Burnett County, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In Burnett County the Land Services Department’s Zoning Division, at the government center, 7410 County Road K, Suite 120, in Siren (715-349-2109), issues land use permits under the county’s zoning and shoreland rules and sanitary permits for septic systems everywhere outside the three villages. The county does not hold Uniform Dwelling Code delegation: building permits for new homes, bunkhouses and certain additions come from the UDC inspector serving each town. A land use permit for a new dwelling costs $300, and septic permits start at $375.

What requires a permit in Burnett County?

A county land use permit covers most building and site work in the zoned towns and the shoreland zone, and a sanitary permit covers every private septic system or privy outside the villages. Items not on the fee list, such as pergolas or landscaping, are treated as accessory structures.

A garage or accessory structure permit allows private residential storage only; it may not be rented out or used as living space. Within 50 feet of the ordinary high-water mark, cutting trees and vegetation, filling and grading are restricted, so call Land Services before touching the shoreline.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The state writes the Uniform Dwelling Code and Commercial Building Code, and Burnett County holds no delegation to enforce them, so it issues no building permits. The county decides land use in the 17 of its 21 towns enrolled in county general zoning, the shoreland zone (1,000 feet from lakes and ponds, 300 feet from rivers and streams or to the edge of the mapped floodplain), floodplain and subdivision rules, sanitary rules, and airport height limits within about 3.5 miles of the county airport’s runways. The villages of Grantsburg, Siren and Webster are outside all of it.

Burnett County building department: who handles permitting

The Zoning Division issues land use and sanitary permits, inspects septic installations, checks setbacks and sets up hearings for conditional uses, variances and zoning amendments. Jason Towne is the Land Services Director, Surveyor, Zoning Administrator and Land Information Officer. The county’s UDC inspector sheet (July 1, 2025) tells owners that a UDC building permit must also be secured for new dwellings, bunkhouses and certain additions, from the inspector for their town.

Towns and villages in Burnett County

The table combines the county’s UDC inspector sheet with the state’s UDC delegated-agent list, current as of 9/24/2026. Where a town is not on the state list, DSPS appoints the UDC inspector; its online Inspector Lookup Tool shows who.

Burnett County permit types

The county’s application page lists land use, sanitary (county reconnect and privy/non-plumbing), sign, tower, camper, short-term rental, address, private road sign, subdivision and subdivision variance forms, plus Board of Adjustment variance and appeal, rezone and conditional use applications.

Residential permits

• Land use permit: the application (revised February 2026) needs a plot plan to scale or fully dimensioned, with property lines, road rights-of-way and centerlines, the ordinary high-water mark, floodplain and wetland boundaries, every existing and proposed structure with heights, septic and well locations, driveways, vegetation to be removed, grading and erosion control. Every proposed structure must be staked before you apply; staff visit the site, and unstaked or incomplete plans can be returned.
• Impervious surfaces near water: within 300 feet of the high-water mark, more than 15% impervious surface requires mitigation and more than 30% requires a variance; the county posts a Shoreland Mitigation Guide for that step. Replacing a legally built structure in the same footprint needs no impervious surface calculation.
• Setbacks: 63 feet from a town road centerline, 75 feet from a county road and 130 feet from a state highway (or 30, 42 and 66 feet from a platted right-of-way); 75 feet from a lake or stream and 40 feet from a wetland; side yards 10 feet and rear yards 40 feet.
• Driveways: within 60 days of the permit, a driveway must have a cleared width of 20 feet and a cleared height of 13 feet so rescue vehicles can reach the house.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and industrial buildings need a $300 land use permit and construction plans showing interior layout, exterior profiles and heights, and parking with dimensions and stall counts. Uses the zoning ordinance lists as conditional need a conditional use permit first; the state’s Commercial Building Code and DSPS plan approval apply to the building itself, since the county holds no building code delegation. Danbury has its own overlay district map, dated April 2026.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Sanitary permit: a licensed plumber and a certified soil tester are needed; the county lists local plumbers and soil testers.
• Conditional use or rezoning: complete applications with the fee are due by the 15th of the month and are heard by the Land Use and Information Committee on the first Tuesday two months later.
• Town of Oakland: conditional use and zoning change applicants there also apply to the town, whose review can add about one to two months.
• Address: the county’s Rural Addressing Ordinance (2003) applies in all unincorporated areas; villages assign their own.

