FAQ

A Land Use Permit and a building permit are separate permits. Each permit may be required for a project. Dodge County only handles Land Use Permits.

A Land Use Permit is administered by Dodge County Land Resources and Park and insures compliance of the Land Use Code.

A Building Permit is administered by a municipality (usually the town or city the building is being built in).  Building permits address the and insures compliance with the WI State Uniform Dwelling Code. To find the municipality of a particular parcel, refer to our Mapping page.

Land Use Permits are required:

1. Before any structure is built
2. Move or structurally alter any structure
3. Before adding or replacing an existing structure

In zoning and planning, a setback is the minimum required distance between a structure and a property line, road, waterway, or another feature. Setbacks are meant to provide space for safety, access, aesthetics, and environmental protection.

Building Setback and Site Diagram Information Sheet

Road/Highway Setbacks

Septic Setback

The townships of Ashippun, Calamus, Elba, Emmet, Fox Lake, Hustisford, Lebanon, Leroy, Lomira, Oak Grove, Rubicon, Shields, Trenton have adopted County Zoning. You can review that information on our Zoning Maps page. For these townships

This ordinance is required for any property within three statute miles of the boundaries of the Dodge County Airport. This includes the City of Juneau. Radial maps for this boundary can be found on our Zoning Maps page.

The County's ordinance applies to projects within 200 feet of the centerline of a road. For purposes of this Ordinance, the center line shall be the center of the surfacing or pavement or, if there is no surfacing or pavement, the midpoint between the existing fences or other highway markers indicating the boundaries of the opposite sides of the above.

You can find the full Highway Setback Ordinance on our Ordinances page.

Highway Setback Towns:

• Burnett
• Clyman
• Hubbard
• Lowell
• Theresa

The Shoreland Protection Ordinance is required in areas where lands are within 300 ft of a river or stream or within 1,000 ft of a lake, pond, or flowages. You can find the full ordinance on our Ordinances page. 

If you are unsure if you need a Land Use Permit, try our permitting tool first. 

To start the process, fill out and complete the Land Use Permit Application in the Land Use Permit & Worksheets drop down on the Permits & Licensing page.

Please keep in mind:

• All Land Use Permits will be reviewed to see if the proposed project is compliant with the ordinances
• Not all Land Use Permit applications are the same
• Information required may vary based on the location and proposed structure
• On-site inspections may be required -- Please have your project staked out before submitting your application

Our staff is always available to help you in this process, please call 920-386-3700 or send us an email.