Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Columbia County, Wisconsin

At a glance

Building permit

Building permit required for a new one- or two-family home under the statewide Uniform Dwelling Code; the town or its inspection agency issues it¹²

Zoning

County zoning applies only in unincorporated towns that adopted it; district tables are published in the county ordinance³⁶

Septic permit

A county sanitary permit is required countywide, including inside cities and villages, before installing or replacing a private sewage system⁴

Septic soils

Only about 6.9% of county soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field⁷

Owner-builder

Allowed statewide: an owner who occupies (or will occupy) the home can pull the construction and erosion-control permits without a Dwelling Contractor license⁸

RV living

Private-lot occupancy was not confirmed; in a county-regulated campground, the same party is limited to six continuous months⁹

Agricultural structures

A narrow county zoning-permit exception covers certain removable, nonhabitable farm structures outside the shoreland zone¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

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

Yes. Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code applies statewide to new one- and two-family dwellings, and construction may begin only after plans are approved and the building permit is issued and posted¹¹¹. Cities, villages and towns generally handle construction permits and inspections when they have delegated authority; the responsible authority can differ by municipality²¹². Most Columbia County towns listed in the county permit guide use General Engineering Co. for the town building permit and Uniform Dwelling Code inspection¹³. The county zoning permit is not a substitute for the building permit, which the affected town issues¹⁴. Building permit rules for additions and alterations vary by municipality, so ask the town or its inspector before starting that work¹⁵.

Who issues building permits in Columbia County, and how do you reach them?

The building-permit contact depends on the municipality, because Wisconsin cities, villages and towns generally exercise jurisdiction over new-home construction and inspection when authorized². Columbia County's permit guide lists General Engineering Co. at (608) 742-2169 for the town building permit and Uniform Dwelling Code inspection in most county towns¹³. Columbia County Planning & Zoning, at 112 E. Edgewater Street, Portage, WI 53901, handles the separate county zoning permits and sanitary (septic) permits; call (608) 742-9660 or email planning.zoning@columbiacountywi.gov¹⁶⁵. The county warns applicants that other federal, state, county, town or local approvals may also be required, so identify every permitting authority before filing¹⁶.

Does Columbia County have zoning?

It depends on the town. Columbia County's general zoning ordinance applies only in the portions of unincorporated Columbia County where the town board adopted it; cities and villages are outside that jurisdiction, while floodplain and shoreland-wetland rules may apply independently¹⁷³. A town outside county zoning may be unzoned or administer its own ordinance¹⁸. Where county zoning applies, the official map divides land into districts with different standards⁶. For example, the county table sets a five-acre minimum for agricultural use or vacant land and a one-acre minimum for a preexisting residence in the A-1 and AO-1 districts; other districts differ, including 1 acre in A-2 and A-3 and 20,000 square feet in RC-1¹⁹. Where county zoning applies, a county zoning permit is decided in writing within 30 days of a complete application unless a parallel process such as a conditional use permit takes longer¹⁴. A limited zoning-permit exception covers agricultural structures that are nonhabitable, readily removable, not permanently affixed, outside the shoreland zone, and not a roadside stand or sign¹⁰.

How do septic permits work in Columbia County?

A county sanitary permit is required before a private sewage system is installed, replaced, reconnected or modified anywhere in Columbia County, including inside the cities and villages, and the application goes through Columbia County Planning & Zoning⁴²⁰. The permit expires two years after issuance if the system is not installed and approved⁴. A building permit for a new dwelling using private onsite wastewater cannot be issued until the sanitary permit has been issued¹⁵. The county publishes sanitary-permit fees, while the amount depends on the applicable fee listing and project²¹. Soil suitability deserves early attention: only about 6.9% of Columbia County soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so get the site evaluated before finalizing the house location or budget⁷. Under the county ordinance, every septic tank must be visually inspected or pumped within three years of installation and at least every three years after that, unless an inspection finds less than one-third of the tank occupied by sludge or scum²².

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Columbia County?

We could not confirm a Columbia County rule that generally allows long-term RV or tiny-home occupancy on a private lot; ask Planning & Zoning for zoning questions and the town that governs the parcel for its building permit¹⁶. In a county-regulated campground, the same party may not occupy one camping unit for more than six continuous months in any twelve-month period, and state rules may shorten that period⁹²³. That campground rule does not establish permission to live in an RV elsewhere. County-regulated mobile or manufactured home parks impose a minimum thirty-day site-rental period and require homes to be used as dwellings and skirted²⁴. A new manufactured-home installation is also covered by the statewide Uniform Dwelling Code; occupancy follows a final inspection without major health or safety violations²⁵²⁶.

