Pierce County, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Pierce County does not issue building permits. Its Department of Land Management at the courthouse, 414 W. Main Street in Ellsworth (715-273-6746 or 715-273-6747), issues the land use permit and the sanitary (septic) permit required in the unincorporated towns and runs the floodplain, shoreland, wetland, subdivision and St. Croix Riverway rules. The building permit itself comes from the town building inspector: DSPS lists every one of the county’s 17 towns, 6 villages and 2 cities as holding its own Uniform Dwelling Code delegation. A land use permit for a house is priced by size, from $200 under 1,000 square feet to $600 below 5,000.

What requires a permit in Pierce County?

In the unincorporated towns, the county’s land use permit comes first for almost anything built. Land Management says a permit is needed to build, rebuild, place or alter any structure that stands 6 inches or more above the ground, even a temporary one, and for structural changes that add square footage or change the roofline or height, for moving an existing structure to a new spot on the lot, and for a change of use.

Structures under 100 square feet that can be moved easily are exempt from the land use permit but must still meet setbacks. Work started without a permit pays four times the permit cost. On top of the county permits, a new house needs a town building permit, a driveway permit from whoever maintains the road, and a county address number. Inside the cities and villages, the county brochure says each has its own regulations.

What Pierce County decides and what the state holds

The county writes and enforces its zoning, shoreland, floodplain, St. Croix Riverway, subdivision and sewage disposal ordinances and sets the fees for them by County Board resolution. It inspects septic installations on behalf of the state. It holds no DSPS delegation for new homes or for commercial plan review, so building code enforcement belongs to the municipalities and, for commercial plans that need state approval, to DSPS. Well construction follows Department of Natural Resources standards and needs no county permit.

Pierce County building department: who handles permitting

The zoning office within Land Management issues sanitary and land use permits; the planning side keeps the county’s GIS, land records, uniform address system and survey review and serves as the Land Information Office. Building permits are a town, village or city matter, and the county’s brochure tells owners to contact the town building inspector.

Who issues building permits in each municipality

The DSPS list of Uniform Dwelling Code delegated agents (current as of 9/24/2026) shows all 25 Pierce County municipalities as delegated, so each one permits and inspects new one- and two-family homes itself or through the inspection firm it hires. Firms are named below as the DSPS list shows them; where it shows none, ask the town or village clerk.

The county also posts its own list of building inspectors, but it is dated May 2021 and differs from the DSPS list for several towns, so confirm the inspector with the town before you apply.

Pierce County permit types

County applications are on Land Management’s zoning and sanitary pages: the land use permit information form with its plot plan, conditional use, map amendment, variance and appeal applications, a small solar application, the Town Recommendation Form and the certified survey map application.

Residential permits

• Land use permit: needs the sanitary permit first where one is required, proof of ownership (the recorded deed) and a plot plan showing distances to the road centerline and right-of-way, lot lines, septic tank and drain field, well, other buildings and waterways, plus driveways, easements, floodplain and slopes over 20%. The fee depends on the structure’s size.
• Sanitary permit: start with a Wisconsin certified soil tester’s soil and site evaluation (one may already be on file at the county); a licensed plumber or licensed designer designs the system, and a licensed plumber submits the application and installs it. The design is submitted to the state or the county for approval, and the county inspects the installation.
• Address number: after the driveway permit or access approval, the county issues the address number and sign and enters it into 911 systems; the address is required before the land use permit.
• Accessory residences: a separate permit category with its own brochure.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and industrial buildings need a county land use permit priced by building size, and many uses are conditional, needing a conditional use permit, which the fee schedule lists among its public hearing fees. Site plan review is done either administratively or by the Land Management Committee. Building plans that need state approval go to DSPS: the county holds no commercial plan review delegation, and only the towns of Clifton and Spring Lake appear on DSPS’s October 2026 list for small commercial buildings. The town still issues its building permit.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Shoreland. Land within 1,000 feet of a lake, pond or flowage, within 300 feet of a river or stream, or to the landward edge of the floodplain, whichever is greater, is shoreland, where building is restricted and a shoreland fee is added.
• Floodplain. Building is highly restricted in floodplains, which can include intermittent streams that look dry for part of the year; floodplain development carries its own added fee.
• St. Croix Riverway and Kinnickinnic overlay. Separate county rules apply along the St. Croix and in the Kinni/St. Croix overlay district.
• Zoning changes and density. Rezonings, conditional uses and variances are filed with Land Management, which posts a Town Recommendation Form with those applications; in the General Rural-Flexible district the town board can approve density of up to 8 lots per 40 acres instead of 4.
• Driveways. Town roads: the town’s contact on the county’s driveway sheet; county roads: the Highway Department; state highways: WisDOT. Grades from the road to the building may not exceed 12%.

