Vilas County, Wisconsin

Town of Washington fence permit

Do you need a fence permit in the Town of Washington? Yes. The Town of Washington requires a permit before you build a fence.

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

Quick facts

Permit required: Yes source
Fee: $80.00 ("Open Deck, Fence, Move or Demolish Structure ... $80.00 ea."); triple fee if started before a permit is issued source
Side and rear yards: 6 feet or less with a zoning permit; over 6 feet and less than 15 feet from the property line needs a conditional use permit; up to 12 feet allowed with a zoning permit if at least 15 feet from the property line; any fence over 12 feet needs a conditional use permit source
Front (street) yard: Lots abutting roads: setbacks per local, county or state regulations; no separate street-side height stated source
Distance from lot line: Fences 6 feet or less may be placed on the side lot line (side setbacks measured from the boundary line). No fences between 0 and 75 feet from the shoreline, measured landward from the ordinary high-water mark (farm fences exempt). Lots abutting roads follow local, county or state setback rules. source
Not allowed: No fences within 75 feet of the shoreline (ordinary high-water mark), except farm fences. source
How to apply: In person 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 you can send to Town of Washington.

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

Steps based on cms9files.revize.com — Zoning Permit Application

Fill out the Vilas County Zoning Permit Application and draw a site plan showing all 7 required items (lot dimensions, water bodies, structures, driveway, bordering roads, septic, well) plus the fence location.
Keep the fence out of the first 75 ft from the shoreline; fences over 6 ft within 15 ft of a property line need a conditional use permit instead.
Take the application and the $80.00 fee (check or cash) to Vilas County Zoning at the Courthouse, 330 Court St., Eagle River (715-479-3620), Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm.
Post the permit card at the property entrance before starting work.
Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Paying: Check or cash, with the application
Permit good for: Expires 1 year after issuance if work hasn't started; must be completed within 2 years of starting; one renewal

Who to contact

Phone: 715-479-3620
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm; closed holidays
Address: Vilas County Zoning & Planning, 330 Court St., Eagle River, WI 54521 (Courthouse)

Contact from cms9files.revize.com — DEPUTY SCHEDULE 2025

What to submit

Vilas County Zoning Permit Application (owner and agent signatures)
Site plan showing the 7 required items: lot and its dimensions, water bodies, structures, driveway, bordering roads, septic system and well (applications missing them are returned)
Written directions from the nearest major highway
Other permits if applicable (DNR, Army Corps, town, sanitary, etc.)
Fee (check or cash)

Official application form or packet

Other rules to know

The Town of Washington follows the Vilas County zoning ordinance, so fence permits come from the county zoning office, not the town.
Sec. 5.7: a zoning permit is required for permanent fences 6 ft or less, and for permanent fences up to 12 ft that are at least 15 ft from the property line; a conditional use permit is required for permanent fences over 6 ft less than 15 ft from the property line and for any fence over 12 ft.
No permit is needed for a farm fence (woven or barbed wire per state statute); garden fences used to restrict animals have no height limit.
Height is measured from the ground to the top of the fence; on sloping or uneven sites contact the Zoning Office for a height determination. A solid or privacy fence may sit up to 6 inches off the ground on uneven sites.
Temporary fences are limited to 6 ft and must be removed annually; the Zoning Administrator decides whether a fence is temporary or permanent.
Permit expires one year after issuance if construction has not started, or if not completed within two years of starting; it may be renewed once (Sec. 9.3G).
A permit card must be posted at the property entrance; no construction may begin without permit approval. Decisions may be appealed to the Board of Adjustment within 30 days.
Town of Arbor Vitae: the Town's Permits & Forms page says construction needs a Town building permit first, then a Vilas County Zoning permit; ask the Town (715-356-3120) whether a fence needs a Town permit.
Town of Lac du Flambeau: the Town's zoning ordinance was repealed; permits go through Vilas County only.
Town clerks: Arbor Vitae 715-356-3120 ([email protected]); Boulder Junction 715-385-2220; Cloverland 715-479-3434 ([email protected]); Conover 715-479-8688; Lac du Flambeau 715-588-3358 ([email protected]); Lincoln 715-479-7000; Phelps 715-545-2270; Plum Lake 715-542-4531; Washington 715-479-8886; Winchester 715-686-2123 ([email protected]).
Ordinance text cited (Sec. 5.7, 9.3) is the energyzoning.org archive of the Vilas County General Zoning Ordinance No. 85 as amended May 25, 2021. The County's Zoning & Planning page now links a General Zoning Ordinance dated 12-15-2025 that the research tool could not open, so check that Sec. 5.7 is unchanged.
Coverage: the County's Zoning & Planning page says the County enforces zoning throughout the unincorporated areas (except parts of Manitowish Waters and Presque Isle far from water) and that Arbor Vitae, Land o' Lakes, Manitowish Waters, Presque Isle and St. Germain have town zoning ordinances; Boulder Junction is listed here on that basis. Lincoln: the Town's 2026 draft plan (Ch. 9) says 'The Town of Lincoln is currently under Vilas County general zoning.' Cloverland: the Town's 2011 plan says 'The town is under county zoning' (NCWRPC also posts a 2026 Cloverland plan the research tool could not open).

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 Washington, WI?

Yes. The Town of Washington requires a permit before you build a fence. No permit is needed for a farm fence (woven or barbed wire per state statute); garden fences used to restrict animals have no height limit.

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

Side and rear yards: 6 feet or less with a zoning permit; over 6 feet and less than 15 feet from the property line needs a conditional use permit; up to 12 feet allowed with a zoning permit if at least 15 feet from the property line; any fence over 12 feet needs a conditional use permit. Front (street) yard: Lots abutting roads: setbacks per local, county or state regulations; no separate street-side height stated.

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

Fences 6 feet or less may be placed on the side lot line (side setbacks measured from the boundary line). No fences between 0 and 75 feet from the shoreline, measured landward from the ordinary high-water mark (farm fences exempt). Lots abutting roads follow local, county or state setback rules.

How much is a fence permit in the Town of Washington?

$80.00 ("Open Deck, Fence, Move or Demolish Structure ... $80.00 ea."); triple fee if started before a permit is issued.

How do I apply for a fence permit in the Town of Washington?

Fill out the Vilas County Zoning Permit Application and draw a site plan showing all 7 required items (lot dimensions, water bodies, structures, driveway, bordering roads, septic, well) plus the fence location. Keep the fence out of the first 75 ft from the shoreline; fences over 6 ft within 15 ft of a property line need a conditional use permit instead. Take the application and the $80.00 fee (check or cash) to Vilas County Zoning at the Courthouse, 330 Court St., Eagle River (715-479-3620), Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm. Post the permit card at the property entrance before starting work. 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 Washington (site plan, aerial photo and filled-in details) in a few minutes.

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

Vilas County Zoning & Planning Department (deputy zoning administrator for your town). Phone 715-479-3620, email [email protected].

Sources

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

Ordinance: Vilas County General Zoning Ordinance Sec. 5.7 Fences; Sec. 9.3 Zoning Permits

Work for the Town of Washington? 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.