Green County, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

In Green County, the Land Use and Zoning Department at the courthouse, 1016 16th Avenue in Monroe (608-328-9423), issues the county zoning permit, the sanitary (septic) permit and shoreland and floodplain permits for all unincorporated land; Adam Wiegel is the Zoning Administrator. The county does not hold state delegation for the dwelling code: every town, village and city in the county is delegated itself, so the building permit and inspections for a new house come from the local inspector after the county zoning permit is issued.

What requires a county permit in Green County?

Title 4 of the county code (zoning, sanitary code and subdivision regulations) covers every unincorporated area of the county, except extraterritorial areas a city or village has taken out of it. Within that area, no building, sign, mobile home, private sewage system or other structure may be built, enlarged, altered or moved until the Zoning Administrator issues a permit.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county controls land use, septic systems, shoreland and floodplain in the towns, and the shoreland and floodplain rules do not need any town’s approval. Construction standards for houses and commercial buildings are state codes enforced by the towns’ delegated inspectors and, for larger commercial buildings, by DSPS plan review. Title 4 also has a dwelling code chapter that lets the county take a statistical building permit application for new homes in small municipalities that ask it to; it does not make the county the inspection agency, and DSPS’s list shows no county delegation.

Green County building department: who handles permitting

The Land Use and Zoning Department handles the county side: zoning and land use permits, sanitary permits, shoreland and floodplain permits, land divisions, fire numbers, and hearings before the Board of Adjustment (conditional uses and variances) and the Land Use and Zoning Committee (rezonings). It works by appointment. Building permits are local: DSPS’s UDC delegated-agent list, current as of September 24, 2026, shows every town, village and city in Green County as delegated for new one- and two-family dwellings, and the county posts a list naming each town’s residential and commercial inspector.

Green County permit types

The county issues one zoning or land use permit per project component, a separate sanitary permit for septic work, and hearing-based approvals. The permit must be posted where it can be seen from the road before and during construction.

Residential permits

• New homes. The zoning permit is priced by the number of stories or levels and the finished floor area, with $100 added for an attached or basement garage and $100 for a deck or second porch built with the house. The county’s minimum house size is 750 square feet, and height is capped at 2½ stories or 35 feet.
• Additions. Enclosed additions are priced by size; open porches and decks are a flat $100.
• Accessory and farm buildings. Priced by floor area from 100 square feet up; buildings that house animals must be 100 feet from a residential lot line.
• Town building permit. After the zoning permit, a new house also needs the state UDC permit, and some towns issue their own building permit; ask the town chair or the town’s inspector.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings in the towns take the same county zoning permit, priced by floor area like other non-residential structures, and may need a conditional use permit from the Board of Adjustment ($600 hearing fee) or a rezoning from the Land Use and Zoning Committee ($400). Solar, wind and wireless towers have their own fees. The county’s inspector list gives a state agency contact (a wisconsin.gov address) as the commercial inspector for the towns of Adams, Brooklyn, Cadiz, Mount Pleasant, Sylvester and York, and local inspectors for the other towns.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Driveway. Towns may require a driveway permit; a state highway access needs WisDOT approval and a county highway access the Green County Highway Department.
• Sanitary permit. On a septic lot the sanitary permit must be issued before the zoning permit, after soil tests by a certified soil tester and a design by a plumber or designer.
• Setbacks. Side yards 10 feet, rear 25 feet, 75 feet from the water’s edge, and road setbacks of 110 feet from a state highway centerline, 75 from a county highway and 63 from a town road (or the right-of-way distance, whichever is greater).
• Land division. A parcel under 35 acres must be surveyed, reviewed by the Zoning Administrator and recorded as a certified survey map within 90 days.
• Access. A house needs frontage on a public road or an easement serving no more than eight lots.

Green County permit costs and fees

Fees come from the Green County Zoning Fee Schedule, effective June 1, 2026, which highlights the amounts set under code sections 4-6-1-4 and 9-2-9-3. Fees are paid when the permit is issued and are not refundable.

