Town of Newton fence permit

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

Steps based on marquettecountywi.gov — Zoning Permit Application Fillable 2025

1. Call Marquette County Planning & Zoning (608-297-3036) to ask whether your fence needs a zoning permit (the county ordinance does not say directly; a shoreland lot is the most likely to need one).
2. If a permit is needed, fill out the County Zoning Permit Application and list the fence under "Other - Please List."
3. Draw a plot plan showing the fence's distances from the road centerline and all lot lines (and the water's edge if on a lake or stream). Applications without a plot plan are returned.
4. Submit by email to [email protected], by mail to Marquette County Zoning, 77 W Park St. Room 104, Montello WI 53949-9366 (with a check or money order), or in person at the Zoning office. If you pay by card online, include the receipt/confirmation number.
5. Ask your town clerk whether the town also requires a local permit.
6. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Paying

Cash, check, or credit card (online via Point & Pay); mailed applications need a check or money order. No fence fee is listed; the accessory zoning permit fee is $75.00.

Review time

The Zoning Office acts on a zoning permit within thirty (30) days from the date the application is received

Inspections

Applying grants the Zoning Department permission to enter and inspect; the permit card must be posted on the premises during construction

Permit good for

Two (2) years from the date issued

What to submit

• Marquette County Zoning Permit Application (fence would go under "Other - Please List")
• Plot plan (site seen from above) showing distances from road centerlines and all lot lines, the ordinary high water mark if applicable, and the septic system and replacement area if applicable. "Applications without a plot plan WILL BE RETURNED."

Official application form or packet

Town of Newton online permit portal

Other rules to know

• The Town of Newton follows the Marquette County zoning ordinance, so fence permits come from the county zoning office, not the town.
• The County General Zoning Ordinance (Ch. 62 Comprehensive Zoning) has no general fence height or lot-line setback rule; it only says "Open fences" are permitted within highway setback lines and visual clearance triangles (§ 4.0(Q)(1)), and that a required screening fence must be a minimum 6-foot high solid fence of one color and one type of material (§ 5.0(A)(2)(a)).
• Ch. 61 says a zoning permit is required when structures are erected, moved or structurally altered, and is NOT required for work under 100 sq. ft. in footprint and $1,000 in cost (§ 8.0(H)-(I)). Fences are not named either way.
• Shoreland (within 1,000 ft of a lake or 300 ft of a river/stream, countywide): the Shoreland ordinance lists "fence" as an accessory structure (§ 25.2(2)) and requires a permit for structures unless expressly excluded (§ 2.2). Inside the 75-ft shoreland setback the only exempt fence is a fence along a roadway that is not taller than 15 feet, at least 2 feet landward of the ordinary high-water mark, entirely outside the highway right-of-way, not less than 10 feet from the edge of the roadway and not more than 40 feet from the edge of a roadway or right-of-way (whichever is greater), and generally perpendicular to the shoreline (§ 7.4(8)); structures not listed as exempt are prohibited in the setback.
• Road setbacks to centerline under county zoning: Town roads 63 ft, county roads 75 ft, state roads 110 ft (only "open fences" are listed as allowed inside highway setback lines).
• The County FAQ notes some townships require additional local permits beyond the county zoning permit; check with the town clerk.
• Work started before a permit is applied for and issued incurs a double fee (Ch. 61 § 14.0(B)).
• The Towns of Shields and Springfield are not under county general zoning (see their own entries); the county Shoreland and Floodplain ordinances still apply there.
• The Town of Buffalo also has its own Ordinance Chapter 16, General Zoning (effective June 21, 2011, amended through April 7, 2021); its only fence rule is the 6-foot solid screening fence standard (§ 16.06(1)(B)(1)), with no general fence height or setback limits.

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 Newton's own ordinances, forms and permit pages. Each link opens the original.

Ordinance: Marquette County Code Ch. 61 Zoning Administration § 8.0; Ch. 62 Comprehensive Zoning §§ 4.0(Q), 5.0(A); Ch. 63 Shoreland Protection §§ 2.2, 7.4(8), 25.2(2)

1. marquettecountywi.gov — planning and zoning
2. marquettecountywi.gov — building requirements
3. marquettecountywi.gov — frequently asked questions 2
4. marquettecountywi.gov — zoning permit applications forms
5. marquettecountywi.gov — Zoning Permit Application Fillable 2025
6. marquettecountywi.gov — Zoning Fee Schedule 2026
7. marquettecountywi.gov — Chapter 61 Zoning Administration searchable
8. marquettecountywi.gov — Chapter 62 Comprehensive Zoning searchable
9. marquettecountywi.gov — Chapter 63 Shoreland Protection 2026 1
10. marquettecountywi.gov — zoning land use ordinances
11. marquettecountywi.gov — 2026 2027 County Directory in Publisher 06.23.2026
12. energyzoning.org — Zoning ordinance (archived copy)