Town of Colby fence permit

How to file for a fence permit in the Town of Colby

1. Call the Town of Colby clerk (Carri Weiler, 715-223-9077) to ask whether a fence needs a town permit and who issues it.
2. If the property is near a lake, pond, river or stream, also check with Clark County Planning & Zoning (715-743-5130).
3. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Other rules to know

• The Town has its own zoning ordinance (effective 1986; 6th amendment effective April 1, 2023). It has no fence rules. A land use permit is required for structures costing $1,000 or more (Sec. 9.2(A)); it does not say whether fences count. Fees are set by the Town Board and doubled if work starts before a permit is issued. The Zoning Administrator issues permits after inspection and Planning and Zoning Committee approval.
• Building Inspector: Robert Christensen (CSC Services), 715-297-6600, 734 Greenfield Ave., Wausau, WI 54401 (County directory).
• Shoreland areas (within 1,000 ft of a navigable lake, pond or flowage, or 300 ft of a navigable river or stream) fall under Clark County shoreland rules (County Code Ch. 22): privacy, security and open fences need a 3 foot setback from the property line for maintenance access and a 75 foot setback from the ordinary high-water mark; post-and-wire agriculture fences need no property-line setback. Fences may be within highway setback lines but not in the highway right-of-way (Secs. 22-308, 22-360, 22-362). Ch. 22 does not say whether a fence needs a county land use permit; ask Clark County Planning & Zoning, 715-743-5130.
• Clark County Planning & Zoning says the county has 'a mosaic of county and town zoning' and asks owners to contact the department (715-743-5130) to find out which zoning applies to a property.

Before you dig

Call Diggers Hotline at 811 (or file online at diggershotline.com) at least 3 business days before digging post holes. Find your lot corner markers and keep the fence on your side of the line. County parcel maps can be off by several feet; if you're not sure where the line is, a licensed land surveyor can stake it.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Summarized from the Town of Colby's own ordinances, forms and permit pages. Each link opens the original.

Ordinance: Town of Colby Zoning Ordinance Sec. 9.2

1. clarkcountywi.gov — 02a99f 366e01860e9b48839c42ecd404eb2acc
2. energyzoning.org — Zoning ordinance (archived copy)
3. clarkcountywi.gov — 02a99f ffb8b98d8cf1404ab199e8536cca39f2
4. energyzoning.org — Zoning ordinance (archived copy)
5. clarkcountywi.gov — pz faq