Ozaukee County is a study in narrow county authority. Its Land and Water Management Department administers the sanitary, floodplain zoning, shoreland zoning, manure storage and non-metallic mining ordinances — and little else touching private construction, with general land use left where the county has historically preferred it: at the municipal level.
The Planning and Parks Department handles planning, parks and the county-owned lands zoning ordinance under Chapter 15, along with the county's construction site erosion control and post-construction stormwater management ordinance under Chapter 14, both amended through the Natural Resources Committee and County Board.
This guide covers unincorporated Ozaukee County. Mequon, Cedarburg, Port Washington, Grafton, Thiensville, Saukville, Fredonia and Belgium permit their own construction — and Mequon, Cedarburg, Grafton and Port Washington all hold their own commercial plan review delegation.
The county's regulatory reach is deliberately narrow. Land and Water Management administers the sanitary, floodplain zoning, shoreland zoning, manure storage and non-metallic mining ordinances. Manure storage regulations apply to all existing facilities and new construction throughout the county. General zoning and building permits sit with the municipality.
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Get a free quote →What requires a building permit in Ozaukee County?
Typically permit required
- Sanitary permits for private onsite wastewater systems
- Shoreland zoning permits, including general shoreland and rain garden applications
- Floodplain zoning approvals where mapped
- Manure storage approvals, applying to existing facilities and new construction county-wide
- Non-metallic mining reclamation permits
- Erosion control and post-construction stormwater management approvals under Chapter 14
- The municipal building and zoning permits
Often exempt
- County general zoning approval — the county administers no comprehensive general zoning over private land
- Anything inside a city or village, which permits independently
- 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. Because the county's land use role is limited, the meaningful local variation in Ozaukee County is municipal: Mequon's large-lot zoning, Cedarburg's historic districts and each municipality's own permit process. The county's rules bind on water, waste and mining.
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 Ozaukee County?
Land and Water Management administers the county's regulatory ordinances. Planning and Parks handles planning, county-owned lands zoning and the erosion control and stormwater ordinance. Municipal building departments issue building permits and administer local zoning.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Ozaukee County Land and Water Management (regulatory programmes) |
| Also | Ozaukee County Planning and Parks — planning, parks, Chapters 14 and 15 |
| Mailing | P.O. Box 994, Port Washington, WI 53074 |
| County administers | Sanitary, floodplain zoning, shoreland zoning, manure storage, non-metallic mining |
| Erosion and stormwater | Chapter 14, Construction Site Erosion Control and Post-Construction Stormwater Management |
| Building permits | Municipal building departments |
Permit types
Residential permits
A house is permitted by the municipality under the Uniform Dwelling Code with state Dwelling Contractor credentials. County involvement appears where the parcel has a private septic system, sits in the shoreland or floodplain, or where site work triggers the erosion control and stormwater ordinance.
How Wisconsin contractor licensing works
Wisconsin certifies dwelling contractors and licenses electricians and plumbers at state level (see Wisconsin rules). Ozaukee County licenses no trades; state credentials govern and municipal inspectors verify them.
Commercial permits
Commercial construction is permitted and reviewed municipally, with several Ozaukee municipalities holding their own delegated commercial plan review. County approvals attach for sanitary, shoreland, floodplain, stormwater and mining. The county holds no commercial building plan review delegation.
Rather talk it over?
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). Where a project sits on county-owned land, the separate county-owned lands zoning ordinance under Chapter 15 applies, with its own setbacks and a 35 foot maximum building height.
Ozaukee County permit costs and fees
County fees attach to the sanitary, shoreland, floodplain, stormwater and mining programmes; municipal fees cover the building permit and local zoning.
| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Sanitary permit | Per the county schedule, through Land and Water Management |
| Shoreland zoning permit | General shoreland and rain garden applications available |
| Erosion control and stormwater | Under Chapter 14, through Planning and Parks |
| Building permit | Set by the municipality |
Manure storage rules reach everywhere. The county's manure storage regulations apply to all existing manure storage facilities and new construction within the county — not only to new builds, and not only in agricultural districts.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Trades are state-credentialed and permitted municipally; county permits cover water, waste and site disturbance.
Rather not deal with the Ozaukee County building department?
Get a free quote →Permit required
- Electrical, plumbing and HVAC — state credentials; municipal permits
- Private onsite wastewater systems — county sanitary permit
- Shoreland and floodplain work — county zoning approvals
- One- and two-family general work — state Dwelling Contractor plus Qualifier
Typically exempt
- Projects on public sewer outside the shoreland and floodplain with no site-disturbance trigger
- General zoning matters, which are municipal
How to apply for an Ozaukee County building permit
General zoning and building permits are municipal throughout the county.
County jurisdiction attaches there regardless of the municipality.
Through Land and Water Management.
Chapter 14, administered through Planning and Parks.
The rules cover existing facilities as well as new construction.
Several municipalities also hold their own commercial plan review delegation.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
Ozaukee County rarely drives the timeline; the municipality usually does. The exceptions are septic capacity, shoreland siting and stormwater, each of which can hold a municipal permit that would otherwise be routine.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Ozaukee County
Building inspections are municipal. County activity covers sanitary system installation, shoreland and floodplain compliance, manure storage and mining reclamation.
Ozaukee County permit search and official resources
- Ozaukee County regulatory programs — the sanitary, shoreland, floodplain, manure storage and mining ordinances
- Ozaukee County Planning and Parks — Chapters 14 and 15, planning and parks
- DSPS plan review — state triggers and delegated authority lists
- Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code — SPS 320 to 325 as published
Frequently asked questions
Does Ozaukee County issue building permits?
No. Municipal building departments issue them. The county administers sanitary, floodplain, shoreland, manure storage and non-metallic mining ordinances.
Does the county do general zoning?
Not over private land. The county has historically left land use planning and development to the municipal level, entering only through the shoreland and floodland ordinance required by state law.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →What does the manure storage ordinance cover?
All existing manure storage facilities and new construction within the county.
What is Chapter 15?
The county-owned lands zoning ordinance, applying to development on county land, with its own setbacks and a 35 foot height maximum.
Where do erosion control and stormwater rules come from?
Chapter 14, the county's Construction Site Erosion Control and Post-Construction Stormwater Management Ordinance.
Who reviews commercial plans?
The municipality where it holds delegation — several Ozaukee municipalities do — or the state. The county holds none.
Simplify Ozaukee County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Ozaukee County is mostly a municipal story with a few county gates on water and waste. We identify which gates apply, clear them early, and run the municipal permit as the main track.
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Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the Ozaukee County Land and Water Management 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 Ozaukee County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.