Bolthole Index

Kenosha County, Wisconsin

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of Salem Lakes, Wisconsin

The Village of Salem Lakes, in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, requires a building permit for residential construction1. Zoning follows the village's own ordinance, though the village says all zoning is completed through Kenosha County staff23. Septic permits come from the Kenosha County Division of Planning & Development4. Living in an RV is prohibited in the village, even while you build a house5.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for residential, commercial and industrial building, from the village's building inspector1
Building code
Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code for one- and two-family homes6
Zoning
Village of Salem Lakes zoning ordinance; zoning work is handled by Kenosha County staff23
Septic
Kenosha County Division of Planning & Development issues sanitary permits4
RV living
Prohibited, including during construction of a house5
Floodplain
Homes in the floodplain fringe overlay must be slab-on-grade, no basement7
Minimum home size (R-1)
1,400 square feet total, 1,000 on the first floor8
Owner-builder
State law lets the occupying owner take out UDC permits9

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Salem Lakes (village hall, building and zoning contacts)

Starting point for building permits and driveway permits on village roads; the village directs building and zoning questions to Kenosha County.

262.843.2313

9814 Antioch Road (STH 83) Salem, WI, 53168

Zoning

Village of Salem Lakes zoning page

Salem Lakes zoning ordinance, application forms and the zoning and building fee schedule.

262.843.2313

9814 Antioch Road (STH 83) Salem, WI, 53168

Septic permits

Kenosha County Division of Planning & Development — POWTS Program

Private onsite wastewater treatment (septic) permitting and maintenance tracking for Kenosha County.

262-857-1895

19600 75th Street, Suite 185-3, Bristol, WI 53104

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

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Do you need a building permit in Salem Lakes, Wisconsin?

Yes. The Village of Salem Lakes requires a permit before any building used for residential, commercial or industrial purposes is built, enlarged, repaired or moved into the village1. Electrical, heating, plumbing and sewage-disposal work needs its own permits1.

For one- and two-family homes, Salem Lakes has adopted the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code6. Before anyone can occupy the building, the village building inspector must issue an occupancy permit10. Inspections of the work are required too11.

Inside the village, the owner who will live in a new home can take out the construction permit under state rules9. We could not confirm a separate village owner-builder exemption, so ask the building inspector.

Who issues building permits in Salem Lakes, and how do you reach them?

The village website says its building and zoning department has moved to Kenosha County, and it lists a contracted building inspector and county zoning administrators as the contacts3. Permit applications go through the Kenosha County online permitting portal3.

Call the Village of Salem Lakes village hall at 262.843.2313 to be pointed to the right person3. For the village's fees, the zoning page links a zoning and building fee schedule12; we could not confirm the full current fee amounts.

Driveways work differently: the village still approves driveway permits for village-owned roads, while a driveway onto a county road needs a Kenosha County permit3.

Does Salem Lakes have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Yes. The Village of Salem Lakes has its own Zoning and Shoreland/Floodplain Zoning Ordinance, which applies inside the village limits2. The village states that all zoning is completed through Kenosha County12, so the village's rules are applied by county zoning administrators.

In the R-1 Rural Residential district, a house needs at least 1,400 square feet of total floor area and 1,000 on the first floor8. In R-2 Suburban Single-Family Residential, the minimums are 1,200 and 800 square feet13. R-1 buildings may not exceed 35 feet in height14.

In R-1, setbacks are 30 feet from roads, 75 feet from shore, 25 feet on the side and 50 feet at the rear15. In A-1 Ag Preservation, road setbacks are 40 feet, with the same 75, 25 and 50 feet for shore, side and rear16.

One manufactured home on a lot is allowed in the R-12 mobile home park or subdivision district, as a conditional use17. We could not confirm any tiny-home or accessory-dwelling rule, so ask the zoning administrators before planning one.

How do septic permits work in Salem Lakes?

Septic permits for Salem Lakes come from Kenosha County, not the village. Kenosha County's Division of Planning & Development runs the private onsite wastewater program418. A licensed master plumber applies for the sanitary permit on your behalf19.

On land without sewer, the county will not issue a zoning permit until the sanitary permit is issued20. Properties served by sewer may not need a sanitary permit20.

Inside the village, buildings for human habitation next to a sewer or water main must connect to it as the Utility District directs21. Cesspools and outhouses are illegal22. Kenosha County soils rate poorly for conventional drain fields, with only 4.6% rated not limited, so an unsewered lot usually needs a site evaluation23. We could not confirm the full rule for when a private system is allowed inside the village; ask the county's septic program.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Salem Lakes?

