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permit.guide
Shawano County, Wisconsin

Town of Germania fence rules

Do you need a fence permit in the Town of Germania? No. The Town of Germania does not require a permit for a typical residential fence, but height and placement rules still apply.

At buildit.dog you can draw your fence on an aerial photo of your lot and check it against the Town of Germania's rules before you build. Start with your address.

Quick facts

Permit required
No (typical residential fence) source
Side and rear yards
Solid/opaque fences 6 feet or less in height may project into the minimum required side and rear yards (residential districts); taller solid fences must meet principal-building yards source
Front (street) yard
Fences, walls or hedges located within the front or street yard ... shall not exceed 3-1/2 feet in height regardless of zoning district source
Corner lots
3-1/2 feet within the visual clearance triangle; within the vision triangle no object over 2.5 feet above the road beds is allowed, except transparent fences source
Distance from lot line
Solid fences 6 ft or less may sit in required side and rear yards; residential solid fences over 6 ft must meet the principal building's minimum yards. No fence may exceed 12 feet unless required by a State or Federal agency. source
How to apply
Call 715-526-6766 source
Plan your fence and build the applicationLook up your address, draw the fence on an aerial photo of your lot, and get a site plan and filled-in application.

How to build within the rules in the Town of Germania

Steps based on co.shawano.wi.us — Approved & Accepted FINAL Zoning Ordinance Amendments

  1. Outside shoreland areas, no County land use permit is needed for a fence (Sec. X.5.03(4)(g)).
  2. Keep fences in the front or street yard and in the vision triangle at 3-1/2 ft or less; no fence over 12 ft.
  3. Near a lake, river or stream? Call Shawano County Planning & Development (715-526-6766) first: fences are accessory structures under the Shoreland Ordinance and may need a permit (appointments required).
  4. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.
Permit good for
County land use permits last 12 months, renewable for one more year

Who to contact

Phone
715-526-6766
Address
Shawano County Planning & Development, basement of the Shawano County Courthouse, 311 N. Main St., Shawano, WI 54166

Contact from co.shawano.wi.us — land use permits

Other rules to know

  • The Town of Germania follows the Shawano County zoning ordinance, so fence permits come from the county zoning office, not the town.
  • County Zoning Ordinance No. 7-14, Sec. X.5.03(4)(g): "A land use permit is not required for fences."
  • The county ordinance applies only in the 16 towns whose town boards adopted it (Sec. X.1.07(1)); the other towns in the county have their own town zoning.
  • Shoreland areas: the county Shoreland Ordinance (Ch. 40 Art. X, Dec. 2025) lists a fence as an accessory structure (Sec. 40-297) and says structures need a permit unless expressly excluded (Sec. 40-300), with a 75-ft setback from the ordinary high-water mark (Sec. 40-491). Fences for pasturing livestock are exempt in shoreland-wetland districts (Sec. 40-326). The shoreland ordinance applies in every town.
  • Vision triangle distances depend on road speed (Table X.5.05(4)): e.g. 90 ft at 25 mph up to 210 ft at 65 mph; 75 ft for a T intersection.
  • County land use permit appointments are required; the office is in the basement of the Shawano County Courthouse. After-the-fact permits are charged a triple fee.
  • Some covered towns have their own town permits for buildings (e.g. the Town of Wittenberg's $10 administrative building permit for structures over 100 sq ft); none of the town pages found mention fences.
  • Solid fences over 6 ft (to a 12 ft maximum) are allowed in residential districts only if they meet the principal building's required yards.

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

Do I need a permit to build a fence in the Town of Germania, WI?

No. The Town of Germania does not require a permit for a typical residential fence, but height and placement rules still apply. Shoreland areas: the county Shoreland Ordinance (Ch. 40 Art. X, Dec. 2025) lists a fence as an accessory structure (Sec. 40-297) and says structures need a permit unless expressly excluded (Sec. 40-300), with a 75-ft setback from the ordinary high-water mark (Sec. 40-491). Fences for pasturing livestock are exempt in shoreland-wetland districts (Sec. 40-326). The shoreland ordinance applies in every town.

How tall can a fence be in the Town of Germania?

Side and rear yards: Solid/opaque fences 6 feet or less in height may project into the minimum required side and rear yards (residential districts); taller solid fences must meet principal-building yards. Front (street) yard: Fences, walls or hedges located within the front or street yard ... shall not exceed 3-1/2 feet in height regardless of zoning district. Corner lots: 3-1/2 feet within the visual clearance triangle; within the vision triangle no object over 2.5 feet above the road beds is allowed, except transparent fences.

How close to the property line can I put a fence in the Town of Germania?

Solid fences 6 ft or less may sit in required side and rear yards; residential solid fences over 6 ft must meet the principal building's minimum yards. No fence may exceed 12 feet unless required by a State or Federal agency.

Who do I contact about a fence permit in the Town of Germania?

Shawano County Planning & Development (Zoning). Phone 715-526-6766.

Sources

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

Ordinance: Shawano County Zoning Ordinance No. 7-14, Sec. X.5.03(4)(g) Fences; X.5.05(4) Vision triangles

  1. co.shawano.wi.us — Approved & Accepted FINAL Zoning Ordinance Amendments
  2. energyzoning.org — Zoning ordinance (archived copy)
  3. co.shawano.wi.us — land use permits
  4. co.shawano.wi.us — EXHIBIT A SHORELAND ORDINANCE
  5. wicounties.org — shawano county
  6. townofbirnamwood.wi.gov — landUse
  7. townofwittenbergwi.gov — how do obtain a building permit

Work for the Town of Germania? Help us keep this right

If anything on this page is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll fix it. Municipal staff reports are reviewed first. Please include a link to the current ordinance, form or fee schedule if you can.