Unincorporated Uinta County building permits

Building department

Address

Uinta County Courthouse, 225 9th Street, Evanston, WY 82930-3415

Phone

(307) 783-0301 (Evanston); (307) 782-7432 (Bridger Valley); (307) 783-0318 (Planning & Zoning direct)

Email

Direct staff emails now published on the Planning & Development page (verified 2026-07-17): Darby Noorda, Administrative Assistant — danoorda@uintacountywy.gov (the Land Use/Building Permits subpage shows this same contact as danoorda@uintacounty.com — a domain inconsistency on the county's own site); Kent Williams, Planner — kewilliams@uintacountywy.gov; Gary Welling, GIS Coordinator/Dept. Head — gary.welling@uintacountywy.gov. No single general department inbox found.

Office hours

Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Website

Official site

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Unincorporated Uinta 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.

• NO countywide building code and NO general building permit for private construction in unincorporated Uinta County. Per the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office 'LOCAL AND STATE JURISDICTIONS' chart (updated 7/7/2026, re-verified 2026-07-17), Uinta County at the county (unincorporated) level shows BLDG INSP/PR = S/S and ELEC INSP/PR = S/S — the county has NOT taken general building-permit delegation under W.S. § 35-9-121; the State of Wyoming retains building and electrical jurisdiction over private construction in the unincorporated county.
• CONFIRMED against the county's own site: Uinta County's 'Land Use / Building Permits' page (title notwithstanding) describes only a Land Use Certificate/Use Certificate process under the Uinta County Land Use Plan Resolution 23-02 (adopted under W.S. Title 18, Chapter 5, § 18-5-201) — a zoning/land-use approval, NOT an IBC/IRC construction permit with plan review and building inspections.
• Uinta County Resolution 24-44 (Nov 2024) repeals the 2006 International Fire Code and adopts the 2024 'ICC-Codes' International Building Code text — but this is done under the county's DELEGATED FIRE-PREVENTION authority (W.S. § 35-9-121, 'Council for Fire Prevention', county acting 'as the delegated authority of the State Fire Marshal/Director') for fire-code enforcement purposes, not a general building-permit-issuing delegation for private construction. This is consistent with the WSFM chart's BLDG INSP/PR = S/S classification for the county.
• Electrical work in unincorporated Uinta County is NOT locally regulated — per the WSFM chart (ELEC INSP/PR = S/S) electrical permitting/inspection is performed by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office (Chief Electrical Inspector) under the state's default statewide electrical program (W.S. § 35-9-119).

Permit types & fees

• Land Use Certificate (Zoning / Use Approval)

  Uinta County has NO general building permit or building code for private construction in the unincorporated county. Instead, new construction or alteration of a structure on unincorporated land requires a Land Use Certificate — a zoning/land-use compliance approval issued by the Planning Department under the Uinta County Land Use Plan Resolution 23-02 (adopted per W.S. Title 18, Ch. 5, § 18-5-201). This is NOT an IBC/IRC construction permit — there is no county plan review against a building code and no county construction-progress inspections (footing, framing, MEP rough-in, final) for ordinary private construction. COMMERCIAL/BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION IS COVERED BY THIS SAME CERTIFICATE: re-verified 2026-08-01 against the county's Land Use / Building Permits page, there is no separate commercial building permit, no commercial application form, and no commercial fee tier in unincorporated Uinta County (unlike, e.g., Albany County's distinct $500 commercial/industrial zoning-certificate track) — a commercial structure goes through this same Land Use Certificate process, with the use itself governed by the zoning district (a use that is not a use-by-right in the district needs a Conditional Use Permit, $200.00, instead — see the change-of-use-permit entry). For qualifying commercial buildings the effective CONSTRUCTION-CODE gate is the STATE's: mandatory Wyoming State Fire Marshal plan review under W.S. § 35-9-108 (see tips below).

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• Floodplain Development (Use Certificate in Special Flood Hazard Area)

  A Use Certificate (the same Land Use Certificate mechanism, applied to flood-hazard areas) must be obtained BEFORE any construction or development begins within an area of special flood hazard shown on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps for unincorporated Uinta County. Administered by the Planning Department under Chapter 4 (Flood Hazard Area Overlay District) of the Uinta County Land Use Resolution.

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• Road / Driveway Access Permit

  Required to construct any new access (driveway) onto a county road right-of-way in unincorporated Uinta County. Issued by Uinta County Planning & Zoning, subject to the Uinta County Road Access Encroachment Resolution; the Road & Bridge Foreman may add stipulations and performs the final inspection.

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• Small Wastewater (Septic) Permit

  A Small Wastewater Permit is required for construction, installation, or modification of a small wastewater (septic) system in unincorporated Uinta County. Administered directly by Uinta County Planning & Zoning under the Uinta County Small Wastewater Regulations (amended December 2016), consistent with Wyoming's Environmental Quality Act framework for small wastewater systems.

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• Electrical Permit (State Program)

  Uinta County does NOT run its own electrical inspection program at the county level. Per the WSFM 'LOCAL AND STATE JURISDICTIONS' chart, Uinta County unincorporated = ELEC INSP/PR: S/S, so electrical wiring permits for private construction in unincorporated Uinta County are issued by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office — Dept. of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety (Chief Electrical Inspector) under the statewide default program (W.S. § 35-9-119), enforcing the 2026 National Electrical Code (the 2026 NEC became effective statewide July 1, 2026, superseding the prior 2023 edition; confirmed on the WSFM electrical-safety page 2026-07-17).

