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

At a glance

Zoning

County zoning applies in 13 of 19 townships; cities, villages, and some towns handle their own zoning²³

Sanitary (POWTS) permit

Required before construction and before a building permit issues where public sewer is unavailable⁵⁴

Building permit

Required for new one- and two-family homes, including modular and manufactured-home installations¹

Owner-builder path

Available when the permit applicant owns and will occupy the home⁶

Building inspections

Required for new one- and two-family homes; notify the inspector listed on the permit⁷

Sanitary permit applicant

Must be a licensed plumbing contractor — property owners cannot apply directly⁸

Driveway/access permit (county roads)

Required for new or altered access, culvert work, or digging in a county trunk highway right-of-way⁹

Published county fees

$675 gravity-system permit; $825 mound-system permit; $350 erosion-control permit¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

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

Yes. A Uniform Dwelling Code permit is required for every new one- or two-family dwelling in Outagamie County, including stick-built, modular, and manufactured-home installations¹. The enforcing agency depends on the parcel: a delegated municipality handles its own permits, while another delegated authority or the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services handles other locations¹¹. If public sewer is unavailable, Outagamie County requires the sanitary permit for the private onsite wastewater treatment system before construction begins and before the building permit can issue⁴⁵. New homes require inspections of footings, foundation and reinforcement, rough work, insulation, and the finished building; notify the inspector identified on the permit when each stage is ready¹². Occupancy can begin after a final inspection finds no major health or safety violations, but only some municipalities issue a separate occupancy permit¹³.

Who issues building permits, zoning approval and sanitary permits in Outagamie County?

Outagamie County Development & Land Services administers county zoning and sanitary systems from 320 S. Walnut St., Appleton, WI 54911¹⁴¹⁵⁸. For zoning questions, call the Zoning Administrator at 920-832-5046¹⁵. For sanitary-permit questions, call the Code Inspector at 920-832-6032⁸. A property owner cannot submit the sanitary application directly; a licensed plumbing contractor must apply electronically through CityView¹⁶. Outagamie County has no zoning jurisdiction or permitting authority inside any city or village, such as the City of Appleton.¹⁷ Building permits are separate and depend on the parcel's municipality or other delegated enforcing agency, so identify the authority before submitting a Uniform Dwelling Code building permit application; the county sanitary permit still comes from Development & Land Services¹⁸¹⁴. Outagamie County publishes its Development and Land Services fees: a gravity-system sanitary permit is $675, a mound-system permit is $825, an erosion-control permit is $350, and starting development before permit issuance doubles the applicable fee¹⁰.

Does Outagamie County have zoning?

Partly. County general zoning applies in 13 of Outagamie County's 19 townships, while cities, villages, and some towns administer their own zoning, so parcel location determines which zoning office and ordinance apply²³. Black Creek, Hortonia, Greenville, Grand Chute, Kaukauna, and Buchanan administer their own town zoning codes, while the Town of Maine has no general zoning¹⁹. County-administered shoreland rules generally apply within 300 feet of navigable waters and in mapped shoreland-wetland areas, while floodplain rules apply in mapped flood-hazard districts and airport zoning applies near Appleton International Airport²⁰. State shoreland rules generally place buildings at least 75 feet from the ordinary high-water mark and cap height at 35 feet within that band²¹²². Inside a city or village, zoning approval comes from that city or village, not from the county.¹⁷ Use the county's zoning ordinance and GIS zoning map to identify the parcel's district²³¹⁵. In a township under county zoning, a single-family house or mobile home on its own lot in the AGD general agricultural district needs at least 24,000 square feet and 100 feet of lot width, with a 25-foot front yard, 30-foot rear yard and 20-foot side yards²⁴²⁵. A lot rezoned out of the AED exclusive agricultural district to build a residence must meet the same minimums and may not exceed two acres²⁴. In AED, a preexisting or accessory dwelling on its own parcel needs 24,000 square feet and 100 feet of width, with front and rear yards of at least 25 feet and side yards of at least 15 feet²⁶²⁷. Near Appleton International Airport, airport zoning sets land-use and height limits that depend on the airport-zoning area²⁸. Outside county zoning, ask the town, city or village that zones the parcel.

