Laramie building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Laramie, Wyoming.
Last verified 2026-07-01 · Source
Building department
- Address
- 320 E. Grand Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070 (temporary location while the Historic Carnegie Building at 405 Grand Avenue undergoes renovations; mailing address P.O. Box C, Laramie, WY 82073)
- Phone
- (307) 721-5271
- Office hours
- Mon–Fri, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (per Building Department Staff page, current); older bulletins/forms list Mon–Thu 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Fri 8 a.m.–2 p.m. — confirm current hours by phone
- Website
- Official site
Codes adopted
Wyoming has no statewide-mandated building code for general private construction. Under Wyoming Statute § 35-9-106, the Council on Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety in Buildings adopts minimum fire, building, mechanical, existing-building, and fuel-gas standards (not exceeding the International Codes), but § 35-9-121 makes local enforcement an opt-in delegation: a municipality or county must apply to the State Fire Marshal for local enforcement authority and adopt, by ordinance or resolution, standards equivalent to or more stringent than the state's — otherwise no local building code applies at all. In practice this produces exactly the fragmented picture that describes most of the state: some cities and counties (e.g., Laramie County, Natrona County) have adopted and enforce their own building codes, while many unincorporated county areas genuinely require no building permit for general construction. Electrical is different: under § 35-9-119(a)(i), the Chief Electrical Inspector (Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office, Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety) enforces the National Electrical Code statewide by default, EXCEPT in localities that have been separately granted their own certified electrical-enforcement authority under § 35-9-121(a) — so electrical permitting may be issued by the state program or by the local jurisdiction depending on which one currently holds delegated authority. Always confirm both the current building-code adoption status (if any) and which entity — state or local — issues the electrical permit with the specific jurisdiction before submitting plans.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for new single-family dwellings, duplexes, and other one- and two-family residential construction within the City of Laramie. Governed by the 2024 IRC as adopted by the City, with local design criteria (snow, wind, seismic, frost depth) per Informational Bulletin #2.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for additions, structural alterations, remodels, basement finishes, and other significant alterations to existing one- and two-family dwellings in Laramie. Charged under the same general valuation-based Building Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule as new construction (no separate flat fee table).
Electrical Permit
Required for new electrical installations, alterations, and additions in Laramie. Per the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's 'Local and State Jurisdictions' enforcement chart, Laramie's electrical arrangement is split: the CITY of Laramie issues the permit and performs electrical INSPECTIONS (ELEC INSP = L), while electrical PLAN REVIEW is performed by the STATE (Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office / Chief Electrical Inspector) (ELEC PR = S). This is corroborated by the City's own Informational Bulletin #12, which states that electrical contractors must be licensed by BOTH the City of Laramie AND the State of Wyoming.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs in Laramie. Governed by the 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC). Charged per the City's Plumbing Unit Fee Schedule (a base permit fee plus itemized per-fixture/system fees), separate from the valuation-based building permit table.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, cooling, ventilation, and fuel-gas equipment installations in Laramie. Governed by the 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC). Charged per the City's itemized Mechanical Unit Fee Schedule.
Roofing Permit (Reroof)
Required for roof replacement (tear-off and reroof) in Laramie. Roofing has no separate flat fee or dedicated permit line; it is charged under the general valuation-based Building Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule. Roof assemblies must comply with the 2024 IRC/IBC roofing chapters per Informational Bulletin #30.
Solar PV / Private Energy Generation Permit
Required for installation of solar, wind, or standby generator private energy generation systems in Laramie, whether stand-alone or grid-tied. Depending on the scope, both a building permit and an electrical permit may be required (per Informational Bulletin #23, Private Energy Generation Systems).
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Required for construction of an ADU on a single-family residential lot in Laramie. ADUs were formally authorized city-wide in the R1, LR, and RR zoning districts by Enrolled Ordinance No. 1807 (effective April 19, 2022), which created LMC 15.10.030.D.5 (Accessory Dwelling Units) and amended the Chapter 15.28 definition of 'Dwelling, Accessory.' Processed as a standard residential building permit application (no separate ADU-specific permit form), subject to the ADU-specific zoning standards below.
