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

At a glance

Building permit

Required before constructing a new one- or two-family home²

Building department

Township UDC inspector issues the building permit; the county issues zoning and sanitary permits¹²⁶

Zoning

County zoning applies in most unincorporated towns, with six named exceptions³

Septic permit

Required before a county zoning permit for a building served by private septic⁵

Owner-builder

An owner-occupant may obtain the construction and erosion-control permits⁷

RV living

Temporary only under Chapter 13; an RV cannot be the permanent principal residence⁸

Septic soils

Only about 3.4% of soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field⁹

Private well

A county permit is required for a new private well¹⁰

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 Dunn County, Wisconsin?

Yes. A new one- or two-family home in Dunn County needs a permit under Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code before construction begins². The code covers stick-built, modular and manufactured-home installations¹¹. Building permits are issued by the state-certified UDC inspector serving the parcel's township, or by the state if the municipality has not taken delegated authority, while the county separately handles zoning permits and sanitary permits¹²⁶. Alteration and addition requirements can vary by municipality, and sanitary, well, floodplain, driveway and utility approvals may also be required¹². An owner who occupies or will occupy the finished home may obtain the construction and erosion-control permits, but owner-building does not waive the permits⁷.

Who issues building permits in Dunn County, and how do you reach the county offices?

The residential building-permit contact is the UDC building inspector assigned to the township where the parcel lies; Dunn County's zoning page publishes the inspector list and tells applicants to contact that inspector before construction⁶. Dunn County Planning & Land Use is a separate office at 3001 US Hwy 12 East, Suite 240A, Menomonie; call (715) 231-6520 or email pandz@dunncountywi.gov¹³. That office handles zoning permits and land-use approval, and the county issues sanitary (septic) permits, none of which the township inspector issues¹³⁴. The county says most development projects need a zoning permit and may require site plans, building plans and other documents¹³. New homes require footing, foundation and reinforcement, rough-construction, insulation and final inspections; contact the inspector identified on the UDC permit¹⁴. Occupancy follows a final inspection with no major health or safety violations¹⁵.

Does Dunn County, Wisconsin have zoning?

Dunn County has comprehensive zoning, but Chapter 13 excludes Eau Galle, Elk Mound, New Haven, Rock Creek, Sand Creek and Springbrook; cities and villages enforce their own codes³. County shoreland, floodplain, land-division and sanitary ordinances still apply in every town³. Chapter 13 has thirteen districts, each with its own use, yard, lot-size and height rules, shown on official zoning maps¹⁶. Ordinary residential and accessory structures in the covered districts are generally limited to 35 feet, with district-specific exceptions¹⁷. Lot coverage also varies by district rather than having one countywide number¹⁸. If land will be divided, county review applies in unincorporated Dunn County, and a division into five or more lots requires a subdivision plat¹⁹. Ask Planning & Land Use to identify the parcel's jurisdiction and district before designing the site¹³.

How do septic permits work in Dunn County?

Dunn County requires a sanitary permit before issuing the zoning permit for a building served by a private onsite wastewater system⁵. A soil tester first files the test; a plumber or designer then prepares plans from the soil results and bedroom count, and the county inspects the system before backfilling²⁰²¹. Dunn County reviews conventional systems and holding tanks under 3,000 gallons, while mound and at-grade systems plus industrial or larger holding tanks go to the state for plan review²². The published non-plumbing sanitary permit fee is $260²³. Privies, incinerating toilets and composting toilets still require county sanitary approval; a pit privy also needs soil verification²⁴. Only about 3.4% of county soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so test before committing to a house site⁹.

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

In areas governed by Dunn County Chapter 13, a mobile recreational vehicle cannot be a permanent principal residence⁸. Where a single-family dwelling is allowed, temporary RV occupancy requires issued zoning and sanitary permits for the permanent home and is limited to 365 days within 547 days⁸. Agriculture-district recreational use is limited to 180 days per calendar year and cannot connect to a private onsite waste system or well⁸. These limits do not answer every parcel: six towns are outside Chapter 13, and cities and villages enforce their own codes²⁵. We could not confirm a specific tiny-home occupancy rule or general minimum dwelling size; ask Planning & Land Use and the parcel's town or municipality before purchase¹³. Manufactured-home communities are allowed in R3 and by special exception in R2 and SR²⁶.

What are the steps to build a home in Dunn County?

1. Ask Planning & Land Use which zoning jurisdiction and district cover the parcel and whether shoreland or floodplain rules affect the site³¹³.
2. Obtain a driveway access permit from the town, county or state road authority before requesting the county address or fire number²⁷.
3. Obtain the county permit for a new private well; high-capacity wells go through the Wisconsin DNR¹⁰.
4. Have the soil tested and the wastewater plans prepared, then obtain the sanitary permit before the county zoning permit⁵²⁰.
5. Submit the site plan and required project documents for county zoning review¹³.
6. Apply to the township's UDC inspector and wait for the building permit before construction²⁶.
7. Schedule the required construction inspections and pass the final inspection before occupancy¹⁴¹⁵.

What should you check before buying land in Dunn County?

Start with jurisdiction and soils. Confirm whether the parcel is covered by Chapter 13, lies in one of the six excepted towns, or sits in a city or village with its own zoning³. Get septic feasibility evaluated before relying on a house site because only about 3.4% of county soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field⁹. Check shoreland and floodplain constraints with Planning & Land Use; those county ordinances apply in every town³²⁸. Confirm which road authority must approve a new driveway and obtain that permit before requesting an address or fire number²⁷. Budget separately for the private-well permit, zoning and building approvals because the published $260 figure applies only to the county's non-plumbing sanitary permit¹⁰²³. The median property-tax bill is about $3,325 per year²⁹.

Watch-outs

• Dunn County's comprehensive zoning ordinance excludes six towns, but shoreland, floodplain, land-division and sanitary ordinances still apply throughout every town³.
• A private septic system's sanitary permit comes before the county zoning permit, so settle the soil test and system design early⁵²⁰.
• Chapter 13 bars a mobile recreational vehicle as a permanent principal residence, but the six excluded towns and incorporated municipalities may use different rules⁸²⁵.
• We could not confirm a specific tiny-home occupancy rule or general minimum dwelling size; ask Planning & Land Use and the parcel's town before buying¹³.

Sources

1. Wisconsin DSPS - Uniform Dwelling Code (2026 county census)
2. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
3. Zoning - Dunn County, WI, quoted and re-checked
4. Non-Plumbing Sanitary Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
5. The Sanitary Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
6. Township UDC Building Inspector (dunncountywi.gov)
7. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Chapter 13 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
9. 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
10. Well Drillers - Dunn County, WI, quoted and re-checked
11. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
12. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code, quoted and re-checked
13. Dunn County Planning & Land Use (Zoning) Division (dunncountywi.gov)
14. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two- Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
15. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Chapter 13 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
17. Chapter 13 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
18. Chapter 13 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
19. Land Division Review - Dunn County, WI, quoted and re-checked
20. The Sanitary Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
21. dunncountywi.gov, quoted and re-checked
22. The Sanitary Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
23. Non-Plumbing Sanitary Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
24. Non-Plumbing Sanitary Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
25. Zoning - Dunn County, WI, quoted and re-checked
26. Chapter 13 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
27. dunncountywi.gov, quoted and re-checked
28. Dunn County Planning & Land Use (Zoning) Division (dunncountywi.gov)
29. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

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.