Most Wisconsin counties tell you the town issues the building permit. Eau Claire County does not: its Land Use Controls Division administers and enforces building and construction regulations, the shoreland protection overlay district and the zoning code for the unincorporated county — and issues the building permits itself, through a county building inspector, in every town except Ludington and Seymour, which issue their own.
The division operates from the Government Center Courthouse on Oxford Avenue, handling building permits alongside airport zoning, conditional use permits, land divisions, land use permits, non-metallic mining, shoreland regulations, rezoning and variances and appeals.
This guide covers unincorporated Eau Claire County. The City of Eau Claire and the City of Altoona permit their own construction — Eau Claire under a small-commercial delegation granted in March 2025 — as does the Village of Fall Creek. The towns of Ludington and Seymour issue their own Uniform Dwelling Code permits; the county issues them for the other 11 towns, the Village of Fairchild and the City of Augusta. The county publishes a permitting authority list because most properties are not under county authority.
The county is the building department here. Unlike most Wisconsin counties, Eau Claire County issues building permits directly for 11 of its 13 towns, the Village of Fairchild and the City of Augusta through the Land Use Controls Division, with a county building inspector handling inspections. The county's own first step is nonetheless to verify authority: most properties sit in a city, village or town rather than under county jurisdiction, and the county publishes a lookup tool for exactly that.
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Get a free quote →What requires a building permit in Eau Claire County?
Typically permit required
- Building permits from the county for new one- and two-family dwellings, including decks serving an exit
- Additions that increase the physical dimensions of a dwelling, including decks serving an exit
- Alterations to the dwelling structure or to its plumbing, heating or electrical systems
- New or re-wired electrical services for one- and two-family dwellings, and electrical wiring in detached residential, commercial or agricultural buildings
- Land use, shoreland, conditional use, rezoning and land division permits
- Erosion control, stormwater management and sanitary permits under the county's programmes
Often exempt
- Re-siding, reroofing, window and door replacement, finishing interior surfaces, cabinetry installation, and non-structural repairs deemed minor by the building inspector
- Major equipment replacements such as furnace, water heater or air conditioner
- Normal repairs of HVAC, plumbing and electrical equipment — replacing switches, receptacles, light fixtures and dimmers
- 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
The technical standards are the statewide Uniform Dwelling Code and Commercial Building Code, as everywhere in Wisconsin. What is unusual is administrative: the county holds the building code enforcement role that towns hold elsewhere, so plan review, permit issuance and inspection all sit at the courthouse rather than a town hall.
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
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Who handles permitting in Eau Claire County?
The Land Use Controls Division administers and enforces building and construction regulations, shoreland protection and zoning for unincorporated Eau Claire County, with a Land Use Manager serving as Zoning Administrator and a county building inspector conducting inspections. Conditional use permits are granted by the Planning and Development Committee after a public hearing with town board input.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Eau Claire County Land Use Controls Division (Planning and Development) |
| Office | Government Center Courthouse, third floor, 721 Oxford Avenue, Suite 3344, Eau Claire, WI 54703 |
| Phone | (715) 839-4741 — Planning and Development; (715) 839-2944 — County Building Inspector |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Application review | Up to 10 business days once all required forms, plans and documents are submitted |
| First step | Verify permitting authority — most properties are in a city, village or town |
Permit types
Residential permits
For one- and two-family dwellings and additions including decks, submit legible scaled drawings with enough detail for construction, including exterior views showing doors, windows, roof, chimneys, grade, footings, foundation walls and materials. The county reviews, issues and inspects, with driveway access permits obtained from the town first where applicable.
How Wisconsin contractor licensing works
Wisconsin certifies dwelling contractors and licenses electricians and plumbers at state level (see Wisconsin rules). Eau Claire County licenses no trades; state credentials govern, and the county building inspector verifies them at permit issuance.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Commercial permits
Commercial building code plan review routes to the state or a delegated municipality — the county holds no commercial plan review delegation, and the City of Eau Claire's own delegation is capped below 50,000 cubic feet. County conditional use permits for commercial land uses are granted by the Planning and Development Committee after a public hearing, with applications due by noon three weeks before the hearing.
