County Permit SearchU.S. compliance directory
WisconsinClark County

Administrative overview · FIPS 55019

Clark 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

Clark County Planning, Zoning and Land Information Department

For a project in or near Clark 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

715-743-5130

Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.

Permit counter

Clark County Planning, Zoning and Land Information Department, Room 204, 517 Court Street, Neillsville, WI 54456

Operating hours

Operating hours not verified

Review expectation

N/A; after compliant work is completed, Chapter 22 requires the certificate of compliance to be issued within 10 days.

Compliance workbench

Choose the next project decision.

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 Clark County

Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?

Clark County Planning, Zoning and Land Information Department 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 715-743-5130.

How long might review take?

N/A; after compliant work is completed, Chapter 22 requires the certificate of compliance to be issued within 10 days.

How are inspections scheduled?

Submit the county land-use form with a site plan, stake or flag the proposed project, and obtain any separate township, UDC, POWTS, driveway, Wisconsin DNR, or federal approval before starting. Call 715-743-5130 to coordinate county on-site zoning, shoreland, sanitary, or compliance inspections. The public portal currently provides printable permit records for only part of the township alphabet. Structural, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and occupancy inspections must be arranged with the applicable town or its UDC inspection agency.

Which codes and exemptions should I review?

Clark County Chapter 22 Land Use governs county zoning, shoreland, wetland, sanitation/POWTS, floodplain-related land use, grading, and development in unincorporated areas. The county reviews and inspects land-use construction and compliance, but Chapter 6 Buildings and Building Regulations is expressly reserved, so Clark County does not publish a county structural building code. Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code SPS 320-325 and structural/trade permits must therefore be obtained from the applicable town, municipality, contracted UDC inspector, or Wisconsin DSPS in addition to county land-use approval. No broad county cosmetic-work exemption is published. Chapter 22 requires a zoning permit before a building or structure is erected, moved, or structurally altered to change use or increase floor area, before land use is substantially altered, and before a private sewer or water system is built or structurally altered. The ordinance contains narrow shoreland-wetland exceptions for passive recreation with no filling or excavation, livestock fences, approved piers or docks, limited maintenance of agricultural drainage and highways, and certain small satellite receivers or utility facilities. Confirm ordinary repair work with the county and the applicable municipal UDC inspector.

Before contacting the permit counter

Have the project facts ready.

A productive call starts with a clear description of the property and proposed work. Keep the site address, parcel or assessor number, project valuation, existing occupancy, approximate square footage, structural scope, contractor information, and desired start date in front of you. Those facts help the Authority Having Jurisdiction route the question to building, planning, fire, environmental health, or another reviewing discipline.

Questions worth asking

  • • Is the parcel inside an incorporated city or county service area?
  • • Does this scope require building, trade, zoning, fire, or site permits?
  • • What plans and supporting documents make the submittal complete?
  • • How much lead time is needed for each inspection?