Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-09-29
3 of Nebraska's 93 counties — 3% — require no residential building permit and have no county-wide zoning in their unincorporated areas. That is the 20th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Richardson County (65/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 563 counties nationwide → Nebraska: no building codes → Nebraska: no zoning → Nebraska: owner-builder → Nebraska: no minimum home size → Full Nebraska profile →
3 of 93 Nebraska counties · sorted by Index score
Permits listed by Richardson County Planning and Zoning for construction-related activity in Richardson County. The county page states that permits are none at this time and are…
Forms, Permits and Regulations – Richardson County ↗Blaine County's official site lists 14 offices with no building department, permit office, or inspector, indicating no county building-permit program in unincorporated areas. St…
Blaine County, Nebraska - Our Offices ↗The county has no building department and no adopted zoning, and its Planning Commission is only now developing a comprehensive plan, so no county residential building permit pr…
Butler County Planning Commission ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Nebraska state page for all 93 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
Off-grid gear
Building on land in one of these Nebraska counties? The kit we'd start with:
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General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
