Bolthole Index

Marathon County, Wisconsin

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Village of Edgar, Wisconsin

The Village of Edgar, Wisconsin requires a village building permit before a building is erected, enlarged, altered, moved or demolished inside village limits1. New homes also fall under the statewide Uniform Dwelling Code2. Septic permits for private systems in Marathon County come from the county Conservation, Planning and Zoning Department3. We could not confirm the village's zoning district rules, so ask the village hall before you buy.

At a glance

Building permit
Required in the Village of Edgar before building, enlarging, altering, moving or demolishing a structure1
Inspections
Structural changes to a residential building need a UDC building permit with inspections4
Building code
Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code for one- and two-family homes2
Owner-builder
Owner who occupies or will occupy the home may take out the UDC permits; permits are still required5
Septic
Marathon County sanitary permit for private systems; village-limit details unconfirmed3
Land divisions
Village subdivision code covers plats and certified survey maps6

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Edgar (building permits and UDC inspection)

Building permits and UDC plan review and inspection inside Village of Edgar limits

Septic permits

Marathon County Conservation, Planning and Zoning (CPZ) Department

Private sewage system (POWTS) sanitary permits in Marathon County

715-261-6000

cpz@marathoncounty.gov

1100 Lake View Drive, Suite 400, Wausau, WI 54403

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

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Do you need a building permit in the Village of Edgar, Wisconsin?

Yes. Inside the Village of Edgar, no building may be erected, enlarged, altered, moved, demolished or razed until the owner or an authorized agent has obtained a permit from the village1. Minor repairs that do not change occupancy, use, area, structural strength or exits may be authorized without a permit, and cabinetry and certain restoration work are exempt1.

A structural alteration of a residential building needs a UDC building permit with inspections4. A new one- or two-family dwelling is covered by Wisconsin's statewide Uniform Dwelling Code2.

Who issues building permits in Edgar, and how do you apply?

The Village of Edgar issues building permits, with plan review and inspections from the UDC Building Inspector for projects that need them17. The application is made in writing on a form from the village or its designee. It asks for the owner's name and address, contact information, the legal description of the land, the designer, and the intended use of the building8.

We could not confirm a village permit counter phone number or hours online, so call the Village of Edgar village hall to ask where to pick up the form and who the current inspector is.

Does Edgar have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

We could not confirm the Village of Edgar's zoning districts, setbacks, or rules on RVs, tiny homes and accessory dwellings, so ask the village hall for the zoning map and district schedule for your parcel.

Marathon County's own zoning code applies only in towns that have chosen to participate, and cities and villages may have separate zoning jurisdiction9. The county's rule barring permanent habitation of an RV is written for unincorporated areas, so it is not a confirmed rule for lots inside Edgar10.

How do septic permits work in Edgar?

Marathon County requires a sanitary permit before a private sewage system is installed, replaced, repaired, reconnected or modified, and no permit may be issued where state-approved public sewer is available to the property3. We could not confirm whether a given lot inside Edgar is served by public sewer, so ask the village hall first. If the lot needs its own system, contact the county CPZ Department11.

A building permit for a new dwelling on a private system cannot be issued until the sanitary permit is in hand12.

Building a home in Edgar: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the village hall about zoning and whether public sewer and water serve your lot7.
  2. If the lot needs a private system, get the county sanitary permit from CPZ11.
  3. Apply for the village building permit on the village's form8.
  4. An owner who occupies or will occupy the home may take out the UDC permits personally5.
  5. Request each inspection before covering the work; the inspector has two business days to respond13.
  6. Take occupancy only after a final inspection finds no major health or safety violations14.

Splitting a parcel goes through the village's land division code, which covers plats and certified survey maps6.

What stays with Marathon County, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits come from Marathon County3. The county's zoning, RV and lot-size rules apply to unincorporated land in participating towns, not to Edgar village lots9; see the Marathon County page for land outside the village.

