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

At a glance

Building permit

Building permit required for a new one- or two-family home under the Uniform Dwelling Code; the delegated municipality or the state issues it¹

Zoning

No countywide zoning; the county zones only shoreland, wetland and floodplain areas, and towns set other zoning approval²³

Septic permit

Required: a state sanitary permit to install or work on a system, plus a county sanitary permit for repair, reconnection and non-plumbing systems; the county Zoning Administrator reviews applications⁷⁸⁵

Owner-builder

Owner-occupants may pull their own UDC construction permit⁹¹⁰

Septic soils

Only 6.4% of soil has no severe limit for a conventional drain field⁶

Shoreland setback

75 ft minimum from the ordinary high-water mark¹¹

Property tax

1.5% effective rate; ~$3,083/yr median bill¹²¹³

Terrain

94.8% of land at 15% slope or less¹⁴

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 Kewaunee County, Wisconsin?

Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code is the statewide building code for one- and two-family dwellings built since June 1, 1980, and it applies in Kewaunee County the same as everywhere else in the state¹⁵¹⁶. Construction can begin only after plans are approved and the building permit is issued and posted, and at least two sets of plans must be submitted with the application¹⁷¹⁸. An owner who currently occupies, or will occupy, the finished home can take out the construction and erosion-control permits directly, without going through a state-certified Dwelling Contractor, though plumbing and electrical work still generally require licensed professionals¹⁹¹⁰. Expect a $30 state permit-seal fee on top of whatever fee your municipality sets by ordinance²⁰.

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

Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code is enforced by municipal or county building inspection departments, or by the state's Division of Industry Services where no local department has taken on that role²¹. The City of Kewaunee and the City of Algoma have delegated UDC authority through their municipalities²²²³. The Town of Ahnapee also has delegated UDC authority and a listed inspector²⁴. We could not confirm which inspection agency serves other unincorporated Kewaunee County parcels, so ask the clerk for the town containing the parcel who reviews plans, issues the UDC permit and performs inspections. The county itself does not issue the building permit; what stays with the county is shoreland and floodplain zoning permits and septic permits, so for those call the county's Land & Water Conservation Department²⁵²⁶.

Does Kewaunee County have zoning?

Kewaunee County has no general countywide zoning ordinance of its own; the county's role is shoreland and floodplain zoning, administered by the Land & Water Conservation Department, while general land-use zoning outside the shoreland is set by each town, where that town has adopted its own zoning²²⁵. The county directory lists separate zoning administrators for the towns of Ahnapee, Carlton, Casco, Franklin, Lincoln, Luxemburg, Montpelier, Pierce, Red River and West Kewaunee, and cities and villages may run their own land-use rules³. Wisconsin counties can adopt a countywide zoning ordinance under state law, but county zoning only applies in a town that has voted to adopt it, and a town outside county zoning may be unzoned or run its own town ordinance²⁷. County shoreland zoning covers land within 1,000 feet of navigable lakes, ponds or flowages and within 300 feet of navigable rivers or streams, or to the landward side of the floodplain if that is farther². Within 75 feet of the ordinary high-water mark of a lake or stream, state shoreland rules set a 75-foot minimum building setback and cap structures at 35 feet tall, enforced through the county's shoreland ordinance¹¹²⁸. Because general zoning here is a town-by-town patchwork, confirm your specific town's rules on RVs, tiny homes, minimum home size and setbacks before you assume anything applies countywide²⁹.

How do septic permits work in Kewaunee County?

A valid state sanitary permit is required before anyone installs or works on a private onsite wastewater treatment system (POWTS), and a separate county sanitary permit is required for reconnection, repair and non-plumbing sanitation systems⁷. Septic, or POWTS, permits in Kewaunee County go through the county's Land & Water Conservation Department under the Kewaunee County Sanitary Ordinance, Chapter 15, which covers every municipality in the county that lacks public sewer⁴⁵. Statewide, POWTS plans are reviewed by the state Department of Safety and Professional Services, and larger or mixed-wastewater systems can require a joint DNR/DSPS review³⁰. Once a system is installed, it must be visually inspected at least once every three years, and counties operate the state's maintenance-tracking program and send reminders to landowners³¹. A building without a public-sewer connection still needs an approved way to treat, recycle, disperse or hold its wastewater — the state does not pre-approve any specific composting toilet, privy or holding tank³². Sanitary permit fees are set by the county board and are due when the application is filed³³. The soil is the real constraint here: only 6.4% of Kewaunee County's soil carries no severe limitation for a conventional drain field, so get a site evaluation from Land & Water Conservation before you commit to a parcel⁶⁵.

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

This guide could not confirm a countywide rule on living in an RV or occupying a tiny home on unincorporated Kewaunee County land, because that depends on your specific town's zoning — the county itself has no general zoning ordinance outside the shoreland²⁹. Wisconsin's rule limiting a campsite to one recreational vehicle, with a reservation required, governs camping at state park campgrounds; it does not answer whether you can live in an RV on land you own³⁴. A manufactured home can be installed and occupied once it passes a final inspection with no major health or safety violations, provided local zoning and sanitary requirements are also satisfied³⁵. Confirm RV and tiny-home occupancy rules with your town's zoning administrator, and with the county's Land & Water Conservation Department if the parcel sits in the shoreland²⁵.

