Fond du Lac County, WI Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Fond du Lac County Code § 46-213(3)
- Retaining walls
- Prohibited in CTH access design
- Permit required
- Highway Department, § 46-207
- Permit fee range
- $20.00 to $100.00 by access type
- Penalty
- $25.00-$200.00 per day, § 46-218
- Appeal window
- 30 calendar days to highway committee
Summary
In unincorporated Fond du Lac County, retaining walls are flatly prohibited within the design standards for any driveway or road built to access a county trunk highway (CTH). The Highway Department reviews and permits every access point before construction begins.
Driveways and roads with access onto CTHs must comply with the following design standards: ... (3)Retaining walls shall be prohibited.
Full Breakdown
Fond du Lac County Code § 46-213 sets the design standards every driveway or road must meet before it can connect to a county trunk highway, and item (3) of that list is unambiguous: retaining walls shall be prohibited. The same section requires side slopes no steeper than 4 to 1 (25 percent), bans concrete paving in favor of blacktop or compacted gravel, sets culvert minimums (24 feet long, 15 inches in diameter, one foot of cover), and requires vision corners to stay clear of obstructions.
00 for a new road connection or Type C access. Work started before a permit issues is subject to permit denial, removal of the access, and possible fines and prosecution. Access permits expire one year after issuance if construction is not completed. A property owner who disagrees with a Highway Department decision, including a retaining-wall denial, may appeal to the county highway committee under § 46-216 within 30 calendar days of the decision; the committee must rule within 30 calendar days and issue a written decision stating its reasons.
This rule reaches only the driveway/road access corridor onto county trunk highways; it is not a general countywide retaining-wall permit, since Fond du Lac County has no general zoning ordinance outside shoreland, floodplain and similar chapters.
Violations & Fines
Violating any part of Chapter 46's access article, including building a prohibited retaining wall in the access design zone, carries a forfeiture of not less than $25.00 nor more than $200.00 per day for each offense under § 46-218, plus the costs of prosecution. Each day the violation continues is a separate offense, and the Highway Department may pursue legal action independent of any daily forfeiture. Resisting, obstructing, or interfering with the highway commissioner or a designee enforcing the article, or failing to obey a lawful order, is itself a separate violation under the same section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a retaining wall next to my driveway on a county road?
Who enforces this and what does a violation cost?
Does this ban apply to retaining walls anywhere in the county?
Can I appeal if the Highway Department denies my access permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fond du Lac County
Compare Fond du Lac County to another location·View the Wisconsin fence regulations overview
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