Building permits, zoning and land rules in Burnett County, Wisconsin

At a glance

Building permit

County land-use approval plus a separate UDC permit for a new dwelling¹

Zoning

General county zoning covers 17 of 21 towns; villages and other local rules differ⁷

Septic permit

Land Services handles private sewage; confirmed county permits include reconnects and non-plumbing systems⁸⁹

RV living

Camping units are regulated, but the exact occupancy limit was not confirmed¹⁰

Tiny home

A dwelling under county Chapter 30 must meet its bedroom-based floor-area minimum¹¹

Minimum home size

500 sq ft for 1 bedroom, 600 for 2, and 700 for 3 where county Chapter 30 applies¹²

Owner-builder

An owner-occupant may obtain construction and erosion-control permits, but permits remain required¹³

Private well

State advance notification applies before most new private-well construction¹⁴

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Burnett County, Wisconsin?

Yes. Burnett County requires a Land Use Permit before building or placing a structure, and a Uniform Dwelling Code permit is required for a new one- or two-family dwelling, including a stick-built, modular or manufactured-home installation¹². The county land-use approval and UDC permit are separate¹⁵.

The UDC permitting authority may be the municipality or Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services¹⁶. An owner who occupies or will occupy the home may obtain the construction and erosion-control permits, but that allowance does not waive permits or code compliance¹⁷. Like the counties around it in Wisconsin, Burnett County requires a county building permit¹.

Who issues building permits and zoning approval in Burnett County?

Start with Burnett County Land Services/Zoning at 715-349-2109, 7410 County Road K, Suite 120, Siren, WI 54872, for county land-use, zoning, sanitary, shoreland, floodplain and subdivision questions¹⁸. Submit the complete county land-use application with maps, plans and payment by mail, courier or in person; email and fax applications are not accepted, and incomplete applications are returned¹⁹. The Land Use Permit fee is $300 for a dwelling or principal structure, $200 for an addition or alteration and $150 for an accessory structure, and an after-the-fact permit can cost up to 3 times the normal fee²⁰.

Inside the Village of Webster, the village issues building permits itself, and county rules below apply to land outside it³. Septic permits for Webster addresses still come from Land Services⁶.

For a new dwelling outside Webster, ask the parcel's town clerk or Land Services which UDC inspection agency serves the property; delegated municipalities issue permits, while other applications go to the state². New dwellings and bunkhouses require UDC inspection²¹, and new one- and two-family dwellings need inspections at the footing, foundation and reinforcement, rough, insulation and final stages²². Occupancy follows a final inspection with no major health or safety violations, and some municipalities issue a separate occupancy permit²³.

Does Burnett County have zoning?

Yes, but the controlling rules depend on the parcel. The Village of Webster publishes its own zoning districts, and the county's rules apply to unincorporated land⁴. Burnett County regulates land and structures in unincorporated areas, while incorporated municipalities may administer their own zoning²⁴. General county zoning covers 17 of 21 towns; villages are exempt from county general zoning, and areas outside the shoreland zone may also be exempt, so confirm the actual authority for the parcel⁷. The county's page also states that every village and town except La Follette has its own zoning regulations⁵.

County zoning includes residential-recreation, agricultural, commercial, industrial, forestry and resource-conservation districts²⁵. Minimum lot size varies: examples include 1.5 acres in RR-2, 5 acres in RR-3, 10,000 square feet for publicly sewered shoreland lots and 20,000 square feet for privately sewered shoreland lots²⁶. Within 300 feet of a lake or stream, a project whose impervious surface exceeds 15 percent needs mitigation, and one exceeding 30 percent needs a variance²⁷. Floodplain, wetland and subdivision controls can add another layer²⁸²⁹.

How do septic permits work in Burnett County?

Burnett County Land Services handles private sewage permits, installation inspection and maintenance reporting⁶, and county zoning staff inspect new sewer-system installations³⁰. A non-plumbing sanitary permit application requires maps, plans and a fee, and the proposed structure must be staked for county onsite verification³¹. Privies, composting toilets and incinerating toilets are allowed through the county's non-plumbing sanitary permit path, subject to sanitation, setback, building and site rules³².

Countywide data rates 0% of Burnett County soils as being without severe limits for a conventional drain field, making a parcel-specific soil evaluation especially important³³. A sealed-pit privy must be 25 feet from a well and side lot lines, 5 feet from a building and 75 feet from a lake or stream, while an open pit must be 50 feet from a well³²³⁴. System servicing must be performed by a Wisconsin-licensed pumper or inspector and reported through the county system, but the source does not establish periodic county inspection of every system³⁵.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Burnett County?

Burnett County regulates camping, but the confirmed camping limits apply to County Forest land rather than private parcels¹⁰. Burnett County's exact duration, location and permit conditions for living in an RV on private land could not be confirmed; ask Land Services and the parcel's town before placing a camper¹⁸.

