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Brown County

Brown County Planning and Land Services Department, Zoning

In short

Brown County Planning and Land Services Department, Zoning issues 2 permits we publish for Brown County, last verified 2026-10-07. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Sanitary Permit — Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (areas without public sewer)only if it applies to youBrown County Planning and Land Services Department, ZoningNew system permits: conventional, mound, in-ground pressure and at-grade $600 each; holding tank $750; pretreatment unit $550 ($650 with an additional tank); remediation unit (no maintenance required) $400. Reconnection, soil-absorption field repair or replacement, and tank replacement only: $450 each. Renewals: conventional, mound / in-ground pressure and at-grade $300; holding tank $400. Existing system inspection $400; permit transfer $60; maintenance program $16 a year; Wisconsin Fund grant application $100. Plan approvals: holding tank up to 5,000 gallons $100, over 5,000 gallons $150; pressure distribution $250; pressure tank replacement $125; pressure soil-absorption repair $125; plan revision $85. Construction other than excavating before the permit is issued: double fee (§11.07(1)(f)).valid two years from the date of issue, renewable (County Code §11.07(1)(c))2026-10-07
Shoreland Permit — Commercial, Industrial or Manufacturing Structure (unincorporated shorelands and Bellevue)only if it applies to youBrown County Planning and Land Services Department, Zoning$150–$550 per permit (2026 Adopted Budget): commercial, industrial or manufacturing structure $500 ($550 in the floodplain); accessory structure or addition $150 (in the floodplain $150 if not designed for human habitation, $275 if designed for habitation); filling, grading or excavating 1,000–15,000 sq ft $300, over 15,000 sq ft $550; after-the-fact permits twice the normal feeone-time, per project2026-10-07

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

Sanitary Permit — Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (areas without public sewer)

A business whose premises use a private onsite wastewater treatment system (septic, mound, holding tank or similar) needs a county sanitary permit from the Brown County Planning and Land Services Zoning office before a system is installed, replaced, repaired or reconnected. The county's Zoning Ordinances page says the Private Sewage System Ordinance (ch. 11) "covers all municipalites in Brown County where public sewer is not available", so this applies in cities, villages and towns alike. County Code §11.09 says the fees are "as established in the annual county budget"; the amounts are those in the Rates and Fees appendix of the 2026 Adopted Budget (adopted October 29, 2025), and the 2027 Proposed Budget lists the same amounts. A new conventional or mound system permit is $600 and a holding tank $750. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 302.67(2) requires the county to forward $100 of each sanitary permit fee to the Department of Safety and Professional Services; the note to that rule says the $100 includes the $25 groundwater fee that Wis. Stat. §145.19(6) requires for each sanitary permit. The budget and ch. 11 do not say whether the county's amounts already contain the State share; contact the Zoning office at 920-448-6480 for the total due. A permit is valid for two years (§11.07(1)(c)).

Shoreland Permit — Commercial, Industrial or Manufacturing Structure (unincorporated shorelands and Bellevue)

A business building a commercial, industrial or manufacturing structure, an accessory structure or an addition, or filling, grading or excavating, in a shoreland area needs a county shoreland permit from the Brown County Planning and Land Services Zoning office. The county's Zoning Ordinances page says the Shorelands Ordinance (ch. 22) "applies to all unincorporated areas in Brown County and, by contract, the village of Bellevue"; §22.05 defines shorelands as land within 1,000 feet of a navigable lake, pond or flowage and within 300 feet of a navigable river or stream, or to the landward side of the floodplain if farther. Section 22.61 says the fees are "as established in the annual county budget"; per the Rates and Fees appendix of the 2026 Adopted Budget (adopted October 29, 2025), a commercial, industrial or manufacturing structure is $500, or $550 in the floodplain. The same budget lists a floodplain zone determination at $50, a Board of Adjustment appeal at $350 and a shoreland map amendment at $350, and charges twice the normal fee for after-the-fact permits. The 2027 Proposed Budget lists the same amounts. Contact the Zoning office at 920-448-6480.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Brown County
Phone
920-448-6480

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

  1. Brown County 2026 Adopted Budget, Rates and Fees AppendixBrown County, Wisconsin · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
  2. Brown County 2027 Proposed Budget — Appendices, "Rates and Fees" (published October 1, 2026; proposed only)Brown County Executive · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  3. Brown County Code ch. 11 — Private Sewage System Ordinance (§11.07 sanitary permits; §11.09 fees), revised 02-18-2026Brown County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  4. Brown County Code ch. 22 — Shoreland Ordinance (§22.05 area; §22.61 fees), revised 03/23/2026Brown County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  5. Brown County Code of Ordinances indexBrown County Clerk · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  6. Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment SystemsBrown County Planning and Land Services — Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  7. Wis. Admin. Code SPS 302.67 — sanitary permit fees; $100 of each fee forwarded to the departmentWisconsin Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  8. Wis. Stat. §145.19 — sanitary permits; state portion (sub. (3)); groundwater fee (sub. (6)); 2-year validity (sub. (7))Wisconsin Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
  9. Zoning Ordinances — scope of chapters 11, 22 and 23Brown County Planning and Land Services — Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07

Other offices serving Brown County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

Wisconsin jurisdictions

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.