Unincorporated Fremont County building permits

Verified

Department contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Fremont County, Wyoming.

Last verified 2026-07-01 · Source

Building department

Address: 450 North 2nd Street, Lander, WY 82520
Phone: (307) 332-1052
Email: support@fremontcountywy.gov
Office hours: Mon–Fri (contact department for current hours)
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.

NO county-wide building code and NO county-specific building permit for private construction. Fremont County's own Planning Department page states verbatim: 'Fremont County does not have any County-wide Zoning or County specific Building Codes, except the following' (small wastewater/septic permits and floodplain zoning in mapped FEMA hazard areas near Lander, Riverton, Dubois, and Hudson) — https://fremontcountywy.gov/government/departments/planning_department/building_codes.phpConfirmed against the Wyoming Dept. of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety 'LOCAL AND STATE JURISDICTIONS' chart (updated 5/11/2026, embedded at wsfm.wyo.gov/electrical-safety): Fremont County's BLDG INSP/PR and ELEC INSP/PR columns are both marked S/S (state), meaning the county has NOT taken general building-code delegation under W.S. § 35-9-121 — the State of Wyoming, not Fremont County, has building jurisdiction over unincorporated private constructionFremont County's own building-codes page RECOMMENDS (does not require) that residents follow the State of Wyoming's adopted codes for new construction: 2024 International Building Code, 2024 International Existing Building Code, 2024 International Mechanical Code, 2024 International Fire Code, 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, and the National Electrical Code (2023 edition currently in effect statewide; WSFM's own site notes the 2026 NEC edition takes effect July 1, 2026) — these are recommendations for quality/insurability, not a locally enforced code, and the county issues no building permit and performs no building inspection against themFremont County explicitly states it does NOT issue Certificates of OccupancyCommercial/public construction is NOT fully unregulated: per Wyoming Statute § 35-9-108, a State Fire Marshal plan review IS required for government/school buildings, buildings over 5,000 sq ft with public access, childcare centers (10+ children), multi-story buildings, places of assembly, fire-protection-system work, alternative energy installations (solar/wind/generator), aboveground flammable/combustible liquid storage tanks, Type I commercial kitchen hoods, spray finish applications, and RV/camping/mobile-home park site plans — contact the State Fire Marshal's Plan Review office (Jeff Schoen, (307) 673-1461, jeff.schoen@wyo.gov) for any of these commercial scopesThe Incorporated Cities within Fremont County (Riverton, Lander, Dubois, Hudson, Shoshoni, Pavillion, and South Pass City) each have their OWN separate zoning and building codes and issue their own permits — this LEAN page covers ONLY unincorporated (outside city-limits) Fremont County. See the separate City of Riverton page for Riverton's own building department.

Permit types & fees

Floodplain Development Permit

Required for construction, excavation, or other development within Fremont County's FEMA-mapped 100-year flood hazard areas (near Lander, Dubois, Hudson, and Riverton). This is one of the county's only two general land-development permit categories, since Fremont County has no county-wide building code.

Small Wastewater (Septic) System Permit

Required for any new septic system installation, replacement, modification, or repair generating less than 2,000 gallons per day in unincorporated Fremont County. Fremont County holds delegated authority from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to permit these systems under the Fremont County Small Wastewater Regulations — this is one of only two general land-development permit categories the county administers, since it has no county-wide building code.

Road/Driveway Access Construction Permit

Required from the Fremont County Transportation (Road and Bridge) Department for constructing or modifying a driveway approach or access point onto a county road, for utility bore-and-cut work within county rights-of-way, and for signage in the right-of-way. This is separate from Planning Department permits and is administered entirely by County Transportation — it exists alongside the 'no county building permit' baseline because it regulates the public right-of-way, not the building itself.

Electrical Wiring Permit (State Program)

Electrical wiring permits in unincorporated Fremont County are issued by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office — Department of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety (Chief Electrical Inspector) — NOT by Fremont County. Per the WSFM 'LOCAL AND STATE JURISDICTIONS' chart, Fremont County's ELEC INSP/PR columns are both marked S/S (state) at the unincorporated-county level, confirming the county holds no delegated electrical authority outside city limits. (Contrast: the City of Riverton, a separate incorporated jurisdiction within the county, DOES run its own electrical program — see the separate Riverton page.)

