Rural Big Horn County has no building codes, so there is no county building permit or inspection. Before any construction outside the towns, you file a $50 Development Permit Application with Big Horn County Land Planning in Basin, which checks floodplain, airport zones, road access, addressing and septic needs and usually processes it within a day. Electrical work is permitted and inspected by the state, and projects inside a town go to that town.
What needs a permit in rural Big Horn County?
County approvals
- Development Permit: any new construction or development activity in unincorporated areas, including houses, manufactured homes, non-residential buildings, improvements, fill, culverts, levees and cell towers
- Floodplain Development Permit: any part of the project in a 100-year floodplain
- Septic permit: every new or replacement septic system
- Address: a physical address for every home, business and seasonal building, and for any utility service
- Right-of-way permit: any new or changed access, utility line, road cut or fence or landscaping in a county road right-of-way
- Subdivision: any land division, even splitting a parcel in two; many qualify for the $20 exemption process
Not required by the county
- Building code plan review, building inspections or certificates of occupancy
- Snow load or structural design standards
- A county permit for fences outside the floodplain and the road right-of-way
Even without a county code, contractors must follow the state electrical and fire protection codes, and the county recommends building to a national building code standard because it affects resale.
Who issues permits in Big Horn County?
Big Horn County Land Planning handles development, floodplain, septic and address permits and subdivisions; it acts as the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s delegate for residential septic systems. The County Engineering Department, in the same building, handles right-of-way and road access permits (307-568-2467).
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 425 Murphy Street, Basin, WY 82410 (P.O. Box 29) |
| Phone | 307-568-2424 (fax 307-568-2461) |
| planner@bighorncountywy.gov | |
| Hours | Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; appointments strongly recommended because of fieldwork |
Who permits building in each town
The state’s jurisdiction chart (updated September 11, 2026) lists the state for electrical, fire and state building review in every Big Horn County town. Building and zoning permits are local:
- Basin: Town residential building permit (2026 form) at 919 West B Street (307-568-3331). The Town decides within 30 calendar days of a complete application, and the permit lapses if work has not started within 120 days.
- Burlington: any new construction or remodeling needs a permit, reviewed at the monthly Town Council meeting; $50 for a house, $25 for a garage or shop, $10 for a small shed. Town Hall, 101 West Poplar Avenue (307-762-3502), weekdays 8 a.m. to noon.
- Byron: a compliance permit from the Town Council or Zoning Administrator is needed to build, move or structurally alter a building or change a property’s use; the fee runs from $25 for work up to $5,000 to $300 or more above $200,000 ($10 for a fence) and doubles if work starts first. The Town building inspector must sign the permit, and it expires if work has not started within 365 days or stops for 180 days. Town Hall, 35 South Pryor Street (307-548-7490).
- Cowley: the Town’s Building Inspector issues building permits after a compliance permit is reviewed, using the Town’s Construction Application; contractors register with the Town. Town Hall, 60 South 1st East (307-548-7700).
- Greybull: Ordinance 873 requires a permit for structural changes, added floor area, fences, roof replacement and any concrete work, and contractors need an annual Town contractor’s licence. Town Hall, 24 South 5th St. (307-765-9431).
- Lovell: a permit is needed for any construction, remodeling or repair over $200, starting at $25; contractors need a $100 annual Town licence. Town Hall, 336 Nevada Avenue (307-548-6551).
- Frannie (partly in Park County): the Town Council issues compliance permits for subdivisions, mobile home courts and utility or street extensions; plumbing or water piping work in a building needs a permit from the Town water commissioner, and sewer service line changes need a Town permit (307-664-2323).
- Deaver and Manderson: the published sources do not describe a town permit; ask Deaver Town Hall (307-664-2736) or Manderson Town Hall (307-568-2680).
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Big Horn County applications
All county forms are on the Land Planning Forms and Regulations page. For a typical building project you will use:
- Development Application (revised August 3, 2026): property, legal description, type of development and a site plan; it does not by itself allow work to start.
- Floodplain Development Permit Application (updated August 3, 2026): one for each place where the project crosses the floodplain; emergency work must be authorized by the county Floodplain Administrator first.
- Septic Permit Application Package (18 pages, revised August 1, 2025) for conventional systems under 2,000 gallons a day, with design rules for tanks not on DEQ’s approved list.
- Address Application (revised August 3, 2026); once the address is assigned, a red fire address marker is posted at the access.
- Right of Way Permit from County Engineering (revised March 18, 2025).
Big Horn County permit fees
Fees are printed on each current county application form. There is no valuation-based building fee.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Development Permit | $50 (credited to the floodplain fee if the site is in the floodplain) |
| Floodplain Development Permit | $350 |
| Septic permit | $150 |
| New address | $125 |
| Subdivision exemption processing | $20 |
| Right-of-way: access or driveway | $50 |
| Right-of-way: encroachment (fence, landscaping, drainage) | $50 |
| Right-of-way: utility | $300 |
| Road cut up to 3 ft × 3 ft | $250 |
| Road cut 3 ft × 3 ft to 3 ft × 6 ft | $750 |
| Road cut over 3 ft × 6 ft | $1,000 |
| Cut in a paved county road | Cut fee plus a cash bond of at least $2,000, held for one year |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →A new house on a rural lot with a new septic system, address and driveway therefore pays $50 + $150 + $125 + $50 = $375 in county fees, plus the state wiring permit. The Land Planning FAQ still says right-of-way applications are free; the March 2025 form lists the fees above.
