Off-grid site report
Fond du Lac County, WI
43.7539, -88.2208 · 1,034 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Fond du Lac 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 rulesFond du Lac County, WI
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
Varies locallyFond du Lac County has no county-wide zoning; each of the 21 towns sets its own zoning ordinance and issues its own permits, so raw-land occupancy rules depend entirely on which town your parcel sits in. The County Planning Department only handles subdivision review, shoreland zoning, and assists towns, so you'll need to check the county's GIS mapping and then contact the specific town office. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
Varies locallyThere's no countywide standard for tiny homes or RV dwellings; this is set by each town's zoning ordinance under the state Uniform Dwelling Code baseline. The City of Fond du Lac bans using mobile homes as permanent dwellings outside licensed parks, but that's a city rule, not a county one, and doesn't apply in the unincorporated towns. source
Building permits & codes
Generally allowedBuilding permits for one- and two-family homes follow the state Uniform Dwelling Code, issued locally by each town or municipality. In unincorporated shoreland or floodplain areas, the County Code Enforcement Office also requires a separate land use permit, which must be coordinated with sanitary/septic permitting for new construction. source
Septic & composting toilets
RestrictedFond du Lac County's Code Enforcement Office administers a mandatory POWTS program under state code SPS 383 and the county's own POWTS ordinance, including required periodic tank pumping and an annual administrative fee billed through property taxes. Composting toilets aren't separately addressed by the county, so they'd fall under the same state plumbing code baseline, confirm specifics with Code Enforcement. source
Greywater reuse
Unclear - verifyI couldn't find a Fond du Lac County ordinance addressing greywater reuse specifically; the county's POWTS materials focus on septic tanks and drainfields, not separate greywater systems, so this likely defaults to the state DSPS plumbing code baseline. Confirm with the County Code Enforcement Office.
Rainwater harvesting
Unclear - verifyNo county-specific rule on rainwater harvesting turned up in my research, so it appears Fond du Lac County simply inherits the state baseline, outdoor non-potable collection is legal with no permit, while indoor/potable use falls under DSPS plumbing code. Worth confirming with Code Enforcement if you're planning anything beyond simple rain barrels.
Private wells & water rights
RestrictedThe County's Private Water System Ordinance, administered by Code Enforcement under state NR 812 delegation, governs proper well abandonment and requires new well construction and pump installation to go through the state/county permitting process. This applies countywide across all towns. source
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyI found no Fond du Lac County ordinance that directly addresses fully disconnecting a dwelling from electric, gas, or municipal utilities. That said, a fully off-grid home would still need to satisfy the county's septic (POWTS) and well ordinances to get a land use or building permit, so check with Code Enforcement about how they'd treat a fully disconnected property.
Sun30-year normals
- Peak-sun hours, annual average
- 4.6 hrs/day
- Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
- 2.6 hrs/day
- Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
- 1,335 kWh
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Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 35 in/yr
- Snowfall
- 49 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 7,541 (severe)
- Frost-free season
- May 5 to Oct 6
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
St. Agnes Hospital - 10.6 mi
- Fire station
Eden Fire Department - 8.0 mi
- Hardware store
Kitz & Pfeil Ace Hardware - 11.3 mi
- Grocery
Festival Foods - 9.4 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 53079).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
Looking at a specific parcel in Fond du Lac 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.
Check a parcel →Share or save this report:New report
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.