Administrative overview · FIPS 55021
Columbia 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
Columbia County Planning & Zoning Department
For a project in or near Columbia 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
608-742-9660
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Columbia County Planning & Zoning, 112 East Edgewater Street, Portage, WI 53901
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Review expectation
The Zoning Administrator must grant or deny a complete zoning-permit application in writing within 30 days, unless a parallel process such as a conditional-use permit requires longer.
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 Columbia County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Columbia County Planning & Zoning 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?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 608-742-9660 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
The Zoning Administrator must grant or deny a complete zoning-permit application in writing within 30 days, unless a parallel process such as a conditional-use permit requires longer.
How are inspections scheduled?
Call Columbia County Planning & Zoning at 608-742-9660. The application authorizes county staff to enter and inspect the site between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and instructs applicants to stake the proposed project. Contact the applicable town separately for building/UDC permits and inspections.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Columbia County Code Chapter 12: Subchapter 100 Zoning (amended August 20, 2025), Subchapter 200 Land Division and Subdivision, Subchapter 300 Private Sewage Systems, Subchapter 400 Floodplain Zoning, Subchapter 500 Shoreland-Wetland Zoning, and Subchapter 600 Nonmetallic Mining Reclamation. A county zoning permit is not a building permit; the affected town issues building permits and administers applicable Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code requirements. No county zoning permit is required for an accessory building of 100 square feet or less that meets all yards and other zoning standards; temporary uses or structures exempt under Section 12.130.05(3); or a readily removable, non-habitable agricultural structure that is not permanently affixed, lies outside the shoreland zone, and is neither a roadside stand nor a sign. Other town, sanitary, shoreland, or state permits may still apply.