Pierce County permit fees

The Land Management fee schedule took effect January 1, 2005 under County Board Resolution 04-16 and was last amended on April 15, 2025 by Resolution 24-34. State sanitary permit fees include a $100 surcharge that the county sends to DSPS when the permit is approved.

Worked example from the schedule: a 2,400-square-foot house on a new conventional septic system pays $400 for the land use permit, $550 for the state sanitary permit and $75 for the address sign, or $1,025 in county fees; a shoreland lot adds $200. The town’s building permit fee, the soil test and any driveway permit fee are separate, and the county says driveway fees and bonds vary by municipality.

• Other county fees: optional site assessment $100; soil test review $35; expedited sanitary permit (under two working days) $200 plus the standard fee; plats $500 plus $125 per lot; small solar or wind systems $100; large solar or wind systems $7,500 plus $150 per acre.
• Town fees: building permit fees are set by each town, village and city and paid to them.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Pierce County issues no electrical, plumbing or HVAC permits. Trade permits and inspections on houses go with the building permit from the town, village or city under its DSPS delegation, and commercial electrical and plumbing review follows DSPS’s own rules where the municipality holds no commercial delegation. The trades the county does touch are septic and well work.

• Septic systems: a Wisconsin certified soil tester evaluates the site, a licensed plumber or licensed designer designs the system, and a licensed plumber files the sanitary permit application and installs it; the county inspects the installation for the state.
• Wells: a Wisconsin licensed well driller builds to DNR standards; the county issues no well permit.
• Builders: for a one- or two-family home the town’s permit requires a certified Dwelling Contractor with a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, unless the owner lives in the home.
• Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors: state credentials; the county keeps lists of professionals and developers but licenses no one.

How to get permits for a new home in Pierce County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The county’s order matters: no land use permit without the sanitary permit where one is needed, and no land use permit without an address, which in turn needs driveway approval. Lots near streams or floodplain add shoreland or floodplain review and fees, the plot plan must show bluff edges and slopes over 20%, and projects needing a conditional use or a town recommendation add a hearing step. A soil and site evaluation already on file can save a step, so ask Land Management before hiring a soil tester.

Inspections in Pierce County

Construction inspections are done by the town, village or city building inspector or its inspection firm under the UDC delegation; book them with that inspector, not the county. Land Management’s credentialed staff inspect septic system installations on behalf of the state, so plan for a county septic inspection alongside the town’s building inspections.

• Septic: the county inspects the system installation.
• Buildings: footings through final under the state dwelling code, scheduled with the municipal inspector.
• Unpermitted work: after-the-fact permits cost four times the normal fee, and the county warns that work that fails the code may have to be rebuilt.

Wisconsin building code in Pierce County

The building codes are enforced by the 25 delegated municipalities, not the county. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Pierce County (community 555571) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective December 30, 2020; the county floodplain ordinance governs unincorporated flood areas.

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

Pierce County permit search and official resources

Land Management keeps county files on soil and site evaluations, perk tests and sanitary permits; ask the department to check them for your parcel. Recorded surveys can be searched in the county’s online survey document search, and deed restrictions and easements are on record at the Register of Deeds. The older land records web search has been retired.

• Pierce County Land Management / Zoning
• Zoning forms and information
• Sanitary (POWTS) permits and forms
• Land use permit required information and plot plan
• Land Management fee schedule (Resolution 24-34)
• Home construction step-by-step brochure
• Driveway permit contacts by road
• Zoning district descriptions
• Survey document search
• DSPS UDC delegated agents list
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Pierce County permit FAQs

Does Pierce County issue building permits?

No. The county issues land use and sanitary permits; building permits come from the town, village or city, all of which are DSPS-delegated.

Do I need a county permit for a shed?

Yes, if it stands 6 inches or more above ground, unless it is under 100 square feet and easily moved; it must still meet setbacks.

How much is a septic permit?

$550 for a conventional, holding tank, pressure, at-grade or mound system, including the $100 state surcharge; tank-only replacement is $300.

Who issues driveway permits?

The town for town roads, the Pierce County Highway Department for county roads, and WisDOT for state highways.

Do I need a well permit from the county?

No. Wells are built by licensed drillers to DNR standards.

What does it cost to build without a permit?

Four times the normal permit fee for an after-the-fact permit.

Does the county permit work inside River Falls or Prescott?

No. The cities and villages have their own regulations and their own building permits.

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