Jefferson County, WI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Jefferson County Code § 22-130 sets the maximum principal building height in the R-1 Residential-Sewered District at three stories or 35 feet, whichever governs, under Article III, Division 2, Subdivision II of the zoning chapter. This ceiling applies to the main dwelling structure on a lot in that district. Accessory buildings are handled by a separate section, § 22-131, which caps accessory height by cross-reference to § 22-676(1), the chapter's general modifications article covering height exceptions rather than restating a number in the district table itself.

Other districts use the same 35-foot baseline but calculate it differently for agricultural structures: in the A-T Agricultural Transition District, § 22-249 sets a 35-foot maximum building height but cross-references § 22-675(b) for agricultural structures, and the A-1 Exclusive Agricultural District applies the identical 35-foot cap with the same agricultural-structure cross-reference under § 22-285. A property owner seeking to build taller than the R-1 cap, for example to add a third habitable story that pushes past 35 feet, would need a variance from the board of adjustment under § 22-59, which requires proof that strict enforcement of the height limit creates an unnecessary hardship tied to the property itself rather than the owner's personal preference.