Clark County, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Clark County does not issue building permits. Its Planning, Zoning and Land Information Department, in Room 204 of the courthouse at 517 Court Street, Neillsville ((715) 743-5130), issues land use permits under Chapter 22 of the county code, sanitary permits and plan review for septic systems, and rural address numbers, all for the unincorporated county. The county holds no Uniform Dwelling Code delegation, so building permits come from the town, city or village, or from a DSPS-appointed inspector where the municipality has none. A land use permit for a structure over 100 square feet costs $150 under the fee schedule effective February 1, 2022.

What requires a permit in Clark County?

The county’s permits deal with land, water and wastewater rather than construction. Its land use permit form lists houses, cabins, garages, storage buildings, boathouses, decks, fences and shoreline grading, whether new, an addition, a repair, a move or a wreck.

A home or cabin with no plumbing still needs a county sanitary permit for its privy or other toilet. The county applies its sanitary and subdivision rules everywhere outside the cities and villages, and its shoreland rules within 1,000 feet of lakes, ponds and flowages and 300 feet of rivers and streams.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The state writes the Uniform Dwelling Code and the Commercial Building Code; Clark County’s Chapter 6, Buildings and Building Regulations, is reserved, with no county building code. The county’s rules are Chapter 20 (Land Development: land divisions, subdivisions and private onsite wastewater systems) and Chapter 22 (Land Use: administration and permits, the Board of Adjustment, shorelands and wetlands, nonmetallic mine reclamation, renewable energy systems including battery storage, and data centers). On zoning, the county describes “a mosaic of county and town zoning”: some towns are under county zoning and others zone themselves, so ask the department which applies to a parcel.

Clark County building department: who handles permitting

The Planning and Zoning Division reviews and issues the county’s permits, inspects construction and compliance, investigates complaints and keeps the records; Derek Weyer, Zoning Administrator and Land Information Officer, oversees Chapters 20 and 22, and the Assistant Zoning Administrator reviews every sanitary permit and soil test and inspects septic systems in the field. The county’s septic brochure states the order: once the sanitary permit number is issued, apply to the local municipality for the building permit.

Cities, villages and towns in Clark County

The state’s UDC delegated-agent list, current as of 9/24/2026, has no county row for Clark. Municipalities on the list hold their own delegation; for those not on it, DSPS appoints the UDC inspector, shown by its online Inspector Lookup Tool. Abbotsford, Colby, Dorchester, Stanley and Unity lie only partly in Clark County.

Clark County permit types

The county’s forms page groups its applications as land use (address, land use permit, variance and administrative appeal), mining (nonmetallic mine reclamation), POWTS (state and county sanitary permits, plan review, holding tank, privy and servicing agreements, existing system evaluations) and survey (certified survey map and plat review).

Residential permits

• Land use permit: give the footprint and height of each structure, calculate impervious surface on the lot, attach a site plan and stake or flag the project. The form flags the other approvals to line up: Uniform Dwelling Code, town building, POWTS and DNR or Army Corps permits. Staff review addressing, land division, septic, driveway, floodplain, shoreland, wetland, mining and manure storage on the parcel, and inspect on site. The permit is valid for two years and can be renewed at the fee then in effect.
• Shoreland lots: structures sit at least 75 feet and 2 vertical feet back from the ordinary high-water mark, nothing over 35 feet tall goes within 75 feet, privacy fences stay 75 feet from the water and 3 feet from lot lines, and impervious surface limits apply on riparian lots and on lots lying entirely within 300 feet of the water. Shoreland highway setbacks are 110 feet from the centerline of state and federal highways, 75 feet from county trunks and 63 feet from town roads, or the right-of-way distance if greater.
• New parcels: creating a parcel of 10 acres or less requires a survey, and certified survey maps go through the county.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings follow the state Commercial Building Code, with DSPS plan approval where size or use requires it, and the county’s land use, shoreland and sanitary permits still apply on unincorporated land. Battery energy storage systems and data centers have their own county rules: a data center outside the cities and villages needs a county Operator’s Permit, valid for five years, with a $10,000 application fee plus fees based on floor area.

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 and sanitary permit: a certified soil tester evaluates the site; a master plumber (or master plumber-restricted service) signs for the system and files the application with the POWTS design; the building permit follows the sanitary permit number.
• Address: apply for the rural address number with the driveway location marked; the county orders the sign and the town installs it.
• Driveway: county highway driveways need a Highway Department permit, issued only to the property owner; residential properties get one access point, driveways must be 150 feet apart, about 700 feet of sight distance is the standard, and the driveway must be built in the year the permit is issued. Town roads are permitted by the town.

