Off-grid site report
Kenosha County, WI
42.5847, -87.8212 · 617 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Kenosha County, WI, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Rules change, and the deciding facts on any specific parcel (setbacks, perc results, overlay districts, deed restrictions, road frontage) live at the county or town office, not in any database. Before you buy land or build, confirm the current rules directly with the local zoning and health offices - the sources on this page tell you exactly who to call.
The local rulesKenosha County, WI
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
Varies locallyKenosha County's Planning and Development Department administers the General Zoning and Shoreland/Floodplain Zoning Ordinance for unincorporated towns (Brighton, Paris, Randall, Somers, Wheatland), but the Villages of Salem Lakes and Somers and the City of Kenosha each run their own separate zoning codes. I'd tell any reader that the rules for raw land depend entirely on which town, village, or city the parcel is in, and a zoning permit is needed to confirm compliant use either way. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
RestrictedIn the unincorporated county, mobile and manufactured homes are only allowed in the dedicated R-12 Mobile Home/Manufactured Home Park-Subdivision District, so you can't just drop one anywhere. Whether a tiny house on a foundation or an RV can be a full-time residence isn't spelled out in what I found, so that's a call you need to make directly with County Planning & Development for your specific parcel.
Building permits & codes
Generally allowedThe county requires its own zoning permit (with survey/site plan and fee) on top of any building permit, following the Kenosha County Department of Planning & Development's process, while the City of Kenosha handles building permits separately through its own Building Inspection division. Starting work before pulling the right permit triggers a higher fee, so get the paperwork lined up first. source
Septic & composting toilets
RestrictedKenosha County's Planning and Development Department has run the POWTS (private septic) program since 1980, enforcing siting, design, and setback rules under county sanitary code and state code SPS 382-385, and no zoning or building permit can be issued for a structure served by a POWTS until a sanitary permit is in hand. Composting toilets fall under a separate 'non-plumbing sanitation system' section but still need to meet code and are subject to inspection, and holding tanks are only allowed as a last resort. source
Greywater reuse
Unclear - verifyI didn't find a Kenosha County-specific ordinance addressing greywater reuse separately from the general POWTS wastewater rules, so this isn't confirmed at the county level. My best guess is the state DSPS plumbing code baseline (subsurface irrigation, permit, licensed installer) applies, but confirm directly with County Planning & Development before you build a system.
Rainwater harvesting
Unclear - verifyNo Kenosha County page or ordinance on outdoor rainwater harvesting turned up in my research, so this is not confirmed locally. For potable or indoor use, I'd default to assuming the state DSPS plumbing code baseline applies until the county says otherwise.
Private wells & water rights
Generally allowedPrivate wells are regulated by the Wisconsin DNR, not the county. Kenosha County Planning & Development doesn't issue permits for well construction or abandonment, but Kenosha County Public Health does offer voluntary well water testing for coliform, nitrates, and fluoride. source
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyI found no Kenosha County ordinance directly addressing full disconnection from electric, gas, or municipal utilities for a legal dwelling. The zoning and sanitary codes strongly imply a habitable home still needs a compliant water source and a compliant POWTS or sewer hookup, but a standalone utility-disconnection rule isn't confirmed, so I'd treat this as an open question for County Planning & Development.
Sun30-year normals
- Peak-sun hours, annual average
- 4.5 hrs/day
- Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
- 2.8 hrs/day
- Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
- 1,332 kWh
JFMAMJJASOND
Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 36 in/yr
- Snowfall
- 36 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 6,775 (cold)
- Frost-free season
- Apr 19 to Oct 24
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
Ascension All Saints Hospital Spring Street Campus - 10.2 mi
- Fire station
Racine Fire Department Station 5 - 8.0 mi
- Hardware store
Aiden’s Fire Logs & Bags - 1.7 mi
- Grocery
Pick 'n Save - 0.8 mi
From OpenStreetMap. Road miles will be longer, often much longer in hill country.
Plan this spot
These open with this location's real numbers already filled in (ZIP 53141).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
Looking at a specific parcel in Kenosha County, WI?The rules above are the jurisdiction. The land check runs the parcel itself: flood zone, soils and septic suitability, wetlands, slope, access, climate, and these verdicts, from a parcel number or coordinates.
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Sources: US Census Bureau geocoder; NLR PVWatts v8 (solar); NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 climate normals (nearest station) or Open-Meteo (ZIP-centroid) for weather; Open-Elevation; OpenStreetMap contributors. Public data retrieved Aug 22, 2026; agencies update their layers on their own schedules. Planning data, not a survey or legal advice.
New here, or not sure where this fits? Start here walks through the whole thing in order.