Racine County

Racine County Public Works & Development Services, Development Services

In short

Racine County Public Works & Development Services, Development Services issues 6 permits we publish for Racine 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
Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
County Zoning Permit — Commercial, Recreational and Institutional (Towns of Burlington, Dover, Norway and Waterford)only if it applies to you	Racine County Public Works & Development Services, Development Services	$150–$2,000 per permit. Commercial by gross floor area: up to 5,000 sq ft $600; over 5,000 to 10,000 $850; over 10,000 to 15,000 $1,100; over 15,000 $2,000. Recreational and institutional principal structures $600. Additions, alterations or conversions $150 (under 500 sq ft) or $200 (500 sq ft or more). Temporary structure or use $100; all other uses and zoning permits $150. Double fee if work starts before the permit; quadruple if a variance or conditional use was also needed and obtained after the fact	expires within nine months unless substantial work has commenced and is continuing; one extension for a like period on request and payment of the fee before expiry (County Code § 20-83)	2026-10-07
County Sign Permit (Towns of Burlington, Dover, Norway and Waterford)only if it applies to you	Racine County Public Works & Development Services, Development Services	$100–$450 per sign or face: permanent advertising or institutional sign $125 (up to 100 sq ft) or $175 (over 100 sq ft); additions or alterations $100 / $150; temporary sign including banners $100; digital sign $250 / $450; billboard $150 / $250 per face, billboard alterations $125	one-time, per sign	2026-10-07
Zoning Occupancy Permit (Towns of Burlington, Dover, Norway and Waterford)only if it applies to you	Racine County Public Works & Development Services, Development Services	The 2026 Racine County Development Services Department Fee Schedule (dated 1/14/2026) and the county's Proposed Fee Schedule for the 2027 fiscal year publish no separate occupancy permit fee line; contact Development Services, 262-886-8440, for any charge.	one-time, issued when the building or premises and the proposed use conform to the zoning ordinance (County Code §§ 20-102, 20-103)	2026-10-07
Sanitary Permit — Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (areas not served by public sewer)only if it applies to you	Racine County Public Works & Development Services, Development Services	The sanitary permit base fee depends on the system type and is set on the county's Sanitary Fee Schedule; contact Development Services, 262-886-8440, for the base fee for a given system. Other sanitary fees on both the 2026 Development Services fee schedule (dated 1/14/2026) and the 2026 column of the county's 2027 proposed fee schedule: reconnect permit $250; transfer of owner, change of plumber or permit renewal $125; real estate or refinance transaction inspection $200; non-plumbing sanitation system $400; holding tank plan review $90; soil evaluation on-site $70 for up to three profiles plus $15 per extra profile; maintenance fee $10 a year per holding tank or required component ($20 after a second notice, $30 after a third). A double permit fee applies if construction starts before the permit.	valid for two years from the date of issue; renewable on written application and fee before expiry (County Code § 19-72)	2026-10-07
Home Occupation Permit (Towns of Burlington, Dover, Norway and Waterford)only if it applies to you	Racine County Public Works & Development Services, Development Services	$150 per permit	personal to the named resident at one address; does not run with the land and is not transferable to another person or address (County Code § 20-1015(c))	2026-10-07
Conditional Use, Rezoning, Variance and Site Plan Review (Towns of Burlington, Dover, Norway and Waterford)only if it applies to you	Racine County Public Works & Development Services, Development Services	$200–$775 per application: site plan review $200; conditional use $475 + $50 publication; shoreland conditional use $520 + $50; variance or appeal to the Board of Adjustment $450 + $50 ($600 with a conditional use); rezoning, map, land use plan or text amendment $600 + $175 publication; variance or conditional use extension request $75	one-time, per application	2026-10-07

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

County Zoning Permit — Commercial, Recreational and Institutional (Towns of Burlington, Dover, Norway and Waterford)

