Unincorporated Sheridan County building permits

Verified

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

Last verified 2026-07-01 · Source

Building department

Address: 224 South Main Street, Suite 428, Sheridan, WY 82801
Phone: (307) 674-2920 or (307) 675-2420
Email: publicworks@sheridancountywy.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 countywide building code / NO general building permit for private construction in unincorporated Sheridan County. Per the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's 'Local and State Jurisdictions' chart, Sheridan County (county-level row) is listed BLDG INSP/PR = STATE and ELEC INSP/PR = STATE — the county has NOT taken general countywide building-code delegation under W.S. § 35-9-121, so the State Fire Marshal / state program has building and electrical jurisdiction across most of unincorporated Sheridan County.IMPORTANT NUANCE (confirmed on the county's own site): Sheridan County DOES have an adopted 'Building Standards, Sheridan County, Wyoming' rule (adopted Nov. 18, 1991; last amended May 16, 2023, filed as County Clerk doc. #2023-785780) that adopts the 2021 International Building Code, 2021 IRC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IPC, 2021 International Fire Code, the National Electrical Code, and the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings — but ARTICLE I, Section 3 (Applicability) confirms this code applies ONLY within a mapped 'Sheridan County Building Standards Area' (a defined zone around/adjoining the City of Sheridan shown on the Appendix A Planning Map), PLUS specific legacy subdivisions the BOCC imposed permitting/inspection on before Dec. 5, 2006, all NEW subdivisions approved after Dec. 5, 2006, and any structure built under a Conditional Use Permit. It does NOT apply countywide.Farms and ranches on 40 acres or more of deeded land are specifically EXEMPT from the Building Standards code entirely (Article I, Sec. 3(b)(1)), as are county hospitals, mines/oilfield/refinery facilities, and railway buildings.Where the Building Standards DO apply (the mapped area / qualifying subdivisions / CUP structures): a building permit is required before construction of any building/structure valued over $5,000 (Article III, Sec. 1), enforced by the Sheridan County Building Official.Where the Building Standards do NOT apply (the vast majority of unincorporated Sheridan County — rural and agricultural land outside the mapped area): there is no county building permit for private construction; a Zoning Permit (land-use/setback compliance, not a structural building-code permit) is still required countywide for new construction or change of use.Electrical: wiring permits/inspections are issued by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office — Dept. of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety (Chief Electrical Inspector), not Sheridan County, per the county's own Zoning Permit application which directs applicants doing new electrical work to WSFM.

Permit types & fees

Zoning Permit

The baseline land-use permit required countywide in unincorporated Sheridan County before new construction, additions, accessory structures, or a change of use — regardless of whether the parcel falls inside the mapped Building Standards (building-code) area. Verifies zoning district compliance, setbacks, access, and floodplain location; is NOT a structural building-code review outside the mapped Building Standards Area.

Building Permit (Sheridan County Building Standards Area ONLY)

A true structural building-code permit under the adopted 2021 I-Codes package IS required, but ONLY for structures within the mapped 'Sheridan County Building Standards Area' (a zone around/adjoining the City of Sheridan — see Appendix A Planning Map), specific legacy subdivisions the BOCC already imposed permitting/inspection on before Dec. 5, 2006, all subdivisions approved after Dec. 5, 2006, and any structure built under a Conditional Use Permit. Outside that defined area, unincorporated Sheridan County generally has NO county building permit for private construction.

Flood Plain Development Permit

Required countywide (including outside the Building Standards Area) for development activity within the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, under Sheridan County's Rules and Regulations Governing Flood Plain Management. Covers new construction, substantial improvements, fill placement, and other development in the floodplain.

Septic / Small Wastewater System Permit

Required countywide for installation of a new conventional septic tank and leachfield system (or other small wastewater disposal system) in unincorporated Sheridan County, under the county's Rules and Regulations Governing Wastewater Systems (aligned with WY DEQ Water Quality Rules and Regulations Chapter 25).

Driveway / Road-Use (Access) Permit

Required countywide for any driveway or subdivision road entering a Sheridan County-maintained road; issued by Sheridan County Engineering at no charge. Driveways accessing a STATE highway instead require a WYDOT access permit, not a county permit.

Electrical Permit (State Program)

Electrical wiring permits and inspections for unincorporated Sheridan County are issued by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office — Dept. of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety (Chief Electrical Inspector) under W.S. § 35-9-119, not by Sheridan County. Sheridan County's own Zoning Permit application directs applicants with new electrical work to the state program.

Tips & gotchas

Unincorporated Sheridan County generally has NO county building permit for private construction — the Wyoming State Fire Marshal chart lists the county-level row as BLDG/ELEC = STATE. But this is not a blanket 'never' answer: the county DOES enforce a genuine 2021 I-Codes building code within a mapped 'Sheridan County Building Standards Area' near the City of Sheridan, plus certain legacy pre-2006 subdivisions, all post-2006 subdivisions, and Conditional Use Permit structures. Confirm your parcel's status with Sheridan County Public Works before assuming either way.
Do NOT confuse this page with the CITY of Sheridan, which is a separate, FULL city-issued building department covering land within Sheridan city limits (see the 'sheridan' jurisdiction page) — that page is for the incorporated city, this page is for the unincorporated county.
Even where no structural building permit applies, real permits still apply countywide: a Zoning Permit ($150) for new construction or change of use, a Floodplain Development Permit ($100) if in the mapped flood hazard area, a Septic/Small Wastewater Permit ($250) for a new onsite wastewater system, and a free Driveway/Road-Use Permit for any new access onto a county-maintained road.
Electrical wiring work is inspected and permitted by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office (Dept. of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety), not Sheridan County — confirmed directly on the county's own Zoning Permit application form.
Driveways onto STATE highways need a WYDOT Access Permit, not the county's driveway permit; driveways onto county-maintained roads use the free Sheridan County Engineering driveway permit instead.
New water wells are permitted through the Wyoming State Engineer's Office, not Sheridan County — also confirmed on the county's Zoning Permit application form.
Farms and ranches on 40+ deeded acres are exempt from the county's Building Standards code entirely, even within the mapped Building Standards Area — 'farms or ranches' means structures used exclusively for growing crops or raising livestock, and does NOT include residential dwellings.