Unincorporated Teton County building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Teton County, Wyoming.
Last verified 2026-07-01 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 200 S. Willow Street, Jackson, WY 83001 (P.O. Box 1727, Jackson, WY 83001-1727)
- Phone
- 307-733-3959 (Building Official/fee estimates: 307-733-7030; Inspection Line: 307-732-5745)
- Office hours
- Applications submitted through the Teton County Online Portal (SmartGov); New Residential Construction, Commercial New Construction, and Miscellaneous (under 500 sq ft) permits require a scheduled submission/take-in week booked via the Bookings page. Trade permits (mechanical, plumbing, demolition, re-roof) do not require a submission week and are typically issued within 48 hours.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Unincorporated Teton County's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Unincorporated Teton County — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
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.
- 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendix C (Group U-Agricultural Buildings) and Appendix I (Patio Covers) — Teton County Building Codes Resolution, effective February 1, 2025
- 2024 International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendix BB (Tiny Houses) and Appendix AF (Radon Control Methods) — effective February 1, 2025
- 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC), including Appendix E (Sizing of Water Piping System)
- 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC), including Appendix A (Combustion Air Openings and Chimney Connector Pass-Throughs)
- 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), all appendices excluded
- 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), all appendices excluded
- 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), including Appendix A (Guidelines for the Seismic Retrofit of Existing Buildings)
- 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), applied only to the extent referenced provisions relate to fire and life safety
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — enforced by the Electrical Division of the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Department (Section 101.4.8 Electrical, County Building Codes Resolution)
- 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) — adopted jointly by the Town of Jackson and Teton County; enforced by Jackson Hole Fire/EMS
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for new one- and two-family dwellings and other residential structures in unincorporated Teton County. Governed by the 2024 IRC. New Residential Construction submittals require a scheduled take-in week through the Teton County Online Portal (SmartGov); a WUI review/permit number (Jackson Hole Fire/EMS) must be obtained first, since all of Teton County is now mapped Wildland-Urban Interface.
Residential Addition / Remodel (Miscellaneous Building Permit)
Covers additions, alterations, and remodels to existing one- and two-family dwellings, and miscellaneous work under 500 sq ft, in unincorporated Teton County. Uses the same Building Permit fee structure as new construction, with remodel valuation set at 75% of new-construction valuation.
Electrical Permit
Electrical permits for unincorporated Teton County are issued, reviewed, and inspected by the Electrical Division of the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Department — a jointly-funded Town of Jackson / Teton County fire district — NOT the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's statewide program and not the County Building Division directly. This is expressly stated in both the County's adopted Building Codes Resolution (Section 101.4.8, 109.2) and the County's 2026 Fee Schedule.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing fixture installation, alteration, or repair in unincorporated Teton County. Issued as a trade permit (no submission-week scheduling required) via the County Online Portal, governed by the 2024 IPC.
Mechanical / Fuel Gas Permit
Required for HVAC, furnace, and fuel-gas appliance installation, alteration, or repair in unincorporated Teton County. Issued as a trade permit via the County Online Portal, governed by the 2024 IMC and 2024 IFGC.
Re-Roof Permit
Required for re-roofing work in unincorporated Teton County. Issued as a trade permit; re-roofs are exempt from the WUI review requirement.
Solar PV / Energy Storage System Permit
Photovoltaic solar electric systems in unincorporated Teton County require both a building/electrical permit and interact with the County's Energy Mitigation Program, which offers a fee credit for qualifying solar installations. Electrical plan review is mandatory for all Solar PV/Energy Storage System (battery) installations, per Jackson Hole Fire/EMS's Electrical Permits, Inspections & Reviews requirements.
Accessory Residential Unit (ARU)
Teton County's ADU category is the Accessory Residential Unit (ARU), governed by Land Development Regulations (LDR) Section 6.1.11.B, last amended 5/4/15 — a joint Town of Jackson/Teton County LDR framework maintained at jacksontetonplan.com and also hosted on the County's own DocumentCenter. An ARU is built under the standard residential building permit (no separate ARU permit type), but is subject to LDR use-standard restrictions and, if built after 6/4/2018, a Workforce deed-restriction compliance program administered by the Teton County Housing Department.
Demolition Permit
Required to demolish any building or structure in unincorporated Teton County. Trade permit, applied for via the County Online Portal.
Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Tenant Improvement)
Required for commercial new construction and tenant improvements in unincorporated Teton County. Requires a scheduled submission/take-in week through the County Online Portal, same as residential new construction.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station / EVSE Permit
Unincorporated Teton County has no distinct EV charger/EVSE permit application or fee line. Like all other electrical work in the county, EV charging equipment installation is permitted, plan-reviewed (where applicable), and inspected by the Electrical Division of the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Department — a jointly-funded Town of Jackson / Teton County fire district — not the County Building Division and not the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's statewide program. This mirrors the county's Solar PV/Energy Storage System permit, which is also processed as an electrical permit through Jackson Hole Fire/EMS. Governed by the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), which includes Article 625 (Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System) provisions for EVSE circuits and disconnects.
