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

Village of Friesland’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction, moving, enlargement, alteration, demolition, razing, or use of buildings and structures inside Village of Friesland limits.

  • Reroofing, interior finishing, cabinetry, and minor repairs deemed minor by the Building Inspector are exempt.
  • A permit may be waived for qualifying minor repair or maintenance work under § 133-2(F).
  • Residential permit issuance requires sewer, water, grading, graveling, and electrical-hookup conditions stated in § 133-2(D).

  “No building of any kind shall be moved within or into the Village and no new building or structure, or any part thereof, shall hereafter be erected, or ground broken for the same, or enlarged, altered, moved, demolished, razed or used within the Village, except as herein provided, until a permit therefor shall first have been obtained pursuant to this chapter by the owner, or his/her authorized agent, from the Building Inspector.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  One- and two-family dwellings and other covered buildings inside Village of Friesland limits.

  • The Village adopts SPS 305, SPS 320 through SPS 325, and SPS 375 through SPS 379 for municipal enforcement.
  • Commercial, plumbing, and electrical codes are separately incorporated by Chapter 133.

  “Chapters SPS 320 through SPS 325, the Uniform Dwelling Code.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Permitted building, plumbing, electrical, or heating work inside Village of Friesland limits.

  • The Village does not provide or contract with a certified inspector in every SPS 305.63 category.
  • Private individuals may independently contract for certified inspection services.
  • Authorized Village inspection officials may enter at reasonable hours for inspection purposes.

  “Certified inspector not provided. The Village of Friesland, as a municipality under 2,500 in population, shall not contract with or provide a Building Inspector certified by the Department of Safety and Professional Services in each category specified under § SPS 305.63, Wis. Adm. Code, for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of the Uniform Dwelling Code adopted in this chapter.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Village of Friesland limits.

  • Chapter 330 contains district and use controls.

  “Chapter 330 Zoning (§ 330-1 – § 330-114)”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Village of Friesland limits.

  • District boundaries are established on the adopted Zoning Map held by the Village Clerk-Treasurer.

  zoning district count: 8

  “For the purpose of this chapter, the Village of Friesland is hereby divided into the following eight zoning districts:”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Village of Friesland limits.

  • Mobile homes are excluded.
  • The ordinance states that manufactured homes are included in the definition of single-family dwelling.

  “Single-family detached dwellings, excluding all mobile homes; for purposes of this chapter manufactured homes are included in the definition of "single-family dwelling."”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits inside Village of Friesland limits.

  • Written application is on a form furnished by the Building Inspector.
  • The application must state the owners, legal description, designer, proposed use, and other information required by the Building Inspector.
  • Two complete plan sets and listed site information must accompany the application unless a stated waiver applies.

  “Application for a building permit shall be made in writing upon a form furnished by the Building Inspector and shall state the name and address of the owner of the land and also the owner of the building if different, the legal description of the land upon which the building is to be located, the name and address of the designer, the use to which said building is to be put and such other information as the Building Inspector may require.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Friesland

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Village of Friesland limits.

  • Minimum applies to ground-floor dwelling size.

  minimum dwelling size: >= 1000 square feet (on the ground floor)

  “Dwelling size. The minimum dwelling size shall be 1,000 square feet on the ground floor.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  A-1 Agricultural District inside Village of Friesland limits; establishment of a residence or farm operation.

  • A newly established parcel's permitted residence must be occupied by a qualifying farm operator, qualifying family member, or as otherwise stated in § 330-23(C)(3).
  • No structure or improvement may be built unless consistent with agricultural uses.

  minimum parcel size: >= 35 acres (to establish a residence or farm operation)

  “The minimum parcel size to establish a residence or a farm operation is 35 acres.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Village of Friesland limits.
• Lot coverage — Residential lots inside Village of Friesland limits.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Village of Friesland limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Village of Friesland limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Village of Friesland 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Friesland 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.

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