Building a home in Columbia County: what are the steps, in order?

1. Ask Columbia County Planning & Zoning which zoning jurisdiction and district cover the parcel, then check floodplain and shoreland constraints¹⁷¹⁶.
2. Get the soil evaluated and secure the county sanitary (septic) permit before seeking the town building permit for a home using private sewage²⁷¹⁵.
3. Obtain access approval from the road authority; a county-highway driveway permit covers construction, repair or improvement, while WisDOT permits state-highway connections²⁸²⁹.
4. Where county zoning applies, submit the county zoning permit application with the form, owner signature, deed or legal description, and review fee³⁰.
5. Allow for a written zoning decision generally within thirty days; parallel reviews can take longer³⁰.
6. File the Uniform Dwelling Code building permit application with the responsible town or inspection agency after prerequisite approvals³¹¹³.
7. Schedule inspections before work is covered and occupy only after a satisfactory final inspection³²³³.

What should you check before you buy land in Columbia County?

Confirm the parcel's town and zoning authority before relying on a proposed use, lot size or setback¹⁷¹⁶. Near navigable water, buildings and structures generally must be at least seventy-five feet from the ordinary high water mark, subject to listed exceptions and setback averaging³⁴. Check floodplain status early with Planning & Zoning, since county floodplain rules require standards to be met and permits issued before floodway or floodfringe development³⁵. Statewide, new structures, wells and sewage systems are prohibited in the floodway, while floodfringe construction has elevation and access requirements³⁶. Septic suitability is another purchase-stage issue because only about 6.9% of county soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field⁷. For a new private well, Wisconsin generally requires a Well Construction Notification Number before drilling, and some approved county ordinances can add a permit³⁷. Finally, match the driveway approval to the road owner before assuming legal access²⁸²⁹.

Watch-outs

• County zoning permits require a review fee and normally receive a written decision within thirty days after a complete application, but parallel processes can extend that schedule; an issued permit expires after twenty-four months unless a one-time twenty-four-month extension is granted for a fee³⁰.
• Columbia County's general zoning ordinance only applies in unincorporated towns that adopted it; floodplain or shoreland-wetland rules may still apply, and another town ordinance may govern, so never read 'outside county zoning' as 'no rules'³¹⁸.
• A driveway connecting to a Columbia County highway needs a county permit not only for new construction but also for repair or improvement²⁸.
• Septic permits are not delegated to the town or the city: the county sanitary permit ordinance covers all lands in Columbia County, including inside cities and villages⁴.

Sources

1. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
2. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
3. Columbia County Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 12 Subchapter 100, quoted and re-checked
4. Columbia County Code of Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
5. Columbia County Planning & Zoning Department (co.columbia.wi.us)
6. Columbia County Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 12 Subchapter 100, quoted and re-checked
7. 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
8. Instructions for Submitting a UDC Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
9. Columbia County Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 12 Subchapter 100, quoted and re-checked
10. Columbia County Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 12 Subchapter 100, quoted and re-checked
11. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
12. Delegated Agents for Uniform Dwelling Code Permitting and Inspection (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. General Engineering Co. (Uniform Dwelling Code inspection agency under contract to most Columbia County towns) (co.columbia.wi.us)
14. Columbia County Code of Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
15. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Columbia County Planning & Zoning Department (co.columbia.wi.us)
17. Chapter 12, Subchapter 100, Columbia County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
18. Local Land Use Regulations and Comprehensive Planning Status Inventory Project (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Columbia County Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 12 Subchapter 100, quoted and re-checked
20. Columbia County Code of Ordinances (2026 county census)
21. Sanitary Permit Documents & Information, quoted and re-checked
22. Columbia County Code of Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
23. Columbia County Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 12 Subchapter 100, quoted and re-checked
24. co.columbia.wi.us, quoted and re-checked
25. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
26. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
27. co.columbia.wi.us, quoted and re-checked
28. Highway Department Forms, quoted and re-checked
29. State highway connection permits (driveways & more) (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
30. New Home Construction Quick Facts, quoted and re-checked
31. Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 320.09 (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
32. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
33. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code, quoted and re-checked
34. Wisconsin’s Shoreland Management Program (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
35. Columbia County Code of Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
36. Floodplain Development Basics (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
37. Well and heat exchange notification (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 9, 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.