Village of Gays Mills fence permit
Do you need a fence permit in the Village of Gays Mills? Not confirmed. Contact the Village of Gays Mills before you build; the rules below are what we found in the ordinance.
permit.guide can turn a fence drawn on an aerial photo of your lot into a complete permit application package for the Village of Gays Mills (site plan, aerial photo and filled-in details) in a few minutes. Start with your address.
Quick facts
- Permit required
- Not confirmed source
- Side and rear yards
- 7 ft within required rear setbacks (residential) source
- Front (street) yard
- 4 ft for solid fences or hedges in a required street side setback (residential) source
- Corner lots
- Nothing between 2 ft and 10 ft above pavement grade in the vision triangle (15 ft along each lot line from the intersection corner) source
- Good side faces
- The decorative side of a fence or wall must face outward from the property. source
- Not allowed
- In front or street side yards, and in yards in or next to residential districts, fences must be approved materials such as wood, ornamental metal, brick, vinyl-coated chain link, vinyl or stone (uncoated chain link only in business/industrial districts not next to residential). source
- How to apply
- In person source
Still being confirmed with Gays Mills: Does a residential fence in Gays Mills need a Village zoning permit, and what is the fee?
How to file for a fence permit in the Village of Gays Mills
Steps based on gaysmills.gov — T 13 Zoning April 2026
- Call the Village Office (608-735-4341) to ask whether your fence needs a zoning permit.
- If it does, fill out the Village zoning permit application in duplicate with a plot plan showing your property lines and the fence location.
- Turn it in to the Village Clerk-Treasurer at 16381 State Highway 131. The Zoning Administrator grants or denies it in writing.
- Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.
- Review time
- The Zoning Administrator grants or denies the permit in writing within 60 days (after Plan Commission approval, if needed)
- Permit good for
- Expires 9 months after issuance unless substantial work has begun
Who to contact
Josh Copsey
Building Inspector (General Engineering Company)
- Phone
- 608-697-2905
- [email protected]
- Address
- Village Office, 16381 State Highway 131, Gays Mills, WI 54631
Contact from gaysmills.gov
What to submit
- Village zoning permit application (in duplicate, to the Village Clerk-Treasurer)
- Plot plan or survey showing property lines, existing and proposed structures, and yards (Sec. 13-1-11(a))
Other rules to know
- The owner must locate all property lines before building any fence (Sec. 13-1-53).
- Fence height is measured from natural or approved grade (Sec. 13-1-53(c)).
- Temporary fencing (snow, construction) is allowed for the life of an approved permit or up to 180 consecutive days per calendar year.
- Sec. 13-1-10 requires a zoning permit before any building or other structure is erected; Sec. 13-1-53 itself does not say whether a fence needs a permit.
- The Village website also lists a September 2026 version of Title 13 that could not be opened; these rules are from the April 2026 version.
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 Village of Gays Mills, WI?
Not confirmed. Contact the Village of Gays Mills before you build; the rules below are what we found in the ordinance. Sec. 13-1-10 requires a zoning permit before any building or other structure is erected; Sec. 13-1-53 itself does not say whether a fence needs a permit.
How tall can a fence be in the Village of Gays Mills?
Side and rear yards: 7 ft within required rear setbacks (residential). Front (street) yard: 4 ft for solid fences or hedges in a required street side setback (residential). Corner lots: Nothing between 2 ft and 10 ft above pavement grade in the vision triangle (15 ft along each lot line from the intersection corner).
Which side of the fence has to face the neighbor in the Village of Gays Mills?
The decorative side of a fence or wall must face outward from the property.
How do I apply for a fence permit in the Village of Gays Mills?
Call the Village Office (608-735-4341) to ask whether your fence needs a zoning permit. If it does, fill out the Village zoning permit application in duplicate with a plot plan showing your property lines and the fence location. Turn it in to the Village Clerk-Treasurer at 16381 State Highway 131. The Zoning Administrator grants or denies it in writing. 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 Village of Gays Mills (site plan, aerial photo and filled-in details) in a few minutes.
Who do I contact about a fence permit in the Village of Gays Mills?
Josh Copsey, Building Inspector (General Engineering Company). Phone 608-697-2905, email [email protected].
Sources
Summarized from the Village of Gays Mills's own ordinances, forms and permit pages. Each link opens the original.
Ordinance: Title 13 Zoning, Sec. 13-1-53 Fences, Walls and Hedges; Sec. 13-1-46 Vision Triangle
Work for the Village of Gays Mills? 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.