Inside Cody city limits, the Building Division of Community Development reviews plans and issues building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and fence permits, and all applications are filed in the Cityworks Public Portal. Fees follow a valuation table (a $300,000 house pays $2,427 plus a $250 plan review fee), and staff call the applicant with the total once the plans are approved.
What construction requires a permit in Cody?
A permit is needed to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish any structure covered by the City’s adopted codes. Fences, electrical, plumbing and HVAC work each take their own permit, and a new sign needs a building permit once the Planning Division has approved it.
Permit required
- New homes, additions, attached and detached garages
- Decks outside the City’s 120 sq ft / 30-inch exemption, and any deck that supports walls or a roof
- Patio and deck covers, gazebos, pergolas and carports
- Sheds over 120 sq ft, or any shed with electrical service
- Re-roofing and siding on homes, window glazing, and fireplace or stove installs
- Fences, signs, demolition and moving a building
- Electrical, plumbing, gas piping, furnace, boiler, water heater and mini-split work
No permit (City list)
- One-story tool or storage sheds and playhouses up to 120 sq ft with no electrical service, placed to meet zoning rules
- Painting, papering, flooring, cabinets, trim and similar finish work
- Decks, patios and platforms not more than 120 sq ft or 30 inches above grade and not over a basement
- Retaining walls up to 4 ft, unless surcharged or in a public easement or right-of-way
- Private concrete walks and driveways outside the street right-of-way that are not public sidewalks or part of an accessible route to a building
- Window awnings on homes and private playground equipment
The exemptions come from the Building Division’s own handout; the adopted codes list further building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas exemptions.
Who issues building permits in Cody?
The Building Division reviews plans and applications, inspects the work and issues the Certificate of Occupancy for property inside the city. Sean Collier, CBO, is the Building Official. The Division works with the Park County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Wyoming State Health Department on fire safety, healthcare facilities and food and drink establishments. The state’s jurisdiction chart (updated September 11, 2026) lists Cody itself, not the state, for building and electrical inspection and plan review.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Building Official | Sean Collier, CBO, 307-527-3476 |
| Cityworks accounts and applications | Community Development, 307-527-3472 |
| Office | City Hall, 1338 Rumsey Ave, Cody, WY 82414 (PO Box 2200) |
| Hours | Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Friday 7:30–11:30 a.m. |
| Fire inspections | Park County Fire Marshal, 307-527-8552 |
Land outside the city limits falls under Park County Planning and Zoning, which has adopted no building code and issues a zoning-based permit instead.
Cody permit types and Cityworks filing
Since October 1, 2025, all building and planning permits and applications must be submitted through the Cityworks Public Portal. New users click Sign Up, set a password, verify their email and log in with that email address. Licensed contractors and short-term rental owners were already migrated into Cityworks; the email on a contractor’s account must match the email on the City contractor licence. Cityworks also takes payments, including several applications at once through its Bulk Payments screen.
Contractor licences. Contractors working inside the city need a City of Cody licence from the Contractors Board, which meets at noon on the fourth Thursday of each month at City Hall. A General Contractor licence calls for an ICC Class A or Class B commercial exam and 60 months of experience; the residential-only General Contractor – IRC licence needs an ICC Class C exam and 48 months. Master and IRC-level licences exist for plumbing and mechanical/HVAC work, a Master Electrical Contractor licence is granted on a Wyoming master electrician licence and state electrical contractor’s licence, and specialty licences cover trades such as roofing, framing, drywall, fencing and demolition.
Who may do the work. All work on commercial buildings must be done by licensed contractors. A homeowner may do residential work on the property, but contracted work needs a licensed contractor, and owner electrical, plumbing and mechanical work is restricted where the owner does not live at the property.
Cody building permit fees
Building fees come from the City’s Fees and Charges Schedule, Resolution 2024-03, adopted April 16, 2024 and effective May 1, 2024; its building, electrical and plumbing figures are the same as the 2022 schedule still linked from the Community Development page. The fee is based on the total market value of the work, materials and labor included, and the claimed value can be no lower than the national average cost per square foot unless the Building Official accepts otherwise.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 – $500 | $40 |
| $501 – $2,000 | $40 for the first $500, plus $3 for each additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 – $40,000 | $69 for the first $2,000, plus $11 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $40,001 – $100,000 | $487 for the first $40,000, plus $9 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 – $500,000 | $1,027 for the first $100,000, plus $7 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 – $1 million | $3,827 for the first $500,000, plus $5 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $1 million | Higher bands in the same resolution, down to $1 per $1,000 above $5 million |
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plan review, house, duplex, townhouse or ADU | $250 per dwelling unit |
| Minor residential plan review (addition, basement finish) | $50 per 250 sq ft or part, capped at the $250 residential fee |
| Plan review, commercial, industrial or multifamily | 25% of the building permit fee |
| Fire district review (commercial, industrial, multifamily) | 10% of the City building permit fee, passed through |
| Fence permit | $50 |
| Re-roof, siding, insulation or drywall permit (home), window glazing or fireplace/stove permit | $40 each, unless covered by a general building permit |
| Prefabricated shed over 120 sq ft, no foundation | $40 |
| Demolition or moving permit | $40 |
| Ground stabilization (mud jacking, helical piers) | $150 |
| Third and later reinspection | $40 |
| Inspection outside business hours | $60 per hour, 2-hour minimum |
| Extra plan review for changes or revisions | $45 per hour, 1-hour minimum |
| Work started without a permit | Additional 25% of the permit fee, $20 minimum |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →For example, a new house valued at $300,000 pays $1,027 plus 200 × $7 = $2,427 for the building permit, plus the $250 residential plan review fee, for $2,677 before trade permits.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits in Cody
The Building Division issues these trade permits itself and inspects the work. Electrical work follows the 2026 National Electrical Code, which the City adopted by Ordinance 2026-07 (final reading May 19, 2026).
