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

At a glance

Building permit

Required in county-administered areas; town and UDC permits may also apply¹

Zoning

General zoning varies by town; county shoreland jurisdiction covers shoreland areas in every town²³

Septic

County sanitary permit required for structures with plumbing that use private sewage⁵⁶

RV living

Not as a residence in county-zoned areas; qualifying temporary living is limited to 30 consecutive days⁷⁸

Tiny home

No distinct tiny-home occupancy rule confirmed; dwelling size depends on the zoning district⁹¹⁰¹¹

Owner-builder

An owner who occupies or will occupy the home may take out construction and erosion-control permits¹²

Minimum home size

900 sq. ft. for a single-family principal dwelling in the county-zoned R-R, A-R and R-S districts⁹¹⁰¹¹

Accessory dwelling

One per lot where county general zoning applies, up to 50 percent of the principal dwelling or 1,000 square feet; RVs and park models do not qualify¹³

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 Shawano County, Wisconsin?

A property owner must obtain a Shawano County land-use permit whenever a structure is built, moved or structurally altered in an area administered by County Planning & Development¹. Applicants submit a preliminary land-use application, detailed site plan and fee; county staff then identify additional permits or information, and the process can take up to three months depending on the approvals or public hearings involved¹⁴. Published county fees vary by approval, and an after-the-fact land-use permit carries a triple fee¹⁵. New one- and two-family dwellings, including manufactured homes, are governed by Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code¹⁶. Required UDC inspections cover footings, foundation and reinforcement, rough work, insulation and final inspection¹⁷. An owner who occupies or will occupy the home may take out the construction and erosion-control permits, but that allowance does not waive code, permit, inspection, plumbing or electrical requirements¹². Agricultural buildings do not have a confirmed blanket exemption; ask Planning & Development about the proposed use⁴.

Who handles building permits in Shawano County, and how do you reach them?

Shawano County Planning & Development handles county land-use and structure permits, shoreland permits, sanitary permits, property addresses and zoning applications⁴. The office is at 311 N. Main St., Shawano, Wisconsin, and its zoning phone number is 715-526-4634⁴. The county is not the universal issuer of every residential approval: Uniform Dwelling Code permitting and inspection may be handled by a delegated municipality, a delegated county or the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services¹⁸. Start with Planning & Development to identify county approvals, then ask which UDC authority serves the parcel¹⁴. The UDC inspector performs the required construction inspections¹⁷. Occupancy follows a final inspection with no major health or safety violations; an occupancy permit itself is not universal because only some municipalities issue one¹⁹.

Does Shawano County have zoning?

Shawano County general zoning is not countywide, so the answer depends on the town²⁰. County general zoning covers Angelica, Aniwa, Birnamwood, Fairbanks, Germania, Grant, Green Valley, Herman, Maple Grove, Morris, Navarino, Red Springs, Seneca, Washington, Waukechon and Wittenberg². Almon, Bartelme, Belle Plaine, Hartland, Hutchins, Lessor, Pella, Richmond and Wescott handle general-zoning questions outside county jurisdiction, while villages and cities regulate locally²⁰. County shoreland jurisdiction covers land within 1,000 feet of a navigable lake, pond or flowage and within 300 feet of a navigable river or stream in every town³. Shoreland structures generally sit at least 75 feet from the ordinary high-water mark, subject to exceptions²¹. In county-zoned R-R, A-R and R-S districts, a single-family principal dwelling needs at least 900 square feet of livable area; shoreland or floodplain standards may be more restrictive⁹¹⁰¹¹.

How do septic permits work in Shawano County?

Shawano County Planning & Development reviews and issues sanitary permits and inspects private onsite wastewater treatment systems throughout the county⁵²². A structure with plumbing that uses private sewage needs a sanitary permit²³. Before issuance, the parcel needs an assigned property address and a certified soil tester must complete a soil and site evaluation; the fee depends on the system type²³. A building intended for human occupancy that has indoor plumbing and no public sewer must use a county-approved POWTS²⁴²². Installation or modification cannot begin before permit issuance, and the licensed installing plumber submits the application and design material⁶. All systems are subject to county inspection²⁵. Only about 18.1% of Shawano County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make wastewater feasibility an early purchase contingency²⁶.

