Door County, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Door County does not issue building permits. Its Land Use Services Department at the Government Center, 421 Nebraska Street, Sturgeon Bay (920-746-2323), issues zoning permits in the nine towns enrolled in county zoning, shoreland and floodplain permits in all 14 towns, and sanitary (septic) permits in unsewered areas, all through its online application system. The building permit for a house comes from the town, village or city, every one of which holds its own Uniform Dwelling Code delegation; on an unsewered lot the septic permit comes before the county zoning permit.

What requires a permit in Door County?

A project in rural Door County usually needs two separate approvals: a county permit that checks zoning, shoreland, floodplain and septic rules, and a building permit from the local municipality that checks the construction against the state codes. Which county permits apply depends on the town and on how close the lot is to the water.

A project started without a required county permit pays double the application fee; a second violation within 36 months pays triple, a third quadruple, and a fourth brings a summons seeking an injunction and penalties.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county board writes the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (adopted in 1995; its latest amendment, Ordinance 2026-02, was adopted February 24, 2026 and took effect April 7, 2026), the shoreland, floodplain, land division and airport height ordinances and Chapter 21 of the county code on private onsite wastewater systems, effective November 2, 2024. Building standards are the state’s: the Uniform Dwelling Code for one- and two-family homes and the Commercial Building Code for everything else, enforced by the municipalities and DSPS. The county holds no UDC delegation of its own.

Door County building department: who handles permitting

Land Use Services has three parts. Zoning staff handle regular zoning permits and prepare conditional use, variance, appeal and amendment files; the Sanitarian office runs the septic program; and Planning staff write the county’s plans and ordinances. The Resource Planning Committee, five county board members, holds the hearings on conditional uses and amendments, the County Board decides amendments, and the Board of Adjustment hears variances and appeals.

Who issues building permits in each municipality

DSPS’s Uniform Dwelling Code delegated-agent list, current as of September 24, 2026, has no county row for Door; all 19 municipalities hold their own delegation. Where the list names an inspection firm, it is shown below.

Door County permit types

County zoning, shoreland, floodplain and sanitary applications are filed online through the county’s CitySquared portal, which also lets you research permits already issued; fees can be paid online through Point and Pay.

Residential permits

• Zoning or shoreland permit. Upload a site plan, every floor plan including basement and loft, at least two elevations showing the basement or crawl space depth, the height from grade to roof peak and the roof pitch, and, for a new principal building, a cross-section and grade sheet. The portal adds a project scope declaration and a wetland notice that the owner signs even where no wetland exists, plus an impervious surface worksheet. The structure and nearest lot lines must be staked, and the Zoning Administrator can require a surveyor’s staking plan and as-built survey.
• Sanitary permit. A new project that needs a septic system must have its sanitary permit before the zoning permit is issued, and work tied to an existing system may need a reconnect permit. A certified soil tester’s soil and site evaluation and the state POWTS application go with it.
• Floodplain permit. A surveyor sets an on-site benchmark and reports existing grades, the site plan shows the required fill, and the owner signs the county’s Floodplain Construction Agreement.
• Shoreland mitigation and impervious surfaces. Lots that exceed shoreland impervious limits or need mitigation use the county’s mitigation handbook and permits.
• Address. A new parcel address is applied for online with the Land Information Officer, who handles addressing in the towns and three of the four villages.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and other non-residential projects in a county-zoned town need the same zoning or shoreland permit, may need a conditional use permit heard by the Resource Planning Committee, and a sanitary permit where no sewer serves the site. Building plan approval comes from DSPS or a delegated reviewer under the Commercial Building Code before the local building permit is issued.

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

What comes before the building permit

• County permits first. The county’s application checklist tells applicants to contact the town’s building inspector for building permit requirements once zoning is settled.
• Conditional uses and variances. Conditional uses go to a public hearing before the Resource Planning Committee; variances and appeals of zoning decisions go to the Board of Adjustment.
• Land division. Certified survey maps and plats in all 14 towns are reviewed under the county land division ordinance.
• Driveway. County highways need a county driveway permit, STH 42 and STH 57 a WisDOT permit, and named town or village roads a permit from the local office.

Door County permit costs and fees

The county’s zoning, land division and septic fees were adopted by the County Board on October 22, 2024 in Resolution 2024-52 and took effect January 1, 2025. A project that needs both a shoreland and a comprehensive zoning permit pays only one fee. Building permit fees are set by each town, village and city.

