Adams County, Wisconsin

Town of Adams fence permit

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

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

Quick facts

Permit required: Yes source
Side and rear yards: 6 ft source
Front (street) yard: 6 ft (residential fences; no separate front-yard limit stated) source
Distance from lot line: "Residential fences, hedges, and tree plantings are permitted along the inside of property lines" or in the yards of residential districts (no numeric lot-line setback stated). source
Good side faces: "The 'good' side of the fence must face to the outside." source
Not allowed: No residential prohibition stated. Security fences (allowed on property lines in all districts) may not exceed 10 feet and must be an open type similar to woven wire or wrought iron. 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.

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

Steps based on sites.google.com — planning and zoning

Get the Adams County Zoning Permit Application from the county Planning & Zoning page.
Draw a location sketch showing the fence and your lot lines.
Call Adams County Planning & Zoning (608-339-4222) to ask how to file. The office is at 401 Adams Street, Suite 4, Friendship. Staff help with applications and setback questions.
Wait for the permit before you start. Starting early costs a double fee or $200, whichever is greater.
Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Paying: County zoning permit fee (set by County Board; amount not found online)

Who to contact

Phone: 608-339-4222
Email: [email protected]
Address: Adams County Planning & Zoning, 401 Adams Street, Suite 4, Friendship, WI 53934

Contact from sites.google.com — planning and zoning

What to submit

Adams County Zoning Permit Application (Planning & Zoning page)
Location sketch/plot plan of the site showing where the fence goes (County zoning permit applications must include applicant and owner details, legal description, zoning district and a location sketch)

Official application form or packet

Other rules to know

The Town of Adams follows the Adams County zoning ordinance, so fence permits come from the county zoning office, not the town.
Comprehensive Zoning Ch. 405 § 405-13(D): residential fences max 6 ft; "Structural fences as described in Subsection D(1) and (2) above require a zoning permit." Farm-related fencing is permitted along property lines or in yards of agricultural districts if it does not create a substantial impediment to visibility (see § 405-50).
Ch. 405 defines a fence as "A barrier made of wood, iron, stone, or other materials" and lists fences in the definition of STRUCTURE.
County ordinance Ch. 370 also lists "placement of structures, including buildings, signs and fences" among the things that require a permit.
Work started before a permit is applied for and issued: "A double fee or $200, whichever is greater" (§ 405-24). Fees are set by the County Board; the current amount was not found online.
A 2025 Comprehensive Zoning Amendment (2nd draft) is posted on the county site; its draft fence text keeps the 6-ft residential limit and the zoning-permit requirement for structural fences. Its adoption status was not confirmed.
Per the 2018 County Comprehensive Plan, county general zoning covers these ten towns; Big Flats, Lincoln, Quincy, Rome and Strongs Prairie have their own town zoning, and Leola and Monroe have no general zoning (see their own entries).
Building inspection for the county is contracted to General Engineering Company (county Planning & Zoning page links GEC for building permit information).
County shoreland zoning (Ch. 396) applies near lakes and streams in every town, including towns with their own zoning.

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 Adams, WI?

Yes. The Town of Adams requires a permit before you build a fence.

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

Side and rear yards: 6 ft. Front (street) yard: 6 ft (residential fences; no separate front-yard limit stated).

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

"Residential fences, hedges, and tree plantings are permitted along the inside of property lines" or in the yards of residential districts (no numeric lot-line setback stated).

Which side of the fence has to face the neighbor in the Town of Adams?

"The 'good' side of the fence must face to the outside."

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

Get the Adams County Zoning Permit Application from the county Planning & Zoning page. Draw a location sketch showing the fence and your lot lines. Call Adams County Planning & Zoning (608-339-4222) to ask how to file. The office is at 401 Adams Street, Suite 4, Friendship. Staff help with applications and setback questions. Wait for the permit before you start. Starting early costs a double fee or $200, whichever is greater. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging. permit.guide can turn a fence drawn on an aerial photo of your lot into a complete permit application package for the Town of Adams (site plan, aerial photo and filled-in details) in a few minutes.

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

Adams County Planning & Zoning (reception). Phone 608-339-4222, email [email protected].

Sources

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

Ordinance: Adams County Code Ch. 405 Comprehensive Zoning § 405-13(D) Fences

Work for the Town of Adams? 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.