Bolthole Index

Washakie County, Wyoming

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Worland, Wyoming

Worland, Wyoming requires a city building permit for most work on buildings or structures inside city limits.1 Worland has its own zoning, so the unincorporated Washakie County answers do not determine what you can build in the city.2 Domestic septic tanks and drainfields within the county’s delegated scope go through Washakie County Planning, while private-well construction requires State Engineer approval.34

At a glance

Building permits
Required for most building or structural work inside city limits1
Residential code
2024 International Residential Code, with city amendments and exclusions5
Zoning
City zoning applies; confirm the parcel’s district with Planning & Zoning26
Septic permits
County review for domestic septic tanks and drainfields below 2,000 gallons per day3
Septic fees
$100 new residential permit; $50 renewal7
Private wells
State Engineer permit required before construction4

Who to call

Building permits

Worland Department of Building Safety

City building permits, construction documents and inspections

307-347-8276

908 Big Horn Avenue

Planning & zoning

Worland Planning & Zoning Department

City land-use review, zone changes, conditional uses and variances

307-347-8276

908 Big Horn Avenue

Septic permits

Washakie County Planner

County domestic small-wastewater application contact

307-347-6778

1001 Big Horn Avenue Worland WY 82401

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 Worland means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Worland, WY?

Worland requires a building permit for most work on buildings or structures within city limits, and every building permit requires supporting documentation.1 Worland has adopted the 2024 International Residential Code with city amendments and exclusions for residential construction.5 Ask Building Safety to identify the documents and approvals your specific project needs before ordering materials.1 A detached residential project’s exemption from the city’s site-plan-review requirement is not a blanket exemption from building permits.81

Who issues building permits and schedules inspections in Worland?

Start with Worland’s Department of Building Safety for city building-permit questions; the city also directs applicants to Planning & Zoning to verify zoning-review requirements.1 Residential application documents must be submitted digitally in AutoCAD or PDF format.1 Each issued Worland building permit requires at least 1 final inspection, and most projects need several inspections for code compliance.1 Inspection requests require 24-hour notice, which is the permit holder’s responsibility.1 Ask Building Safety for the inspection sequence before work begins so the required checks fit your construction schedule.1

Does Worland have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Worland has city zoning, with an official zoning map delineating the area governed by the regulations.2 Worland Planning & Zoning assists with zone changes, conditional uses and variances, and city improvements must meet municipal requirements for use, drainage, parking and related site features.6 We could not confirm district-specific residential lot sizes, setbacks, height limits or minimum dwelling sizes; ask Planning & Zoning for the parcel’s district and applicable dimensional schedule.6 Where Worland site-plan review is required, approval must precede issuance of a building permit, subject to the listed exemptions.8

How do septic permits and private wells work inside Worland?

Washakie County reviews domestic septic-tank-and-drainfield systems with flow below 2,000 gallons per day under delegated state authority; systems outside that scope may need Wyoming DEQ approval.3 Submit the septic application and attachments to County Planning and obtain design approval and construction authorization before installing the system.7 The residential septic fee is $100 for a new permit and $50 for renewal.7 Site approval requires drainfield and excavation photographs or a County Planning inspection to assess groundwater and impermeable-layer depths.9 We could not confirm Worland’s sewer-connection requirement; resolve whether an on-site system is appropriate with the city before pursuing a septic design. Private wells require a State Engineer permit before construction.4

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Worland?

We could not confirm permission to occupy an RV or tiny home on a private residential parcel in Worland, including temporary occupancy while a house is being built. Ask Worland Planning & Zoning about the proposed use in the parcel’s zoning district and ask Building Safety how the proposed structure would be classified.261 We also could not confirm a Worland accessory-dwelling permission or an owner-builder exemption. Describe the actual proposal—RV, movable tiny home, permanent small house or additional dwelling—when requesting a city determination.61

What are the steps before building or buying land in Worland?

  1. Ask Worland Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel’s zoning and the review required for the proposed use; unplatted areas require an initial subdivision plan and final plat reviewed and approved by the governing body.26
  2. Submit the construction documents Building Safety requires with the city building-permit application.1
  3. Resolve sewer availability with the city; if proposing a domestic septic system, seek County Planning’s design approval within its delegated scope.37
  4. Arrange required city building inspections with advance notice.1

For property outside Worland city limits, use the Washakie County guide for the unincorporated-area answer: the county does not require a residential building permit.10

Watch-outs

  • Worland’s residential site-plan-review exemptions do not establish a building-permit exemption.81
  • We could not confirm Worland’s certificate-of-occupancy requirement or current city building-permit fees; ask Building Safety before budgeting or setting a move-in date.1
  • Worland’s floodplain chapter imposes development-permit requirements on subdivision proposals, including manufactured-home parks and subdivisions; ask the city about floodplain review before dividing land.11
  • Wyoming says permits may be required for incinerating or composting toilets; choosing an off-grid toilet does not settle the sanitation approval question.12

Sources

  1. Worland Department of Building Safety (cityofworlandwy.gov)
  2. Worland Code of Ordinances, Sec. 24-7, Definitions of terms (Worland), quoted and re-checked
  3. Washakie County SWTF Application, quoted and re-checked
  4. Water Well Construction (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Worland Code of Ordinances, Sec. 7-11, International Residential Code (Worland), quoted and re-checked
  6. Worland Planning & Zoning Department (cityofworlandwy.gov)
  7. Washakie County SWTF Application, quoted and re-checked
  8. Worland Code of Ordinances, Sec. 24-18-1, When required; exceptions (Worland), quoted and re-checked
  9. Washakie County SWTF Application, quoted and re-checked
  10. Wyoming County Commissioners Association — County Zoning, Licensing and Permitting Survey (2023) (2026 county census)
  11. Worland Code of Ordinances, Sec. 10A-19, Standards for subdivision proposals (Worland), quoted and re-checked
  12. 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 Worland

Worland’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Residential construction inside Worland city limits.

    • The 2024 IRC is subject to Worland's stated amendments and exclusions.

    code edition: 2024 (International Residential Code, with city amendments and exclusions)

    “Provisions of the International Residential Code, 2024 edition, published by the International Code Council shall include the following:”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Worland city limits.

    • The official zoning map delineates the area governed by the city's zoning regulations.
    “the words "map" or "zoning map" mean the official zoning map of the City of Worland that delineates the area to be governed by these regulations.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision proposals, including manufactured-home parks and subdivisions, inside Worland city limits.

    • The cited floodplain requirements apply to subdivision development proposals.
    • Proposals must meet the referenced development-permit requirements and Chapter 10A provisions.
    “All proposals for the development of subdivisions including the placement of manufactured home parks and subdivisions shall meet development permit requirements of Sections 10A-8 and 10A-15 of this chapter and the provisions of this article.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Structures requiring city site-plan review inside Worland city limits.

    • Detached single-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings and accessory uses solely for residential purposes are exempt from this site-plan-review requirement.
    • Other listed Sec. 24-18-1 exemptions apply.
    “Unless exempted in accordance with the following subsections, no building permit shall be issued for the erection of or addition to any structure until a site plan has been reviewed and approved by the board.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Worland city limits.
  • Inspections — Building construction inside Worland city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Completed buildings inside Worland city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Worland city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Worland city limits.
15 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Worland publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Washakie County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Washakie County: county rules, score and offices