Building Setbacks & Zoning in Waukesha County, WI (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
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.
Building Setback Rules in Waukesha County WI
Some RestrictionsWaukesha County Shoreland & Floodland Protection Ordinance (setbacks)
Shore, Floodplain, and Wetland Setback: Every Structure shall have a setback of at least seventy-five (75) feet from the Ordinary High Water Mark of a Navigable Waterway and Wetland.
Structure Height Limits
Waukesha County caps house height at 35 feet on lots narrower than 65 feet, or 44 feet to the peak (32 feet to the eave on a pitched roof) on wider lots, while detached accessory buildings top out at 18 feet under Sec. 3.10.
Building Height Limits in Waukesha County Towns
Some RestrictionsWaukesha County Basic Zoning Ordinance Sec. 3.10(1)-(3)
(1) Maximum Height - Principal Structures: ...apply to principal Structures in all Districts except for the P-I, Q-1, M-1 and M-2 Districts... (A) Overall maximum height (lowest exposure to highest peak), thirty-five (35) feet, for Structures on a Lot with an average width less than sixty-five (65) feet. (B) Overall maximum height (lowest exposure to highest peak), forty-four (44) feet, for Str...
Lot Coverage Limits
Waukesha County caps impervious surface at 15% of any lot within 300 feet of a navigable waterway's ordinary high water mark, rising to 30% with an approved mitigation plan, and up to 60% on lots mapped as highly developed shoreline. The Zoning Administrator issues the required Zoning Permit before construction, reconstruction or relocation of any impervious surface in the shoreland zone.
Impervious Surface Limits Near Waukesha Lakes
Some RestrictionsWaukesha County Shoreland Protection Ordinance Sec. 3(t)
5. General Standard: A maximum of fifteen (15%) Impervious Surface is permitted on the portion of a Lot that is within 300 feet of the Ordinary High Water Mark of a Navigable Waterway in accordance with the calculation requirements of subsection 3 above, with the following exceptions: A. A maximum of thirty percent (30%) Impervious Surface is permitted provided the mitigation requirements of Se...
Building Setbacks & Zoning by City in Waukesha County
1 cities in Waukesha County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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