St. Croix County, Wisconsin Hudson, River Falls & the St. Croix Valley

Barndominium Builders in St. Croix County, Wisconsin

Much of St. Croix County sits within commuting distance of the Twin Cities metro, and the buyers we hear from here usually want the same thing: a few acres, a real shop, and a house that does not eat the whole budget. We build barndominiums for that brief, in steel and in post-frame, finished turnkey or supplied as barndominium kits for owners who want to take on part of the interior themselves. The most common request is a shouse, with the living quarters and a heated work bay under one roofline. Pole barn homes on hobby-farm parcels come a close second, and we also quote metal building homes for buyers who prefer a crisper, more commercial exterior. Across St. Croix County the permit trail depends on where the parcel sits. On town land, the town handles the dwelling permit, while the county runs sanitary permits and its shoreland, floodplain and Lower St. Croix Riverway overlays in every town, plus general zoning in most of them. Cities and villages, such as the City of New Richmond and the Village of Baldwin, apply their own zoning. Barndominium contractors who know that order save a lot of waiting: here the septic permit comes before the building permit. Tell us about your land and start the survey, and we will map out how the build would run on your parcel.

St. Croix County at a glance

County: St. Croix County
Building permit: Town building inspection
Local facts on this page: 6, each linked to its source

Tell us about your land

Before you build in St. Croix County

The local answers that shape a build here, each taken from the office or document that publishes it. Rules change, so we confirm them again against your parcel before drawing.

Town-issued permitWho issues the permit

The town the parcel sits in (each St. Croix County town is listed with DSPS for its own dwelling-code enforcement); cities and villages permit inside their limits

On town land the Uniform Dwelling Code permit comes from the town, not the county: St. Croix County is not among the counties DSPS lists with delegated dwelling-code authority, while the towns appear on that list one by one. The county's part comes first. Its Community Development Department issues the sanitary permit needed before the building permit, and any county zoning or overlay permit. Cities and villages issue their own.

Source: Wisconsin Municipalities with Delegated Authority for the Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) and for Camping Units (dsps.wi.gov)

Town-level dwelling code: The Department of Safety and Professional Services list of municipalities with delegated Uniform Dwelling Code authority (dated August 19, 2026) names the St. Croix County towns individually, from the Town of Baldwin to the Town of Warren, each with its own contacts. St. Croix County does not appear among the counties it lists as delegated.
Where county zoning applies: St. Croix County says its general zoning applies in all towns except the Towns of Forest, Hudson, St. Joseph and Troy, while cities and villages such as the City of New Richmond and the Village of Baldwin enforce their own zoning codes. The county's shoreland, floodplain, land division, Lower St. Croix Riverway overlay and sanitary rules apply in every town.
Shoreland overlay reach: Under St. Croix County's rules, a parcel is in the Shoreland Overlay District if it lies within 1,000 feet of the ordinary high water mark of a lake, pond or flowage, or within 300 feet of a river or stream (or out to the landward side of the floodplain, whichever is greater). The county's interactive zoning map also carries Riverway and floodplain layers.
Septic permit first: St. Croix County Community Development issues septic permits: a State Sanitary Permit is required to install a private onsite wastewater treatment system, the sanitary permit is required before a building permit is obtained from the local municipality, only a licensed plumber may submit it, and county staff inspect the work at least once.
Farmland preservation towns: St. Croix County lists the Towns of Baldwin, Cylon, Erin Prairie, Pleasant Valley, Rush River, Somerset, Stanton, Star Prairie and Troy as part of Farmland Preservation Zoning, and three Agricultural Enterprise Areas: Rush River Legacy, Squaw Lake and Town of Troy.
Animals on acreage: The county's land use FAQ says no animal units may be kept on lots under 3 acres, or in a major subdivision unless the plat provides for them. On 3 acres or more, one animal unit per acre of land suitable for animal waste is allowed without a permit; a horse counts as 2 animal units.

