Unincorporated Campbell County, Wyoming requires a building permit for residential construction through its Building Division.1 The county has no single countywide zoning scheme, but most subdivisions are zoned, so land-use rules depend on the parcel.2 Small wastewater systems also require county permits and inspections, including on property exempt from some other permits.3
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required for residential construction in unincorporated areas1
- Zoning
- No uniform countywide zoning; most subdivisions are zoned2
- Septic
- County permit and inspection required for small wastewater systems3
- RV living
- A temporary-use permit may allow an RV during home construction in a platted, zoned subdivision4
- Tiny home
- No general county occupancy rule confirmed; ask Planning and Zoning for the parcel5
- Owner-builder
- No explicit exemption confirmed; ask the Building Division before relying on one6
- Water well
- State approval is required before drilling a domestic or stock well7
Who to call
Building permits
Campbell County Building Division
Building permits and construction inspections in Campbell County
500 S. Gillette Ave., Suite 1500, Gillette, Wyoming 82716
Planning & zoning
Campbell County Planning and Zoning Division
Land-development regulations in unincorporated Campbell County, zoning, subdivisions and floodplain questions
500 S. Gillette Ave., Suite 1500, Gillette, Wyoming 82716
Roads & driveways
Permits for roadway approaches and work in county rights of way
5901 Hannum Rd, Gillette, WY 82716
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 27, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in Campbell County, Wyoming?
Yes. Residential construction in unincorporated Campbell County requires a building permit through the county Building Division.1 Campbell County has adopted construction rules and operates its own local Building Division rather than sending an ordinary rural home project to a state office.1
Zoning status does not answer the permit question by itself. Even on unzoned or unplatted residential property, Campbell County identifies electrical, plumbing, small-wastewater and road-access permits as requirements that may still apply.8 Before ordering a building package or scheduling excavation, describe the structure and parcel to the Building Division and ask which application, plans and inspections apply.6 Campbell County's reviewed materials do not confirm a general owner-builder exemption, so an owner acting as builder should not assume that status removes county approvals; the Building Division is the office to ask.6
Who handles Campbell County building permits, and how do you reach them?
The Campbell County Building Division is the first stop for a rural residential building permit and construction-inspection questions.1 The office is at 500 S. Gillette Ave., Suite 1500, Gillette, Wyoming 82716, and its phone number is (307) 682-1970.6
Planning and Zoning handles land-development regulations in unincorporated Campbell County, including parcel zoning and subdivision questions.5 Contact that division at [email protected] or (307) 682-1970 before finalizing a site plan.5 For a new approach from a county road, Campbell County Road & Bridge permits roadway approaches and work in county rights of way.9 Road & Bridge is at 5901 Hannum Rd, Gillette, WY 82716, and can be reached at 307-682-4411.9 A state-highway access is a different jurisdiction, so identify who owns the road before treating a county approach approval as sufficient.8
Does Campbell County have zoning?
Campbell County does not apply one zoning scheme countywide, but most subdivisions have zoning that specifies permitted land uses.2 The practical answer is therefore parcel-specific: unincorporated land may be unzoned, while a lot in a subdivision may have an assigned district and additional restrictions.10
Campbell County publishes a zoning map, and a buyer can use the parcel's district to find the applicable provisions in the county zoning regulations.11 New major and minor subdivisions must receive an appropriate zoning district.11 Campbell County also requires Planning Commission approval for subdivisions other than administrative plats before final approval by the Board of County Commissioners.12 Ask Planning and Zoning to confirm the parcel's current status, allowed residential use, setbacks and any land-use approval before relying on a listing description.5 The reviewed county materials do not establish one general minimum dwelling size or building-height limit for every parcel, so those questions belong in the parcel review.5
How do septic permits work in Campbell County?
