Bolthole Index

Goshen County, Wyoming

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Torrington, Wyoming

Torrington, Wyoming has city building permits and municipal zoning; start with the Torrington Building Department for construction inside city limits.12 Torrington is in Goshen County, whose lack of county zoning applies to unincorporated land.3 For sanitation, ask City Water & Wastewater about service and connections; we could not confirm who issues private septic permits inside Torrington.45

At a glance

Building permits
City building permits; some residential remodels also need approval1
Zoning
Municipal zoning applies inside Torrington city limits2
Residential code
2015 International Residential Code, with city amendments6
Septic
State permit requirement; city-specific permitting authority unconfirmed75
Mobile homes
Only in R-5, R-6, R-6A or M-P; existing legal nonconforming homes may remain2
Accessory buildings
In R-3 through R-6A, a variance is required above 10% of buildable lot area8
Private wells
State Engineer approval required before construction9

Who to call

Building permits

Torrington Building Department

City building permits, residential remodel questions and flood-map questions

307-532-4213

436 E 22nd Avenue

Planning & zoning

Torrington Building Code & Planning Division

Building application, plan review, zoning-code review and inspection process

(307) 532-4213

[email protected]

436 East 22nd Av.

Also useful

Torrington City Hall — building and zoning applications

Printed building and zoning forms submitted to City Hall

Also useful

Torrington Water & Wastewater

Municipal water and sewer service questions and tap application

307-532-2012

659 Industrial Park Avenue

Septic permits

Goshen County Engineer/Surveyor’s Office — small wastewater applications

County small-wastewater applications; ask whether the county handles a particular city parcel

(307) 532-4868

119 E 19th Avenue

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Torrington means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Torrington, WY?

Torrington administers building permits for residential and commercial projects inside city limits, and the city also requires building permits for some residential remodels.1 Ask the Building Department to classify your proposed work before demolition, construction or renovation.10 Torrington has adopted the 2015 International Residential Code for single-family homes and duplexes, subject to city amendments.6

For work on a residential unit that is not your own main residence, contractor registration is required and building permits and inspections may be required depending on the scope.11 Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work in those units must be performed by properly licensed contractors.1

Who handles building permits and zoning applications in Torrington?

Call the Torrington Building Department at 307-532-4213 for building-permit and remodel questions.1 The city’s Building Code & Planning Division reviews plans against adopted building, plumbing, fire and zoning codes, so bring both your construction proposal and parcel-use questions to the city.10

Torrington’s Forms & Permits page lists a building-permit application, building-permit fees, a variance or conditional-use application and a petition for a zoning amendment.12 The city instructs applicants to print, complete and submit forms to City Hall.12 Ask the Building Department which application fits your project before preparing a variance request.1012

Does Torrington have zoning, and what limits accessory buildings?

Torrington has municipal zoning inside city limits; the absence of zoning in unincorporated Goshen County does not remove Torrington’s city rules.23 Ask the city to identify the parcel’s district and review your proposed use before committing to a site layout.10

For accessory buildings in R-3 through R-6A, Torrington requires a variance when the accessory building exceeds 10% of the buildable area of the associated residential lot or lots.8 That accessory-building limit is not a statement of total coverage allowed for a house and all other improvements.8 Ask the Building Code & Planning Division for the parcel’s applicable setbacks, lot dimensions and height limits.10

How do septic permits and water connections work in Torrington?

Wyoming requires a septic permit for installation, repair or replacement of a small wastewater system, but the permitting authority varies by jurisdiction.75 We could not confirm the private-septic permitting authority specifically inside Torrington; ask City Water & Wastewater about sewer service and the Goshen County Engineer/Surveyor’s Office whether the county processes a septic application for your address.4135

Torrington’s Water & Wastewater page provides a water/sewer tap form; call 307-532-2012 about the proposed connection.4 Where Goshen County administers the conventional septic application, the published application fee is $100; confirm jurisdiction before paying.1413 A private groundwater well requires State Engineer approval before construction.9

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or mobile home in Torrington?

Torrington’s mobile-home rule restricts new mobile-home locations to R-5, R-6, R-6A or M-P districts; mobile homes existing when the chapter was adopted may continue as legal nonconforming uses.2 That provision addresses mobile homes and does not establish permission to occupy an RV or a tiny home on any residential lot.2

We could not confirm a separate tiny-home occupancy rule or permission to live in an RV while building in Torrington. Ask the Building Code & Planning Division to review the intended dwelling type, district and proposed duration of occupancy.10 For sanitation, a composting or incinerating toilet may also need authorization under Wyoming’s wastewater rules.15

What are the steps to build a home in Torrington?