Worked example from the chart: a waterfront house with a 1,600-square-foot footprint that also falls under county zoning pays one $500 permit fee, plus the $500 sanitary permit for a conventional or mound septic system on an unsewered lot. Septic permit renewals cost the original fee less $100, and a revised zoning permit is $150 or the difference between fee categories.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits and inspections for buildings are not issued by Door County; they follow the building permit at the town, village or city, under that municipality’s delegated inspection program and the state’s trade licensing. The county’s part of the plumbing picture is the private septic system.

• Septic installers and plumbers. The Sanitarian office publishes lists of certified soil testers, system installers, evaluators and pumpers working in the county.
• State review. Septic designs that need state approval are submitted on the state POWTS application; the county issues the sanitary permit.
• Transfer inspections. A change in property interest can trigger a county septic inspection ($125), and the Sanitarian office will provide an onsite inspection letter on request.
• Building contractors. A contractor-built house needs state Dwelling Contractor credentials on the local permit; owner-occupants are exempt.

How to apply for a Door County permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Shoreland and floodplain lots carry extra requirements that depend on the site, so the county asks applicants to call the Zoning Administrator before planning such a project. Projects needing a conditional use or variance wait for a public hearing. A zoning permit expires one year after issue; if substantial work is done, apply to renew before it lapses, because after expiry a new application is required.

Inspections in Door County

The structure and nearest lot lines must be staked for the county’s zoning review, and the Sanitarian office inspects septic installations under Chapter 21. Floodplain construction is checked against the surveyed elevations: the lowest floor of a home must be at or above the flood protection elevation, with 15 feet of fill around the house at least one foot above the regional flood elevation, and any crawl space dry-floodproofed under a certified plan.

Building inspections (footings, framing, rough-ins, insulation and final occupancy for new homes) are done by the municipality’s UDC inspector, often a contracted firm such as those named on the DSPS list above. Call the town, village or city office for scheduling and for its building permit fee.

Wisconsin building code in Door County

All Door County municipalities administer the Uniform Dwelling Code under their own DSPS delegations, while the county regulates land use, water frontage and septic systems. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Door County (community 550109) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective May 8, 2024; the department posts FEMA’s May 9, 2024 list of letters of map change, and the county floodplain ordinance was updated April 2, 2024.

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

Door County permit search and official resources

The county moved permitting to its CitySquared system on August 23, 2021, and basic details of earlier permits can also be looked up there, but much of the information in the department’s paper files has not been digitized. For older files, septic records or an onsite inspection letter, contact the zoning or Sanitarian office. Building permit records are held by the municipality that issued them.

• Door County Land Use Services
• How to apply for or research permits online (CitySquared guide)
• Zoning permit applications and information sheets
• Zoning permit application requirements
• Zoning and land division fees, Resolution 2024-52
• Sanitary (POWTS) permit fees
• Zoning and other ordinances
• Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance
• Floodplain Zoning Ordinance
• Floodplain permit information
• Sanitarian (POWTS) program
• Chapter 21, POWTS ordinance
• Driveway permits
• Addressing
• Soil and Water Conservation
• DSPS Uniform Dwelling Code delegated agents
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Door County building permit FAQs

Does Door County issue building permits?

No. The county issues zoning, shoreland, floodplain and septic permits; the town, village or city issues the building permit, and all 19 hold their own UDC delegation.

Is my town under county zoning?

Nine of the 14 towns use the county Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance; shoreland, floodplain and land division rules apply in all 14. Call Land Use Services at 920-746-2323 to confirm for your parcel.

How much is a county zoning permit for a house?

It depends on the footprint: $500 for 1,000 to 1,999 square feet, $750 for 2,000 to 4,999, with one fee when both shoreland and zoning permits apply.

Do I need the septic permit first?

Yes. A new project needing a private septic system must have its sanitary permit before the county issues the zoning permit.

What does a septic permit cost?

$500 for a conventional, mound, at-grade or in-ground pressure system under 3,000 gallons a day, $625 for a holding tank and $750 for an aerobic treatment unit.

How long is a zoning permit valid?

One year from issue; renew before it expires if substantial work is done.

Who issues a driveway permit?

The county highway department on county roads, WisDOT on STH 42 and 57, and the town or village on local roads.

What if I build in a floodplain?

You need a $250 county floodplain permit, a surveyed benchmark and a lowest floor at or above the flood protection elevation.

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