Worked example from the schedule: a one-story house without a basement with 1,800 square feet of finished living space pays $360 plus three $10 steps for the 300 square feet above 1,500, or $390, and $490 with an attached garage. A septic lot adds the $575 sanitary permit and the $100 soil evaluation filing fee. Town building permit fees are separate and set by each town. Starting work before the permit doubles the county fee, and the fee triples if the permit is not obtained within 30 days of a violation notice.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Green County does not issue electrical, plumbing or HVAC permits. Building and trade inspections for houses are handled by each municipality’s delegated inspector, and the county’s list tells you whom to call in each town. The one trade permit the county controls is the sanitary permit: the application and system design are submitted by a plumber, and the county issues the permit to that plumber; changing plumbers after issue costs $75.

• Soil testing: done by a certified soil tester and filed with the county ($100).
• System design: by a plumber or designer; some system types need state approval, and industrial (non-human) waste systems need DNR approval of the plan.
• Renewals and transfers: renewing a sanitary permit costs $260, and transferring it to a new landowner $75.
• Re-inspection: a failed sanitary inspection costs $55 to recheck.

For the house itself, the state Dwelling Contractor certification and the state electrical and plumbing licenses apply, and the town inspector checks them when the building permit is issued.

How to apply for permits in Green County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The county may refuse or delay a permit when the application is incomplete or incorrect, and it may deny a permit to anyone who has not complied with an earlier enforcement order, even on another parcel. A missing sanitary permit holds up the zoning permit on a septic lot. Conditional uses, variances and rezonings need a public hearing. A zoning permit lapses unless the building’s length, width and height are physically defined within one year.

Inspections in Green County

Construction inspections for houses and other buildings are done by the town, village or city inspector who issued the building permit; the county asks owners to contact that inspector to learn whether a building permit is needed at all. The county inspects septic installations under the sanitary permit and charges $55 for a re-inspection, and it field-checks new fire numbers. Zoning staff can stop construction that violates the ordinance with a written order or a notice posted on site, and work stays stopped until the order is released.

A certificate of compliance confirming that a building or premises meets the county zoning code is issued on the landowner’s written request.

Wisconsin building code in Green County

Green County has no UDC delegation of its own; the state codes are enforced by each delegated municipality. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Green County (community 550157) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective May 18, 2009, and the county’s floodplain zoning chapter governs mapped flood areas in the towns.

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

Green County permit search and official resources

The Zoning Department keeps a record of every permit it issues; ask at 608-328-9423 or greenzone@greencountywi.org for a parcel’s permit history. Copies of department records cost 26 cents per page.

• Green County Land Use and Zoning
• Steps for obtaining permits with septic
• Zoning fee schedule, effective June 1, 2026
• Zoning or land use permit application
• Setbacks and highlights of zoning requirements
• Town building inspectors list
• Title 4: zoning, sanitary code and subdivision regulations
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Green County permit FAQs

Does Green County issue building permits?

No. The county issues zoning, sanitary, shoreland and floodplain permits; building permits come from each town, village or city, all of which are delegated by DSPS.

How much is a county zoning permit for a new house?

$360 for a one-story house of up to 1,500 square feet, $465 with a basement or loft and $570 for 2½ or more levels, plus $10 per 100 square feet above 1,500 and $100 for an attached garage.

Do I need a permit for a small shed?

Not from the county if it is 99 square feet or less and meets every setback; from 100 to 499 square feet the zoning permit is $60.

Which comes first, the septic permit or the zoning permit?

The sanitary permit, which the county issues to your plumber after soil tests and a system design.

Who do I call for a building inspection in my town?

The town’s inspector on the county’s Town Building Inspectors list; Total Inspection Services covers houses in seven towns.

How far back from the road must I build?

110 feet from a state highway centerline, 75 from a county highway and 63 from a town road, or the right-of-way setback if greater.

What if I started without a permit?

The county fee doubles, and triples if the permit is not obtained within 30 days of notice.

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