Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Cambria, Wisconsin

Village of Cambria’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction of buildings or mechanical systems inside Cambria village.

  • Exemptions include sheds or detached accessory buildings of 200 square feet or less and fences, which require only a zoning permit.
  • Minor repairs, specified finish work, and normal equipment repairs are exempt as stated in § 185-5(C).

  accessory-building permit threshold: <= 200 square feet (No building permit; zoning permit only for detached accessory buildings or fences.)

  “No owner or contractor may commence construction of any building or mechanical system prior to obtaining a valid permit from the Municipal Building Inspector.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  One- and two-family dwellings, commercial buildings and structures, pools, decks, and residential accessory buildings inside Cambria village.

  • The chapter excludes children's play structures.
  • The adopted Wisconsin Administrative Code chapters include SPS 316, SPS 320 to 325, SPS 327, SPS 361 to 366, SPS 375 to 379, and SPS 381 to 387, including subsequent revisions.

  “The following chapters of the Wisconsin Administrative Codes, as well as all subsequent revisions, are adopted by the Village and shall be enforced by the Building Inspector.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted building projects inside Cambria village.

  • Owner or contractor must request applicable SPS 321.10 inspections in the prescribed time frame or at least 48 hours in advance.
  • Listed inspections include footing, foundation, rough work, insulation, and final inspections.

  inspection request notice: >= 48 hours (Unless the Wisconsin Administrative Code prescribes a time frame.)

  “In order to permit inspection of a building project at all necessary phases without causing delay for the owner, the owner and/or contractor shall request all of the applicable inspections prescribed by SPS 321.10, Wis. Adm. Code, in conformity with the appropriate time frame defined in the Wisconsin Administrative Code or at least 48 hours in advance.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings constructed inside Cambria village under Chapter 185.

  • Inspector issues an occupancy permit after required inspections and code compliance.
  • A temporary permit may be issued for 30 days or a specified term when minor noncompliance does not threaten safety, health, or welfare.

  temporary occupancy permit: 30 days (Or a specified term for minor noncompliance that does not threaten safety, health, or welfare.)

  “No person may have occupancy of a building until an occupancy permit is issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Cambria village limits.

  • Village zoning is codified in Chapter 485.

  “Chapter 485: Zoning - Village of Cambria, WI”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Cambria village subject to Chapter 485.

  • The published district list includes A-1 Agricultural and Residential, R-1 Single-Family Residential, R-2 Single- and Multiple-Family Residential, R-3 Multiple-Family and Mobile Home Residential, business, industrial, conservancy, public/quasi-public, and planned development districts.

  “R-3 Multiple-Family and Mobile Home Residential District.”

• Manufactured homesProhibited

  Parking, placing, or residing in a mobile home outside an approved mobile-home park inside Cambria village.

  • This claim does not determine whether an approved mobile-home park is permitted in a particular zoning district.

  “outside of an approved mobile home park is prohibited”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New municipal sanitary-sewer connections inside Cambria village.

  • New connections require available downstream collection and treatment capacity and must meet current and imminent permitting requirements without plant modification.
  • The Village may reject a connection or contract with users or other municipalities.

  “shall allow new connections only if there is available capacity”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits for construction inside Cambria village.

  • For construction expanding a building, new buildings, or work required by the Inspector, owner or contractor submits two plan sets; a scaled plot plan is required for a new building or addition.
  • Permit issues only when state, county, and local submission requirements are met.

  “The owner or contractor shall, with respect to any proposed construction or demolition, submit two sets of building plans to the Inspector for any work which expands the size of a building, any new building, or as required by the Inspector.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Cambria village.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Cambria village zoning districts.
• Minimum lot size — Lots inside Cambria village zoning districts.
• Setbacks — Structures inside Cambria village zoning districts.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Cambria village zoning districts.

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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