Town of Aurora fence permit

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

Steps based on energyzoning.org — Zoning ordinance (archived copy)

1. Call Florence County Zoning (715-528-3206) to confirm whether a fence needs a land use permit and what the fence setback and height limits are.
2. If a permit is needed, submit a land use permit application with a site plan to the County Zoning and Planning Administrator (Ordinance 2.3.1).
3. Pay the permit fee, which is set by the County Board (amount not found online).
4. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Paying

Fee set by the Florence County Board; accompanies the application (Ordinance 2.3.2)

What to submit

• Land use permit application to the County Zoning and Planning Administrator (Ordinance 2.3.1); it asks for owner name and address, owner/agent signature, parcel identifier, statement of proposed use and a site plan (2.3)

Other rules to know

• The Town of Aurora follows the Florence County zoning ordinance, so fence permits come from the county zoning office, not the town.
• The County zoning ordinance (Chapter 10, Subchapter 1) says 'No structure shall be built, moved or structurally altered, until a land use permit has been issued' (2.2.2) and lists 'fences' among accessory structures in its definitions (Sec. 17.0). The ordinance has no fence-specific section, so whether a plain residential fence needs a land use permit was not stated in a source read.
• Ordinance 5.4.2: accessory structures generally cannot be placed in a required front or side yard; rear-yard accessory structures must be at least 7.5 feet from any property line. The ordinance does not say whether this applies to fences (5.5 lists arbors, trellises, trees and shrubs as not yard obstructions, but not fences).
• Ordinance 7.1 (visual clearance): 'Posts or open fences are excluded from this provision' (sight-triangle height limit at corners).
• Ordinance 2.3.2 and 2.9.1: permit fees are set by separate ordinance of the County Board; no dollar amount was found. County Zoning Committee minutes (5/2025) list 'Fee structure' as a future agenda item.
• County zoning status: County Zoning Committee minutes of 5/7/2025 say the Town of Fern voted to join the Comprehensive Ordinance and 'Long Lake is now the only township that is not on our zoning'. The ordinance text (1.8.2(A)) takes effect in a town on town board approval. The ordinance copy read is an archived copy on energyzoning.org with pages footed 'Amendment September 18, 2018'; the county ordinance page lists a 2024 public hearing on a revised Subchapter 1, so the current text may differ.
• Town clerk contacts (Florence County clerk's municipal directory): Aurora - Stacy Hedmark 715-589-2282, [email protected]; Commonwealth - Dorothy Vayda 715-528-3068, [email protected]; Fence - Theresa Smith 715-336-2407, [email protected]; Fern - Pam Batte 715-336-2284, [email protected]; Florence - Jessica Klumpp 715-528-3595, [email protected] (749 Central Ave); Homestead - Linda McLain 715-589-2619, [email protected]; Tipler - Amanda Harvat 715-674-2320 (town site: 11102 Dream Lake Road).
• The Town of Tipler staff directory lists the Florence County Zoning Administrator as its zoning and permit contact.
• Same-name trap: this is Florence County, Wisconsin (ZIP 54121 / 54120 / 54542), not Florence County, South Carolina, or Florence, Wisconsin addresses in other counties.

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 Aurora's own ordinances, forms and permit pages. Each link opens the original.

Ordinance: Florence County Code Chapter 10, Subchapter 1 (Comprehensive Zoning), Sec. 2.2.2, 5.4, 17.0

1. energyzoning.org — Zoning ordinance (archived copy)
2. florencecountywi.com — zoning and recycling
3. florencecountywi.com — contact us
4. florencecountywi.com — ordinances
5. florencecountywi.com — 5.7.25 zoning minutes
6. florencecountywi.com — 7.3.24 zoning minutes
7. florencecountywi.com — minutes 1.4.23
8. townoftipler.org — staff directory
9. florencecountywi.com — municipalities
10. florencecountywi.com — municipalities
11. florencecountywi.com — municipalities
12. florencecountywi.com — municipalities
13. florencecountywi.com — municipalities
14. florencecountywi.com — municipalities
15. townofflorencewisconsin.com