Buffalo County, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Buffalo County is one of the Wisconsin counties that holds state Uniform Dwelling Code delegation. The Zoning Department, on the fourth floor of the courthouse at 407 South 2nd Street in Alma ((608) 685-6218), issues zoning permits in every town except Montana and Waumandee, sanitary permits for private septic systems, new address numbers and driveway permits on lettered county highways. Under the county’s UDC ordinance (Chapter 759), new homes are permitted and inspected by the inspection agency the county contracts with, Steinmeyer Inspections LLC, once the sanitary and zoning permits are in hand. A new-dwelling zoning permit costs $300.

What requires a permit in Buffalo County?

The county lists six approvals for any new house or other building used for sleeping or living: a soil test, driveway approval, a new address number, a sanitary permit, a county zoning permit and the state building permit under the Uniform Dwelling Code. Smaller projects need fewer of them.

Wells are permitted by the Wisconsin DNR, and a licensed well driller takes out that permit. The county zoning permit is valid in all unincorporated areas except the towns of Montana and Waumandee, and cities and villages run their own zoning.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The state writes the Uniform Dwelling Code and the Commercial Building Code and licenses the trades. The county board adopted the UDC by ordinance on March 30, 2010 (Chapter 759) for new one- and two-family dwellings, other habitable structures and manufactured homes; the ordinance does not regulate additions or alterations to existing buildings. The county also writes its comprehensive zoning ordinance, which applies outside cities and villages subject to town approval, plus state-mandated shoreland, floodplain and sanitary ordinances, and its own wind energy, solar, subdivision, land division and addressing ordinances.

Buffalo County building department: who handles permitting

The Zoning Department issues the county’s land use and sanitary permits and inspects septic installations; Land Management Director Cale Severson heads the work. Building permits for new homes are issued under the county’s UDC ordinance by the inspection agency the county board designates by resolution, which collects the building permit fees itself; the county’s new-home page names Steinmeyer Inspections LLC. Staff spend much of the day in the field, so the county asks visitors to make an appointment.

Cities, villages and towns in Buffalo County

The state’s UDC delegated-agent list, current as of 9/24/2026, shows the County of Buffalo as delegated and gives a row to every city, village and town in the county. The table groups them as the list shows them; zoning in the cities and villages is local.

Where a row names no inspector, ask the municipal clerk or the Zoning Department which agency issues the dwelling permit there; the county’s ordinance covers each municipality that has adopted it by resolution and has no UDC ordinance of its own.

Buffalo County permit types

The county posts separate applications for zoning permits, new addresses, county highway driveways, private drives serving three or four addresses, rezoning, certified survey maps and nonmetallic mining. The Board of Adjustment handles variances, special exceptions, conditional uses and administrative appeals.

Residential permits

• Zoning permit: describe the project, give its dimensions and, for a new dwelling, its value and number of bedrooms, and attach a detailed site plan. Stake every new structure, driveway, septic system and well before staff visit, because a site inspection comes before the permit. No zoning permit for a new dwelling is issued without an approved sanitary permit.
• Setbacks: buildings sit at least 110 feet from the centerline of a state or federal highway, 63 feet from a county road and 50 feet from a town road. In the ANR-40 district a lot needs 2 acres, 100 feet of frontage and side and rear yards of 20 and 40 feet, with one dwelling per 40 acres; residential lots need 1 acre, or a quarter acre on public sewer.
• Shoreland: buildings and structures stay 75 feet from the ordinary high-water mark of navigable water unless the ordinance exempts them, and nothing taller than 35 feet may be built within that 75 feet.
• Floodplain: the county floodplain ordinance covers mapped floodplains in the unincorporated area, and filled land leaves the floodplain only if it is at least 2 feet above the flood elevation and the map is amended.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit filing, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Commercial and industrial structures need a $500 county zoning permit (additions $300), and telecommunication towers, landfills, salvage operations and principal solar energy systems need conditional use permits, filed with the Board of Adjustment applications. The county’s UDC ordinance covers dwellings only, so commercial buildings follow the state Commercial Building Code, with DSPS plan approval where the building’s size or use requires it. Along the Mississippi River, the zoning ordinance adds a tourism and recreation overlay district, and mines go through the county’s Non-Metallic Mining department and a separate conditional use application.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit expediting through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Soil test: a Wisconsin certified soil tester evaluates the site and finds the best location for the septic system.
• Driveway: the town chair or supervisor for a town road, the county for a lettered county highway, WisDOT for a state highway; no part of a driveway may exceed a 12% grade.
• Address: apply once the driveway is approved, with a copy of the driveway permit and a site plan; the county notifies the sheriff, post office and utilities.
• Sanitary permit: the plumber applies; it usually takes the longest and must be issued before the state building permit.
• Zoning permit: often filed with the address application, then the UDC permit through the county’s inspection agency.

