Town of Schley fence rules

How to build within the rules in the Town of Schley

Steps based on zoneomics.com — Municipal code: chapter 5

1. An ordinary fence does not need a Lincoln County zoning permit (fences are not 'structures' under Chapter 17).
2. Near a lake, river or wetland? Call Lincoln County Land Services (715-539-1087, or Shoreland specialist 715-539-1088) first, because shoreland rules may apply.
3. Near a road intersection, use an open fence (not a solid one) within the visual clearance triangle.
4. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Other rules to know

• The Town of Schley follows the Lincoln County zoning ordinance, so fence permits come from the county zoning office, not the town.
• The Lincoln County Zoning Ordinance definition of 'Structure' (Sec. 17.1.14) expressly excepts fences, and a county zoning permit (Sec. 17.8.50) is required before a structure is erected, moved or structurally altered, so an ordinary fence does not need a county zoning permit.
• Visual clearance triangle (Sec. 17.5.02(3)): in each quadrant of public road intersections, measured 300 ft back where two Federal, State and/or County highways meet, 200 ft back where such a highway meets a town or city road, and 100 ft back where two town or city roads meet, no object over 2 1/2 ft above the roadbeds is allowed, but open fences are permitted.
• Shoreland: the Chapter 21 Shoreland Zoning Ordinance applies throughout unincorporated Lincoln County (including towns without general zoning) and was not reviewed here. The Town of Harrison's ordinance list includes Resolution 2022-03 on a Lincoln County shoreland zoning amendment for bridges, fences and view and access corridors, so fences near lakes and rivers may have extra rules. Call Land Services (Shoreland & Land Use Specialist Laura Boquist, 715-539-1088) before fencing shoreland property.
• Covered towns: the Town of Russell's zoning page says county zoning permits are required in Bradley, Corning, Harding, King, Merrill, Russell, Schley, Scott, Skanawan, Tomahawk and Wilson. The Town of Scott and Town of Schley sites also send zoning questions to the County. Towns NOT on that list: Birch, Harrison, Pine River, Rock Falls and Somo (Pine River has its own town zoning; Harrison put a 'should the Town adopt the Lincoln County Zoning Ordinance' advisory referendum on the November 3, 2026 ballot).
• Chapter 17 rules quoted from the energyzoning.org archive (printout dated 9/22/22) and the zoneomics.com mirror of the Lincoln County Zoning Ordinance; the County's own website was mostly unreachable by the fetch tool.
• Town clerk contacts (Lincoln County 2023 Official Directory unless noted): Bradley - Kari Kiser, 715-453-3326, [email protected]; Corning - Rick Hass, 715-536-4959, [email protected] (Town website); Harding - Kristy Ament, 715-539-2682, [email protected]; King - (715) 908-0001, [email protected] (County Clerk's King page); Merrill - Clerk-Treasurer, 715-536-4383, [email protected] (County Clerk's Town of Merrill page); Russell - Amy Brown, 715-873-4141, [email protected] (Town website); Schley - Becky Dallman, 715-571-1262, [email protected]; Scott - Bonny Graap, 715-218-5633, [email protected]; Skanawan - Loyetta Dennis, 715-966-2605; Tomahawk - Jesse J. Hoffman, 715-254-4651, [email protected] (County Clerk's Town of Tomahawk page); Wilson - (715) 453-6090, [email protected] (County Clerk's Wilson page).
• The Town of Schley's zoning page notes that local building inspectors cannot issue a building permit for a home without proof that county zoning permits have been issued; ask your town whether it has any local fence rule.
• The 2023 County directory lists an email for the Skanawan clerk that looks misspelled, so it is left out. The Town of Russell's 2026 annual meeting minutes are signed by Lori Studinski, while the Town website still lists Amy Brown as clerk. The County Clerk's site has a 'Referendums for Town of Harrison and Town of Corning' page that could not be opened.
• No recent incorporations or renamings were found; the County Clerk's Municipalities page lists 16 towns and the Cities of Merrill and Tomahawk (Lincoln County has no villages).

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

Ordinance: Lincoln County Code Chapter 17 Zoning, Sec. 17.1.14 (definition of Structure), Sec. 17.5.02 (visual clearance), Sec. 17.8.50 (zoning permits)

1. energyzoning.org — Zoning ordinance (archived copy)
2. zoneomics.com — Municipal code: chapter 1
3. zoneomics.com — Municipal code: chapter 4
4. zoneomics.com — Municipal code: chapter 5
5. zoneomics.com — Municipal code: chapter 8
6. townofrussellwi.com — zoning
7. townofscottlincolnwi.gov — zoning
8. townofschley.com — zoning
9. co.lincoln.wi.us — shoreland
10. co.lincoln.wi.us — 80321
11. co.lincoln.wi.us — 82346
12. townofharrisonwisconsin.com — ordinances
13. co.lincoln.wi.us — king
14. co.lincoln.wi.us — bradley
15. co.lincoln.wi.us — wilson
16. co.lincoln.wi.us — town merrill
17. co.lincoln.wi.us — town tomahawk
18. tn.corning.wi.gov
19. townofrussellwi.com
20. townofskanawannewsletter.com — resident information
21. townofscottlincolnwi.gov — town contacts
22. co.lincoln.wi.us — 34081
23. townofrussellwi.com — annual meeting minutes 2026
24. co.lincoln.wi.us — municipalities