Tips & gotchas

GROUNDED LEAN DETERMINATION: Fremont County's own Planning Department page states verbatim, 'Fremont County does not have any County-wide Zoning or County specific Building Codes, except the following' — followed by the two real exceptions (septic/small wastewater permits, and floodplain zoning near Lander/Riverton/Dubois/Hudson). This is confirmed independently by the WSFM 'LOCAL AND STATE JURISDICTIONS' chart, which marks Fremont County's BLDG INSP/PR columns S/S (state) at the unincorporated-county level — the county never took general building-code delegation under W.S. § 35-9-121. There is NO county building permit, NO county building inspector, and NO county-issued Certificate of Occupancy for private construction in unincorporated Fremont County. Both sources cited directly, live, 2026-07-01.
DO NOT CONFUSE with the City of Riverton: Riverton is a separate incorporated municipality within Fremont County with its own full building department, its own adopted 2024 ICC code family, its own electrical program (Municipal Code Ch. 15.08), and its own fee schedule (Resolution No. 1355) — see the separate 'riverton-wy' jurisdiction page. This LEAN page covers ONLY property outside the limits of Riverton and the county's other incorporated towns (Lander, Dubois, Hudson, Shoshoni, Pavillion, South Pass City).
WIND RIVER RESERVATION NOTE (grounded on the county's own site): the county's Building Codes page states the Wind River Reservation is 'Zoned Residential/Agricultural' and that 'Reservation Zoning is administered by the Intertribal Business council, (307) 332-6625' — NOT by Fremont County. If a parcel is within the Wind River Reservation boundary, this county-level guidance does not apply; contact the Eastern Shoshone/Northern Arapaho Tribes' Intertribal Business Council or the applicable BIA/Tribal authority directly for permitting jurisdiction.
South Pass City has its own Historic Zoning governing building appearance (available at the Fremont County Planning Office) — a narrow, geographically-limited exception to the general 'no building code' baseline, distinct from the Wind River Reservation carve-out.
REAL EXCEPTIONS THAT DO APPLY in unincorporated Fremont County, despite no general building permit: (1) Floodplain Development Permit ($750) if the parcel is in a FEMA-mapped 100-yr flood hazard area near Lander/Dubois/Hudson/Riverton; (2) Small Wastewater (septic) Permit ($400-$2,000 depending on system type) for any new/replacement/repaired septic system serving under 2,000 gal/day, administered by Fremont County under DEQ-delegated authority; (3) Road/Driveway Access Construction Permit (Approach Application) from Fremont County Transportation for any new/altered driveway connecting to a county-maintained road, plus separate bore-cut/utility-ROW permits; (4) Electrical wiring permits — issued by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's statewide program ($50 standard permit), NOT the county. Confirm all of the above directly with Fremont County Planning ((307) 332-1052) or Fremont County Transportation before beginning any project.
Commercial and public construction still faces STATE review even without a county permit: Wyoming Statute § 35-9-108 requires a Wyoming State Fire Marshal plan review for government/school buildings, buildings over 5,000 sq ft with public access, childcare centers (10+ children), multi-story buildings, assembly occupancies, fire-protection-system installs, alternative-energy installations (solar/wind/generator), aboveground flammable-liquid storage/dispensing, Type I commercial kitchen hoods, spray-finish operations, and RV/mobile-home park site plans. Contact the State Fire Marshal Plan Review office (Jeff Schoen, (307) 673-1461, jeff.schoen@wyo.gov) for any of these.
Water wells require a SEPARATE permit through the Wyoming State Engineer's Office — not the county and not DEQ. Wastewater systems at or above 2,000 gallons/day of residential waste, or any high-strength/commercial wastewater system, are permitted by Wyoming DEQ directly (Northwest District Engineer, Hannes Stueckler, (307) 335-6961), not by the county.
Fremont County RECOMMENDS (but does not require, since it has no enforcement authority) that residents build to the State of Wyoming's adopted 2024 IBC/IEBC/IMC/IFC/IFGC and current NEC editions and hire qualified contractors — this is guidance for insurability/resale value, not an enforced local code with a permit or inspection behind it.
The Road/Driveway Access Construction Permit fee could NOT be grounded to a specific dollar amount from the county's published FY2025 Planning fee schedule (that schedule covers Planning Department fees — subdivisions, septic, floodplain, addressing/signage, wind/solar — not Transportation Department road-access fees). The application forms and rules documents are confirmed live; contact Fremont County Transportation directly for current cost.
Fremont County's Planning FY 2025 Fee Schedule PDF and the Approach Application PDF are both scanned/rendered documents with extractable inline text in the Approach Application's case, but the fee schedule required rendering to PNG (150 dpi via pdftoppm) and visual transcription to capture the fee table accurately.