Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Markesan, Wisconsin

At a glance

Building permit

Required; issued through Markesan City Hall¹

Zoning

Markesan adopts and administers its own zoning (Chapter 400)²

Building code

Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code adopted by reference for one- and two-family homes⁵

Septic

Green Lake County sanitary permit where public sewer is not used³

New home permit fee

$600 plus a state seal fee⁴

Owner-builder

State rules let an owner-occupant take out the Uniform Dwelling Code permit; Markesan's own rule not confirmed⁶

RV or tiny-home living

Not confirmed; ask Markesan City Hall²

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

Does Markesan have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. Markesan adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside city limits, and Chapter 400 is the City's zoning chapter². The Markesan building inspector helps administer the zoning code on the city's behalf⁷. Green Lake County's general zoning ordinance is not the rulebook inside the city: the county's own zoning comparison sheet sends readers to local city or village staff for zoning designation in municipalities⁸.

A conditional use or zoning filing in Markesan costs $250, with a minimum three-week gap between filing and the hearing⁴.

We could not confirm Markesan's rules on living in an RV, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size or setbacks, because the district-by-district provisions of the zoning chapter were not readable to us. Ask Markesan City Hall at 920-398-3031 for the zoning district of the exact parcel before you buy⁷.

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

Yes. Nobody may start construction, additions or remodeling inside Markesan until a construction and remodeling permit is obtained from the Clerk-Treasurer, with exceptions such as replacement shingles, furnaces and fixtures¹. The city's page says permits are required for many home improvements and that its list is illustrative, not complete⁷.

For one- and two-family homes, Markesan adopts the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (SPS 320 through 325) by reference⁵. A new one- or two-family home needs the standardized UDC Building Permit Application⁹. Wisconsin requires inspections of footings, foundation and reinforcement, rough work, insulation and the final, and the inspector named on the permit must be notified when each stage is ready¹⁰.

On owner-builders, Wisconsin lets the owner who occupies or will occupy a home take out the UDC construction and erosion-control permits⁶. We did not find a separate owner-builder exemption in Markesan's own code, so confirm with City Hall.

Who handles building permits in Markesan, and what do they cost?

Markesan contracts with an outside engineering firm for its building inspector, and applications are returned to City Hall at 150 S. Bridge Street, open Monday through Friday, 8:00AM to 4:00PM⁷. Applications can be submitted online or in hardcopy to City Hall⁹.

The city's published fees: a new residential permit is $600 plus a $35 state seal fee, a driveway permit is $50, and an occupancy permit is included with the building permit⁴. The building inspector sets the final fee based on the work and the inspections needed, and the fee page was last revised in October 2020⁴.

An online application needs a parcel number, a zoning permit number, a sanitary permit number, electronic plans and contractor information including license number and expiration date⁹. Once the inspector accepts the application, a detailed review follows and the applicant is notified when the permit is approved and ready for payment⁹.

How do septic permits work inside Markesan?

Septic permits inside Markesan do not come from the city. Green Lake County administers the private onsite wastewater treatment (POWTS) program under County Chapter 334 and Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 381-387 for property inside Markesan where public sewer is not used³. A county sanitary permit must be obtained before building any new structure for human habitation in an area not served by public sanitary sewers¹¹.

The sanitary permit comes first in the sequence: Wisconsin does not allow a building permit for a new dwelling on a private onsite system until the sanitary permit has been issued¹², and Markesan's online application asks for the sanitary permit number³. We could not confirm which Markesan lots are on city sewer, so ask City Hall.

Once a system is in, Wisconsin requires inspection for pumping at least once every three years¹³. In Green Lake County only about 9% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹⁴.

We could not confirm a well-permit rule that applies inside Markesan. Wisconsin requires advance DNR notification before a new private well that is not high-capacity¹⁵.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Markesan?

