Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Town of Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin

At a glance

Building permit

Required for new dwellings under the Uniform Dwelling Code, issued through the town's building inspector¹²

Zoning

Town dwelling districts plus Oneida County zoning permits³⁵

Septic

Oneida County sanitary permit⁴

Minimum dwelling size

Dwelling footprint of 576 square feet or more in Dwelling Districts 1 and 2⁶⁷

Manufactured homes

Allowed in Dwelling Districts 1 and 2 with size and design conditions⁸

RV living

County zoning permit once an RV is used as a dwelling beyond five consecutive days⁹

Town administration fee

$50 on top of the state permit fee¹⁰

Tiny homes

No separate tiny-home rule confirmed; Districts 1 and 2 set a 576-square-foot dwelling footprint minimum⁶

Who to call

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

Does the Town of Lake Tomahawk have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes, in two layers. The Town of Lake Tomahawk places all territory inside its boundaries into dwelling districts under its own ordinance, which operates alongside Oneida County zoning³. Oneida County zoning applies in the unincorporated areas of all 20 townships, with a narrow shoreland-only exception for three other towns⁵. Where a town ordinance is stricter, the county ordinance says the town ordinance continues to the extent of the greater restrictions¹¹.

In Dwelling Districts 1 and 2, a dwelling's footprint must be 576 square feet or greater, which is a floor a very small tiny home would not meet⁶⁷. Manufactured homes and double-wides are permitted in those districts with conditions: District 1 requires a minimum 24-foot width, and District 2 requires a pitched roof and enclosed space between the dwelling and grade⁸. Town rules on tiny homes as a distinct use, numeric lot sizes and numeric building setbacks are unconfirmed: ask the town clerk, and use the county's highway setbacks as the baseline, which start at 20 feet from a documented right-of-way¹².

Do you need a building permit in the Town of Lake Tomahawk, and who issues it?

Yes for a new home. The town has adopted the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, and its building inspector administers and enforces it¹. That inspector is RC Inspection Agency LLC, listed on the town's own contacts page². Wisconsin requires a UDC permit for new one- and two-family dwellings, and the required inspections cover footings, foundation, rough work, insulation and final¹³. The town adds a $50 administration fee¹⁰.

A second permit is separate: Oneida County requires a zoning permit for most structures, including seasonal and permanent dwellings, garages, storage buildings and decks¹⁴. Smaller projects are covered too, since a permit is needed when anticipated cost exceeds $2,500 or the structure is at least 200 square feet¹⁵. County zoning permit fees start at a $100 minimum¹⁶. An owner who will occupy the new home can use the owner-occupant option on the state application, which does not waive other required permits¹⁷. Certificate-of-occupancy and town-level owner-builder rules are unconfirmed; ask the town building inspector.

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Lake Tomahawk?

Oneida County, not the town, handles septic. Private onsite wastewater systems inside Lake Tomahawk go through Oneida County sanitary permitting⁴. A sanitary permit is required before a septic system is installed or enlarged, and the county will not issue a zoning permit for a facility that needs private sewage disposal until the sanitary permit is issued¹⁸. Order matters: start the sanitary permit first.

Soils make that worth doing early. Only a small share of Oneida County soils, about 0.3%, rates as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and often an engineered system rather than a simple trench¹⁹. Call Oneida County Planning & Zoning¹⁴. Private well permit rules and whether a home must connect to public sewer or water if available are unconfirmed for this town; ask the town clerk and the county.

Can you live in an RV or camp on your land in the Town of Lake Tomahawk?

Only with permits. Under Oneida County zoning, an RV used as a dwelling for more than five consecutive days needs a county zoning permit unless an exemption applies, and it must meet setbacks and minimum lot area⁹. The county allows temporary camping by RV or tent for up to two years while a permanent dwelling is under construction, but only if the dwelling's zoning permit has already been granted and the application notes the RV use²⁰.

Sanitation depends on hookups: an RV not connected to water or electric needs a nonplumbing sanitary system permit, while one connected to potable water or electric needs a private onsite wastewater sanitary permit²¹. The town also regulates individual campsites: each campsite parcel must have a fire number and permitted driveway access²². Because the town has its own camping chapter, confirm any extra limits with the town clerk before parking an RV.

