Building permits, zoning and land rules in Campbell County, Wyoming

It depends on where the parcel sits. In unincorporated Campbell County, building permits are not required for one- or two-family homes outside a platted subdivision, but permits are required for the home's electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic work¹. Land created through a Record of Survey or a subdivision-exemption process does not count as a platted subdivision¹.

Inside a platted subdivision, and for other regulated work, the owner or authorized agent must obtain the appropriate permit before construction, alteration, repair, demolition or an occupancy change¹. A zoned parcel needs an approved Zoning Certificate before any permit issues, and a building-permit applicant needs a valid county address¹.

Structures on parcels used exclusively for a qualifying farm or ranch operation are also outside Chapter 4, though an electrical contractor still needs an electrical permit and every small wastewater system still needs a permit¹. The county has adopted construction codes for work Chapter 4 governs¹. Ask the Building Division whether your parcel counts as platted before you plan⁵.

Inside the Town of Wright, the town's own permit rules apply; county rules cover unincorporated land only⁶.

The Campbell County Building Division handles county building permits and performs required inspections during construction⁷. The office is at 500 S. Gillette Ave., Suite 1500, Gillette, Wyoming 82716, and its phone number is (307) 682-1970⁵.

Planning and Zoning administers land-development rules in unincorporated Campbell County⁸. Contact that division at planning@campbellcountywy.gov or (307) 682-1970 for parcel zoning, Zoning Certificates, subdivisions and floodplain questions⁸. Zoning Certificates have no fee².

Campbell County Road & Bridge permits roadway approaches and other work in county rights of way; the office is at 5901 Hannum Rd, Gillette, WY 82716, and its phone number is 307-682-4411⁹. County road-access permits are required even on unzoned property, so confirm the road owner and permit details before designing the approach^9,10.

For a project that needs a building permit, the Building Division inspects during construction, and a final inspection happens before occupancy⁷. The first 2 inspections are free, and each same-type re-inspection after the second costs $60⁷. When the final inspection finds no violations, the county issues a Certificate of Occupancy; all new homes in platted subdivisions need one⁷.

A rural home using the building-permit exemption gets a lighter track: only the septic system and the electrical, plumbing and mechanical connections are inspected¹¹. The owner may opt into full building inspections to receive a Certificate of Occupancy verifying compliance with local building codes, which a lender, insurer or future buyer may ask about¹¹. Addresses must be posted before an inspection can be received¹¹.

Campbell County has no countywide zoning, but most subdivisions are zoned and every zoned parcel requires a Zoning Certificate showing that the proposed structure or use matches its zoning classification². Once the district is known, Chapter 7 supplies the applicable district rules². New minor and major subdivisions must obtain an appropriate zoning district¹². The Town of Wright keeps its own zoning regulations for land inside town limits¹³.

Lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and building height are district- and use-specific rather than uniform across Campbell County¹⁴. Accessory dwellings are allowed in most cases in residential-zoned subdivisions, subject to restrictions⁴.

Except for Administrative Plats, subdivisions need Planning Commission approval before final approval by the Board of County Commissioners¹². Subdivisions creating parcels of 35 acres or larger may use the county's Affidavit of Exemption process¹². Ask Planning and Zoning to identify the parcel's zoning, subdivision status and dimensional rules before laying out a house⁸.

Campbell County has delegated authority from Wyoming DEQ to permit residential and commercial small wastewater systems with domestic design flows below 2,000 gallons per day; Wyoming DEQ itself permits Campbell County's commercial systems^3,15. Every small wastewater system needs a permit and inspection regardless of zoning, and farm, ranch or one- and two-family exemptions from building permits do not remove it^1,3. Septic permits for addresses inside the Town of Wright also come from the county³.

The Building Division permits, inspects and approves residential small wastewater systems⁷. If a percolation result is under 1 minute or over 60 minutes, a Wyoming-licensed professional engineer must design and seal the system⁷. Only 30.5% of county soils are rated not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so budget for a site evaluation and a possible engineered design before closing¹⁶. Off-grid sanitation is not permit-free: private small wastewater systems need county approval and must comply with Wyoming DEQ water-quality rules¹⁷.

While building a house on a lot in a platted, zoned subdivision, a Campbell County landowner may apply for a Temporary Use Permit to live in an RV for up to 1 year⁴. That rule does not establish general long-term RV occupancy on unzoned land, so ask Planning and Zoning about the specific parcel before moving in^4,8.

For a tiny home or accessory dwelling in a residential-zoned subdivision, the county says approval is available in most cases with restrictions; ask Planning and Zoning for the ADU requirements⁴. We could not confirm a rule written specifically for tiny-home occupancy. A new home's plumbing approval also depends on a verified potable-water source, and every small wastewater system requires a permit and inspection^3,7.

1. Ask Planning and Zoning whether the parcel is in a platted subdivision and whether it is zoned; obtain a Zoning Certificate if it is zoned^1,2.

1. Obtain a county address and show the buildings, well, septic components, replacement leach field, rights of way and utilities on the site plan⁷.

1. Show the exact approach location for addressing, then obtain any required county road-access permit^10,18.

1. Document potable water; an on-lot well needs a valid State Engineer permit, while a shared well also needs a shared-well agreement^1,7.

1. Apply for the septic permit and complete the Building Division's required inspections^3,7.

1. Inside a platted subdivision, obtain the building permit before work; outside one, a one- or two-family home needs electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits instead¹.

1. Keep approved documents at the job site and complete the required inspections^7,11.

1. Pass the final inspection for the Certificate of Occupancy, which is required in platted subdivisions and optional for a rural home^7,11.

Confirm the parcel's zoning district, platted-subdivision status and dimensional rules with Planning and Zoning, because that status decides whether a building permit applies^1,2. Confirm access with Road & Bridge because county road-access permits apply even where the parcel is unzoned^9,10. For a parcel of at least 35 acres subject to Wyoming's large-parcel rule, recordable ingress, egress and utility easements must be at least 40 feet wide to a public road unless the buyer waives that protection in a binding, recordable document¹⁹.

Verify water and wastewater feasibility before valuing the homesite. An on-lot well used for new construction needs a valid State Engineer permit before the county issues the plumbing permit¹⁷. Only 30.5% of Campbell County soils are rated not limited for a conventional septic drain field¹⁶. Campbell County has mapped special flood-hazard areas, but we could not confirm the operative approval requirements; ask Planning and Zoning before development⁸.