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, get the driveway permit, apply for the Emergency Response Number (which needs the driveway permit), obtain the sanitary permit and then the zoning permit — with the town’s building permit alongside. Applications must be dropped off or mailed with original signatures; no photocopies are accepted.
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Get a free quote →What requires a building permit in Columbia County?
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 commercial building code under Wis. Stat. 101.05(5), with farming defined by DSPS rule; a produce stand stays exempt only while at least 90 percent of what it sells was grown or produced on the farm
- Primitive rural hunting cabins — carved out of municipal jurisdiction by Wis. Stat. 101.65(1g)
- Bed-and-breakfast establishments as defined by statute — outside the commercial building code under Wis. Stat. 101.05(2), though a third floor in use or a new addition must meet the Uniform Dwelling Code
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 63 feet from a town road centre line or 30 feet from the right-of-way, 75 or 42 on a county trunk, and 110 or 50 on a state or federal highway — with the greater distance controlling.
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
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 contact sheet lists General Engineering as the building inspector for 20 of the 21 towns and MSA for West Point. 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.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Columbia County Planning and Zoning |
| Office | 112 East Edgewater Street, Portage, WI 53901; county administration building, second floor; (608) 742-9660 |
| 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 certifies dwelling contractors and licenses electricians and plumbers at state level (see Wisconsin rules). 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.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Mechanical work, and where the state reviews directly
Commercial plans above set sizes go to the state for review first (see Wisconsin rules). 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.
Rather not deal with the Columbia County building department?
Get a free quote →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.
A driveway permit is required before the number can be assigned.
In that order, per the county’s published sequence; a licensed master plumber or designer prepares the sanitary 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.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →What order do the permits come in?
Zoning district and floodplain check, soil evaluation, driveway permit, Emergency Response Number, sanitary permit, then the zoning permit; the town building permit is obtained alongside.
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?
63 feet from a town road centre line or 30 from the right-of-way; 75 or 42 on a county trunk; 110 or 50 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.