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

First, confirm zoning for your parcel with your town's zoning administrator, or with the county in shoreland areas, before you buy²⁹²⁵. Second, get a soil evaluation early, since only 6.4% of the county's soil carries no severe limitation for a conventional septic drain field⁶. Third, apply for your sanitary (septic) permit with the county's Land & Water Conservation Department under the Sanitary Ordinance before construction⁵⁴. Fourth, submit your Uniform Dwelling Code building permit application, with at least two sets of plans, to your town or the responsible inspection agency, and wait for plan approval and a posted permit before you begin¹⁸¹⁷. Fifth, call for inspection before covering up each phase of construction; your inspector has two business days after your request to inspect before you may cover the work³⁶. Sixth, if you're drilling a well that isn't a high-capacity well, get your Well Construction Notification Number first, and file the Well Construction Report within thirty days after³⁷. Seventh, finish your home's exterior within two years of permit issuance and pass a final inspection with no major health or safety violations before you take occupancy³⁸.

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

Soils: only 6.4% of Kewaunee County's soil carries no severe limitation for a conventional septic drain field, so a site evaluation before you buy is close to essential⁶. Zoning: confirm your specific town's zoning, since the county has no general zoning ordinance of its own outside the shoreland²⁹. Water: if you plan to drill a well that isn't a high-capacity well, budget for the state notification process, and check whether your town has an additional well-permit ordinance³⁷. Flood risk: in a floodway, new structures, hazardous-material storage, and wells or sewage systems are prohibited outright, and floodfringe structures need their first floor at least two feet above base flood elevation³⁹. Access: a driveway connecting to a state highway needs a WisDOT connection permit, which costs nothing to apply for⁴⁰. Terrain: 94.8% of the county's land sits at 15% slope or less, among the flattest ground you'll find for building and farming, though flat ground alone doesn't fix poor septic soils¹⁴. Taxes: Kewaunee County's effective property tax rate runs about 1.5%, with a median bill near $3,083 a year¹²¹³. If you're weighing a short-term rental, Wisconsin requires a DATCP lodging permit for stays rented to tourists or transients⁴¹.

Watch-outs

• Wisconsin's rule limiting a state park campsite to one recreational vehicle governs camping at state parks, not what you can do on land you own in Kewaunee County — don't read it as settling whether you can live in an RV on your parcel³⁴.
• Kewaunee County has no general countywide zoning ordinance; the county zones only shoreland, wetland and floodplain areas, and each town sets its own rules elsewhere, so 'the county has no zoning' does not mean your specific town has no rules²³.
• The cities of Kewaunee and Algoma and the Town of Ahnapee have identified UDC arrangements, but we could not confirm the inspection agency for other unincorporated parcels; ask the relevant town clerk before filing²²²³²⁴.
• Shoreland permits carry a fee set each year in the county budget, and septic permit fees are set by county board resolution, so ask Land & Water Conservation for the current amounts⁴²³³.

Sources

1. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
2. Frequently Asked Questions: Shorelands, Wetlands, and Floodplains, quoted and re-checked
3. Kewaunee County Official Directory, quoted and re-checked
4. Kewaunee County Sanitary Ordinance (Chapter 15) (2026 county census)
5. Kewaunee County Land & Water Conservation Department, Sanitation Division (kewauneeco.org)
6. 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
7. Kewaunee County Sanitary Ordinance, Chapter 15, quoted and re-checked
8. Kewaunee County Sanitary Ordinance, Chapter 15, quoted and re-checked
9. Instructions for Submitting a UDC Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
10. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Wisconsin’s Shoreland Management Program (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
13. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
14. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
15. One- & Two-Family (Uniform Dwelling Code) (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Wisconsin DSPS - Uniform Dwelling Code (2026 county census)
17. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 320.09 (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Wisconsin DSPS - Building a Home in Wisconsin (UDC Guide) (2026 county census)
20. Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 302.34 (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. Wisconsin Municipalities with Delegated Authority for the Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) and for Camping Units, quoted and re-checked
23. Wisconsin Municipalities with Delegated Authority for the Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) and for Camping Units, quoted and re-checked
24. Wisconsin Municipalities with Delegated Authority for the Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) and for Camping Units, quoted and re-checked
25. Kewaunee County Land & Water Conservation Department (kewauneeco.org)
26. Kewaunee County Chapter 15 Sanitary Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
27. Local Land Use Regulations and Comprehensive Planning Status Inventory Project (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
28. Minimum Shoreland Wetland Zoning Model Ordinance (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
29. Kewaunee County Land & Water Conservation - Zoning (Shoreland/Floodplain) (2026 county census)
30. Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS) (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
31. Wisconsin Maintenance Program (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
32. Wisconsin Administrative Code, SPS 382 (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
33. Chapter 15 Sanitary, quoted and re-checked
34. Camping Rules — Wisconsin State Park System (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
35. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
36. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
37. Well and heat exchange notification (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
38. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
39. Floodplain Development Basics (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
40. State highway connection permits (driveways & more) (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
41. Lodging Establishments (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
42. Frequently Asked Questions: Shorelands, Wetlands, and Floodplains, 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.