A driveway onto a state highway needs a WisDOT connection permit15. We could not confirm village rules on floodplain, driveways or wells, so ask the village hall before you close. Marathon County's effective property tax rate is 1.5%16.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the Village of Edgar's zoning, setback, RV, tiny-home or accessory-dwelling rules; ask the village hall before you buy; Marathon County zoning applies only in participating towns9.
  • Whether public sewer serves your lot decides whether a private septic system is allowed, and we could not confirm that for Edgar3.
  • Occupancy certificates and owner-builder allowances at the village level are unconfirmed; the state says only that some municipalities issue occupancy permits14.

Sources

  1. Sec. 15-1-2 Building Permits and Inspection (Village of Edgar), quoted and re-checked
  2. One- & Two-Family (Uniform Dwelling Code) (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  3. General Code of Ordinances for Marathon County, Chapter 15 — Private Sewage System, quoted and re-checked
  4. Sec. 15-1-2 Building Permits and Inspection (Village of Edgar), quoted and re-checked
  5. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 1 Land Division and Subdivision Code (Village of Edgar), quoted and re-checked
  7. Village of Edgar (building permits and UDC inspection) (codelibrary.amlegal.com)
  8. Sec. 15-1-2 Building Permits and Inspection (Village of Edgar), quoted and re-checked
  9. Zoning & Regulatory Programs, quoted and re-checked
  10. General Code of Ordinances for Marathon County Chapter 17 – Zoning Code, quoted and re-checked
  11. Marathon County Conservation, Planning and Zoning (CPZ) Department (marathoncounty.gov)
  12. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code, quoted and re-checked
  14. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. State highway connection permits (driveways & more) (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Effective property tax rate: 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 Edgar

Village of Edgar’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Moving, erecting, enlarging, altering, moving, demolishing, razing, or using buildings and structures inside Edgar village.

    • Minor repairs or alterations may be authorized without a permit if they do not change occupancy, use, area, structural strength, room arrangement, fire protection, access to or efficiency of stairs or exits, light, or ventilation.
    • Cabinetry and certain restoration work are exempt.
    • Structural residential alterations require a UDC building permit with inspections.
    • Commercial new construction, alterations, and additions require permits.
    • An application must be written on a Village or designee form and include ownership, contact, legal-description, designer, and intended-use information.
    “No building of any kind shall be moved within or into the Village of Edgar 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 by the owner, or his/her authorized agent, from the Village, with necessary plan review and inspections provided by the UDC Building Inspector, in the case of UDC projects requiring plan review and inspections.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    UDC projects and structural residential work inside Edgar village.

    • The UDC Building Inspector provides plan review and inspections for UDC projects requiring them.
    • A UDC building permit with inspections is required for structural alteration of a residential building.
    • Minor repairs and specified exempt work may proceed without a permit and therefore without the ordinary permit inspection process.
    “A UDC building permit with inspections is required if a person structurally alters a residential building.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Land divisions and subdivisions inside Edgar village limits.

    • The code provides preliminary-plat, final-plat, certified-survey-map, replat, land-suitability, public-facility, and extraterritorial-plat-approval provisions.
    “Submission of Preliminary Plat [...] Preliminary Plat Review and Approval [...] Final Plat Review and Approval [...] Minor Land Divisions by Certified Survey Map”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications inside Edgar village.

    • Applications must be written on a Village or designee form.
    • The application must state owner and building-owner information if different, contact information, legal description, designer, intended use, and other information required by the Building Inspector or designee.
    • UDC projects receive plan review and inspections when required.
    “Application for a building permit shall be made in writing upon a form furnished by the Village or designee and shall state the name and address of the owner of the land and also the owner of the building if different, contact information (email address and fax, mailing address, telephone and cellphone numbers), 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 or designee may require.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from Edgar village building permits or inspections.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate-of-occupancy requirements inside Edgar village.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Edgar village limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Edgar village limits.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Edgar village limits.
10 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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

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