Richland County, Wisconsin

Town of Westford fence permit

Do you need a fence permit in the Town of Westford? Not confirmed. Contact the Town of Westford 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 Town of Westford (site plan, aerial photo and filled-in details) in a few minutes. Start with your address.

Quick facts

Permit required: Not confirmed source
Distance from lot line: The County zoning ordinance exempts fences from the setbacks that apply to non-building structures (s. I.G.5: 'Excludes fences and public utility poles') and says 'open fences ... may be placed within setback lines' (s. I.G.1.b.(5)(e)). No fence-specific height or lot-line setback is set. source
How to apply: In person source

Still being confirmed with Westford: Does a residential fence in a County-zoned town need a Richland County land use permit, and is there any height limit?

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 Westford

Steps based on zoning.co.richland.wi.us — portal

Call the Richland County Zoning & Sanitation Department (608-647-2447) to ask whether your fence needs a County land use permit.
If it does, apply through the Richland County Citizen Portal (linked from the Zoning Department website) or at the Courthouse, 181 W Seminary St, Rm 100, Richland Center, with a sketch of the lot showing the fence.
Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Paying: Land use permit fees vary by structure; fences are not listed on the fee schedule. Late permits: $500 plus the original fee.
Permit good for: Construction must be completed within 12 months; an extension may be requested

Who to contact

Phone: 608-647-2447
Email: [email protected]
Address: Richland County Zoning & Sanitation, Richland County Courthouse, 181 W Seminary St, Rm 100, Richland Center, WI 53581

Contact from zoning.co.richland.wi.us — contact

What to submit

Land use (zoning) permit application with the owner's name and address, property description and proposed use
Sketch of the lot showing the proposed structure

Other rules to know

The Town of Westford follows the Richland County zoning ordinance, so fence permits come from the county zoning office, not the town.
The County zoning ordinance (Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance #5, amended through 5/19/2021) defines a structure as 'Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires a more or less permanent location on or in the ground' and requires a zoning permit before a structure is built, but it does not say whether fences need a land use permit. The County's fee list does not include fences. Ask the Zoning Department before building.
No permit is needed for maintenance or for a new structure of 120 sq ft or less without a foundation.
Vision corners: no 'structure, building, vegetation or other fixed object' may obstruct a driver's view within the vision corner at intersections (s. I.G.1.b.(3)).
Late land use permits sought after construction has started cost $500 plus the original fee.
Parts of the Town of Richland near the City are in the City of Richland Center's extraterritorial zoning area; the City's zoning permit application covers ETZ properties.
The County zoning brochure says the Towns of Bloom and Sylvan are not under County zoning but get residential land use permits from the County, and the Towns of Ithaca and Rockbridge have their own zoning (see those entries).
Town websites for Dayton, Forest and Richland say they operate under Richland County zoning; the Town of Westford's site says 'Contact Richland County regarding all permits' and that permits can only be issued if taxes are paid to date.

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 Westford, WI?

Not confirmed. Contact the Town of Westford before you build; the rules below are what we found in the ordinance. No permit is needed for maintenance or for a new structure of 120 sq ft or less without a foundation.

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

The County zoning ordinance exempts fences from the setbacks that apply to non-building structures (s. I.G.5: 'Excludes fences and public utility poles') and says 'open fences ... may be placed within setback lines' (s. I.G.1.b.(5)(e)). No fence-specific height or lot-line setback is set.

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

Call the Richland County Zoning & Sanitation Department (608-647-2447) to ask whether your fence needs a County land use permit. If it does, apply through the Richland County Citizen Portal (linked from the Zoning Department website) or at the Courthouse, 181 W Seminary St, Rm 100, Richland Center, with a sketch of the lot showing the fence. 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 Westford (site plan, aerial photo and filled-in details) in a few minutes.

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

Richland County Zoning Administrator (Zoning & Sanitation Department). Phone 608-647-2447, email [email protected].

Sources

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

Ordinance: Richland County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance #5 (Ord. 2003-16, amended through 5/19/2021), s. I.G.1.b.(5)(e), s. I.G.5, s. IV

Work for the Town of Westford? 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.