Where Burnett County Chapter 30 governs the parcel, a tiny home used as a dwelling must meet residential rules, including at least 500 square feet for a one-bedroom dwelling, 600 for two bedrooms and 700 for three bedrooms¹¹¹². A tiny dwelling may also need land-use, UDC and sanitary approvals¹³². Except where specifically authorized, an occupied mobile or manufactured home must be in a county-approved park³⁶.

How do you build a home in Burnett County, step by step?

1. Give Burnett County Land Services the parcel number and a proposed site plan; confirm who controls zoning and whether shoreland, floodplain or subdivision rules apply⁷²⁸¹⁸.
2. Arrange a soil evaluation and ask Land Services which sanitary application the proposed system requires⁶³¹.
3. Submit the complete county Land Use Permit package with maps, plans and payment by mail, courier or in person¹³⁷.
4. Identify the UDC authority serving the parcel and obtain the dwelling permit before starting a new home².
5. Obtain state advance notification before constructing most new private wells¹⁴.
6. Get access approval from the correct road authority; the Highway Department issues county-road driveway permits, while WisDOT handles state-highway connections³⁸³⁹.
7. Notify the UDC inspector at the required stages and do not occupy the home before a satisfactory final inspection²²²³.

What should you check before buying land in Burnett County?

Confirm the parcel's zoning authority, mapped district, shoreland status and floodplain status with Burnett County Land Services before treating the land as buildable⁷⁴⁰¹⁸. If the tract will be divided or its boundaries reconfigured, ask whether county subdivision review is required²⁹. Make an acceptable soil evaluation a purchase contingency because countywide data rates 0% of Burnett County soils as being without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field³³.

Confirm legal access and the road authority before closing. A county-road access application carries a $100 service fee, allows no more than 1 access per parcel and can trigger $50 charges for additional inspections caused by noncompliance³⁸. Wisconsin requires advance notice before most new private wells, but a separate Burnett County well permit could not be confirmed¹⁴.

Watch-outs

• Do not treat land outside county general zoning as rule-free; local rules and county shoreland, floodplain, wetland or subdivision controls may still apply⁷⁴¹⁴².
• A Burnett County Land Use Permit is distinct from the dwelling permit issued through the town's UDC inspection agency¹.
• Burnett County's exact private-land RV occupancy limit and separate well-permit requirement could not be confirmed; ask Land Services and the parcel's town before purchase or placement¹⁰¹⁸¹⁴.

Sources

1. Burnett County Land Services - Application Forms and Information (2026 county census)
2. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
3. Village of Webster: Chapter 112: Building Construction - Village of Webster, WI (Burnett County), quoted and re-checked
4. Village of Webster: Chapter 298: Zoning - Village of Webster, WI (Burnett County), quoted and re-checked
5. burnettcountywi.gov, quoted and re-checked
6. Private Sewage Systems, quoted and re-checked
7. Zoning/Land Use Ordinance Violation Enforcement Policy, quoted and re-checked
8. Private Sewage Systems (2026 county census)
9. Application Forms and Information, quoted and re-checked
10. Camping Information, quoted and re-checked
11. Resolution 2025-16: Land Use Regulations, Chapter 30, quoted and re-checked
12. Resolution 2025-16: Land Use Regulations, Chapter 30, quoted and re-checked
13. Wisconsin DSPS - Building a Home in Wisconsin (UDC Guide) (2026 county census)
14. Well and heat exchange notification (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Zoning Division, quoted and re-checked
16. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
17. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code, quoted and re-checked
18. Burnett County Land Services/Zoning (burnettcountywi.gov)
19. Land Use Permit Application – Burnett County, WI, quoted and re-checked
20. Land Use Permit Application – Burnett County, WI, quoted and re-checked
21. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
22. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
23. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code, quoted and re-checked
24. Chapter 30 Land Use, quoted and re-checked
25. Chapter 30 Land Use, quoted and re-checked
26. burnettcountywi.gov, quoted and re-checked
27. burnettcountywi.gov, quoted and re-checked
28. Zoning Division, quoted and re-checked
29. Zoning Division, quoted and re-checked
30. Zoning Division, quoted and re-checked
31. Non-Plumbing Sanitary Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
32. Application Forms and Information, quoted and re-checked
33. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
34. Non-Plumbing Sanitary Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
35. Private Sewage Systems, quoted and re-checked
36. Chapter 30 Land Use Regulations, quoted and re-checked
37. burnettcountywi.gov, quoted and re-checked
38. Burnett County Highway Department Access Permits, quoted and re-checked
39. State highway connection permits (driveways & more) (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
40. TXT-23-03 Chapter 30 LAND USE, quoted and re-checked
41. Zoning Division, quoted and re-checked
42. Zoning Division, quoted and re-checked

Written October 15, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.