Buffalo County permit costs and fees

County fees come from the Zoning Permit Application Fee Schedule posted by the department (file dated 2024), and payments can be made online or by check to the Buffalo County Treasurer. Building permit fees for new homes are set by county board resolution and collected by the inspection agency, not the Zoning Department.

Worked example from the schedule: a new single-family home on a conventional septic system pays $300 for the zoning permit, $400 for the sanitary permit, $175 for the address number and, on a county highway, $130 for the driveway, or $1,005 in county fees before the soil test filing and the UDC building permit fee. The schedule lists the septic pumping notice and tracking fee at $5 a year, while the department’s plumbers page shows $10 a year per system.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The county’s UDC ordinance requires its inspection agency to hold state certification as a UDC construction inspector and also as a UDC HVAC, electrical and plumbing inspector, so one agency covers the trade work on new homes. The trades themselves are credentialed by DSPS.

• Septic systems: the plumber applies for the sanitary permit, and the county posts a list of licensed plumbers, pumpers and certified soil testers. POWTS inspections are requested from the Zoning Department by phone or email with one full business day’s notice.
• Electrical, plumbing and HVAC: state-licensed electricians and plumbers and DSPS-registered HVAC businesses do the work; on a new house the agency inspects it under the UDC permit.
• Builders: a contractor building a home for someone else needs the state dwelling contractor certification and a dwelling contractor qualifier; owners building their own home are exempt.
• Wells: a licensed well driller obtains the DNR permit.

How to get a permit for a new home in Buffalo County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The county must review a complete application within 30 days, and lately the Zoning Department has been finishing in one to two weeks. The usual hold-up is the sanitary permit, which is required before the building permit; unstaked sites and site plans without setbacks are returned or delayed, and incomplete zoning applications are returned to the applicant.

Inspections in Buffalo County

Zoning staff inspect each zoning permit site before issue to check the staked footprint against setbacks and performance standards, and they inspect septic installations; call or email the department a full business day ahead. New homes are inspected by the county’s UDC agency through the code’s stages to the final inspection. The UDC ordinance carries fines of $25 to $500 a day for violations, and the county may also seek an injunction.

Wisconsin building code in Buffalo County

Buffalo County enforces the Uniform Dwelling Code for new homes through Chapter 759 and its delegation, with the zoning ordinance, Chapter 751 (floodplain) and Chapter 752 (shoreland) as its land use rules. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Buffalo County (community 555547) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective May 3, 2010.

Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code covers one- and two-family homes. Its Commercial Building Code covers public buildings, workplaces and buildings of three or more units. Local ordinances must conform to both. Wisconsin rules

Buffalo County permit search and official resources

For an existing zoning, sanitary or address permit on a parcel, contact the Zoning Department at (608) 685-6218 or through its online contact form; building permit records for new homes are kept by the inspection agency that issued them.

• Buffalo County Zoning Department
• New home construction steps
• Applications and permits
• Zoning permit application fee schedule
• Zoning permit application
• County highway driveway permit application
• New address number application
• Sanitary permits for plumbers and pumpers
• Uniform Dwelling Code Ordinance (Chapter 759)
• Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance
• Shoreland Zoning Ordinance
• Floodplain Zoning Ordinance
• Setback requirements
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Buffalo County permit FAQs

Does Buffalo County issue building permits?

For new homes, yes: the county holds UDC delegation, and its contracted inspection agency issues and inspects the permits.

Do I need a county zoning permit in the Town of Montana or Waumandee?

The county’s zoning permit form excludes those two towns; ask the town about its own requirements.

How much is a zoning permit for a new house?

$300, plus $400 to $550 for a sanitary permit depending on the system and $175 for a new address.

Who issues driveway permits?

The town for town roads, the county for lettered county highways ($130) and WisDOT for state highways.

Does a small shed need a county permit?

The zoning fee schedule prices accessory structures from 150 square feet up, starting at $150 for up to 1,000 square feet; it lists no fee for anything smaller.

How long does review take?

Up to 30 days for a complete application; the department has recently been finishing in one to two weeks.

How close can I build to a lake or river?

Buildings must be set back 75 feet from the ordinary high-water mark, and nothing taller than 35 feet may go within that distance.

Simplify Buffalo County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Wisconsin. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Buffalo County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.