Electrical, plumbing and fire review
Electrical: permits and inspections in the county and in every town come from the Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety. Wiring permits cost $50 ($40 for temporary power) and are sold online only. Byron’s code states this directly: all electrical permitting and inspections are done by the State Fire Marshal’s office.
Plumbing and septic: Land Planning does not issue plumbing or mechanical permits. A homeowner may install a septic system or hire a licensed plumber, but it needs the county septic permit and inspection.
State Fire Marshal plan review: before work starts, the state must review plans for schools, government buildings, places of assembly, multi-story buildings and publicly accessible buildings over 5,000 sq ft, as well as fire alarm and sprinkler systems, solar and generator installations, fuel tanks and Type I kitchen hoods.
What to submit with a Development Application
Attach the deed with the legal description and a site plan drawn to scale showing:
- The proposed development area and the property lines of the parcel and its neighbors
- Existing driveways, roads, culverts, bridges, buildings, wells and septic systems
- All wells and septic systems within 500 ft of the property
- Ponds, swales, streams and irrigation ditches nearby
The form also asks how many vehicles will use the access each day, whether a county fire address marker already exists and whether a septic system already serves the site. Before issuing the permit, staff check the floodplain, airport protection zones and expected traffic, and remind applicants in platted subdivisions that covenants may limit what can be built.
Rather not deal with the Big Horn County building department?
Get a free quote →How to build in rural Big Horn County
Use the county MapServer or call Land Planning; inside a town, apply to the town instead.
Sketch the plan and walk staff through it; they flag floodplain, airport, access, address and septic issues.
Submit it with the $50 fee and site plan, plus the floodplain, septic and address applications that apply.
For a new approach onto a county road, file a Right of Way Permit with County Engineering; staff review the site before and after construction.
Apply through the state electrical portal before the utility connects power.
Give Land Planning 24 hours’ notice before covering the septic system.
Inspections
The county inspects septic systems and road approaches, not buildings. After the septic Permit to Construct is issued and the system installed, Land Planning inspects it before backfilling and then gives permission to cover it. Road access permits get an on-site review before approval and another after construction, and are approved when the County Engineer and County Commissioners sign; the FAQ puts this at 2–3 weeks. The state electrical inspector covers wiring.
Local Big Horn County details
Floodplain: building in the floodplain without a permit can put the county’s standing in the National Flood Insurance Program at risk. Unincorporated Big Horn County, Basin, Greybull, Lovell and Manderson take part in the program; Byron and Cowley do not.
Surveys: the county strongly recommends reviewing or ordering a survey before construction, because projects often turn out to cross a neighbor’s line.
Wells: new wells and surface water rights are permitted by the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office, not the county.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Wyoming building code
Wyoming’s state-adopted codes are the 2024 International Fire, Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Existing Building Codes and the 2026 National Electrical Code, applied through the State Fire Marshal’s plan review and electrical program; cities and counties add their own building, zoning and floodplain rules. Wyoming’s state codes and review
Official Big Horn County permit resources
- Big Horn County development activities
- Big Horn County Land Planning forms and regulations
- Big Horn County permit information sheet
- Big Horn County Development Application (August 2026)
- Big Horn County Floodplain Development Permit Application
- Big Horn County septic systems
- Big Horn County Right of Way Permit
- Big Horn County municipalities and town contacts
- Town of Basin residential building permit application
- Town of Burlington building permits
- Town of Greybull services and building permits
- Town of Lovell building permits
- Wyoming electrical wiring permits
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Big Horn County permit FAQs
Does Big Horn County, Wyoming require a building permit?
Not a building-code permit: rural Big Horn County has no building codes. Any new construction outside the towns does need a $50 Development Permit from Land Planning before work starts.
Who do I call about building in Big Horn County?
Big Horn County Land Planning, 425 Murphy Street, Basin, 307-568-2424. Inside Basin, Burlington, Byron, Cowley, Deaver, Frannie, Greybull, Lovell or Manderson, contact the town.
How much is a septic permit in Big Horn County?
$150. The county issues septic permits for the Wyoming DEQ and needs 24 hours’ notice to inspect the system before it is buried.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Big Horn County?
Not from the county, unless the fence is in the floodplain or in a county road right-of-way ($50 encroachment permit). Inside Greybull, fences need a Town permit.
Who issues electrical permits in Big Horn County?
The Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety, through its online portal, for the county and all of its towns.
How long does a Development Permit take?
The county says it is usually processed within a day; floodplain sites need the separate floodplain permit and engineering review.
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More Wyoming permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Big Horn County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.