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical, plumbing or HVAC permit when its value is in the general building permit | $50 |
| Electrical, plumbing or HVAC permit when its value is not in the building permit | Building permit fee table |
| Electrical service upgrade, up to 200 amps | $100 |
| Service disconnect or reconnect | $40 ($80 for both) |
| Small electrical job, such as adding or extending a circuit | $50 |
| Furnace, boiler, A/C or water heater replacement (residential size) | $40 per system |
| Mini-split, gas line pressure test, sewer service inspection | $40 each |
| Third and later electrical reinspection | $50 |
Fire inspections, where a project needs one, are carried out by the Park County Fire Marshal (307-527-8552).
Plans and documents for a Cody application
Residential construction is submitted as electronic plan files. Commercial applications need one printed plan set and one set of electronic files. One set comes back to the applicant with the City’s notations and the approved permit.
Design to the City’s published criteria: the 2024 International Building, Existing Building, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, the 2024 International Residential Code with City amendments (Resolution 2025-04, approved March 4, 2025) and the 2026 National Electrical Code (Ordinance 2026-07, City Code 9-2-1(C)); the City’s design criteria sheet still lists the 2023 electrical code. The sheet gives a 20 psf ground snow load with a 30 psf design recommended, an 89 mph wind speed with 115 mph three-second gusts, Seismic Design Category C, a 48-inch frost depth, a -11°F winter design temperature and severe weathering, and it requires ice barrier underlayment.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →The Building Division publishes step-by-step guides for residential additions and attached garages (updated July 8, 2026), detached garages, decks, carports and patio covers, egress windows, site plans and “handyman” jobs, and commercial guides for accessible bathrooms, ramps and stairways.
Commercial buildings. Before a permit is issued for a commercial building, City Code 9-2-3 requires a commercial site plan development application to Community Development and a meeting with the Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board, which reviews site layout, parking, landscaping, lighting, drainage, snow storage, hydrants, dumpsters and building design. The permit depends on a majority vote of the Board.
How to get a building permit in Cody: 6 steps
Confirm the parcel is inside Cody city limits and check its zoning district and setbacks with the Planning Division.
Register in the Cityworks Public Portal with the email you will use for the permit; contractors use the email on their City licence.
Use the matching City building guide and the design criteria sheet; commercial projects add the site plan development application for the Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board.
Upload the building application and plans in Cityworks and add separate electrical, plumbing, HVAC or fence applications where needed.
After approval, staff contact you with the total; pay in Cityworks and keep the approved plan set on site.
Call the Building Division at least 24 hours ahead for each stage, pass the building final and receive the Certificate of Occupancy.
Cody inspections and certificate of occupancy
Inspections are not carried out until the permits are issued, and the permit holder must call the Building Division at least 24 hours ahead. The City’s list of possible inspections covers:
- Below ground: retaining wall, footings and setbacks, foundation, UFER electrode, slab, underground plumbing, electrical and sewer
- Rough-in: temporary and permanent electric, DWV air test, sheathing and shear walls, framing, electrical, plumbing and HVAC rough-in, insulation, drywall fastening, lath and stucco, gas test
- Final: water meter, final electric, plumbing and HVAC, fire inspection by the Park County Fire Marshal where it applies, and the building final
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →The Certificate of Occupancy is issued once the building passes its final inspection and all life safety issues are resolved. Utility billing for a new service address follows the City’s New Construction Flowchart; new accessory dwelling units follow a separate ADU flowchart.
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 Cody building-permit resources
- Cody Building Division
- Obtaining a Building Permit (plans, guides, inspections)
- Applications, Permits, and Fees (Cityworks instructions)
- Cody Cityworks Public Portal
- Cody work exempt from permits
- Cody building codes and climatic and geographic design criteria
- Cody list of required inspections
- City Council packet of April 16, 2024 with fee Resolution 2024-03
- Cody 2022 fee schedule (Resolution 2022-25)
- Cody 2024 IRC adoption, Resolution 2025-04
- City notice: 2024 International Codes adopted
- Obtaining a Cody contractor licence
- Cody City Code 9-2-1, codes adopted (2026 NEC)
- Cody City Code 9-2-3, commercial site plan review
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Cody building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Cody, Wyoming?
The City of Cody Building Division at City Hall, 1338 Rumsey Ave, for property inside city limits. It also issues electrical, plumbing, HVAC and fence permits. The Building Official can be reached at 307-527-3476.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Cody?
The fee follows the City’s valuation table. A house valued at $300,000 pays $2,427, plus a $250 residential plan review fee, for $2,677 before electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits.
Do I need a permit for a shed, deck or fence in Cody?
Fences always need a $50 permit. Sheds up to 120 sq ft with no electrical service, and decks not more than 120 sq ft or 30 inches above grade, are exempt; larger ones, covered decks and pergolas need a building permit.
How do I apply for a Cody building permit?
Online through the Cityworks Public Portal, which has been the only route for building and planning applications since October 1, 2025. Call 307-527-3472 for help setting up an account.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Cody?
Yes, for residential work on their own property. Hired contractors must hold a City of Cody licence, and owner electrical, plumbing and mechanical work is restricted when the owner does not live at the property. Commercial work must be done by licensed contractors.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call the Building Division at least 24 hours before you need the inspection. Fire inspections are done by the Park County Fire Marshal at 307-527-8552.
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More Wyoming permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Cody permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.