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Vilas County, Wisconsin

Town of St. Germain fence permit

Do you need a fence permit in the Town of St. Germain? Not confirmed. Contact the Town of St. Germain before you build; the rules below are what we found in the ordinance.

buildit.dog can turn a fence drawn on an aerial photo of your lot into a complete permit application package for the Town of St. Germain (site plan, aerial photo and filled-in details) in a few minutes. Start with your address.

Quick facts

Permit required
Not confirmed source
How to apply
Call 715-542-8024 (Option 3) source

Still being confirmed with St. Germain: Does a residential fence in St. Germain need a Town zoning permit, a Vilas County zoning permit, or both, and what fence rules does Town Code Ch. 1 set?

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 you can send to Town of St. Germain.

How to file for a fence permit in the Town of St. Germain

Steps based on townofstgermain.org — updated zoning forms

  1. Call Town Zoning Administrator Heather Rappa (715-542-8024, Option 3, or [email protected]) to ask whether your fence needs a Town zoning permit and/or a Vilas County zoning permit.
  2. If a Town permit is needed, get the current form from the Town's Zoning Forms page.
  3. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Who to contact

Heather Rappa
Town Zoning Administrator

Phone
715-542-8024 (Option 3)
Email
[email protected]
Address
Town Offices, 545 Hwy 155, St. Germain, WI 54558

Contact from townofstgermain.org — directory

Other rules to know

  • The Town has its own zoning ordinance (Code of Ordinances Ch. 1 Zoning, last amended July 13, 2026) with a Town Zoning Administrator, but the current text was not found online, so the Town's fence rules are unknown.
  • Vilas County's Zoning & Planning page lists St. Germain among the towns with town zoning ordinances and says the County enforces zoning throughout the unincorporated areas. The County General Zoning Ordinance Sec. 5.7 requires a zoning permit for permanent fences 6 ft or less and bars fences within 75 ft of the shoreline; ask whether a Town permit, a County permit, or both are needed.
  • The Town Zoning Administrator does not issue building permits or do building inspections; the Town contracts with Baas Inspection Agency, LLC (715-545-3292) for UDC inspections.
  • Zoning forms were updated in March 2026 and are on the Town's Zoning Forms page.
  • Town Clerk Felicia Szott: 715-542-8024 (Option 1)

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 St. Germain, WI?

Not confirmed. Contact the Town of St. Germain before you build; the rules below are what we found in the ordinance.

How do I apply for a fence permit in the Town of St. Germain?

Call Town Zoning Administrator Heather Rappa (715-542-8024, Option 3, or [email protected]) to ask whether your fence needs a Town zoning permit and/or a Vilas County zoning permit. If a Town permit is needed, get the current form from the Town's Zoning Forms page. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging. buildit.dog can turn a fence drawn on an aerial photo of your lot into a complete permit application package for the Town of St. Germain (site plan, aerial photo and filled-in details) in a few minutes.

Who do I contact about a fence permit in the Town of St. Germain?

Heather Rappa, Town Zoning Administrator. Phone 715-542-8024 (Option 3), email [email protected].

Sources

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

Ordinance: Vilas County General Zoning Ordinance Sec. 5.7 Fences (Town of St. Germain Code Ch. 1 Zoning text not found online)

  1. cms9files.revize.com — 2026 Vilas County Directory August 28, 2026
  2. cms9files.revize.com — DEPUTY SCHEDULE 2025
  3. townofstgermain.org — zoning committee
  4. townofstgermain.org — updated zoning forms
  5. townofstgermain.org — directory
  6. townofstgermain.org — notice enacted ordinances
  7. vilascountywi.gov — zoning
  8. energyzoning.org — Zoning ordinance (archived copy)

Work for the Town of St. Germain? 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.