No for RVs. The Village of Salem Lakes prohibits using a recreational vehicle as a dwelling unit or temporary housing, including while a permanent house is under construction5. Limited RV parking and storage is allowed in residential districts5.

Camping on public property in the village is also banned24. That rule covers public land only and does not settle camping on private land24.

We could not find a tiny-home rule in the village code. Because a new home needs a building permit under the Uniform Dwelling Code6 and must meet the district's minimum floor area, such as 1,400 square feet in R-18, ask the zoning administrators before buying land for a tiny home.

Building a home in Salem Lakes: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and sewer status with the village's zoning contacts, who work for Kenosha County12.
  2. If the lot has no sewer, have a licensed master plumber apply for the Kenosha County sanitary permit first20.
  3. Apply through the Kenosha County online permitting portal listed on the village website3.
  4. Build only after plans are approved and the building permit is issued and posted25.
  5. Call for an inspection at each phase before covering the work26.
  6. Get the village occupancy permit before anyone moves in10.

What stays with Kenosha County, and what to check before you buy in Salem Lakes

Septic permits and septic maintenance reporting stay with Kenosha County4. Owners must make sure service-event data reaches the county27. Land outside village limits follows the county's rules; see the Kenosha County page.

Check floodplain mapping first: a home built in a floodplain fringe overlay district must use slab-on-grade construction with no basement or crawlspace7. Kenosha County's effective property tax rate is 1.7%28, with a median bill of $4,180 a year29.

Watch-outs

  • The village's building and zoning department has moved to Kenosha County, so a call to the village hall may be redirected to the county or its contracted building inspector3.
  • Do not plan on living in an RV while you build; the village prohibits it during construction5.
  • We could not confirm tiny-home, accessory-dwelling, short-term-rental or well-permit rules in the village; ask the zoning administrators listed on the village zoning page before you buy12.

Sources

  1. Chapter 200: Building Construction - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  2. Ordinances - Kenosha County (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  3. Village of Salem Lakes (village hall, building and zoning contacts) (voslwi.gov)
  4. Sanitary Forms List, quoted and re-checked
  5. Article 11: Traffic, Parking and Access - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 200: Building Construction - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 200: Building Construction - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article 25: Residential Districts - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  9. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code, quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 200: Building Construction - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 200: Building Construction - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  12. Village of Salem Lakes zoning page (voslwi.gov)
  13. Article 25: Residential Districts - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  14. Article 25: Residential Districts - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  15. Article 8: Site Regulations - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  16. Article 8: Site Regulations - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  17. Article 25: Residential Districts - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  18. Kenosha County Division of Planning & Development — POWTS Program (kenoshacountywi.gov)
  19. Sanitary Forms List, quoted and re-checked
  20. County of Kenosha residential permit process, quoted and re-checked
  21. Chapter 435: Sewers and Water - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  22. Chapter 200: Building Construction - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  23. 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
  24. Chapter 400: Peace and Good Order - Village of Salem Lakes, WI (Village of Salem Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  25. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  26. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. Septic & Pump Tank Maintenance, quoted and re-checked
  28. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  29. 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of Salem Lakes

Village of Salem Lakes’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Residential, commercial, or industrial construction, enlargement, repair, or movement inside Salem Lakes village.

    • The Building Inspector may waive filing of plans when work is sufficiently described and costs do not exceed $1,000.
    • Very minor repair or alteration work may be waived at the Building Inspector's discretion.
    • Electrical, heating, plumbing, and sewage-disposal work separately requires a permit.
    • Farm buildings are excepted from the public-street-frontage condition.
    “No building, structure or any part thereof being used or to be used for residential, commercial or industrial purposes shall hereafter be built, enlarged, repaired or moved into or within the Village unless a permit shall be first obtained by the owner or his or her agent from the Building Inspector, the Village Clerk or whoever else is designated in the manner hereafter provided.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    One- and two-family residential buildings inside Salem Lakes village.

    • The Uniform Dwelling Code consists of Chapters SPS 320 through SPS 325 and amendments thereto.
    • The village also adopts Wisconsin commercial building code provisions for commercial construction.
    “Code adopted. Pursuant to § 101.65, Wis. Stats., the State of Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, consisting of Chs. SPS 320 through SPS 325, Wis. Adm. Code, inclusive, and any amendments thereto, is hereby adopted as the code governing the construction of one- and two-family residential buildings in the Village of Salem Lakes.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Work performed under Chapter 200 inside Salem Lakes village.