Mechanical work, and where the state reviews directly
Commercial plans above set sizes go to the state for review first (see Wisconsin rules). Property owners within 660 feet of a proposed conditional use are notified, and a public notice is published before the hearing.
Eau Claire County permit costs and fees
County permit fees are published with the application forms. The planning figure that matters is the review window and, for conditional uses, the three-week filing deadline before a hearing.
| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Building and electrical permit | Per the county fee schedule, applied for through Land Use Controls |
| Application review | Up to 10 business days once all forms, plans and documents are complete |
| Conditional use permit | Application due by noon three weeks before the Planning and Development Committee hearing |
| Land use, shoreland and erosion control permits | Per the county schedule |
Verify authority before anything else. The county's own first step is to check who issues the permit — most properties are in a city, village or town rather than under county authority — and it publishes a permitting authority lookup tool for the purpose.
Rather not deal with the Eau Claire County building department?
Get a free quote →Trade permits and who may pull them
Trades are state-credentialed. Because the county holds the building code role, electrical permits for dwellings and detached buildings come from the county as well.
Permit required
- Electrical — state credentials; county permit for new or re-wired services and wiring in detached buildings
- Plumbing and HVAC — state credentials; county permits for system alterations
- Private onsite wastewater systems — county sanitary permitting
- One- and two-family general work — state Dwelling Contractor plus Qualifier
Typically exempt
- Major equipment replacements and normal repairs of HVAC, plumbing and electrical equipment
- Non-structural repairs deemed minor by the building inspector
How to apply for an Eau Claire County building permit
The county's lookup tool settles it; most parcels are municipal, not county.
Some towns require it before the building permit can issue.
Including exterior elevations with footings, foundation walls and materials.
Online through the county’s InspectWIZ portal, or at Suite 3344 on the third floor, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The clock runs once the file is complete.
Inspections typically follow within 2 business days of a request, and finals within 5.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
The county's stated review window is up to 10 business days once everything is in, so completeness is the whole game. Conditional uses run on the committee calendar instead, with applications due three weeks ahead of the hearing.
Inspections in Eau Claire County
Inspections are conducted by the county building inspector for unincorporated parcels, coordinated through Land Use Controls — a genuinely different arrangement from the town-inspector model used across most of Wisconsin.
Eau Claire County permit search and official resources
- Eau Claire County building permits — what needs a permit, drawing requirements and review times
- Eau Claire County applications and permits — the full permit list including sanitary and shoreland
- City of Eau Claire Inspections — for parcels inside the city rather than the county
- Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code — SPS 320 to 325 as published
Frequently asked questions
Does Eau Claire County issue building permits?
Yes — unusually for Wisconsin. The Land Use Controls Division administers and enforces building and construction regulations for the unincorporated county and issues the permits, with a county building inspector — except in the towns of Ludington and Seymour, which issue their own.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How long does review take?
Up to 10 business days once all required forms, plans and documents have been submitted.
Is my property under county authority?
Most are not. The county's first step is verifying authority, since most properties sit in a city, village or town, and it publishes a lookup tool for the purpose.
What does not need a permit?
Re-siding, reroofing, window and door replacement, interior finishes, cabinetry, non-structural repairs deemed minor, major equipment replacements and normal repairs of HVAC, plumbing and electrical equipment.
Who reviews large commercial plans?
The state or a delegated municipality. The county holds no commercial plan review delegation, and the City of Eau Claire's own delegation is capped below 50,000 cubic feet.
When are conditional use applications due?
By noon three weeks before the Planning and Development Committee hearing, with neighbours within 660 feet notified.
Simplify Eau Claire County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Eau Claire County is one of the few Wisconsin counties that act as the building department for most of their towns — and a place where filing at the wrong level is easy. We verify authority first, then build a complete file so the 10-day clock actually runs.
Ready to break ground in Eau Claire County sooner?
Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the Eau Claire County Land Use Controls Division, 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 Eau Claire County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.