Demolition Permit
A building permit is required before demolishing any building or structure within the City of Laramie, with limited exceptions for small accessory structures, low fences, small decks, and public right-of-way structures. Fees may include the building permit, street/sidewalk closure permit, excavation permit, and landfill fees.
Deck Permit
Required for decks in Laramie except small decks meeting the exemption threshold (not more than 30 inches above grade, not attached to the house, not over 200 sq ft, not serving the primary egress/front door). Governed by the IRC/IBC per Informational Bulletin #14; charged under the general valuation-based Building Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule (no separate flat deck fee).
Commercial Tenant Improvement / Remodel Permit
Required for interior alterations, renovations, or change-of-use work in existing commercial buildings in Laramie. Uses the same general valuation-based Building Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule as other building permits; governed by the 2024 IBC/IEBC and 2024 IECC (commercial energy compliance via COMMcheck).
Tips & gotchas
- GOTCHA: The City of Laramie is in ALBANY COUNTY, not Laramie County. Laramie County's seat is Cheyenne, roughly 50 miles east — a completely different building department, code edition, and fee schedule. Do not confuse the two when researching or citing sources.
- Laramie has a split electrical arrangement per the WSFM 'Local and State Jurisdictions' chart: the CITY performs electrical inspections, but the STATE (Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office, Chief Electrical Inspector) performs electrical plan review. Electrical contractors must hold licenses from BOTH the City of Laramie and the State of Wyoming.
- The Code Administration Division's office is TEMPORARILY located at 320 E. Grand Avenue while the Historic Carnegie Building (405 Grand Avenue, printed on most fee schedule bulletins/forms) undergoes renovation. Verify current office location before an in-person visit.
- Laramie uses the International Plumbing Code (IPC), NOT the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — differs from some other western jurisdictions (e.g., Reno, NV uses UPC).
- The City requires its OWN contractor license (since 2021, LMC 15.24.015) for all general AND trade contractors (electrical, mechanical, plumbing, lawn sprinkler, fire protection, gas, water/sewer, refrigeration, petroleum piping) working within city limits, in addition to any Wyoming state trade license.
- Plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permits use ITEMIZED unit fee schedules (base fee + per-fixture/per-equipment charges) rather than the valuation-based table used for the general building permit — do not apply the building valuation table to trade permits.
- ADUs are permitted only in the R1, LR, and RR single-family zoning districts (per Enrolled Ordinance No. 1807, eff. April 19, 2022) — max footprint is the LESSER of 40% of the principal dwelling's footprint or 600 sq ft; overall max 1,200 sq ft, min 220 sq ft; only one ADU per detached one-unit lot.
- Foundation frost depth is 42 inches in Laramie — notably deeper than many lower-elevation Wyoming cities (e.g., Cheyenne's 36 inches), reflecting Laramie's higher elevation (~7,200 ft) and colder climate (winter design temp -10°F, 8,839 heating degree days).
- Roofing, decks (non-exempt), reroofs, and additions/remodels all have NO separate flat fee — they are charged under the general valuation-based Building Permit and Plan Review Fee Schedule (Informational Bulletin #25, effective Jan. 1, 2006 and still in force).
- Small accessory structures (<200 sq ft), fences ≤7 ft, retaining walls ≤4 ft, and small decks (≤200 sq ft, ≤30 in. above grade, detached, non-egress) do NOT require a building permit — but exceeding any threshold brings the whole structure into permit-required territory.
- University of Wyoming and State of Wyoming-owned buildings are EXEMPT from Laramie's building permit and plan review fees per the fee schedule — relevant given Laramie's status as UW's home city.
- Call Before You Dig (Wyoming 811 / One-Call of Wyoming) applies at least 2 full business days before excavation — same statewide requirement noted in the WY framework brief.
- The Building Department's Informational Bulletins are living documents, not codified law — several were last revised in 2026 (Bulletin #2 Feb. 2026, Bulletin #30 May 2026) while others (Bulletin #11, #12, #17, #22, #23) still show a November 2017 revision date; where a bulletin is old, verify current requirements by phone (307-721-5271) for high-stakes projects.