Wis. Stat. § 236.11 — WI Code / Chapter 236 / Section 236.11
Submission of plats for approval.
Status: in_force

(1)

(a) Before submitting a final plat for approval, the subdivider may submit, or the approving authority may require that the subdivider submit, a preliminary plat. It shall be clearly marked “preliminary plat” and, except as provided in par. (d) , shall be in sufficient detail to determine whether the final plat will meet layout requirements. Subject to par. (d) , within 90 days, the approving authority, or its agent authorized to approve preliminary plats, shall take action to approve, approve conditionally, or reject the preliminary plat and shall state in writing any conditions of approval or reasons for rejection, unless the time is extended by agreement with the subdivider. Failure of the approving authority or its agent to act within the 90 days, or extension thereof, constitutes an approval of the preliminary plat.

(b) If the final plat conforms substantially to the preliminary plat as approved, including any conditions of that approval, and to local plans and ordinances adopted as authorized by law, it is entitled to approval. If the final plat is not submitted within 36 months after the last required approval of the preliminary plat, any approving authority may refuse to approve the final plat or may extend the time for submission of the final plat. The final plat may, if permitted by the approving authority, constitute only that portion of the approved preliminary plat that the subdivider proposes to record at that time.

(c) A professional engineer, a planner, or another person charged with the responsibility to review plats shall provide the approving authority with his or her conclusions as to whether the final plat conforms substantially to the preliminary plat and with his or her recommendation on approval of the final plat. The conclusions and recommendation shall be made a part of the record of the proceeding at which the final plat is being considered and are not required to be submitted in writing.

(d) A subdivider that submits a preliminary plat for approval under par. (a) may submit preliminary, rather than final, plans and reports regarding sewer, water, road cross-sections, grading, stormwater, soil testing, landscaping, and street lighting. The approving authority, or its agent authorized to approve preliminary plats, may not reject the preliminary plat on the basis that the plans and reports are not final, but the approving authority or its agent may approve conditionally the preliminary plat on that basis and state in writing the conditions of approval as allowed under par. (a) , including conditions that final plans and reports are submitted.

(2)

(a) The subdivider or subdivider’s agent shall submit to the body or bodies having authority to approve plats an electronic copy of the final plat or a copy of the final plat that is capable of legible reproduction. The approving authority or authorities shall approve or reject the final plat within 60 days of its submission, unless the time is extended by agreement with the subdivider or subdivider’s agent. When the approving authority is a municipality and determines to approve the plat, it shall give at least 10 days’ prior written notice of its intention to the clerk of any municipality whose boundaries are within 1,000 feet of any portion of such proposed plat but failure to give such notice shall not invalidate any such plat. If a plat is rejected, the reasons therefor shall be stated in the minutes of the meeting and a copy thereof or a written statement of the reasons shall be supplied to the subdivider or subdivider’s agent. If the approving authority fails to act within 60 days and the time has not been extended by agreement and if no unsatisfied objections have been filed within that period, the plat shall be deemed approved, and, upon demand, a certificate to that effect shall be made on the face of the plat by the clerk of the authority that has failed to act.

(b) The approval of the approving authority or authorities may be based on the copy submitted under par. (a) but the approval must be inscribed on the recordable plat document. Before inscribing its approval, the approving authority shall require the subdivider or subdivider’s agent to certify the respects in which the recordable plat document differs from the copy, if any. An approving authority must approve all modifications in the final plat before it gives final approval to the plat. No approving authority may inscribe its final approval on a plat before the affixing of the certificate by the department under s. 236.12 (3) .

History: 1979 c. 248 ; 1997 a. 332 ; 2009 a. 376 ; 2013 a. 358 ; 2025 a. 68 .