Building on land near St. Croix County

Most barndominium sites here are town parcels, from a few wooded acres to working farm tracts. Before you make an offer, pull the parcel up on the county's interactive zoning map and turn on the zoning, shoreland, floodplain and Riverway layers; any one of them can move the house or add a permit. Parcels near the St. Croix River bluffs fall under the Lower St. Croix Riverway overlay, which targets shoreline and bluff development. Check the county's scanned property files for an earlier soil test, because the soils decide the septic design. If horses are in the plan, the 3-acre animal threshold matters as much as the house. For city lots, see the [City of Hudson page](/areas/hudson-wi/) and the [River Falls page](/areas/river-falls-wi/).

Where we build in this part of Wisconsin

Hudson, River Falls & the St. Croix Valley

Hudson
River Falls
St. Croix County

What we build in St. Croix County

Kits, custom plans and pole barn homes. The parcel decides the budget more than the floor area does, so we price against your land rather than a rate card.

Barndominium Kits

Barndominium kits for Wisconsin land: steel or post-frame shell packages sized for your snow zone and frost depth, with a set ready for plan review.

Custom Plans

Custom barndominium floor plans for your Wisconsin parcel: drawn around the lake setback, the septic site, the slope and the plan review ahead.

Pole Barn Homes

Pole barn homes in Wisconsin built as real houses: post-frame posts below frost, trusses sized for your snow zone, and walls built for heating season.

See every service

Have land in or near St. Croix County? Tell us about the parcel and what you want to build, and we will check it against the local rules before anything is drawn.

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Building in St. Croix County: questions

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How much does it cost to build a barndominium near St. Croix County?

It turns on size, finish level, foundation and how much site work the parcel needs, so we price from your plan and your land rather than naming a figure up front. Our barndominium cost guide breaks a budget into its categories with sourced ranges. On town land here, set aside time and money for the soil test and septic design, since the county sanitary permit has to be issued before the town will release a building permit.

Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in St. Croix County, Wisconsin?

Yes. On town land the town issues the Uniform Dwelling Code permit through its own inspector; inside a city or village, that municipality does. Before that, a licensed plumber must obtain the sanitary permit from the county's Community Development Department, and the county may also require a land use permit under its zoning or overlay rules. Unless you will live there and apply yourself, the application is made by the certified dwelling contractor on the job.

Can I keep horses with a barndominium on a St. Croix County parcel?

On enough land, yes. The county allows no animal units on lots under 3 acres, and on larger parcels one unit per suitable acre without a permit, with a horse counted as two units. A five-acre parcel with wetland or steep ground may hold fewer horses than its size suggests. Our post-frame shop and barn layouts can put the stalls and the living space under one roof.

Is St. Croix County a good fit for commuting to the Twin Cities metro?

For many buyers it is the reason to look here: the western towns put acreage within a workable drive of the metro. Parcels closest to the river tend to carry the most overlay rules, so a lot farther east can be simpler to permit. Tell us where you commute and how much land you need, and we will suggest where a build would be most straightforward.

Keep reading

What usually comes next once you know what St. Croix County allows.

Barndominium Cost Guide

Sourced per-square-foot ranges by tier and size, and what moves the number on your land.

Read it

Can You Live in a Pole Barn in Wisconsin?

Zoning, septic and who inspects, before you buy the land.

Read it

How Long Does It Take?

From parcel to move-in, and which steps set the clock.

Read it

Sources for this page

The published pages behind the St. Croix County facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.

Barndominium builders near St. Croix County

Nearby places we also build in. Across a city limit, a town line or a county line the permit office, zoning and septic rules can change, so each has its own page.

Hudson

St. Croix County, Wisconsin

River Falls

Pierce County, Wisconsin

Eau Claire County

Wisconsin county

Chippewa County

Wisconsin county

Building in St. Croix County?

Start with the survey. Tell us where the land is and what you want on it, and we will come back with which office permits it, what it will allow, and a plan to fit.

Start the survey