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

In areas governed by Shawano County zoning, a recreational vehicle may not be used as a residence⁷. Temporary RV living is limited to 30 consecutive days in districts that permit the use, and the RV must remain road ready with an approved waste-disposal system rather than a permanent connection to a private onsite wastewater system⁸. Residential districts otherwise prohibit RV placement unless an accessory-use exception or conditional-use permit applies; up to two RVs may be stored on the owner's home premises as an accessory use, but not for habitation or commercial activity⁸. Outside county zoning jurisdiction, ask the town, village or city for its rule²⁰. We could not confirm a distinct tiny-home occupancy rule. In county-zoned R-R, A-R and R-S districts, however, a single-family principal dwelling needs at least 900 square feet of livable area⁹¹⁰¹¹. A manufactured home may qualify as a single-family dwelling in county general-zoning areas when it meets the rules applicable to those dwellings²⁷.

Building a home in Shawano County: the steps, in order

1. Ask Planning & Development to identify the parcel's zoning, shoreland, wetland and floodplain constraints⁴²⁸.

1. Confirm access with the authority for the adjoining road and obtain any required driveway culvert permit before completing the property-address application; a property without a 911 address needs a culvert permit even for an existing driveway²⁹³⁰.

1. If the project will have plumbing and use private sewage, obtain the property address, certified soil evaluation and county sanitary permit¹⁴.

1. Submit the preliminary land-use application, detailed site plan and fee; county staff will identify additional permits or information¹⁴.

1. Identify the UDC authority serving the parcel and obtain the dwelling permit before construction¹⁶.

1. Arrange the required inspections with the UDC inspector¹⁷.

1. Occupy the dwelling only after the final inspection finds no major health or safety violations¹⁹.

What should you check before buying land in Shawano County?

Verify whether the parcel is under county general zoning, town zoning or municipal zoning, then check shoreland, floodplain and land-division rules separately²⁰³³¹. Shoreland lots without public sewer generally need at least 20,000 square feet and a 100-foot average width and water frontage, while sewered shoreland lots generally need at least 10,000 square feet and a 65-foot average width and frontage, subject to exceptions³². Building in a floodway is prohibited; building elsewhere in a floodplain may be possible depending on the zone, floodproofing and whether a hydrologic and hydraulic study is required³³. Check wastewater feasibility early because only about 18.1% of county soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional drain field²⁶. Confirm road access with the authority for the adjoining road²⁹. A new private well generally requires advance notification to Wisconsin DNR, although a general county well permit was not confirmed³⁴.

Watch-outs

• A Shawano County land-use permit does not replace a town, state or Uniform Dwelling Code permit that also applies to the project¹.
• General zoning is not countywide, but Shawano County has shoreland jurisdiction in shoreland areas of every town²⁰³.
• A property address and certified soil evaluation must precede the sanitary permit for a structure with plumbing that uses private sewage²³.
• County-zoned land does not allow an RV as a residence; temporary living is limited to 30 consecutive days where the district permits it⁷⁸.

Sources

1. Land Use Permits, quoted and re-checked
2. Shawano County Zoning, quoted and re-checked
3. Shawano County Zoning, quoted and re-checked
4. Shawano County Planning & Development Department (co.shawano.wi.us)
5. Shawano County Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
6. Shawano County Building A Structure, quoted and re-checked
7. Chapter 40 - Zoning, Code of Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
8. Chapter 40 - Zoning, Code of Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
9. Sec. 40-69 - Dimensional standards, quoted and re-checked
10. Sec. 40-69 - Dimensional standards, quoted and re-checked
11. Sec. 40-69 - Dimensional standards, quoted and re-checked
12. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code, quoted and re-checked
13. Ordinance to Amend Chapter 40 - Zoning of County Code of Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
14. Land Use Permits, quoted and re-checked
15. Shawano County Land Use Permits, quoted and re-checked
16. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
17. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings), quoted and re-checked
18. UDC (Uniform Dwelling Code / One- and Two-Family Dwellings) (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code, quoted and re-checked
20. Shawano County Zoning, quoted and re-checked
21. Shawano County Shoreland Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
22. Shawano County Planning & Development Department (co.shawano.wi.us)
23. Building A Structure, quoted and re-checked
24. Shawano County Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
25. Shawano County Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
26. 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
27. Ordinance to Amend Chapter 40 - Zoning, quoted and re-checked
28. Zoning Districts, quoted and re-checked
29. co.shawano.wi.us, quoted and re-checked
30. Shawano County Building A Structure, quoted and re-checked
31. Shawano County Zoning, quoted and re-checked
32. Shawano County Shoreland Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
33. Building A Structure, quoted and re-checked
34. Well and heat exchange notification (Wisconsin statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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.