Administrative overview · FIPS 55017
Chippewa 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
Chippewa County Department of Planning and Zoning
For a project in or near Chippewa 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
715-726-7940
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Chippewa County Department of Planning and Zoning, Room 009, 711 North Bridge Street, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
Operating hours
Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Review expectation
Ask the agency for its current review estimate
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 Chippewa County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Chippewa County Department of Planning and Zoning 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?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 715-726-7940.
How long might review take?
A typical review timeline was not verified. Ask the agency for its current completeness and review estimate.
How are inspections scheduled?
For a new one- or two-family dwelling, complete the DSPS online building application, submit it electronically to DSPS, then print the confirmation and deliver a complete hard-copy packet, site and erosion plans, and building plans to the county. Use the paper UDC form for additions, alterations, decks, electrical, and other work on existing dwellings. Clearly stake the home and driveway before county site inspections. Call 715-726-7940 to schedule UDC, zoning, POWTS, or follow-up inspections; do not cover work until the required inspector approval is obtained. The Catalis portal accepts only sign and private-well applications as of January 16, 2026.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Chippewa County Chapter 10 Buildings and Building Regulations, amended July 14, 2026, adopts current Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code SPS 320-325. The county permits and inspects new one- and two-family dwellings; additions and alterations to dwellings built after June 1, 1980; electrical and plumbing serving detached accessory structures; and new or replacement electrical services. Chapter 70 Zoning was amended June 9, 2026 and is enforced with county shoreland, floodplain, POWTS, well, addressing, driveway, and erosion-control requirements. Commercial construction requires county zoning plus applicable Wisconsin DSPS or municipal commercial-code approval. Under the July 2026 Chapter 10 amendment, an alteration to a one- or two-family dwelling built after June 1, 1980 does not require the county UDC permit when the affected area totals no more than 100 square feet within a two-year period; additions still require it. Additions or alterations to pre-June 1980 dwellings enter the county UDC program at the owner's or lawful occupant's request under SPS 320.10(5). The exemption does not cover new or replacement electrical services or electrical/plumbing work serving a detached accessory structure, and it does not waive zoning, shoreland, floodplain, POWTS, erosion-control, trade, or other permits.