Unincorporated Campbell County building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Campbell County, Wyoming.
Last verified 2026-07-01 · Source
Building department
- Address
- 500 S. Gillette Ave., Suite 1500, Gillette, WY 82716
- Phone
- (307) 682-1970
- Office hours
- Mon–Fri, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
- 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 and two-family dwellings located INSIDE a Platted Subdivision in unincorporated Campbell County, governed by the 2024 IRC per Chapter 4 Section 4. Building Permits are NOT required for one- or two-family dwellings built OUTSIDE a platted subdivision (Chapter 4 Section 1.4.A.3) — see 'Building a Home on Rural Property' guidance — though electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and septic permits still apply in that case.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for additions, alterations, and remodels to existing one- and two-family dwellings in unincorporated Campbell County. Governed by the 2024 IRC per Chapter 4 Section 4. Same no-fee structure and exemption logic as new construction applies (the platted-subdivision Building Permit requirement, and the rural-property exemption, both govern additions/remodels the same way they govern new construction).
Electrical Permit
Required for electrical installation, alteration, and repair work in unincorporated Campbell County. Per the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's 'LOCAL AND STATE JURISDICTIONS' chart, Campbell County holds delegated ELEC INSP/PR = L/L authority — the County's own Building Division issues and inspects electrical permits; it does NOT default to the WSFM statewide electrical program. Governed by NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code), 2026 Edition, per Chapter 4 Section 10.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing installation, alteration, and repair work in unincorporated Campbell County. Governed by the 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) per Chapter 4 Section 6 — NOTE: Campbell County uses the IPC, not the Uniform Plumbing Code.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and fuel gas installation work in unincorporated Campbell County. Governed by the 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) per Chapter 4 Section 5, and the 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) per Chapter 4 Section 7.
Roofing Permit (Reroof)
Roof replacement/reroofing on a residential structure in unincorporated Campbell County falls under the county's general Building Permit framework (2024 IRC, Chapter 4 Section 4). Campbell County has no separate published reroof-specific fee or permit type distinct from the general 'All Other Permits: No fees' rule — reroofing is charged under that same no-fee provision unless it triggers a Commercial Building Permit.
Solar PV Permit
Rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system installation in unincorporated Campbell County is permitted under the general Building Permit (structural/racking) and Electrical Permit (interconnection) framework — there is no dedicated 'Solar PV' permit type or fee schedule published separately by Campbell County; the county's general Chapter 4 permit types (Building, Electrical) and no-fee provision apply.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Campbell County has a DEDICATED Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance — Chapter 7 (Zoning Regulations) Section 45.70 — applicable in the R-L, R-R, R-S, R-1, and A-L Zoning Districts. Requires administrative Review Process 1 approval plus compliance with the 2024 IRC for construction.
Demolition Permit
Demolition of a structure in unincorporated Campbell County falls under the county's general Chapter 4 Building Permit framework — a 'Change of Use'/demolition action is expressly covered by Chapter 4's scope (Section 1.2), and Campbell County publishes no separate demolition-specific fee.
Commercial Building Permit / Tenant Improvement
Required for new commercial/industrial construction and tenant improvements in unincorporated Campbell County. This is the ONE permit type in the county that carries a real fee: a flat $250.00 charge for all new construction requiring a Commercial Building Permit, per Chapter 4 Section 1.8.A. Governed by the 2024 IBC/IMC/IPC/IFGC/IFC/IEBC.
Deck Permit
Deck construction in unincorporated Campbell County is exempt from a Building Permit if small and detached (a Zoning/site-plan review is still required in most instances); larger or attached decks require a full Building/Zoning permit under the currently adopted IRC. The county's dedicated deck guideline still references the 2018 IRC and has not yet been reissued for the 2024 edition — treat its specific span/footing tables as a baseline reference, not a substitute for current 2024 IRC deck provisions.
Tips & gotchas
- The single biggest thing to know about unincorporated Campbell County: almost every residential permit is FREE. Chapter 4 Rules Regulating Construction Section 1.8.E states 'All Other Permits: No fees' — this covers Building, Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing permits for one- and two-family residential work. The ONLY real fees are a flat $250 Commercial Building Permit fee, a $250 fee for additional commercial plan re-reviews, and $60 re-inspection/late-permit fees.
- Building Permits are NOT required at all for a one- or two-family dwelling built OUTSIDE a platted subdivision (Chapter 4 § 1.4.A.3) — a critical, easy-to-miss exemption for rural/ranch construction. Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and Small Wastewater System (septic) permits are still required for such dwellings.
- Campbell County holds BOTH building AND electrical delegation from the state (WSFM chart: BLDG L/L, ELEC L/L) — the county's own Building Division issues and inspects electrical permits, unlike many Wyoming counties that default to the state's Chief Electrical Inspector program.
- Chapter 4 was last amended June 2026 and adopts the 2024 International Codes (IBC/IRC/IMC/IPC/IFGC/IFC/IEBC) plus the 2026 Edition of NFPA 70 (NEC) — newer than the 2023 NEC used elsewhere in this Wyoming dataset. Older county documents (e.g., the Commercial Electrical Plan Submittal checklist, which still cites the 2020 NEC) have not yet been updated to match — Chapter 4 is the current, authoritative source for code editions.
- Campbell County has a dedicated Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance (Chapter 7 § 45.70) — unusual among unincorporated Wyoming counties, reflecting Campbell's FULL/L-L delegation status. ADU size is capped at the smaller of 60% of the primary home's footprint or 1,100 sq. ft., and requires HOA/Improvement & Service District/Covenants sign-off (or a $200 Conditional Use Permit if none exists).
- Local design criteria (Chapter 4 Section 1.6, supersedes IRC Table R301.2): 35 psf roof snow load (≤1:12 pitch)/30 psf (>1:12 pitch) with no reductions; wind speed 100–120 mph by risk category; Seismic Design Category B; 42-inch building frost line depth; −5°F winter design temperature; ice barrier underlayment required; Air Freezing Index 2000; mean annual temperature 45°F.
- A valid Campbell-County-issued address must be posted before ANY Building Division inspection will be performed — request an address early in the process; two free address plates/number sets are provided by the county.
- Wyoming 811 (One Call, 800-849-2476) must be contacted before any excavation, and a minimum 12-inch culvert is required for new driveway approaches crossing drainage ditches.
- Campbell County (unincorporated) is administratively and fee-wise distinct from the City of Gillette, which sits inside Campbell County but runs its own City Code Chapter 5 building program with per-fixture/per-amperage fees — do not cross-apply Gillette's fee schedule to unincorporated county projects, or vice versa.
- Small Wastewater System (septic) applications are submitted directly to Campbell County Public Works (septic@campbellcountywy.gov) under DEQ-delegated authority (W.S. 35-11-304); review is typically completed within 48 hours of a complete submittal, and there is no separate permit fee published for this permit type either.