Development Services' page lists the 'Municipalities under the jurisdiction of the Racine County Zoning Ordinance' as the Town of Burlington, Town of Dover, Town of Norway and Town of Waterford, and County Code § 20-10 requires a zoning permit before a structure is erected, moved, enlarged or altered there. A business building, opening or expanding premises in one of those four towns needs this county permit; in any other municipality, including the Village of Yorkville, the local zoning rules apply instead. Per the 2026 Racine County Development Services Department Fee Schedule (dated 1/14/2026, the calendar-2026 schedule), a commercial zoning permit is $600 up to 5,000 sq ft of gross floor area, $850 over 5,000 to 10,000 sq ft, $1,100 over 10,000 to 15,000 sq ft and $2,000 over 15,000 sq ft; recreational and institutional principal structures are $600; additions, alterations or conversions are $150 under 500 sq ft and $200 at 500 sq ft or more; a temporary structure or use is $100 ($85 for additions); a certificate of compliance issued at the applicant's request is $150; a non-residential security fence is $75; and all other uses and zoning permits are $150. A zoning permit extension is $50 without changes and $65 with a minor revision. The fee doubles if work starts before the permit, and quadruples if a variance or conditional use was required and obtained after the fact. The county's Proposed Fee Schedule for the 2027 fiscal year lists the same amounts in both its 2026 and 2027 columns. Contact Development Services at 262-886-8440.

County Sign Permit (Towns of Burlington, Dover, Norway and Waterford)

A business putting up a sign on premises in the Town of Burlington, Town of Dover, Town of Norway or Town of Waterford, the four towns Development Services' page lists under the Racine County Zoning Ordinance, needs a county sign permit. Per the 2026 Racine County Development Services Department Fee Schedule (dated 1/14/2026, the calendar-2026 schedule), a permanent advertising or institutional sign is $125 per sign up to 100 sq ft and $175 over 100 sq ft; additions, alterations or conversions to those signs are $100 and $150; a temporary sign, including banners, is $100; a digital sign or billboard face, including conversion of a standard sign to digital, is $250 up to 100 sq ft and $450 over; and a billboard face is $150 up to 100 sq ft and $250 over, with billboard alterations $125. The county's Proposed Fee Schedule for the 2027 fiscal year lists the same amounts. Signs in other municipalities, including the Village of Yorkville, follow the local sign rules. Contact Development Services at 262-886-8440.

Zoning Occupancy Permit (Towns of Burlington, Dover, Norway and Waterford)

County Code § 20-101 states that no vacant land shall be occupied, used or developed, no building erected, altered or moved shall be occupied, and no nonconforming use shall be maintained, renewed or changed 'until an occupancy permit shall have been issued by the zoning administrator'. The zoning ordinance applies in the four towns Development Services' page lists under it: the Town of Burlington, Town of Dover, Town of Norway and Town of Waterford. A business moving into a new, altered or moved building, or changing a nonconforming use, in one of those towns needs this permit from Development Services; § 20-102 says the permit shows that the premises and proposed use conform to the zoning chapter. The 2026 Development Services fee schedule (dated 1/14/2026) and the county's 2027 proposed fee schedule list no separate occupancy permit fee line. Contact Development Services at 262-886-8440.

Sanitary Permit — Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (areas not served by public sewer)

County Code ch. 19 applies to 'all areas of the county not served by a public sewer' (§ 19-28), in every municipality, not only the four county-zoned towns. A business whose premises use a private onsite wastewater treatment system (septic, mound, holding tank or similar) needs a county sanitary permit from Development Services before a system is installed, modified, replaced, repaired or reconnected. A sanitary permit is valid for two years and can be renewed before it expires (§ 19-72). Fees follow the schedule of sanitary fees adopted by the board of supervisors by resolution or through the county budget (§ 19-78), and Wis. Stat. § 145.19(2) bars any fee below the State rule amount. The base permit fee depends on the system type; ask Development Services for the base fee for a given system. On both the 2026 Racine County Development Services Department Fee Schedule (dated 1/14/2026) and the 2026 column of the county's Proposed Fee Schedule for the 2027 fiscal year, a reconnect permit is $250; a transfer of owner, change of plumber or renewal is $125; a real estate or refinance transaction inspection is $200; a non-plumbing sanitation system is $400; a holding tank plan review is $90; a soil evaluation on-site is $70 for up to three profiles plus $15 for each extra profile; and the maintenance fee is $10 a year, rising to $20 and $30 after second and third notices. The permit fee doubles if construction starts before the permit is issued. Contact Development Services at 262-886-8440.