How do sanitary (POWTS/septic) permits work in Outagamie County?

When public sewer is unavailable, new construction in Outagamie County needs a private onsite wastewater treatment system, or POWTS, and Development & Land Services administers the county sanitary permit⁴¹⁴. The permit must be issued before construction begins and before a building permit can issue; it is typically required for a new or replacement system, a system change, or added use that increases wastewater flow⁵. A licensed plumbing contractor—not the property owner—must submit the application electronically through CityView¹⁶. Published county fees are $675 for a gravity-system sanitary permit and $825 for a mound-system permit, with double fees when development starts before permit issuance¹⁰. Only 9.3% of county soils are rated free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so test the site before treating a rural parcel as buildable²⁹. A holding-tank sanitary permit costs $950.³⁰ Wisconsin requires existing POWTS to receive a visual inspection at least once every 3 years³¹. A composting toilet or similar setup does not settle the wastewater question because buildings off public sewer still need suitable provision for wastewater from plumbing fixtures³². For a private well, Wisconsin law requires advance notice to the DNR before construction of a new well that is not high capacity, with a $50.50 notification fee and a Well Construction Report within 30 days; the source describes a notification, not a general county well permit.³³

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home on your land in Outagamie County?

We could not confirm a countywide rule for RV occupancy, temporary camping, or tiny-home occupancy on private land in Outagamie County, so ask the zoning authority for the parcel before relying on any of those uses. The one county RV rule we found covers floodfringe areas: a mobile recreational vehicle that stays on site 180 consecutive days or more, or is not fully licensed and ready for highway use, must meet the county's elevation and anchoring requirements for manufactured homes³⁴. County general zoning reaches 13 of the county's 19 townships, while cities, villages, and some towns apply their own rules²³. Wisconsin State Park System camping limits apply to state-park campsites, not private parcels in Outagamie County³⁵. A manufactured-home installation is expressly covered by the Uniform Dwelling Code and requires a permit as a new dwelling, but local zoning still determines where that use may be placed³⁶¹. A covered dwelling may be occupied after its final inspection finds no major health or safety violations; some municipalities also issue occupancy permits¹³. For a tiny home with plumbing where public sewer is unavailable, the county's POWTS permit remains part of the path⁴. Wisconsin also requires a state lodging permit when a home, cabin, or similar lodging is rented to tourists or transients³⁷.

How do you build on your land in Outagamie County, step by step?

1. Locate the parcel and identify whether county zoning or a city, village, or town ordinance applies²³.
2. Check the applicable zoning district, mapped floodplain, shoreland, and airport constraints before finalizing a house site²⁰³⁸.
3. If public sewer is unavailable, hire a licensed plumbing contractor to submit the POWTS application through CityView; the owner cannot apply directly¹⁶⁴.
4. Obtain the sanitary permit before construction and before seeking the building permit⁵.
5. Apply to the municipality or other delegated authority responsible for the parcel for the Uniform Dwelling Code building permit¹⁸¹.
6. If you own and will occupy the finished home, use the owner-builder path for the construction and erosion-control permit without Dwelling Contractor certification⁶.
7. Do not begin development before permits issue because Outagamie County applies double fees to early work¹⁰.
8. Before drilling a private well, give the DNR advance notice and file the Well Construction Report within 30 days of completion³³.
9. Notify the inspector named on the permit for required inspections, including footings, foundation, rough work, insulation, and final inspection⁷.

What to check before you buy land in Outagamie County, Wisconsin?

