In unincorporated towns zoned by Waukesha County, typical residential setbacks are a 50-foot front-yard setback (35 feet from a Local Road), a 20-foot minimum offset from side and rear lines, and 75 feet from wetlands. Shoreland lots add a 75-foot setback from a lake or river.
The Basic Zoning Ordinance sets setbacks by district, but residential districts commonly require a minimum 50-foot setback from the road right-of-way, reduced to 35 feet when measured from a Local Road, plus a minimum 20-foot offset from side and rear lot lines (buildings that house animals must be 50 feet). Every structure must sit at least 75 feet from a wetland boundary. On shoreland parcels the separate Shoreland Ordinance requires every structure to be set back at least 75 feet from the ordinary high water mark of a navigable waterway. These county standards apply only in consenting unincorporated towns; cities and villages set their own setbacks.
Encroaching on a required setback is a zoning violation; the county can deny occupancy, require removal, and levy forfeitures until compliance.
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