Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Elm Grove, Wisconsin

Village of Elm Grove’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, constructing, altering, moving, or razing a building or structure in Elm Grove village.

  • Repair work resulting in no structural or exterior alterations is exempt from the electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, fire-alarm, and sprinkler/suppression permit requirement.
  • parameters not applicable

  “No person shall erect, construct or alter any building or structure, or move or raze any building or structure”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Electrical, heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning work personally performed by the owner in the owner's single-family permanent residence in Elm Grove.

  • Owner must apply for and secure a permit, pay required fees, perform the work personally under the building code, apply for inspection, and receive Building Inspector approval.

  “Owner's privilege. A property owner may personally perform electrical, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning work in his or her own single-family residence”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures in Elm Grove village.

  • The adopted state administrative codes include Uniform Dwelling Code, Commercial Building Code, Uniform Plumbing Code, Electrical Code, and listed referenced codes and standards.

  “The following Wisconsin Administrative Codes, their referenced codes and standards, and subsequent revisions are adopted for municipal administration and enforcement by the Building Inspector”

• InspectionsRequired

  Village building-permit work in Elm Grove.

  • Village requires rough and final inspections; inspections must be scheduled by 4 p.m. for next-business-day inspection.

  “The Village requires rough and final inspections.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Entirely new construction and commercial buildings or premises with alterations or additions in Elm Grove.

  • The Building Inspector has exclusive authority to issue occupancy permits.
  • parameters not applicable

  “A duly issued occupancy permit shall be required for any building or premises which constitutes entirely new construction”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within Elm Grove village limits.

  • Village Zoning and Planning Department administers Chapter 335.

  “Administers the Village's codes and standards as set forth in the Village Code of Ordinances, specifically Chapter 335 Zoning.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts in Elm Grove village.

  • District boundaries are shown on the Village zoning map and district-specific standards apply.

  “the Village of Elm Grove is hereby divided into the following 16 basic zoning districts and three overlay districts”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Rs-1 Single-Family Residential District in Elm Grove.

  • Applies to a one-story dwelling.

  minimum living area: >= 1600 square feet (One-story dwelling.)

  “A one-story dwelling shall have a minimum living area of 1,600 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Rs-1 Single-Family Residential District in Elm Grove.

  minimum lot area: >= 25000 square feet · minimum width at front building line: >= 125 feet

  “Lots shall be a minimum of 25,000 square feet in area and shall be not less than 125 feet in width”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal and accessory structures in the Rs-1 Single-Family Residential District.

  street-right-of-way setback: >= 50 feet (From each abutting street right-of-way.) · side-yard setback: >= 20 feet (Each side.) · rear-yard setback: >= 25 feet

  “There shall be a minimum building setback of 50 feet from each abutting street right-of-way.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Rs-1 Single-Family Residential District in Elm Grove.

  • This is maximum building footprint area, not the separate maximum impervious-surface standard.

  maximum building footprint area: <= 20 percent of lot area

  “Maximum building footprint area: 20% of lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal structures in the Rs-1 Single-Family Residential District.

  • Height may increase one foot for each two feet added to all side-yard and rear-setback requirements, to a maximum additional five feet.

  maximum principal-structure height: <= 36 feet (May increase up to five feet under the stated added-setback rule.)

  “The building height for principal structures (including any part thereof) shall not exceed 36 feet”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Use of trailers, motor homes, campers, recreation vehicles, or boats for human residence or habitation in Elm Grove village.

  • Storage is the only stated permitted purpose in this provision.

  “No trailer or vehicle susceptible to use for human residence or habitation [...] shall be permitted to be set up, parked or used for human residence”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Overnight camping in Elm Grove village.

  • The prohibition applies to persons who are neither village residents nor guests of village residents.

  “No person not a resident of the village or guest of a resident of the village shall be permitted to camp overnight in the village.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Servants' quarters accessory to a principal dwelling in the Rs-1 Single-Family Residential District.

  • Quarters must be occupied only by servants employed on the premises, may not be rented as a separate domicile, and must be connected to the principal structure in the same manner as private garages.

  “servants' quarters shall be considered accessory structures”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Sewer-lateral work and municipal sewer service inside Elm Grove village.

  • Any sewer-lateral work requires a permit. An existing lateral disturbed by razing or remodeling must be fully replaced with a new PVC lateral unless the Director of Public Works grants an exception based on specified evidence.

  “Any work on a sewer lateral requires a permit.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Construction or alteration of a building or structure in Elm Grove where driveway or access-route approval is required before issuance of the building permit.

  • Driveway or access route and culvert must be approved by Village Department of Public Works and installed from the traveled highway portion to the work site before permit issuance. Culverts 18 inches or more require an approved head wall.

  culvert diameter threshold: >= 18 inches (Requires a head wall approved by the Public Works Director.)

  “No permit shall be issued for the construction of a building or structure until a driveway or access route and culvert [...] has been installed”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits and plan review in Elm Grove.

  • Fees are set by Village Board resolution; Village building-permit page states all permit fees are nonrefundable.

  “Building permit fees and plan review fees shall be as determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications in Elm Grove.

  • Exterior projects cannot be filed online until Building Board or zoning approval. Most exterior alteration or construction work requires Building Board review before online permit submission.

  “The Village utilizes SAFEbuilt's online permitting solution, Community Core.”

Still unanswered

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

• Manufactured homes — Manufactured homes inside Elm Grove village limits.
• Who permits septic — Private onsite wastewater systems inside Elm Grove village limits.
• Septic permit — Private onsite wastewater systems inside Elm Grove village limits.
• Septic inspection — Private onsite wastewater systems inside Elm Grove village limits.
• Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid sanitation used inside Elm Grove village 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 Elm Grove 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.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.