Brown County's zoning division is authorized to issue sanitary and shoreland permits, and that is the shape of its authority: private onsite wastewater systems on one side, shoreland, floodplain and wetland use on the other. It does not zone the county comprehensively and it does not issue building permits.
Planning and Land Services also administers the county's land division and subdivision regulations under Chapter 21, reviewing land divisions in villages and towns that create lots of ten acres or less outside the sewer service area and forty acres or less inside it, and serving as an objecting agency for subdivision plats within the cities.
This guide covers unincorporated Brown County and the county's sanitary and shoreland roles. Green Bay, De Pere, Ashwaubenon, Bellevue, Howard, Suamico, Hobart, Allouez and the towns each issue their own building permits — several through their own inspectors or contracted agencies.
The county cannot tell you your zoning. Brown County states plainly that it is not comprehensively zoned, so zoning information is not available from county zoning — to find out what a property is zoned, contact the town, city or village it sits in. What the county does control is sanitary permits for all private onsite wastewater treatment systems and shoreland permits for shoreland, floodplain and wetland use.
What requires a building permit in Brown County?
Wisconsin splits construction into two statewide instruments, and neither one is a city invention. One- and two-family homes run on the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (SPS 320 to 325), a code Wisconsin wrote for itself — the state never adopted the International Residential Code, so IRC chapter references from other states simply do not apply here. Everything that is a public building or a place of employment, including any residential building of three or more units, runs on the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code (SPS 361 to 366), which moved to the 2021 I-codes effective September 1, 2025; plans submitted on or after November 1, 2025 must comply with the 2021 editions. Under Wis. Stat. 101.65(1c) and 101.02(7r)(a), Brown County may not enforce different technical standards — local ordinances must strictly conform to the state codes.
Typically permit required
- Sanitary permits for all private onsite wastewater treatment systems in the county
- Shoreland permits controlling shoreland, floodplain and wetland use
- Non-metallic mining reclamation permits, administered by the county under state code
- Land division review where lots of ten acres or less are created outside the sewer service area, or forty acres or less within it
- The municipal building permit — issued by the town, village or city, sometimes conditioned on a combination certified survey map
Often exempt
- County zoning approval, which does not exist comprehensively — municipal zoning governs instead
- Building code review by the county, which holds no delegation
- Buildings used for farming — exempt from the state code under Wis. Stat. 101.05(5), with farming defined by DSPS rule; a produce stand stays exempt only while the farmer raised substantially all of what it sells
- Primitive rural hunting cabins — carved out of municipal jurisdiction by Wis. Stat. 101.65(1g)
- Bed-and-breakfast establishments as defined by statute (Wis. Stat. 101.05(2))
What is actually local, and what is not
The state code governs construction everywhere in the county. The county's contribution is environmental and cadastral: septic systems, shoreland and wetland protection, mining reclamation, and the land division rules that decide whether a parcel can legally be created at all. Zoning itself is municipal, which is unusual for a county this size.
Who handles permitting in Brown County?
The Planning and Land Services zoning division issues sanitary and shoreland permits and investigates related complaints. Building permits are issued by each municipality — the City of Green Bay's Inspection Division, De Pere, the villages, and the towns, several of which use private inspection agencies. County planning staff may be brought into a town or village project where county-enforced issues such as wetland protection affect it.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Brown County Planning and Land Services — Zoning Division |
| County issues | Sanitary permits (private onsite wastewater), shoreland, floodplain and wetland permits |
| Also administers | Non-metallic mining reclamation; land division and subdivision review under Chapter 21 |
| County zoning | Not comprehensive — contact the municipality for zoning |
| Building permits | City of Green Bay Inspection Division, (920) 448-3300; other municipalities individually |
| Shoreland permit fee | Set annually in the county budget, funding part of the shoreland programme |
Permit types
Residential permits
A rural house on a private septic system needs a county sanitary permit; near water or in a floodplain it needs a county shoreland permit; and in every case the building permit comes from the municipality, on the Uniform Dwelling Code with state Dwelling Contractor credentials verified locally. Some municipalities require a combination certified survey map when a building permit is applied for, where existing buildings may not comply with local zoning.
