Unincorporated Laramie County building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Laramie County, Wyoming.
Last verified 2026-07-01 · Source
Building department
- Address
- 3966 Archer Parkway, Cheyenne, WY 82009
- Phone
- (307) 633-4303
- Office hours
- Monday–Friday 7:00 AM–5:30 PM (closed Saturday/Sunday); Building Inspection line (307) 633-4615; fax (307) 633-4519
- 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 Single-Family Residence)
Required for construction of a new single-family residence in unincorporated Laramie County, including manufactured/modular homes placed on a foundation. Governed by the 2024 IRC as adopted effective January 1, 2025, with the county's own climatic/geographic design criteria table.
Residential Addition, Remodel, Deck/Patio/Porch, and Basement Finish Permit
Required for additions, interior remodels/renovations, basement finishes, and residential decks/patios/porches in unincorporated Laramie County. Charged under the same valuation-based fee table as new construction, using the county's per-square-foot project valuation chart.
Electrical Permit
Required for electrical work in unincorporated Laramie County. Laramie County holds delegated LOCAL electrical enforcement authority under W.S. § 35-9-121 (confirmed by the WSFM 'LOCAL AND STATE JURISDICTIONS' chart, which lists Laramie County unincorporated as ELEC INSP/PR = L/L) — the county's own Building Department issues and inspects electrical permits; this is NOT the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's default statewide electrical program. Governed by the 2023 National Electrical Code, adopted by the Board of Commissioners on December 5, 2023.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs in unincorporated Laramie County, charged as a 'Counter: Plumbing/Mechanical/Electrical/Gas' permit under the county's general valuation-based fee schedule.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, cooling, ventilation, and fuel-gas installations in unincorporated Laramie County, charged as a 'Counter: Plumbing/Mechanical/Electrical/Gas' permit under the county's general valuation-based fee schedule.
Roofing Permit
Non-structural residential re-roofing is exempt from permits and inspections in unincorporated Laramie County per the county Board of Commissioners' adopted residential exemptions. Structural roofing work (e.g., roof framing changes, roof replacements involving structural modification) still requires a building permit.
Solar PV Permit
Required for installation of residential or commercial solar photovoltaic systems in unincorporated Laramie County. Filed as an 'Alternative Energy' permit; plans must include a site-specific electrical one-line diagram, and any battery backup/electrical panel upgrade/energy storage system must be shown. A separate permit is required if a new generator is installed alongside the solar system.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Required for construction of an ADU in unincorporated Laramie County. Zoning eligibility and dimensional/utility standards are set by Laramie County Land Use Regulations Section 3-1-107 Part E; construction standards follow 2024 IRC Appendix BC (Accessory Dwelling Units), which the county distributes as its official ADU building-code handout. A separate Non-Traditional Housing Approval Permit from Planning and Zoning is required in addition to the building permit.
Demolition Permit
Required for demolition of structures in unincorporated Laramie County. Charged under the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee schedule as other permit types; no separate flat demolition fee is published.
Commercial Tenant Improvement / Renovation Permit
Required for interior alterations, repairs, and tenant improvements to existing commercial buildings in unincorporated Laramie County. Requires a Certificate of Review (C.O.R.) from the Planning Department and fully engineered, Wyoming-Design-Professional-stamped plans, charged under the general valuation-based fee schedule.
Tips & gotchas
- GOTCHA: 'Unincorporated Laramie County' is administered by Laramie County Planning & Development and is completely separate from the City of Cheyenne (the county seat, also inside Laramie County, with its own building department) AND from the City of Laramie (a different municipality entirely, located in Albany County). Do not mix up permitting contacts, fee schedules, or adopted codes across these three jurisdictions.
- Laramie County holds delegated LOCAL building AND electrical enforcement authority under W.S. § 35-9-121 — confirmed both by the county's own Resolution #251202-14 (which cites this statute directly) and by the WSFM 'LOCAL AND STATE JURISDICTIONS' chart (BLDG L/L, ELEC L/L for Laramie County unincorporated). The county runs its own full-service building department; it is not relying on the state's default electrical program.
- Homeowners may self-perform ALL work, including electrical, on their own primary residence per the county's official Building Department FAQ — a notably permissive homeowner exemption compared to many other jurisdictions.
- The county's adopted 'Building Permit Fee Schedule' PDF is explicitly labeled '2022 Building and Plan Review Fee Schedule' even though it is the current schedule cited live on the county's 2026 website — this is the verified, current, adopted fee table (no newer schedule has superseded it as of this extraction).
- As of December 2, 2025 (Resolution #251202-14), the detached-accessory-structure permit exemption threshold was RAISED from 200 to 400 square feet — a very recent change; older county documents/handouts (e.g., the FAQ sheet) may still reference the old 200 sq ft figure.
- Non-structural residential re-roofing, siding replacement, and same-size window replacement are the ONLY residential work types the Board of Commissioners has exempted from permits/inspections — nearly everything else (including finishing a basement, building an accessory structure over 400 sq ft, or installing solar) requires a permit.
- Laramie County uses its OWN per-square-foot project valuation chart (not a generic ICC valuation table) to calculate 'valuation' for fee purposes — rates differ by construction type (1st floor, 2nd floor/bonus room, basement finished/unfinished, garage, porch/patio/deck by enclosure type, detached accessory building).
- All permit applications go through the Laramie County, WY Public Portal (SmartGov: co-laramie-wy.smartgovcommunity.com) — a different portal system than Cheyenne's OpenGov-based system.
- Solar and large wind turbine permits are charged per-string / per-tower, NOT under the general valuation table — a distinct fee mechanism from every other permit type in this jurisdiction.
- ADUs require BOTH a Non-Traditional Housing Approval Permit (Planning and Zoning) AND a standard building permit — do not assume the building permit alone is sufficient.
- Other agencies handle adjacent permits the county Building Department does NOT: Access/Culvert permits (Laramie County Public Works, 307-633-4302), septic/small wastewater permits (City/County Environmental Health, 307-633-4090), water well permits (Wyoming State Engineer's Office, 307-777-6163), and South Cheyenne Water & Sewer District services (307-635-5608).