Sign Permit
Required for erection of exterior signs in unincorporated Teton County, except as exempt under the County's Zoning Resolutions. Administered as a Planning Permit product by Teton County Planning & Building Services and processed through the Planning Permit Application Portal (SmartGov), covering a standard per-sign Sign Permit and an optional Master Signage Plan for multi-tenant sites. The County's own Building Codes Resolution (Table 1, 'When Permits Are Required') lists 'Erection of Exterior Signs (Except as Exempt in Zoning Resolutions)' under Permit Category (7) Sign, requiring review by both the Building Division (BD) and Planning Division (PD) plus a Site Plan.
Fire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm Permit
Required for installation of automatic fire-extinguishing (sprinkler) systems and fire alarm/detection systems in unincorporated Teton County, administered by the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Department's Fire and Electrical Division. The Board of County Commissioners has adopted a separate 2024 Fire Code Resolution (2024 International Fire Code plus 2024 International Wildland Urban Interface Code) for the unincorporated county, per the recital text of the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS 2025 Master Fee Schedule (Resolution 25-031). That Master Fee Schedule is explicitly scoped to 'Unincorporated Areas of Teton County outside of the Town of Jackson,' effective January 1, 2026 — the mirror image of the Town of Jackson's own jurisdiction file, where this same schedule is documented as explicitly NOT applying. The County's own Planning & Building 2026 Schedule of Fees corroborates this division of labor directly, stating under Inspection and Review Fees: 'Fire sprinkler and alarm systems: Contact Jackson Hole Fire/EMS for permits and fees.' Separately, the County's own Building Codes Resolution requires all structures 5,000 sq ft or larger, regardless of occupancy, to be protected by an approved automatic fire sprinkler system (Section 903.2 amendment).
Change of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy
Unincorporated Teton County has no standalone Change of Use or Certificate of Occupancy permit product or fee line — the same finding documented in the Town of Jackson's jurisdiction file. A change of occupancy classification for an existing building is processed as a standard Building Permit (residential) or Commercial Building Permit (commercial/tenant space) application under the County's adopted 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), which the County's own Building Codes Resolution retitles the 'Existing Building Code for Teton County' (Section 101.1 amendment) and which specifically governs alterations, additions, and change of occupancy for existing buildings. The Certificate of Occupancy itself is issued as the final step of any building permit — new construction, addition/remodel, or change of occupancy alike — consistent with this file's residential-building-permit entry, which documents 'Certificate of Occupancy required before occupancy, following final inspection.' Neither Table 1 ('When Permits Are Required') of the County Building Codes Resolution nor the County's 2026 Schedule of Fees lists a separate change-of-occupancy or Certificate of Occupancy permit category or fee line.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- 6units
6 buildings · $16.6M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 156units
12 of 12 months reported · #6 in Wyoming coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 40units
38 buildings · $100.8M valuation
- Full year 2025
- 157units
84 buildings · $264.2M valuation
County-wide figures: BPS reports county-wide totals; jurisdiction is the unincorporated remainder — county totals include incorporated cities; county file row: 'Teton County' (co2605c.txt, 56/039); place file also carries 'Teton County Unincorporated Area' (place code 99990) as a possible Phase-1 alternative
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Wyoming building activity
Tips & gotchas
- All of unincorporated Teton County is mapped Wildland-Urban Interface as of January 1, 2025 — a WUI review/permit number from Jackson Hole Fire/EMS is required before the Building Department will accept most building permit submittals.
- Electrical permitting for the unincorporated county is handled by the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Electrical Division, NOT the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's statewide default electrical program and not the County Building Division — this is a locally-delegated program confirmed in both the County's Building Codes Resolution and its own Fee Schedule.
- New Residential Construction, Commercial New Construction, and Miscellaneous (under 500 sq ft) permits require a scheduled take-in/submission week via the County's Bookings page; trade permits (mechanical, plumbing, demolition, re-roof) do not and are typically issued within 48 hours.
- Short-term rental rules in unincorporated Teton County (31-day minimum, LDR Section 6.1.4.A, limited to specifically-named resort developments) are substantially MORE restrictive than the Town of Jackson's town-wide STR ordinance — do not assume Jackson's STR rules apply outside town limits.
- The County's Accessory Residential Unit (ARU) is built under a standard residential building permit — there is no separate ARU permit — but is bound by LDR Section 6.1.11.B occupancy/rental-period restrictions and, for units built after 6/4/2018, an ongoing Workforce deed-restriction compliance program.
- Ground snow load is not a single county-wide number — it is site-specific per the County GIS Ground Snow Loads layer (blue-shaded areas = 175 psf, tan-shaded areas = 120 psf); consult the GIS map for a specific parcel.
- Inspections must occur at least every 180 days to keep a permit active; a permit application itself is deemed abandoned 180 days after filing unless pursued in good faith or issued.