Burnett County permit costs and fees

The county’s Permit Fee Schedule took effect April 1, 2016, and the land use application revised in February 2026 prints the current land use fees, adding $150 for solar panels. Fees for UDC building permits are set by the town and its inspection agency, not by the county.

Worked example from the schedule: a new cabin or house with a septic system under 5,000 gallons a day pays $300 for the land use permit and $375 for the sanitary permit, plus $50 to file the soil test report, or $725 in county fees, before the town’s UDC permit. Work started without a permit costs more: the fee schedule and application say up to three times the normal fee, while the enforcement policy approved December 2, 2025 charges after-the-fact permits at twice the regular rate, and an owner who reports the work before a violation letter goes out pays the regular fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Burnett County licenses no trades. Its trade-related role is the sanitary program: septic systems are designed and installed by licensed plumbers working from a certified soil tester’s report, and the Zoning Division inspects the installation. After installation, licensed pumpers and inspectors report each service through the county’s online POWTS maintenance reporting system; a pumper who is not set up has to contact Land Services for a login.

• Electrical, plumbing and HVAC in a new home: part of the UDC permit from the town’s inspection agency, done by DSPS-licensed electricians and plumbers and DSPS-registered HVAC businesses.
• Builders: anyone building a dwelling for an owner needs the state dwelling contractor certification and a qualifier; an owner who lives or will live in the dwelling and applies for the permit is exempt.
• Surveyors: the county posts a 2026 list of surveyors, useful for locating lot lines and the high-water mark on a plot plan.

How to get permits for a new home in Burnett County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Applications missing structures on the plot plan, unstaked sites and plans without impervious surface figures near water are the usual reasons a land use permit is not approved or is sent back. Projects needing a conditional use or rezoning wait for the committee’s schedule, roughly two months from the filing deadline, and longer in the Town of Oakland.

Inspections in Burnett County

Land Services staff make an on-site visit before approving a land use permit, and the Zoning Division inspects septic system installations; a sanitary re-inspection costs $100. Building inspections for a new home are done by the town’s UDC inspector under the state code. The county’s enforcement policy says staff act on complaints, their own observations and follow-up of issued permits, send at least two violation letters before a citation (except for serious health problems such as a septic system discharging to the surface), and allow 30 days to nine months to correct a violation.

Wisconsin building code in Burnett County

Burnett County’s own rules are its land use ordinance (Chapter 30 of the county code) and its shoreland, floodplain, sanitary and subdivision regulations; the building codes are enforced by town and village inspectors or DSPS. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Burnett County (community 550032) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective August 19, 2008, and the county posts a floodplain include/exclude list.

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

Burnett County permit search and official resources

Burnett County puts its permit images online: open the county’s Laserfiche WebLink public permit access, choose a field search and search by Tax ID (addresses repeat in the county, so the Tax ID is the reliable key). Each permit image can be printed or saved as a PDF. Owners can also ask Land Services to add them to the list that receives notice of proposed zoning ordinance changes.

• Zoning Division
• Land Services Department contacts
• Application forms and information
• Land use permit application (rev. 2/2026)
• Permit fee schedule (effective April 1, 2016)
• UDC inspectors by town
• Setback information
• Zoning enforcement policy (December 2025)
• Notice to Town of Oakland landowners
• Private sewage systems
• How to find existing permits
• Laserfiche WebLink permit search
• DSPS inspector lookup
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Burnett County permit FAQs

Does Burnett County issue building permits?

No. It issues land use and sanitary permits; UDC building permits for homes come from the inspector serving each town.

Which inspector covers my town?

The county’s sheet assigns Atlas Inspections or REM Inspecting by town, and towns not on the state list use a DSPS-appointed inspector.

How much is a land use permit for a new house?

$300, plus $375 for a standard septic permit and $50 to file the soil test.

Do I need a permit for a deck or driveway?

Yes, in county-zoned areas: decks, stairs, patios, retaining walls, sidewalks and driveways are $125.

Can I rent out or sleep in my garage?

No. Garage and accessory structure permits allow private residential storage only; a bunkhouse has its own $250 permit.

How long is a land use permit valid?

One year from issue, with one extension for $100 if you apply before it expires.

Does the county regulate the villages?

No. The county’s zoning, shoreland, sanitary, floodplain and subdivision rules do not apply inside Grantsburg, Siren and Webster, and the villages assign their own addresses.

Simplify Burnett 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 Burnett County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.