We could not confirm. Markesan's zoning and building chapters did not show an RV-occupancy, temporary-camping, tiny-home or accessory-dwelling provision that we could read, and the code index points to separate mobile and manufactured home rules whose text we could not retrieve. Call Markesan City Hall at 920-398-3031 before parking or placing any dwelling on a city lot⁷.

Outside city limits the answer is different. In unincorporated Green Lake County, a tiny-home-style dwelling must sit on a permanent foundation meeting Uniform Dwelling Code requirements and have a first-story living area of at least 800 square feet¹⁶. That county rule does not apply inside Markesan; see the Green Lake County page for land outside the city.

Building a home in Markesan: the steps, in order

1. Ask Markesan City Hall which zoning district the parcel is in and what the zoning code allows there; the building inspector helps administer the zoning code⁷.
2. Get a zoning permit number, which the online application requires⁹.
3. If the lot has no public sewer, apply to Green Lake County for a sanitary permit before the building permit³.
4. Submit the standardized UDC Building Permit Application for a new one- or two-family home to the Clerk-Treasurer at City Hall, online or in hardcopy⁹.
5. Pay the permit fee once the inspector approves; a new residential permit is $600 plus a state seal fee⁴.
6. Call the inspector named on the permit for each required inspection before work is covered up¹⁰.
7. Take occupancy after a final inspection finds no major health or safety violations¹⁷; the occupancy permit is included with the building permit⁴.

What stays with Green Lake County (and what to check before you buy in Markesan)?

Septic permits and the county's private sewage rules stay with the Green Lake County Land Use Planning & Zoning Department at 920-294-4156¹⁸. County shoreland and floodplain regulations apply where their jurisdictional conditions are met, with shoreland rules reaching 1,000 feet from navigable lakes and 300 feet from navigable rivers and streams¹⁹. We could not confirm how those rules apply to a particular lot inside Markesan, so ask the county office if a parcel is near water.

Driveways: Markesan charges $50 for a city driveway permit⁴, while access off a county trunk highway goes through the Green Lake County Highway Department, with a $150 fee for a new access²⁰.

Taxes are county-level figures: Green Lake County's effective property tax rate is 1.3% and the median bill is $2,709 a year²¹²².

Watch-outs

• Markesan's zoning district rules (lot size, setbacks, RV and tiny-home use) were not confirmed, so get the parcel's district in writing from City Hall before buying².
• The city's fee page was last revised in October 2020, so confirm current fees with the building inspector before budgeting⁴.
• A sanitary permit from Green Lake County is a prerequisite for a building permit on any lot without public sewer¹².
• Rules for unincorporated Green Lake County, including its tiny-home and lot-size standards, do not apply inside Markesan city limits¹⁶.

Sources

1. Chapter 115: Building Construction - City of Markesan, WI (Markesan), quoted and re-checked
2. Table of Contents - City of Markesan, WI (Markesan), quoted and re-checked
3. Land Use Planning & Zoning - Green Lake County, WI (Markesan), quoted and re-checked
4. Building Inspector - City of Markesan Wisconsin (Markesan), quoted and re-checked
5. Chapter 115: Building Construction - City of Markesan, WI (Markesan), quoted and re-checked
6. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code, quoted and re-checked
7. City of Markesan Building Inspector (City Hall) (markesanwi.gov)
8. Green Lake County Zoning Districts, quoted and re-checked
9. Building Inspector - City of Markesan Wisconsin (Markesan), quoted and re-checked
10. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
11. Permit Contacts and Construction Reminders, quoted and re-checked
12. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. greenlakecountywi.gov, quoted and re-checked
14. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
15. Well and heat exchange notification, quoted and re-checked
16. Chapter 350, Article III: General Provisions, quoted and re-checked
17. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code, quoted and re-checked
18. Green Lake County Land Use Planning & Zoning Department (POWTS Program) (greenlakecountywi.gov)
19. Land Use Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
20. Highway - Green Lake County, WI, quoted and re-checked
21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
22. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

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.