Sauk County, WI Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Sauk County's zoning code does not issue what most residents call a pool permit; it issues a land use permit, and a residential swimming pool qualifies for one because Section 8.004 expressly defines structure, accessory, to include swimming pools alongside hot tubs, gazebos, and fire pits. Section 7.153(1) is explicit that this land use permit is not a substitute for a building permit, which is instead issued by the affected town, so a pool project in unincorporated Sauk County can require both a county land use permit and a town building permit.

Section 7.153(2)(a) requires the land use permit before any structure, including a pool, is erected, affixed, moved, or structurally altered, and Section 7.153(3) only excuses that requirement for an accessory structure of 120 square feet of floor area or less, a threshold most in-ground and many above-ground residential pools exceed. To apply, Section 7.153(4) requires a completed application, a legal description of the property, and a site plan showing the pool's distance from lot lines, road centerlines, and the ordinary high water mark of any abutting watercourse.

A pool built within Chapter 8's shoreland zone faces the added 75-foot setback from the ordinary high water mark under Section 8.011(2), since Section 8.004 also lists a pool as a structure for shoreland purposes. Once issued, the land use permit is void if the work is not finished within 24 months, though a one-time 24-month extension is available on written request before that deadline.