Home Occupation Permit (Towns of Burlington, Dover, Norway and Waterford)

A business run from a home in the Town of Burlington, Dover, Norway or Waterford (the towns under the Racine County Zoning Ordinance) needs a $150 home occupation permit, per the 2026 Racine County Development Services Department Fee Schedule (dated 1/14/2026; the county's Proposed Fee Schedule for the 2027 fiscal year lists the same amount). County Code § 20-1015(b) sets the criteria: the occupation must be clearly incidental to the residence, using one-half or less of any floor; no outdoor display or storage; no visible evidence except one non-illuminated nameplate of up to 2 sq ft; at most two employees from outside the resident family, and the applicant must live there; no activity in a detached structure or attached garage (except storage allowed by § 20-1008(f)); no noise, glare, odours or fumes detectable off the property; no restricted materials; and no more than two extra parking spaces. The section states that 'on-site tune-up, servicing, repair, salvage, wrecking, or painting services for non-property owner automobiles' and other motorized vehicles 'shall be prohibited as a home occupation', and that 'No stock in trade shall be displayed or sold upon the premises', which rules out repairing other people's vehicles and selling stock on the premises. Whether any other business fits is decided against these criteria. The permit is personal and non-transferable, and a tenant needs the owner's written approval (§ 20-1015(c)). Contact Development Services at 262-886-8440.

Conditional Use, Rezoning, Variance and Site Plan Review (Towns of Burlington, Dover, Norway and Waterford)

Where a business use in the Town of Burlington, Dover, Norway or Waterford needs a conditional use, a rezoning, a variance or a site plan review under the Racine County Zoning Ordinance, Development Services charges the fees on the 2026 Racine County Development Services Department Fee Schedule (dated 1/14/2026, the calendar-2026 schedule): site plan review $200; conditional use $475 plus a $50 publication fee; shoreland conditional use $520 plus $50; variance or appeal to the Zoning Board of Adjustment $450 plus $50, or $600 with a conditional use; rezoning, map, land use plan or text amendment $600 plus a $175 publication fee; and $75 for a variance or conditional use extension request. The county's Proposed Fee Schedule for the 2027 fiscal year lists the same amounts. In the Village of Yorkville and every other municipality, local zoning approvals apply instead. Contact Development Services at 262-886-8440.

Contact

Jurisdiction: Racine County
Phone: 262-886-8440
Website: www.racinecounty.gov/departments/public-works-and-development-services/development-services

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.

2026 Racine County Development Services Department Fee Schedule (dated 1/14/2026)Racine County Public Works & Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
Development Services — municipalities under the jurisdiction of the Racine County Zoning OrdinanceRacine County Public Works & Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
Development Services — Sanitation (links the 'Racine County Fee Schedule')Racine County Public Works & Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
Proposed Fee Schedule for 2027 fiscal year ('2026 Fee' and '2027 Fee' columns; posted September 22, 2026)Racine County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
Racine County Code ch. 19, Utilities (§§ 19-28, 19-72, 19-78; Ord. No. 2009-48), Municode Supp. 33Racine County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
Racine County Code ch. 20, Zoning, Art. I, In General (§ 20-9 jurisdiction), Municode Supp. 33Racine County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
Racine County Code ch. 20, Zoning, Art. III, Permits (§§ 20-81, 20-83, 20-85, 20-101), Municode Supp. 33Racine County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
Racine County Code ch. 20, Zoning, Art. VII, Supplementary District Regulations (§ 20-1015 home occupations), Municode Supp. 33Racine County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
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

Other offices serving Racine County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Business licenses in Racine County

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Wisconsin jurisdictions

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