    • Inspections follow SPS 320.10.
    • Completed electrical, plumbing, heating, and sewage-disposal work must be inspected and certified.
    • Newly constructed multifamily buildings with three or more dwelling units and commercial buildings require certified fire inspection before occupancy.
    “Inspections of all work done under this chapter”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Buildings requiring a Chapter 200 permit inside Salem Lakes village.

    • The occupancy permit states the purpose for which the building may be used.
    • No building or part of a building may be occupied before the permit is issued.
    • New multifamily buildings with three or more dwelling units and commercial buildings require certified fire inspection and approval before occupancy.
    “If no violation of this chapter or any other law or lawful order is found, the Building Inspector shall issue an occupancy permit stating the purpose for which the building is to be used. No building or part thereof shall be occupied until such permit has been issued, nor shall any building be occupied in any manner which conflicts with the conditions set forth in the occupancy permit.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Salem Lakes village limits.

    • The Kenosha County official ordinance page identifies the Village of Salem Lakes Zoning and Shoreland/Floodplain Zoning Ordinance as applicable in the village.
    “Village of Salem Lakes Zoning and Shoreland/Floodplain Zoning Ordinance, applicable in the Village of Salem Lakes.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Use of recreational vehicles as dwelling units or temporary housing on land inside Salem Lakes village.

    • The prohibition includes use during construction of a permanent dwelling.
    • Separate RV storage rules allow limited parking/storage in residential districts.
    “As a dwelling unit or temporary housing at any time, including use during construction of a permanent dwelling.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping and sleeping outdoors on public property inside Salem Lakes village.

    • The rule applies to public property and does not establish a private-property camping rule.
    “No person shall camp on any public property within the Village of Salem Lakes”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    One mobile or manufactured home on a lot in a mobile-home park or subdivision in the R-12 Mobile Home/Manufactured Home Park/Subdivision Residential District.

    • Mobile-home/manufactured-home parks or subdivisions are conditional uses.
    • R-12 lots require at least 7,500 square feet and 50 feet of width, subject to cul-de-sac or curve reductions.
    • The minimum floor area is 600 square feet and maximum height is 15 feet.

    minimum lot area: >= 7500 square feet · minimum floor area: >= 600 square feet · maximum building height: <= 15 feet

    “One individual mobile home or manufactured home on a lot in a mobile home park or subdivision.”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    Cesspools and outhouses inside Salem Lakes village.

    “Cesspools and outhouses are hereby declared to be a nuisance and contrary to public welfare and are declared to be illegal.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Buildings used for human habitation inside Salem Lakes village that are adjacent to a sewer or water main, or located in a block through which either system extends.

    • The Utility District gives written notice to record owners.
    • The buildings must connect with either or both systems in the manner prescribed by the Utility District.
    • A sewer connection charge applies before a tap or connection to the sanitary sewer system.
    “that such buildings be connected with either or both in the manner to be prescribed by the Utility District.”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Human-habitation structures erected, constructed, or moved into a floodplain fringe overlay district inside Salem Lakes village.

    • Such structures must use slab-on-grade construction.
    • Basements and crawlways beneath the structure are not permitted.
    • The rule is tied to the floodplain fringe overlay district defined in Chapter 490.
    “Any structure or building used for human habitation (seasonal or permanent) which is to be erected, constructed or moved into a floodplain fringe overlay district, as defined in Chapter 490, Zoning and Shoreland/Floodplain Zoning, shall be constructed using the slab-on-grade method, and no basement or crawlway beneath such structure shall be permitted.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Salem Lakes

Village of Salem Lakes 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 Rural Residential District inside Salem Lakes village.

    • The rule is district-specific.
    • The first-floor minimum is separate from the total minimum.

    minimum total floor area: >= 1400 square feet · minimum first-floor area: >= 1000 square feet

    “The total minimum floor area of a dwelling shall be 1,400 square feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    A-1 Ag Preservation District inside Salem Lakes village.

    • The table distinguishes federal/state/county roads from other roads and includes shore, side, and rear yards.

    federal/state/county road setback: 40 feet · other road setback: 40 feet · shore setback: 75 feet · side setback: 25 feet · rear setback: 50 feet

    “A-1 (Ag Preservation) | 40 | 40 | 75 | 25 | 50”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 Rural Residential District inside Salem Lakes village.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet

    “No building or parts of a building shall exceed 35 feet in height.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Salem Lakes village.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Salem Lakes village.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Salem Lakes village.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Salem Lakes village.
  • Septic permit — Private sewage systems inside Salem Lakes village.
6 more unanswered
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Salem Lakes publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Kenosha County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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