systems and holding tanks inside New Auburn village.

    • Exception only by specific action of the Village Board.
    • Existing onsite systems may continue only if they are lawful and not failing.
    “Therefore, no new building, structure, activity or use shall be allowed to employ on-site sewage treatment systems and holding tanks within the Village of New Auburn, unless exempted by specific action of the Village Board.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    New buildings and uses inside New Auburn village that would otherwise use onsite sewage treatment or holding tanks.

    • No new building, structure, activity or use may employ onsite sewage treatment systems or holding tanks unless exempted by specific Village Board action.
    • If municipal sewer serves the proposed site or can be constructed to serve it, an exemption will not be granted or will be conditioned on hook-up when sewer is available.
    • Existing lawful, non-failing onsite systems are not barred.
    “Therefore, no new building, structure, activity or use shall be allowed to employ on-site sewage treatment systems and holding tanks within the Village of New Auburn, unless exempted by specific action of the Village Board. If the municipal sewer serves the proposed site or can be constructed to serve the proposed site, an exemption will not be granted or will be granted conditioned upon hook-up to the Village sewer when it is available.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivisions within New Auburn village's corporate limits.

    • Compliance with Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 236 is required.
    • Village ordinances and the Master Plan or Official Map also apply.
    • Additional state rules apply where there is no public sewer or where a state trunk highway is involved.
    • Exceptions include wills or court orders, leases of ten years or less, mortgages, easements, and certain adjoining-owner exchanges.
    “Subdivisions. No person, firm or corporation shall divide any land located within the corporate limits of the Village of New Auburn or within the extra-territorial plat approval jurisdiction thereof which shall result in a subdivision as defined herein without complying with the provisions of Chapter 236 of the Wisconsin Statutes and the requirements of this chapter.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside New Auburn village.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside New Auburn village.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside New Auburn village.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside New Auburn village.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside New Auburn village.
16 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 New Auburn publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Chippewa County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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