Casper building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Casper, Wyoming.
Last verified 2026-07-01 · Source
Building department
- Address
- 200 N David St, Casper, WY 82601
- Phone
- (307) 235-8254
- Office hours
- Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (in-person/phone code consultation available 8:00–9:00 AM and 4:00–5:00 PM)
- 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 and other new one- and two-family residential construction in Casper. Governed by the 2024 IRC. Reviewed for compliance with structural, energy (thermal envelope), and life-safety provisions before permit issuance.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for additions, remodels, and alterations to existing one- and two-family dwellings in Casper, including decks, patio covers, detached garages, and basement finishes when they involve framing, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work. Governed by the 2024 IRC.
Electrical Permit
Required for electrical installations, alterations, and service changes within the City of Casper. Casper's Building Inspection Division holds delegated local electrical authority and performs its OWN electrical plan review and inspections under the 2023 NFPA 70 NEC — electrical permits here are NOT issued by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's statewide electrical program.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs in Casper. Governed by the 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC).
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, cooling, ventilation, and fuel gas equipment installations in Casper. Governed by the 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC).
Roofing Permit (Reroof)
Required for roof replacement (tear-off and reroof) on residential and commercial buildings in Casper. A Residential Roofing and Re-Roofing Building Guide is available from Community Development. Fees are valuation-based off the City's combined fee schedule.
Solar PV Permit
Casper issues no separate solar-PV permit type; rooftop or ground-mounted PV is permitted as a combined building permit (structural/racking) and electrical permit (interconnection, wiring) under the City's general valuation-based fee schedule (City of Casper Fee Schedule, eff. Feb 2, 2026), the same schedule that prices every other building/electrical trade permit in Casper.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Casper Municipal Code Title 17 (Zoning) § 17.08.010 defines an 'accessory dwelling unit' as a habitable living unit added to, created within, or detached from a single-family dwelling that provides basic living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation facilities; either the principal or the accessory unit must be owner-occupied (or occupied by an immediate family member of the owner), and an ADU may not be subdivided or separated in ownership from the principal dwelling. Per § 17.32.030(J), an accessory dwelling unit is a CONDITIONAL USE in the R-2 (One Unit Residential) zoning district — it is not listed as permitted or conditional in R-1 (Residential Estate, § 17.28), R-3 (One to Four Unit Residential, § 17.36), R-4 (High Density Residential, § 17.40), or R-5 (Mixed Residential, § 17.44). There is no standalone ADU ordinance or ADU-specific permit fee; once the R-2 conditional use permit is approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission (procedure at § 17.12.240), the ADU is built under the standard residential building permit process (2024 IRC) and priced off the combined valuation-based fee schedule.
Demolition Permit
Required for demolition of structures in Casper. Residential and commercial demolition are flat-fee permits; an Erosion Control Permit is also required if applicable to the site disturbance.
Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit
Required for interior alterations to commercial spaces (tenant build-outs, remodels) in Casper. Commercial projects often require a life-safety plan, engineered building/site plan drawings, and Planning/Zoning approval prior to permit issuance. Governed by the 2024 IBC and 2024 IFC.
Basement Finish Permit
Required for finishing a basement in an existing residential structure in Casper when the work involves framing, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical systems. A dedicated Building Guide ('Residential single family basement finish') is available from Community Development. Governed by the 2024 IRC.
Deck Permit
Required for construction of a new deck attached or detached from a residential structure in Casper, unless the deck qualifies as exempt flatwork. A dedicated Building Guide ('Residential single family decks') is available from Community Development. Governed by the 2024 IRC.
Tips & gotchas
- Casper uses a SINGLE COMBINED Building, Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical valuation-based permit fee schedule — most trade permits are priced off the same table rather than separate per-trade tables (a notable contrast to cities like Reno that publish separate flat-rate and EZ-permit tables per trade).
- Casper issues its OWN electrical permits and performs its own electrical inspections through its Building Inspection Division — it is NOT under the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's default statewide electrical program. This was confirmed directly from the City's own Building and Fire Code Resources page (staff includes a Deputy Building Official/Electrical Inspector and a separate Electrical Inspector) and its Inspection Information page (lists City-run Temporary Power, Rough Electrical, Service, and Final Electrical inspections).
- Casper has adopted the 2024 I-Codes package (IBC, IRC, IFC, IEBC, IECC, IPC, IFGC, IMC) plus the 2023 NFPA 70 NEC and ICC A117.1-2009 — confirmed directly from the City's own adopted-codes page.
- The 2024 IECC applies to the BUILDING THERMAL ENVELOPE ONLY per the City's own adoption note — this is a notable local carve-out.
- Permits are valid for 180 days from issuance.
- A $280 flat plan check fee applies to all new 1- and 2-family residential buildings; a 65% plan check fee applies to multi-family/commercial/industrial permits exceeding $25,000 in valuation.
- After-the-fact permits (construction started before plan review/approval) are assessed double the standard fee.
- Certain small-scale work is exempt from a building permit: unheated detached accessory buildings under 120 sq ft, fences under 6 ft, retaining walls under 4 ft (with conditions), exempt flatwork under 30 inches above grade, and cosmetic finish work — though a free Fence/Shed permit may still be required for some of these.
- Casper does not maintain a standalone ADU ordinance or a dedicated solar PV permit/fee. Solar PV is permitted as a combined building+electrical permit under the general valuation-based fee schedule. ADUs are a conditional use ONLY in the R-2 (One Unit Residential) zoning district — confirmed directly from Casper Municipal Code Title 17 § 17.32.030(J) via the Municode Library (Municode blocks automated fetches but renders fully in a real browser); ADUs are not an allowed use in R-1, R-3, R-4, or R-5, and require Planning and Zoning Commission conditional-use approval plus owner-occupancy of the principal or accessory unit per the ADU definition in § 17.08.010.
- Casper's Building Inspection Division: Chief Building Official — Justin Scott; Deputy Building Official/Electrical Inspector — Shawn Barrett; Electrical Inspector — Joe Porter; Plumbing/Mechanical Inspectors — Donnie Lane and Brian DeVault; Building Inspector — Zac Horner (per the City's own Building and Fire Code Resources page, current as of verification date).
- Permits/inspections should be submitted through the CSS (Citizen Self-Service) Portal, which runs on Tyler Technologies EnerGov at eg.casperwy.gov.