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• Solar / Alternative Energy PV Permit (State Plan Review) + Land Use Certificate

  Unincorporated Uinta County has no county-run solar permit or building code (see land-use-certificate). A rooftop or ground-mount solar PV installation requires: (1) a Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office (Dept. of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety) Plan Review, using the state's dedicated 'Electrical PV Plan Checklist' — because Uinta County has not taken delegated electrical authority (WSFM chart: ELEC INSP/PR = S/S), this state-level review applies here just as it does to standard electrical wiring; and (2) a county Land Use Certificate as the alteration-to-a-structure zoning approval, using the same $50 (dwelling/address required) or $25 (no address required) fee as any other construction/alteration — there is no distinct county solar fee or application. Uinta County's own Land Use Resolution 23-02 was checked in full and contains no solar-specific provisions (no accessory-use size threshold, no setback rule) — solar is not separately addressed in county zoning here, unlike some neighboring Wyoming counties (e.g., Sweetwater, Laramie) that do have dedicated solar accessory-use standards.

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• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station / EVSE Permit (State Wiring Permit Program)

  Unincorporated Uinta County has no county-run electrical program and no dedicated EV charger/EVSE permit or fee. Per the WSFM 'LOCAL AND STATE JURISDICTIONS' chart, Uinta County unincorporated = ELEC INSP/PR: S/S, so an EV charging station installation is permitted through the same statewide Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office (Dept. of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety) wiring-permit program used for the county's electrical-permit entry, not a county process. The WSFM's 'Wiring Permits' page -- which lists the specific project categories requiring the more involved Plan Review process (government/school/large public-access buildings, fire protection systems, Alternative Energy installations such as solar/wind/generators, flammable-liquid storage/dispensing, commercial kitchen hoods, spray finishing, and RV/mobile-home park site plans) -- does not list EV charging stations among those Plan-Review-triggering categories, confirming that a standard EVSE circuit addition is processed as an ordinary Standard Wiring Permit rather than requiring the more extensive Alternative Energy plan review used for solar.

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• Sign Regulations (Outdoor Advertising Signs) — No Standalone Permit

  Unincorporated Uinta County has no standalone sign-permit application or fee. Signage — defined broadly in the Uinta County Land Use Resolution 23-02 (Chapter 2, Definitions) as an 'Outdoor advertising sign': 'any outdoor sign, display, light, device, figure, painting, drawing, message, plaque, poster, billboard, or any other thing which is designed, intended, or used to advertise or inform and which is visible from any place on the main traveled way of the Wyoming State Highway Department interstate or primary systems or any official county road' — is regulated purely as a zoning/dimensional standard under Chapter 5, Section 2(o) of the Resolution, not as a separate permit product. Outdoor advertising signs are allowed only in the Commercial and Industrial Zoning Districts. A sign beyond 150 feet from the nearest residence or Residential Zoning District boundary is allowed by right within stated dimensional limits; a sign within 150 feet of a residence/Residential District boundary, or exceeding those dimensional limits, instead requires the county's standard Conditional Use Permit ($200.00, Chapter 7 procedure). Chapter 5, Section 6(g) separately restricts on-site advertising signs specifically within the Industrial Zoning District (no flashing/blinking/moving parts; max 100 sq ft; max 15 ft height).

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• Fire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm / Fire Suppression System Permit (State Plan Review + County Fire Authority)

  Unincorporated Uinta County has no standalone county-issued sprinkler/alarm permit application or published local fee schedule. Installation, addition, or alteration of ANY fire protection system (fire alarm, fire sprinkler, or fire suppression) requires a mandatory Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office (Dept. of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety) Plan Review 'regardless of size or valuation,' submitted through the WSFM eLicensing/ePermit/ePayment Portal — no work may begin before the state's Permit to Construct is issued. Locally, fire-code enforcement authority for Uinta County (including the unincorporated county) is held by the Uinta County Fire Protection & EMS Joint Powers Board — the countywide fire authority with a fire chief in Evanston and one in Bridger Valley — which Uinta County Resolution 24-44 (Nov 2024) empowers by adopting the 2024 ICC fire code text under the county's DELEGATED fire-prevention authority (W.S. § 35-9-121, 'Council for Fire Prevention,' the county acting as delegated authority of the State Fire Marshal/Director; see codesAdopted). No published local Joint Powers Board permit fee schedule, application form, or distinct local inspection process specific to fire sprinkler/alarm work was found on the county's official site despite an active search — this is a genuine documentation gap, not confirmation that no local review occurs. Confirm current local Fire District review/inspection requirements directly with the Fire District (Evanston 307-789-3013; Bridger Valley 307-783-1000) in addition to completing the mandatory state WSFM plan review.

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• Change of Use (via Land Use Certificate) — No Separate Change-of-Use Product

  Unincorporated Uinta County does not have a distinct 'change of use' permit or a certificate of occupancy separate from the county's existing Land Use Certificate. Chapter 11 (Administration and Enforcement), Section 1 of the Uinta County Land Use Resolution 23-02 provides: 'No land shall be subdivided, nor shall the use of any land or structure be changed, nor shall any land be developed without first obtaining a Subdivision Permit, Map Amendment, Variance, Conditional Use Permit or Use Certificate as required by this resolution.' Section 2 further provides: 'It is unlawful to locate, erect, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, or change any building or land use within any area included in this Land Use Resolution without first obtaining a Use Certificate from the Board of County Commissioners or their agent.' A change of use of an existing building or parcel in unincorporated Uinta County is therefore processed through the SAME Land Use Certificate mechanism already documented in this jurisdiction's land-use-certificate permit type ($25.00-$50.00 administrative approval), not a separate application or fee. There is also no county-issued Certificate of Occupancy — consistent with the fact that Uinta County has no countywide building code, construction plan review, or building-inspection sign-off sequence for private construction (see codesAdopted and the land-use-certificate entry).

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