Use this order to organize a Torrington home project around the city’s plan review and the separate water and wastewater questions.104

  1. Ask the Building Code & Planning Division to confirm the zoning district and review the site layout against city codes.10
  2. Ask City Water & Wastewater about service and the water/sewer tap application; resolve private-septic authority if sewer service is unavailable.45
  3. Complete the building-permit application and submit the city’s printed forms to City Hall.1012
  4. Obtain approval and pay the building-permit fee before starting construction; the city bases fees on estimated work valuation.10
  5. Arrange required inspections and ask which occupancy sign-off applies to your home.10

For land outside city limits, use the Goshen County guide: the county’s no-zoning answer concerns unincorporated land.3

Watch-outs

  • Torrington says updated flood maps changed building-permit requirements; ask the city Building Department to check the address before finalizing a building location.1
  • Torrington’s permit bulletin calls for inspections and an occupancy certificate; ask the Building Department to confirm the residential completion requirements for your project.10
  • A private well needs State Engineer approval before construction even when the proposed property is inside Torrington.9

Sources

  1. Torrington Building Department (torringtonwy.gov)
  2. library.municode.com (Torrington), quoted and re-checked
  3. Planning & GIS | Goshen County, WY, quoted and re-checked
  4. Torrington Water & Wastewater (torringtonwy.gov)
  5. Small Wastewater Systems (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Sec. 15.04.020. Adoption (Torrington), quoted and re-checked
  7. Permitting (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Sec. 18.08.290. Private garages, carports, and accessory buildings (Torrington), quoted and re-checked
  9. Water Well Construction (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Torrington Building Code & Planning Division (torringtonwy.gov)
  11. Building Department (Torrington), quoted and re-checked
  12. Torrington City Hall — building and zoning applications (torringtonwy.gov)
  13. Goshen County Engineer/Surveyor’s Office — small wastewater applications (goshencountywy.gov)
  14. 2024 Conventional Septic System Application with Cover, quoted and re-checked
  15. deq.wyoming.gov (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Torrington

Torrington’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    One- and two-family dwellings inside Torrington city limits.

    • The adopted IRC applies except where specifically amended by Torrington code.
    • Electrical chapters 34 through 43 are deleted and electrical work is governed by the National Electrical Code as adopted and amended by the city.

    IRC edition: 2015 International Residential Code (Except as specifically amended by city code)

    “The 2015 International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, including appendix chapters E Manufactured Housing Used as Dwellings, F Passive Radon Gas Control Methods, G Piping Standards for Various Applications, H Patio Covers, J Exiting Buildings and Structures, K Sound Transmission, L Permit Fees, and M Home Day Care — R-3 Occupancy, N Venting Methods, R Light Straw-Clay Construction, S Strawbale Construction, are adopted by reference and have the same force and effect as though fully set forth in this chapter, except as specifically amended by this chapter.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Residential work inside Torrington city limits that falls within the city's permit and inspection requirements.

    • For a contractor, landlord, or homeowner working on a residential unit that is not the owner's main residence, a permit and inspections could be required depending on the scope of work.
    “If you are a contractor, landlord or homeowner and are working on a residential unit that is not your main residence that you live in, you are required to register as a contractor and depending on the scope of work a permit and inspections could be required.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Torrington city limits; the city has an adopted Title 18 zoning code with multiple zoning districts.

    “Mobile homes henceforth shall be located only in an R-5, R-6, R-6A zone or an M-P mobile home district, and mobile homes existing at the time of adoption of this chapter can continue in a legal nonconforming status.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Accessory buildings in Torrington zones R-3 through R-6A.

    • A variance is required for accessory buildings exceeding ten percent of the buildable area of the associated residential lot or lots.
    • The ten-percent rule concerns accessory buildings, not necessarily total principal-plus-accessory impervious coverage.

    accessory-building coverage: <= 10 percent of buildable lot area (Variance required above limit)

    “Shall not exceed more than ten percent of the build able area of the lot or lots associated with the residence, whichever is less. A variance shall be required for accessory buildings that exceed ten percent of the build able area of the lot or lots associated with the residence.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate-of-occupancy requirements for buildings inside Torrington city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for dwellings inside Torrington city limits.
  • Building height — Building-height limits inside Torrington city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Torrington city limits.
  • Who permits septic — Private onsite wastewater systems inside Torrington city limits.
6 more unanswered
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Torrington publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Goshen County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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