Clark County permit costs and fees

The Planning, Zoning and Land Information fee schedule took effect February 1, 2022. Land use permit fees are waived for projects on county-owned property, and building permit fees are set by each municipality or the state inspector, not the county.

Worked example from the schedule: a new home on a conventional septic system sized for up to 1,000 gallons a day pays $50 for soil test review, $350 for the state sanitary permit, $250 for POWTS plan review, $150 for the land use permit and $75 for a rural address, or $875 in county fees before the town’s building permit. Building first and applying afterward costs $500 for the land use permit instead of $150.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Clark County licenses no trades; electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits for a house come with the local or state UDC permit and are done by DSPS-licensed electricians and plumbers and DSPS-registered HVAC businesses. The county’s trade role is septic work.

• Septic installers: only licensed plumbers can install a POWTS, and a master plumber or master plumber-restricted service must take responsibility for the installation before the state sanitary permit issues. The plumber coordinates the installation inspections with Planning and Zoning; changing plumbers mid-job costs $100.
• Soil testers: a certified soil tester does the soil and site evaluation, which county staff review for accuracy before design.
• Pumpers: the county posts a pumper brochure and holding tank servicing contract forms for licensed pumpers.
• Builders: contractors building homes for others need the state dwelling contractor certification and qualifier; owners building their own home are exempt.

How to get permits for a new home in rural Clark County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Soil reports are reviewed for accuracy before a system can be designed, and each POWTS plan revision costs $50. Projects near water slow down when impervious surface figures, high-water mark setbacks or mitigation worksheets are missing, and variances go to the Board of Adjustment, which requires a public hearing and a $2,000 fee.

Inspections in Clark County

County staff carry out on-site inspections for land use permits and inspect every septic installation, which the master plumber schedules with Planning and Zoning once work starts; an extra inspection costs $50. Building inspections for houses are done by the local UDC inspector or the DSPS-appointed inspector. The county treats any septic system not meeting current rules as failing; older systems are not grandfathered.

A moratorium adopted on December 30, 2025 (Ordinance 254-12-25) paused county consideration of permits for battery energy storage systems and data centers; on June 18, 2026 the county board adopted regulations for both, along with new minimum lot sizes in shoreland areas. The county’s revision table gives no end date for the moratorium, so its status is a question for the department before any such project is planned.

Wisconsin building code in Clark County

With no county building code (Chapter 6 is reserved) and no UDC delegation, the Uniform Dwelling Code is enforced in Clark County by the delegated cities, villages and towns or by DSPS-appointed inspectors. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Clark County (community 550048) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective July 6, 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

Clark County permit search and official resources

Clark County’s Public Permits Search Portal shows county permit records, and permits can now be printed from it. The records are filed alphabetically by township, and as of October 15, 2025 only the townships from Beaver through Mentor were searchable; for others, call Planning and Zoning.

• Planning, Zoning and Land Information Department
• Public permits search portal
• Forms, applications and fee information
• Fee schedule (effective February 1, 2022)
• Land use permit application
• County sanitary permit application
• POWTS program brochure and soil test information
• Rural address application
• Chapter 22, Land Use
• Code revision history
• Planning and Zoning FAQ
• County highway driveway permit
• DSPS inspector lookup
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Clark County permit FAQs

Does Clark County issue building permits?

No. The county issues land use, sanitary and address permits; building permits come from the town, city or village, or a DSPS-appointed inspector.

Is my property zoned by the county?

Clark County has a mosaic of county and town zoning; the Planning and Zoning Department can tell you which applies to your parcel.

Do I need a sanitary permit for a cabin without plumbing?

Yes. A privy, composting, chemical or incinerating toilet needs a county sanitary permit ($150).

How much is a land use permit?

$150 for structures or grading over 100 square feet, $75 for other applications, and $500 after the fact.

How do I get a fire number?

Apply to Planning and Zoning ($75 including sign and post); the number goes to 911 dispatch and the town installs the sign.

Can I build a data center or battery storage site?

Only under the county’s June 2026 rules; a data center needs a county Operator’s Permit with a $10,000 application fee.

How long is a land use permit good for?

Two years from issue; it can be renewed at the fee in effect at that time.

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