Washington County, WI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

§ 275-3C, the general height regulation inside the county's Shoreland Zoning District, states that on or after February 1, 2010, construction of a structure taller than 35 feet placed within 75 feet of the OHWM is prohibited. The rule sits in Chapter 275, Shoreland, Wetland and Floodplain Zoning, the only land-use code Washington County itself administers; it reaches only the shoreland band in the eleven unincorporated towns and does not apply inside West Bend, Hartford, or any of the six villages, which each zone within their own limits.

The 35-foot cap also carries into nonconforming-structure rules. Under § 275-7A(6), an existing structure that was lawfully built but does not meet the required shoreland setback may still be expanded vertically, but only if the vertical expansion does not push the structure more than 35 feet above grade level; any addition beyond that height triggers noncompliance regardless of the structure's setback status. A property owner planning any new construction or addition within the 75-foot band should confirm height compliance with the Planning and Parks Department before applying for a shoreland permit, since the Department administers Chapter 275 and reviews plans against both the setback and height standards together.