Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-10
5 of Wisconsin's 72 counties — 7% — have no county-wide zoning. That is the 34th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Taylor County (77/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 1042 counties nationwide → Wisconsin: owner-builder → Wisconsin: rv living → Wisconsin: tiny homes → Wisconsin: no minimum home size → Full Wisconsin profile →
From the Wisconsin guide
Wisconsin has 5 counties without countywide zoning: Taylor County, Pepin County, Fond du Lac County, Brown County and Washington County.3 The remaining 67 counties have county zoning, though county general zoning applies only in towns that have adopted it.164 A town outside county general zoning may have its own zoning ordinance or may be unzoned.4
Use the Wisconsin no-zoning county list as a starting point, then ask the town and county zoning offices which ordinances cover the parcel.34 Shoreland zoning can still impose a standard 75-foot building setback from the ordinary high water mark, with specified exceptions.17 Wisconsin has 0 counties combining no residential building permit with no countywide zoning.18
From the Wisconsin guide, written from the cited official sources and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: confirm with the office before you buy or build.
5 of 72 Wisconsin counties · sorted by Index score
Countywide comprehensive zoning in Taylor County, including unincorporated areas. Taylor County has no comprehensive countywide zoning ordinance. Taylor County shoreland zoning …
Taylor County Land and Water Resource Management Plan ↗General countywide zoning in Pepin County. Pepin County administers separate shoreland/wetland, floodplain, highway setback, telecommunications, Great River Road, bluffland, and…
Pepin County Land & Water Resource Management Plan ↗General countywide zoning administered by Fond du Lac County. The county states that its 21 towns control their own zoning ordinances and permit issuers. County shoreland and fl…
Town Zoning ↗General comprehensive zoning in unincorporated Brown County; county shoreland and floodplain overlays remain applicable. Brown County expressly states it is not comprehensively …
Brown County Zoning FAQ ↗County general zoning in Washington County unincorporated areas. Washington County does regulate shoreland, wetland, and floodplain areas under separate county authority. Munici…
County Land Information Plan 2024 ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Wisconsin state page for all 72 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
Off-grid gear
Building on land in one of these Wisconsin counties? The kit we'd start with:
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General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
