Dane County, WI Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Inspection window
- By next workday after plumber's notice
- Notice deadline
- 9:00 a.m. day system is ready
- On-site requirement
- Licensed plumber must be present
- Random audits
- Permitted under ch. 46.12
- Refused entry
- Special inspection warrant, s. 66.122
Summary
Before a septic system in unincorporated Dane County gets covered up, the division has to see it: ch. 46.11(1) requires an inspection after construction but before backfilling, no later than the end of the next workday once the installing plumber gives notice. Notice is due by 9 a.m. the day the system is expected ready, and a licensed plumber must be on site.
46.11(1): The division shall inspect all private sewage systems and non-plumbing sanitary systems after construction but before backfilling no later than the end of the next workday, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, after receiving notice from the plumber in charge. Notice from the plumber in charge shall be given by 9:00 A.M. of the day the system is anticipated to be ready for inspection. ... The plumber in charge or an authorized journeyman plumber must be present during the inspection. The plumber in charge must provide all necessary equipment to conduct the inspection and provide assistance to the inspector as requested. The inspection shall not proceed if a properly licensed master or journeyman plumber is not present on the site.
Full Breakdown
Ch. 11 sets the inspection sequence for private sewage systems and non-plumbing sanitary systems. the day the system is anticipated to be ready, and the division must inspect no later than the end of the next workday (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays). The inspection cannot go forward unless a properly licensed master or journeyman plumber is on site, and that plumber must supply the equipment needed to run the test and assist the inspector. Ch. 11(2)-(3) layers on separate notification and testing requirements for system components required by Chs.
SPS 382-384, Wis. Admin. Code, which must be performed by a properly licensed individual under Ch. SPS 305. Ch. 11(4) then bars anyone from using a private sewage system until the sanitary permit, the inspection, and any required revised plan have all been accepted and filed by the division. Beyond the scheduled inspection, ch. 12 lets the department run random audits of information reported on sanitary permit applications, reporting any errors it finds to the state agency that licenses the person who made them. Ch.
13 gives the department a right of access to premises during reasonable hours; if an owner or occupant refuses entry, the department can obtain a special inspection warrant under s. 122, Wis. Stats.
Violations & Fines
Backfilling before the required inspection, or using a system before the permit, inspection and any revised plan are accepted under ch. 46.11(4), exposes the owner to the same ch. 46.27 forfeiture that applies chapter-wide: not less than $50 nor more than $200 per day the violation continues, with jail time possible for someone who can pay but refuses to pay it.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dane County
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