Columbia County does something few counties bother with: it publishes the building process as a sequence and states that county and town permits must occur in that order. Step zero is documentary — before any permit can issue, the property must be recorded at the Register of Deeds showing you as the owner of record.
The Planning and Zoning Department issues zoning, sanitary and Emergency Response Number permits from the county administration building on East Edgewater Street in Portage, administering the county's zoning, floodplain and shoreland-wetland protection ordinances.
This guide covers unincorporated Columbia County. Portage, Columbus, Lodi, Wisconsin Dells, Poynette and Pardeeville permit their own construction; the towns issue their own building or Uniform Dwelling Code permits.
The sequence is the product here. Determine the zoning district and floodplain status, confirm the lot is buildable, get a certified soil tester's evaluation, obtain the sanitary permit, obtain the zoning permit, get the driveway permit, then apply for the Emergency Response Number attaching the driveway permit — and only then the town's building permit. Applications must be dropped off or mailed with original signatures; no photocopies are accepted.
What requires a building permit in Columbia 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), Columbia County may not enforce different technical standards — local ordinances must strictly conform to the state codes.
Typically permit required
- County zoning permits, applied for after the sanitary permit in the published sequence
- Sanitary permits, preceded by a certified soil tester's evaluation determining system type and size
- Emergency Response Number applications, submitted with a copy of the driveway permit attached
- Floodplain and shoreland-wetland approvals under the county ordinances
- Driveway permits from the applicable road authority
- The town building or Uniform Dwelling Code permit
Often exempt
- Anything inside a city or village, which permits independently
- Projects below the county's permit thresholds — confirm with Planning and Zoning
- 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
Building standards are statewide. Columbia County's layer is procedural rigour plus setbacks: the minimum required building setback runs sixty-three feet from a town road centre line or thirty feet from the right-of-way, seventy-five or forty-two on a county trunk, and one hundred ten or fifty on a state or federal highway — with the greater distance controlling.
Who handles permitting in Columbia County?
Planning and Zoning issues zoning, sanitary and Emergency Response Number permits and administers the county's ordinances. Towns issue building permits. The county's permit application expressly notes that a county permit may not encompass everything required, and that applicants must check federal, state, county, town and other agency requirements themselves.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Columbia County Planning and Zoning |
| Office | 112 East Edgewater Street, Portage, WI 53901; county administration building, second floor |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| County issues | Zoning, sanitary and Emergency Response Number permits; floodplain and shoreland-wetland |
| Payment | Cheque payable to the Columbia County Treasurer, or credit card |
| Building permits | Town |
Permit types
Residential permits
A new home follows the published sequence, and the zoning application must be completed only after the building site is staked and distances accurately measured — the county explicitly asks for no estimates. An inspection may be necessary before a permit issues, and incomplete or inaccurate information will delay it.
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) Columbia 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. Columbia County licenses no trades; state credentials govern and the town verifies them on its own permit.
Commercial permits
Commercial development follows the same county sequence, with zoning, floodplain and shoreland-wetland compliance required. Building code plan review routes to the state or a delegated municipality; the county holds no commercial plan review delegation.
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. The county reminds applicants that its permit does not cover every requirement, and that checking with all other applicable regulatory agencies is the applicant's sole responsibility.
Columbia County permit costs and fees
Application fees are paid by cheque to the county treasurer or by credit card, and are published with the forms and fee schedules on the department website.
| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Zoning permit | Per the published fee schedule |
| Sanitary permit | Following the certified soil tester's evaluation |
| Emergency Response Number | Submitted with a copy of the driveway permit attached |
| Town building permit | Set by the town |
Stake the site and measure it properly. The county asks applicants to complete the zoning application only after the building site is staked and distances accurately measured — freehand drawings are described as often of questionable accuracy, and inaccurate information delays issuance.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Trades are state-credentialed and permitted at town level; the county handles zoning, sanitary and addressing.
Permit required
- Electrical, plumbing and HVAC — state credentials; town permits
- Private onsite wastewater systems — county sanitary permit after a certified soil tester's evaluation
- Floodplain or shoreland-wetland work — county approval
- One- and two-family general work — state Dwelling Contractor plus Qualifier
Typically exempt
- Work inside cities and villages
- Projects below county permit thresholds
How to apply for a Columbia County building permit
No permit issues until the property is recorded at the Register of Deeds.
Through Planning and Zoning, to establish whether the lot is buildable.
The results dictate septic system type and size.
In that order, per the county's published sequence.
Attach a copy of the driveway permit to the number application.
With original signatures throughout; no photocopies accepted.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
Columbia County's sequence is unforgiving of shortcuts: an unrecorded deed, a photocopied signature or an estimated setback each stops the file. Following the published order start to finish is the fastest route through.
Inspections in Columbia County
Building inspections are the town's. County inspections may be required before a zoning permit issues, and the department verifies compliance with any approval granted.
Columbia County permit search and official resources
- Columbia County Planning and Zoning — permits, forms, fee schedules and ordinances
- Columbia County requirements and contacts — the published order of operations, in the county's words
- DSPS plan review — state triggers and delegated authority lists
- Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code — SPS 320 to 325 as published
Frequently asked questions
Does Columbia County issue building permits?
No. The county issues zoning, sanitary and Emergency Response Number permits; the town issues the building permit.
What must happen before any permit issues?
The property must be recorded at the Register of Deeds indicating you are the owner of record.
What order do the permits come in?
Zoning district and floodplain check, soil evaluation, sanitary permit, zoning permit, driveway permit, Emergency Response Number, then the town building permit.
Can I email a scanned application?
No. Applications must be dropped off or mailed with original signatures of the current property owners; photocopies are not accepted.
What are the road setbacks?
Sixty-three feet from a town road centre line or thirty from the right-of-way; seventy-five or forty-two on a county trunk; one hundred ten or fifty on a state or federal highway — the greater distance controls.
Do I need to stake the site?
Yes. The county asks that the application be completed only after the site is staked and distances accurately measured.
Simplify Columbia County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Columbia County publishes its sequence precisely so it can hold you to it. We work the order from the deed forward, stake and measure before applying, and file with original signatures so nothing bounces.
Ready to break ground in Columbia County sooner?
Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the Columbia County Planning and Zoning Department, assemble the submittal, file it, and track it through issuance — corrections included.
More Wisconsin permitting guides
More Wisconsin permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Columbia County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.