Administrative overview · FIPS 55011
Buffalo County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Buffalo County Zoning Department and Steinmeyer Inspections LLC
For a project in or near Buffalo County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
608-685-6218 (county zoning and POWTS); 715-556-0066 (UDC building inspector)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Buffalo County Zoning Department, Buffalo County Courthouse, 4th Floor, 407 South Second Street, P.O. Box 492, Alma, WI 54610
Operating hours
Operating hours not verified
Review expectation
County permits are reviewed within 30 days of a complete application and are typically completed in one to two weeks; allow up to 10 days for Steinmeyer UDC plan review.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Buffalo County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Buffalo County Zoning Department and Steinmeyer Inspections LLC is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 608-685-6218 (county zoning and POWTS); 715-556-0066 (UDC building inspector) and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
County permits are reviewed within 30 days of a complete application and are typically completed in one to two weeks; allow up to 10 days for Steinmeyer UDC plan review.
How are inspections scheduled?
For a new home, obtain driveway approval, an address, county sanitary and zoning permits, then submit the UDC packet to Steinmeyer Inspections. The county conducts a site inspection before zoning approval. Call Steinmeyer Inspections at 715-556-0066 with at least 48 hours' notice for footing, framing, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, insulation, and final occupancy inspections; work may not continue past an inspection point until it is approved. Email zoning@buffalocountywi.gov or call 608-685-6218 for POWTS inspections.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Buffalo County Zoning Ordinance, Shoreland Protection Ordinance, Floodplain Ordinance, Sanitary Ordinance, and Chapter 759 Uniform Dwelling Code Ordinance. Chapter 759 incorporates the current Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code, SPS 320-325, for new one- and two-family dwellings, habitable structures, and manufactured-home placement in participating municipalities that have not established their own UDC program; the county ordinance does not regulate additions or alterations under that countywide UDC fallback. New living or sleeping quarters also require county driveway, address, sanitary, and zoning approvals as applicable before the state UDC building permit. The county zoning ordinance exempts an accessory building of 150 square feet or less if it still meets every setback and other ordinance requirement; improvements or alterations that do not change the use or encroach on required yard or open space; maintenance regardless of cost; and fences. Chapter 759's county UDC program covers new one- and two-family dwellings and other habitable structures but expressly excludes additions or alterations to existing structures; local municipal rules and state trade, sanitary, shoreland, floodplain, driveway, or erosion-control approvals may still apply.