Administrative overview · FIPS 55023
Crawford 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
Crawford County Land Conservation, Planning & Zoning Department - Sanitation & Zoning
For a project in or near Crawford 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
608-326-0294
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Crawford County Administration Building, 225 North Beaumont Road, Suite 233, Prairie du Chien, WI 53821
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.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 Crawford County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Crawford County Land Conservation, Planning & Zoning Department - Sanitation & 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?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 608-326-0294 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
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?
Call Sanitation & Zoning at 608-326-0294. The county performs inspections of permitted shoreland work; for POWTS installation, the licensed plumber coordinates with the county and schedules the installation inspection. Contact the town's UDC building inspector separately for building inspections.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Crawford County is not comprehensively zoned. In unincorporated areas the county administers Code Chapter 16 Shoreland-Wetland Zoning (updated December 16, 2025), Chapter 20 Floodplain Zoning, and Chapter 15 Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, including Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 383 requirements. Towns issue separate site and building permits and administer applicable Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code requirements; cities and villages administer permits independently. Because county zoning is limited, work outside mapped floodplain and shoreland jurisdiction generally does not need a county zoning permit, though town or municipal permits may apply. Within shoreland-wetlands, listed low-impact activities requiring no zoning permit include hiking, fishing, hunting, swimming, boating, wild-crop harvesting, livestock pasturing and fence maintenance, crop cultivation, silviculture, and duck blinds when performed without filling, draining, dredging, ditching, tiling, or excavation. Routine vegetation maintenance involving no earth disturbance is allowed; verify every project with the county before work.