Wausau, WI Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Section 23.06.40(3) makes fence review mandatory citywide: 'Fences shall be reviewed and approved by the zoning administrator, and shall require a building permit,' with a conditional use permit substituting for the standard review when the code calls for one. Subsection (4) then carves out temporary fencing from that requirement. Wood or plastic snow fences used to limit snow drifting are exempt from permitting, but only between November 1 and April 1 each year. Fencing put up to protect an excavation or construction site, or to shield plants during grading and construction, is also permit-free, but only while it is tied to an active building permit for that same project. Outside those two narrow exceptions, a homeowner or contractor installing a permanent fence, wall, or decorative post arrangement must apply to the Zoning Administrator before construction, and the review checks the fence against the height, material, design, and vision-triangle standards elsewhere in section 23.06.40 and section 23.06.05.