Town of Potosi fence permit

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

1. Call Grant County Conservation, Sanitation & Zoning (608-723-6080) to ask whether your fence needs a county zoning permit.
2. Keep residential fences at least 2 ft from property lines and the road right-of-way, and no taller than 4 ft in a front yard.
3. Use open-style fencing in road-intersection vision corners.
4. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Paying

If a county zoning permit is required: $1.00 per $1,000 of estimated value, minimum $100.00 (accessory structures costing $500 or less are fee-exempt under s. 3.27(4)(d))

Inspections

The Zoning Administrator may inspect at any reasonable time

Permit good for

12 months, extendable once for one year

Other rules to know

• The Town of Potosi follows the Grant County zoning ordinance, so fence permits come from the county zoning office, not the town.
• The Grant County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 3) requires a zoning permit from the County Zoning Administrator before any structure is located, installed, erected or constructed (s. 3.27(4)(a)). But it defines 'Structure' as something 'having a roof, or other covering' (s. 3.28(52)), and lists residential fences as a permissible modification (s. 3.16(2)(d)) without saying a permit is needed. Confirm with the Conservation, Sanitation & Zoning Department whether a residential fence needs a county zoning permit.
• Fences are accessory uses and may not be put up until the principal structure is on the lot (s. 3.02(5)(a)1).
• Accessory structures costing $500.00 or less still need a permit but are fee-exempt; permits expire 12 months after issue unless extended in writing (s. 3.27).
• County zoning applies only in the 18 towns listed on the county's 'Ordinances Applies To The Following Towns' page. Shoreland and floodplain zoning (separate county permits) can apply in other towns too.
• Towns may have their own requirements; ask your town clerk as well.
• If a county zoning permit is needed, the 2023 county Zoning Permit Application sets the fee at $1.00 per $1,000 of estimated value ($2.00 per $1,000 at $300,000 or more), minimum $100.00, asks for proposed setbacks from the road centerline and property lines plus a parcel sketch, and says to call the department when the footprint is marked and when the project is complete.

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

Sources

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

Ordinance: Grant County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (Ch. 3, amended 5-16-2023) s. 3.16(2)(d) residential fences, s. 3.23 vision corners, s. 3.27 zoning permits, s. 3.28(52) Structure

1. gcinternetwebsite.co.grant.wi.gov — ordinances applies to the following towns
2. gcinternetwebsite.co.grant.wi.gov — conservation sanitation and zoning
3. gcinternetwebsite.co.grant.wi.gov — Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Amended 5 16 2023
4. gcinternetwebsite.co.grant.wi.gov — Zoning Permit Application 2023
5. gcinternetwebsite.co.grant.wi.gov — Zoning Permit Application Process docx
6. energyzoning.org — Zoning ordinance (archived copy)
7. gcinternetwebsite.co.grant.wi.gov — 2026 2027 Directory