Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Rawlins, Wyoming

Rawlins’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Building and residential construction inside Rawlins city

  • Adopted with local amendments and deletions

  IBC edition: 2021 (as amended) · IRC edition: 2021 (as amended)

  “The International Building Code, 2021 Edition, as published by the International Code Council, is adopted as the Rawlins Building Code”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Rawlins city limits

  • Districts: R-A, R, C-1, C-2, I, I-A and HRO overlay

  “The boundaries of each district or zone are established as shown on the official zoning map of the City”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Rawlins city zoning districts

  • Boundaries are on the official zoning map

  “the city is divided into eight classes of districts zones and overlays as follows:”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R residential development zone subdistricts inside Rawlins city

  • Applies with public or state-approved community water and sewer
  • Zero lot line and reduced side yard variants have smaller sizes

  R-40 minimum lot per single-family dwelling: >= 40000 square feet · R-15 minimum lot per single-family dwelling: >= 15000 square feet · R-7.5 single-family minimum lot: >= 7500 square feet (6,500 for reduced side yard or zero lot line) · R-MH mobile home lot: >= 6000 square feet

  “r-40 150 150 200 40,000 40,000 1 r-15 90 90 140 15,000 15,000 3 r-7.5 -single family 60 75 100 7,500 7,500 6 -reduced side yard 54 67 85 6,500 6,500 7 -single family zero lot line 52 65 85 6,500 6,500 7 r-mh -mobile home 60 75 100 6,000 6,000 7”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-A ranching and agriculture district inside Rawlins city

    “Minimum lot area One acre — B. Minimum front yard 40 feet 50 feet”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R residential development zone inside Rawlins city (main buildings)

  • Zero lot line, reduced side yard and Historic Residential Overlay variants exist
  • Accessory building setbacks differ (Sec. 19.24.050 E)

  R-40 yards front/side/rear/corner: 35/15/25/35 feet · R-15 yards front/side/rear/corner: 30/10/25/20 feet · R-7.5 single-family yards front/side/rear/corner: 25/8/25/15 feet

  “table 19.24.020b minimum yard requirements and setbacks zoning district front yard side yard rear yard corner yard r-40 35 15 25 35 r-15 30 10 25 20 r-7.5 -single-family 25 8 25 15”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-A ranching and agriculture district inside Rawlins city

    “c. minimum side yard, each side 20 feet 5 feet 1 d. minimum rear yard 40 feet 5 feet 1”

• Building heightSpecified

  R residential development zone inside Rawlins city

  • Accessory buildings and detached garages also limited to 25 feet

  maximum building height: <= 25 feet

  “f. maximum building height, twenty-five (25) feet;”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-A ranching and agriculture district inside Rawlins city

    “f. maximum building height 2 60 feet 60 feet”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Occupied RV on a residence or church property inside Rawlins city

  • Permit with site plan from Community Development Department required
  • 10-foot separation from other structures
  • At most two 30-day extensions per calendar year
  • Only on property owned by the homeowner or organization; not on streets or alleys
  • RV may not be used as an accessory building or for any purpose other than manufacturer's intended use

  max stay: <= 30 days (two 30-day extensions per calendar year)

  “temporary parking of a single occupied recreational vehicles for any church or residence shall be permitted in all areas of the city of rawlins for not longer than thirty (30) days and only when permits with site plans have been obtained with the community development department.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary occupied RV parking on private property inside Rawlins city

  • 30 days maximum with permit and site plan
  • Two 30-day extensions per calendar year at most
  • Not on City streets or alleys

  “such parking is only allowed on property owned by the homeowner or organization and shall not be allowed on city streets or alleys.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes in R residential zoning inside Rawlins city

  • Mobile homes only in the R-MH subclassification
  • Manufactured homes are also governed by Title 16

  “Mobile homes will be allowed only in areas with the subclassification of R-MH:”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units in R (residential) zones inside Rawlins city

  • Mobile homes and trailers are not acceptable secondary residential structures
  • Must meet accessory building conformance requirements

  “permitted accessory dwelling units may be attached or detached from the primary residential structure and shall consist of a mother-in-law suite, carriage house, granny flat or similar type secondary residential structures. mobile homes and trailers are not acceptable secondary residential structures.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private wastewater disposal (septic) inside Rawlins city

  • Generally unlawful except as the sewer chapter provides
  • Must comply with state Department of Public Health recommendations
  • No permit for subsurface soil absorption where lot is under 22,000 square feet
  • Must connect to public sewer within 60 days once available

  minimum lot area for subsurface absorption system: >= 22000 square feet

  “No permit shall be issued for any private wastewater disposal system employing subsurface soil absorption facilities where the area of the lot is less than twenty-two thousand square feet.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Occupied buildings inside Rawlins city abutting a street, alley or right-of-way with a public sanitary sewer

  • Connection within sixty days after official notice
  • Only where public sewer is within 400 feet of the property line
  • Owner bears cost
  • Public water connection rule not found in supplied sections

  distance to sewer: <= 400 feet · time to connect after notice: <= 60 days

  “within sixty days after the date of official notice to do so; provided that the public sewer is within four hundred feet of the property line.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Rawlins city (Title 18)

  • Planning & Zoning Commission may require lot arrangement allowing further subdivision where lots exceed double minimum area

  “where lots are more than double the minimum required area for the zoning district, the planning & zoning commission may require that the lots be arranged so as to allow further subdivision”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permit fees inside Rawlins city

  • Amounts are in a City Council resolution, not in the supplied code text

  “Building Permit fees shall be established by resolution of the City Council as per Title 1 of this code.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Rawlins or Carbon County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits inside Rawlins city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Rawlins city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Rawlins city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Rawlins city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Rawlins city

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.