Building a home in the Town of Lake Tomahawk: the steps, in order

1. Call the town clerk²³ and confirm your parcel's dwelling district and any town rules on size, setbacks and RVs³.
2. Apply to Oneida County Planning & Zoning for the sanitary permit first; the zoning permit cannot issue before it¹⁸.
3. Apply for the county zoning permit, which is reviewed for completeness within 15 working days of filing and fee payment²⁴.
4. Get the Uniform Dwelling Code building permit through the town's building inspector, plus the $50 town administration fee¹⁰².
5. Arrange a driveway permit with the road authority for your frontage: most town governments require one for town roads, county-road frontage goes through the Oneida County Highway Department, and state or federal road frontage goes through Wisconsin DOT²⁵.
6. Request each UDC inspection before covering work: footings, foundation, rough, insulation and final¹³.

What stays with Oneida County, and what to check before you buy in Lake Tomahawk

Septic permits, zoning permits and subdivision review stay with Oneida County⁴¹⁴. Splitting land matters: a division creating two or more parcels of five acres each or less within five years needs county approval before recording, and the county review fee is $100 per lot²⁶. For rules on land outside the town, see the Oneida County page.

Before buying, ask for the parcel's dwelling district, check whether it sits near a lake or river where shoreland rules add limits¹⁴, and plan for a septic site evaluation. Oneida County's effective property tax rate is about 0.9%²⁷ and its median property tax bill is about $2,146 a year²⁸; these are county figures, not town-specific.

Watch-outs

• The town's ordinances set a 576-square-foot minimum dwelling footprint in Dwelling Districts 1 and 2, with a narrow Forestry exception in District 1 that does not allow permanent residence⁶.
• A county zoning permit and a state UDC building permit are two separate approvals, and the county notes other town, state or federal permits may also apply¹⁵.
• We could not confirm numeric lot-size minimums, town setbacks, lot coverage, building height, accessory dwelling rules or well permits for this town; call the town clerk and Oneida County Planning & Zoning before you commit to a plan¹⁴.
• Short-term rentals generally need a state lodging license and, in most Oneida County townships, a county administrative-review permit, and the town has its own short-term rental chapter to check²⁹.

Sources

1. Article II: Uniform Dwelling Code (Town of Lake Tomahawk), quoted and re-checked
2. Town Building Inspector (RC Inspection Agency LLC) (laketomahawkwi.org)
3. Chapter 257 Dwelling Districts (Town of Lake Tomahawk), quoted and re-checked
4. Planning & Zoning – Oneida County (Town of Lake Tomahawk), quoted and re-checked
5. Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
6. Chapter 257 Dwelling Districts (Town of Lake Tomahawk), quoted and re-checked
7. Chapter 257 Dwelling Districts (Town of Lake Tomahawk), quoted and re-checked
8. Chapter 257 Dwelling Districts (Town of Lake Tomahawk), quoted and re-checked
9. Oneida County Zoning and Shoreland Protection Ordinance, Article 3, quoted and re-checked
10. Article II: Uniform Dwelling Code (Town of Lake Tomahawk), quoted and re-checked
11. Planning & Zoning – Oneida County, quoted and re-checked
12. Oneida County Zoning and Shoreland Protection Ordinance, Article 7, quoted and re-checked
13. UDC inspection requirements – DSPS, quoted and re-checked
14. Oneida County Planning & Zoning Department (oneidacountywi.gov)
15. Oneida County Planning & Zoning Information Handout, quoted and re-checked
16. Oneida County Application Review Fee Schedule (Town of Lake Tomahawk), quoted and re-checked
17. Instructions for Submitting a UDC Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
18. Oneida County Article 3 sanitary permit provisions, quoted and re-checked
19. 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
20. Use of Campers/Recreational Vehicles in Oneida County, quoted and re-checked
21. oneidacountywi.gov, quoted and re-checked
22. ecode360.com (Town of Lake Tomahawk), quoted and re-checked
23. Town of Lake Tomahawk Town Hall (Town Clerk) (laketomahawkwi.org)
24. Oneida County Zoning and Shoreland Protection Ordinance, Article 3, quoted and re-checked
25. Oneida County Information Handout, quoted and re-checked
26. Oneida County Subdivision Requirements (Town of Lake Tomahawk), quoted and re-checked
27. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
28. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
29. Guide to Starting your Home as a Vacation Rental, quoted and re-checked

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.