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.13 Permits and inspections are required for every small wastewater system, regardless of zoning and even where an agricultural or coal, oil or gas exemption applies to other building permits.3 Other wastewater systems may require Wyoming DEQ permitting.13
Site conditions can change the design. If a percolation result is under 1 minute or over 60 minutes, the system must be designed and sealed by a Wyoming-licensed professional engineer.14 Only 30.5% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make the site evaluation and system budget part of due diligence.15 The reviewed material does not confirm that alternative off-grid sanitation methods are allowed; ask the Building Division about the proposed system before purchase or installation.6
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Campbell County?
For a home under construction in a platted, zoned subdivision, Campbell County says an applicant may seek a Temporary Use Permit to live in an RV for up to 1 year.4 That answer is conditional, not a blanket right to occupy an RV anywhere in unincorporated Campbell County.4 The cited county guidance does not establish the answer for other zoning districts or unzoned parcels, so Planning and Zoning should confirm the parcel-specific rule before an RV is used as a residence.5
The reviewed county materials also do not establish a general tiny-home occupancy rule or a countywide minimum dwelling size.5 A tiny home intended as a dwelling still raises separate questions about the building permit, the parcel's zoning or subdivision restrictions, potable water and approved wastewater disposal.1103 Ask the Building Division how the proposed structure will be classified, then ask Planning and Zoning whether that residential use fits the parcel.65
Building a home in Campbell County: what are the steps?
- Ask Planning and Zoning to identify the parcel's zoning status, subdivision status and applicable land-use restrictions.105
- Confirm legal access and ask Road & Bridge whether a county-road approach permit is needed; unzoned or unplatted residential development can still require road-access approval.89
- Obtain state approval before drilling a domestic or stock well, and use Wyoming-licensed well and pump contractors.7
- Submit the small-wastewater application and complete the required county inspection process for a qualifying septic system.1314
- Apply to the Campbell County Building Division for the residential building permit and confirm the required trade permits and inspections.16
- If the site is in a mapped flood-hazard area, ask Planning and Zoning for the applicable floodplain resolution and approval path before placing the house.5
What should you check before buying land in Campbell County?
Start with the parcel, not the countywide headline. Confirm zoning and subdivision status with Planning and Zoning because most subdivisions are zoned even though Campbell County lacks uniform countywide zoning.2 Confirm access with Road & Bridge, especially if a new approach from a county road is part of the project.9 For parcels of at least 35 acres that fall under the state large-parcel rule, Wyoming requires recordable ingress, egress and utility easements at least 40 feet wide to a public road unless the buyer specifically waives that protection in a binding, recordable document.16
Budget for water and wastewater before valuing the building site. A groundwater permit must be approved before drilling begins, and domestic and stock applications carry a $50 filing fee.7 Conventional septic conditions are not favorable across much of the county, with only 30.5% of soils rated without severe drain-field limitations.15 Campbell County has mapped special flood-hazard areas, so ask Planning and Zoning whether the parcel needs floodplain review.5
Watch-outs
- No countywide zoning does not mean no parcel rules: most Campbell County subdivisions are zoned.2
- A septic permit and inspection remain required even when a property has an agricultural or coal, oil or gas exemption from other building permits.3
- Campbell County's reviewed guidance confirms temporary RV occupancy only for home construction in a platted, zoned subdivision, so ask Planning and Zoning about any other parcel.45
- Campbell County has special flood-hazard areas, but the applicable local approval requirements should be confirmed with Planning and Zoning before development.5
Sources
- Campbell County - Building Division (2026 county census)
- Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Small Wastewater (Septic) Systems, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning FAQs, quoted and re-checked
- Campbell County Planning and Zoning Division (campbellcountywy.gov)
- Campbell County Building Division (campbellcountywy.gov)
- General Processes (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Zoning FAQs, quoted and re-checked
- Campbell County Road & Bridge (campbellcountywy.gov)
- Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Subdivision Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Small Wastewater (Septic) Systems, quoted and re-checked
- Chapter 4 Rules Regulating Construction, quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Wyoming Statutes, Title 18 (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
Written September 27, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.