Taylor County, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Taylor County has no general zoning; it repealed that ordinance in 1978. What the county still regulates is land near water, mapped floodplains and private septic systems, all through the Zoning Department at 224 South Second Street in Medford (715-748-1485). A county zoning permit, $100 on the posted fee schedule, is needed before building within the shoreland area, and a sanitary permit before any septic work. The building permit for a home comes from the municipality under the Uniform Dwelling Code.

What needs a county permit in Taylor County?

County permits here follow the water and the wastewater. Chapter 31, the shoreland ordinance that the County Board repealed and rewrote as Ordinance 726 on April 15, 2025, requires a zoning permit from the zoning administrator before any new development, or any change in the use of an existing building or structure, on shoreland. Shoreland means land within 1,000 feet of a navigable lake, pond or flowage, or within 300 feet of a river or navigable stream or out to the landward edge of the floodplain, whichever reaches farther.

The application states plainly that construction may not begin until every required permit has been issued, and that where the town also requires approval, getting it is the owner’s or agent’s job.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county writes the local rules for shorelands, floodplains (Chapter 29, rewritten as Ordinance 705 on January 16, 2024), private sewage (Chapter 32), subdivisions, airport height limits, telecommunication towers and addressing. Away from the water and the airport the county has no zoning at all, and any town approval a project needs is the owner’s to obtain. The construction standards for homes and commercial buildings are the state’s, enforced by the municipality or a state-appointed inspector; the county holds no Uniform Dwelling Code delegation.

Taylor County building department: who handles permitting

The Zoning Department, headed by Administrator Kyle Noonan, runs the sanitary program under the state plumbing code (permits, enforcement and inspection of private sewage systems), shoreland, floodplain and airport zoning, land division review, non-metallic mining reclamation, telecommunication facility siting and the county address system. The administrator also serves as the county’s Brownfield Site Coordinator.

Cities, villages and towns: who issues the home permit

The Department of Safety and Professional Services list of Uniform Dwelling Code delegations, current as of September 24, 2026, has no entry for the County of Taylor. It shows delegations for the City of Medford, three of the four villages and 15 of the 22 towns; each of those municipalities issues the permit for a new one- or two-family home and arranges its inspections. In the eight municipalities missing from the list, a state-appointed inspector does that work. Populations are Census 2025 estimates.

Taylor County permit types and application documents

The county’s shoreland zoning application asks for the owner and any agent or builder, the site address, the body of water, the legal description down to the quarter-quarter section and town, the parcel number, the type of work and building, the construction type and the construction cost. It also asks which other permits the project has: electrical, plumbing, sanitary, town, Uniform Dwelling Code, DNR or Army Corps, and an assigned address.

Residential permits

For a house, cabin, garage or deck near the water, the application must come with a site plan, the project staked or flagged on the ground, the fee, a complete set of floor plans for every floor with at least two elevation drawings, and the location of any excavation, clearing, grading or spoil pile so erosion control can be checked. The plot plan shows every existing and new building, north, the distances to the well, septic or holding tank and drainfield or mound, the water, all lot lines, the road centerline and the 35-foot vegetative buffer and viewing corridor. Eaves and overhangs count toward the setbacks. By signing, the owner agrees that the Zoning Department may inspect the staked site on weekdays during business hours.

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

Commercial permits

The same shoreland application covers commercial buildings on shoreland, and a commercial septic system over 4,000 gallons adds $400 to the sanitary permit fee. State plan approval and the local building permit come from the state and the municipality, not the county.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Soil report and sanitary permit. A certified soil tester files the soil report ($30, or $60 if late), and a licensed plumber files the state sanitary permit application with the county.
• Minor subdivision. A new lot is reviewed by the Zoning Department before any map is prepared for recording; the application costs $100 for the first lot and $20 for each additional lot, and the county advises checking the town’s own minimum lot standards.
• Shoreland zoning permit. Before any building, grading or filling on shoreland.
• Floodplain. Buildings in a mapped floodplain must meet the flood protection elevation, two feet of freeboard above the regional flood elevation.
• Address. A new address costs $50 for the application with sign and post.
• Driveway. The county’s Apply For menu lists a driveway and culvert application for county highways; driveways onto town roads go through the town.
• Town and state. Any town permit and, near wetlands, DNR or Army Corps permits.

Taylor County zoning and sanitary fees

The Zoning Department posts its fee schedule on its web page; Chapters 31 and 32 leave the amounts to the county’s zoning committee. Building permit fees for a house are set by the municipality that issues the permit.

