Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is La Crosse County Zoned?
A: Yes, all 12 of the unincorporated Towns of La Crosse County have zoning under the La Crosse County Zoning Ordinance. The 4 Villages and 2 Cities have their own zoning regulations.

Q: Do I need a permit from the County to build something?
A: Yes, in most cases you will need a Zoning/Occupancy Permit from the County. You may also need a Building Permit from the Town in which your construction is located.

Q: Can your department change my property assessment?
A: No, if you have a question about your property assessment you need to contact the assessor who works in your town. We can look up your legal descriptions or tax parcel numbers to aide in this process but cannot make changes to your assessment records without authorization from the town assessor.

Q: What other ordinances does your department work with?
A: In addition to the County Zoning Ordinance this office also administers a County Shoreland/Wetland Ordinance, County Floodplain Ordinance, County Nonmetallic Mining Ordinance and County Telecommunications Ordinance. We also work closely with the Land Conservation Department to administer the County Erosion Control/ Land Disturbance Ordinance. These ordinances are all in effect in the unincorporated towns of La Crosse County. These ordinances may be viewed on the La Crosse County website.

Q: Can I get a map of my property from you?
A: This Department also performs the maintenance of the tax roll and tax parcel mapping for all tax parcels in the County including the 2 cities and 4 villages. Tax parcel maps are also available for a cost. A tax parcel map is not a survey it is only a representation of a recorded document (deed, land contract, other recorded document) that describes the boundary of the parcel. Through our GIS mapping system we can create many different types of maps. For details you will need to contact one of our department GIS specialists. Your use of these maps is your liability.

Q: Can I get an aerial photo of an area in La Crosse County?
A: Yes, we have various aerial photos of various years and quality that may help you. These are sold at prices that depend on the size of the photo being purchased. Contact the office for more details.