County Building Permits
Marquette County, WI - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Marquette County, Wisconsin. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
county zoning and dwelling-code administration for unincorporated areas and other areas not under separate municipal building authority; county fee sheet is published as county zoning fees
- Department
- Planning and Zoning Department
- Address
- 77 West Park Street, Room 104, Montello, WI 53949
- Phone
- 608-297-3036
Application Process
- Confirm whether the project needs a zoning permit, dwelling-code review, shoreland review, or administrative review.
- Pull the applicable county form from the Planning and Zoning forms/applications area.
- Submit the application and any required site plan, survey, or supporting documents to the Planning and Zoning Department.
- County staff review zoning compliance and any applicable shoreland/floodplain or accessory-use rules.
- Permit is issued after approval and fee payment.
General Requirements
county zoning permits are required for listed regulated activities, including new construction, additions, accessory structures, commercial work, shoreland activities, vehicle storage, rezoning, plats, variances, special exceptions, and tourist rooming house work as applicable
- Building code
- county pages point to dwelling code and building requirements pages, but the public text reviewed did not clearly state the adopted code edition; Wisconsin SPS dwelling-code administration applies
Fees
- Permit fee formula
- zoning permit fees include fixed-dollar zoning fees for common permit types, such as new single-family construction $175, addition $100, accessory $75, commercial $150, shoreland administrative review $100, and other categories on the fee sheet
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Planning and Zoning Department to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
Typical inspection sequence: typical sequence is application, review, permit issuance, work, inspection request, final approval
county fee sheet does not show a separate general reinspection fee in the reviewed text, but additional enforcement or review fees may apply in special cases
Additional Resources
- Building code: county pages point to dwelling code and building requirements pages, but the public text reviewed did not clearly state the adopted code edition; Wisconsin SPS dwelling-code administration applies
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Forms and applications
- User fees / county fee sheet
- County ordinances / site navigation
- License lookup guide: Wisconsin Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Wisconsin Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Wisconsin hub: Wisconsin Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Planning and Zoning Department before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Marquette County Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Marquette County, WI?
- county zoning permits are required for listed regulated activities, including new construction, additions, accessory structures, commercial work, shoreland activities, vehicle storage, rezoning, plats, variances, special exceptions, and tourist rooming house work as applicable
- How much does a building permit cost in unincorporated Marquette County, WI?
- Fees are calculated as: zoning permit fees include fixed-dollar zoning fees for common permit types, such as new single-family construction $175, addition $100, accessory $75, commercial $150, shoreland administrative review $100, and other categories on the fee sheet.
- How do I apply for a building permit in unincorporated Marquette County, WI?
- 1. Confirm whether the project needs a zoning permit, dwelling-code review, shoreland review, or administrative review. 2. Pull the applicable county form from the Planning and Zoning forms/applications area. 3. Submit the application and any required site plan, survey, or supporting documents to the Planning and Zoning Department. 4. County staff review zoning compliance and any applicable shoreland/floodplain or accessory-use rules. 5. Permit is issued after approval and fee payment.
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