How Wisconsin contractor licensing works
Wisconsin has no state general contractor license for commercial work — the city's own forms note that 2013 Wisconsin Act 20 ended state building-contractor registration on July 2, 2013. For one- and two-family work the state requires a Dwelling Contractor certification on the business and a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier on an individual, and under Wis. Stat. 101.65(1m) Brown County may not issue a building permit to a contractor who cannot produce them; owner-occupants are exempt. Electricians and plumbers are licensed statewide by DSPS. HVAC contractors only register with the state — there is no state HVAC license — which is exactly where local rules step in. Brown County licenses no trades; state credentials govern and municipal inspectors verify them.
Commercial permits
Commercial construction is permitted and inspected municipally. Green Bay holds all-size commercial delegation with review by an authorized private firm; other municipalities route by their own delegation or to the state. The county holds no commercial building plan review delegation — its permits are environmental, not structural.
Mechanical work, and where the state reviews directly
Commercial plan review in Wisconsin is a two-step: under Wis. Stat. 101.12(3)(h) the plan approval comes first and the local permit cannot issue without it. The state review trigger is 25,000 cubic feet, plus categorical triggers at any size for schools, high-hazard occupancies and residential buildings of three or more units. At 50,000 cubic feet plans must be prepared, signed and sealed by a Wisconsin-registered design professional, with a supervising professional retained for construction observation. Commercial plumbing plans go to review at sixteen or more fixtures. Property owners are responsible for confirming requirements with other agencies as well — the county notes that the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Natural Resources and the local municipality may each have their own.
Brown County permit costs and fees
County fees cover the sanitary and shoreland programmes; shoreland permit fees are set each year in the county budget and fund part of the programme's administrative cost, with the remainder carried by the general county levy.
| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Shoreland permit | Fee set annually in the county budget |
| Sanitary permit | Per the county schedule, covering private onsite wastewater systems |
| Septic maintenance | Pumping required once every three years, or when sludge reaches one third of tank volume, with county record-keeping |
| Building permit | Set by the municipality — Green Bay and each village and town separately |
Septic obligations continue after the build. County ordinance and state rules require septic maintenance every three years, or when sludge reaches one third of tank volume, and the county keeps the maintenance records for every private system in the county — pumping notices follow from those records.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Trades are state-credentialed and permitted by the municipality; septic and shoreland work is where the county appears.
Permit required
- Electrical, plumbing and HVAC — state credentials; municipal permits
- Private onsite wastewater systems — county sanitary permit
- Work in shoreland, floodplain or wetland — county shoreland permit
- One- and two-family general work — state Dwelling Contractor plus Qualifier, verified municipally
Typically exempt
- Work on public sewer outside shoreland and wetland areas, which needs no county permit
- Municipal-only projects where no county-regulated feature is involved
How to apply for a Brown County building permit
The county is not comprehensively zoned and cannot answer this.
This governs the wastewater side entirely.
County jurisdiction, separate from municipal zoning.
Chapter 21 review applies at ten or forty acres depending on sewer service area.
Green Bay, a village, or a town with its own or a contracted inspector.
The county advises owners to check with the Army Corps, natural resources department and the municipality themselves.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
Because zoning is municipal here, the common Brown County error is assuming the county is the land-use authority. Establish the municipality first; the county's role is limited to septic, shoreland, mining reclamation and land division.
Inspections in Brown County
Building inspections are municipal. County involvement covers sanitary system installation and shoreland compliance, with complaint investigation on both.
Brown County permit search and official resources
- Brown County Zoning Division — sanitary, shoreland and mining reclamation permits
- Brown County land division and subdivision — Chapter 21 review thresholds
- City of Green Bay building permits — the county's largest municipal permitting authority
- Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code — SPS 320 to 325 as published
Frequently asked questions
Does Brown County issue building permits?
No. Building permits come from the city, village or town. The county's zoning division issues sanitary and shoreland permits.
What is my property zoned?
Brown County is not comprehensively zoned, so the county cannot tell you — contact the town, city or village the property is in.
When do I need a county sanitary permit?
For any private onsite wastewater treatment system — the county controls all of them, including new and replacement systems.
What does a shoreland permit cover?
Shoreland, floodplain and wetland use. The fee is set annually in the county budget and funds part of the programme.
How often must a septic system be maintained?
Every three years, or when sludge reaches one third of the tank volume; the county keeps records and issues pumping notices.
Who reviews commercial building plans?
The municipality where it holds delegation, or the state. The county holds none.
Simplify Brown County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Brown County splits authority in a way that catches people out: environmental permits at the county, zoning and building at the municipality. We identify both, file them in the right order, and keep the septic and shoreland approvals from stalling the build.
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More Wisconsin permitting guides
More Wisconsin permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Brown County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.