For a new lakeside home on a conventional septic system, the county charges come to at least $430: the $30 soil report filing, the $300 sanitary permit and the $100 zoning permit. Starting before the zoning permit is issued turns the $100 permit into the $200 after-the-fact fee. The municipality’s building permit, the plumber and the soil tester are separate costs.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Only the septic side of the trades runs through the county. Chapter 32 makes the county the issuing agent for sanitary permits, and the state application form the county uses has the plumber sign a responsibility statement with a master plumber or master plumber-restricted service number; the reconnection application likewise names the responsible plumber. The Zoning Department posts a list of area plumbers.

• Electrical, plumbing and HVAC in a new house. Not county permits: the county zoning form only asks whether the building will have electricity and plumbing, so ask the municipality that issues the UDC permit, or the state-appointed inspector, which trade permits apply.
• Septic. A sanitary permit is valid for two years and can be renewed; it can be transferred from one owner to the next, who must get a new copy from the county.
• Reconnection. A new or altered building may use an existing system only after an existing system evaluation report shows the system is not failing and is big enough; every tank is pumped for that inspection.
• Builders. A contractor building a one- or two-family home needs the state Dwelling Contractor certification and a certified Dwelling Contractor Qualifier before the municipality can issue the permit; an owner-occupant building their own home is exempt.

How to apply for a Taylor County permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The application warns that incorrect information can delay the permit or bring a reinspection fee. The most common snags are a site that is not staked, a plot plan without distances to the water, lot lines and road centerline, and impervious surface over the 15% limit: the form has a worksheet for the calculation, measured over the part of the lot within 300 feet of the water. Going above 15%, up to 30%, needs a permit that carries a mitigation plan. Setback relief needs a variance from the Board of Adjustment ($400), which means a hearing.

Inspections and final approval in Taylor County

The Zoning Department may inspect the staked site on weekdays, and its permit record has entries for a pre-inspection and later on-site inspections; it also inspects septic installations under the state plumbing code. Inspections of the house itself, from footings to the final, and any occupancy permit come from the municipality’s UDC inspector or the state-appointed inspector.

After a septic system is in use, the county monitors every septic tank on a three-year cycle and mails a written notice when maintenance is due; the owner sends back the pumper’s or inspector’s report by the date on the notice. Holding tanks are pumped as needed under the recorded agreement. Owners of a failing system built before July 1, 1978 may qualify, within income limits, for the state Wisconsin Fund through the Zoning office.

Shoreland violations carry a forfeiture of $50 to $500 for each violation, and a non-compliant existing system evaluation report carries a $1,000 charge on the fee schedule.

Wisconsin building code

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Taylor County (community 550599) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current effective flood map dated March 13, 2024; the county’s floodplain ordinance applies those maps on unincorporated land.

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

Taylor County permit search and official resources

For a question about an existing sanitary or shoreland permit on a parcel, call the Zoning Department at 715-748-1485 with the parcel number; the county also posts its full code of ordinances by chapter. Building permit records for a house stay with the municipality that issued the permit.

• Taylor County Zoning Department and fee schedule
• Shoreland zoning permit application
• Sanitary permit application (state form)
• Reconnect permit application
• Existing POWTS evaluation report
• Minor subdivision application
• Chapter 31, Shoreland Zoning (Ordinance 726, 2025)
• Chapter 29, Floodplain Zoning (Ordinance 705, 2024)
• Chapter 32, Sanitary Code
• Chapter 30, General Zoning (repealed 1978)
• Taylor County Code by topic
• Taylor County Highway Department
• Utility permit for county highway right of way
• DSPS list of UDC delegated agents
• DSPS Inspector Lookup Tool
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Taylor County building permit FAQ

Does Taylor County issue building permits for houses?

No. The county issues shoreland, floodplain and sanitary permits; the home permit comes from the city, village or town, or from a state-appointed inspector where the municipality has no delegation.

Does Taylor County have zoning away from lakes and rivers?

No. The general zoning ordinance was repealed in 1978; county zoning now covers shoreland, floodplains and the airport area.

How much is a shoreland zoning permit?

$100, or $200 after the fact, with $50 for a re-inspection.

How far back from the lake must I build?

75 feet from the ordinary high-water mark, unless setback averaging with the neighboring homes applies; it can never go below 35 feet.

How much impervious surface can my shoreland lot have?

15% of the lot within 300 feet of the water, or up to 30% with a mitigation plan.

How much does a septic permit cost?

$300 for a conventional system, $350 for in-ground pressure, $400 for a mound, at-grade or holding tank and $450 for a sand filter.

Who inspects a new house in the Town of Jump River or the Village of Lublin?

Neither is on the state’s delegation list, so a DSPS-appointed UDC inspector does; the state’s Inspector Lookup Tool finds them.

How long is a county zoning permit good for?

24 months from issue if no substantial work has started; a sanitary permit is good for two years and can be renewed.

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