Start with wastewater feasibility: only 9.3% of Outagamie County soils are rated free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field²⁹. Confirm the zoning authority and district because county general zoning covers 13 of 19 townships, several towns use their own codes, and the Town of Maine has no general zoning²¹⁹. Check mapped flood hazards before choosing a house site; county review is often required for buildings, additions, major remodels, fill, grading, excavation, drainage changes, crossings, and post-flood repairs in covered districts³⁸. If a future split matters, Outagamie County reviews land divisions for legal, buildable parcels with wastewater service and safe access, commonly through a Certified Survey Map or subdivision plat³⁹. The land is mostly gentle, with 98.8% at a slope of 15% or less⁴⁰. Farmland averages about $7,559 per acre, the typical home value is about $346,594, and the effective property-tax rate is about 1.5% with a median bill near $3,580^41424344.

Watch-outs

• Outagamie County's general zoning applies in only 13 of the county's 19 townships; Black Creek, Hortonia, Greenville, Grand Chute, Kaukauna, and Buchanan run their own town zoning, while the Town of Maine has no general zoning²¹⁹.
• You cannot apply for an Outagamie County sanitary (POWTS) permit as the property owner: applications must go through CityView and be submitted by a licensed plumbing contractor, and starting excavation before all permits are issued can mean paying double fees⁸.
• We could not confirm parcel-level rules for RV occupancy outside floodfringe areas, tiny homes, temporary camping, minimum dwelling size, lot coverage, or agricultural exemptions, nor the lot, setback and accessory-dwelling rules outside the AGD and AED districts; ask the county Zoning Administrator or the municipality that zones the parcel³¹⁵.

Sources

1. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) - DSPS, quoted and re-checked
2. Land Use, Zoning, and Sanitary, quoted and re-checked
3. Land Use, Zoning, and Sanitary | Outagamie County, Wisconsin, quoted and re-checked
4. Land Use, Zoning, and Sanitary | Outagamie County, Wisconsin, quoted and re-checked
5. Land Use, Zoning, and Sanitary, quoted and re-checked
6. Instructions for Submitting a UDC Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
7. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) - DSPS, quoted and re-checked
8. Outagamie County Development & Land Services, Sanitary (POWTS) (outagamie.gov)
9. Driveway and Street Access Permits, quoted and re-checked
10. Fee Schedule 2026 - FINAL, quoted and re-checked
11. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
13. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code, quoted and re-checked
14. Land Use, Zoning, and Sanitary, quoted and re-checked
15. Outagamie County Development & Land Services, Land Use/Zoning (outagamie.gov)
16. Permit Applications, quoted and re-checked
17. Planning and Zoning Guide, quoted and re-checked
18. Delegated Agents for Uniform Dwelling Code Permitting and Inspection (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Land Use, Zoning, and Sanitary, quoted and re-checked
20. Land Use, Zoning, and Sanitary, quoted and re-checked
21. Wisconsin’s Shoreland Management Program (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. Minimum Shoreland Wetland Zoning Model Ordinance (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
23. Planning and Zoning Guide, quoted and re-checked
24. Outagamie County Code § 54-131, AGD dimensional requirements, quoted and re-checked
25. Outagamie County Code § 54-131, AGD dimensional requirements, quoted and re-checked
26. Outagamie County Code § 54-103, AED dimensional requirements, quoted and re-checked
27. Outagamie County Code § 54-103, AED dimensional requirements, quoted and re-checked
28. Land Use, Zoning, and Sanitary, quoted and re-checked
29. 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
30. Fee Schedule 2026 - FINAL, 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. Well and heat exchange notification, quoted and re-checked
34. Outagamie County Code § 24-102, floodfringe development standards, quoted and re-checked
35. Camping Rules — Wisconsin State Park System (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
36. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
37. Lodging Establishments (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
38. outagamie.gov, quoted and re-checked
39. Land Use, Zoning, and Sanitary, quoted and re-checked
40. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
41. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
42. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
43. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
44. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 10, 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.