Unincorporated Crook County, Wyoming does not require county building permits and has no countywide zoning ordinance or adopted building code12. Crook County Planning still requires approval before septic construction, and large-acreage subdivisions have county permit, access and setback rules3456.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Not required by Crook County; the county has no adopted building code and performs no building inspections71
- Zoning
- No countywide zoning; Sundance and Pine Haven administer their own town zoning289
- Septic permits
- Crook County Planning; permit required before construction for systems of 2,000 gallons per day or less, with a $200 permit and inspection fee101112
- Owner-builder
- No county building permit is required; owner-installed electrical work has a conditional state licensing exemption1314
- RV and temporary camping
- No county land-use rule restricts either use in unincorporated areas; other requirements can still apply1516
- Well permit
- Required statewide from the State Engineer before drilling; $50 filing fee for domestic or stock use17
- Tiny and manufactured homes
- No county land-use rule restricts occupancy in unincorporated areas; state and municipal requirements can still apply1819
- Accessory dwelling
- No county land-use rule restricts occupancy in unincorporated areas; verify wastewater capacity and other applicable rules2021
Who to call
Building permits
Crook County Growth & Development (Planning Department)
Confirms the county has no zoning, building code or building permit requirements; administers Large Acreage Subdivision review and small wastewater (septic) permitting
PO Box 825, Sundance, WY 82729
Septic permits
Crook County Planning, Small Wastewater Program
Small wastewater (septic) Permit to Construct and As-Built Permit review, approval, and pre-backfill inspection for systems treating 2,000 gallons or less per day
Crook County Courthouse, 309 E Cleveland Street, PO Box 825, Sundance, WY 82729-0825
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 Crook County means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
- Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
- Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
- Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
- Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.
These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Do you need a building permit in Crook County, Wyoming?
Unincorporated Crook County does not require county building permits for residential, commercial or industrial construction1. Crook County also has no adopted building code, performs no residential, commercial or industrial building-construction inspections, and issues no certificates of occupancy222324. The county nevertheless recommends following the construction codes and referenced standards adopted by Wyoming22. An owner-builder may build without seeking an exemption from a county building-permit process because no county building permit is required13. Wyoming separately exempts owner-installed electrical work from electrician licensing when the installer owns or leases the property and the property is not for immediate resale, but the work must still meet other electrical-safety requirements and the exemption does not extend to a subcontractor14. Inside Sundance and Pine Haven, the towns issue their own building permits2526. Countywide small-wastewater approval remains with Crook County Planning10.
Who handles building-permit and septic questions in Crook County?
Crook County performs no county building-construction inspections and requires no county building permits231. Crook County Growth & Development handles Large Acreage Subdivision review and small-wastewater applications; its office phone is (307) 283-4548272810. Submit the Crook County Conventional Small Wastewater Application Packet to Crook County Planning at the courthouse in Sundance before septic construction2930. Sundance and Pine Haven issue town building permits, while county small-wastewater approval and State Engineer well approval remain separate requirements25261017.
Does Crook County have zoning?
Unincorporated Crook County has no countywide zoning ordinance or county zoning districts231. County zoning sets no lot-coverage or building-height limit, and no zoning-based minimum dwelling size applies there3233. Sundance and Pine Haven administer their own zoning; Pine Haven also oversees development within its planning boundary8934. Crook County Planning remains the countywide small-wastewater authority10. Lack of zoning does not remove subdivision rules: the Large Acreage Subdivision Regulation generally covers divisions creating 35- to 140-acre parcels and requires a subdivision permit before plat recording or construction unless exempt4. Covered subdivisions have a 35-acre minimum lot size unless the Board approves a beneficial variance; smaller parcels fall under other county subdivision regulations3528. Structures in covered subdivisions require at least 20 feet from any property line, subject to the applicable variance process6.
How do septic permits work in Crook County?
Crook County Planning administers small wastewater systems with flows of 2,000 gallons per day or less10. Before construction, submit the county application and obtain a Permit to Construct1136. Submit the $200 Permit to Construct or As-Built Permit and inspection fee with the completed application12. Crook County Planning must inspect the system before it is backfilled or covered37. A system over 2,000 gallons per day, or one carrying waste that is not entirely domestic, goes to the Wyoming DEQ Underground Injection Control Program instead10. Only 19.9% of Crook County soils are rated “not limited” for a conventional septic drain field; the rating calls for site evaluation and may mean an engineered system, rather than making septic impossible38. Holding tanks are not a permanent answer for a year-round residence; the county limits them to temporary, seasonal or intermittent use, or temporary correction of a failed system, when severe site restrictions prevent conventional septic and no sewer or alternative system is available39.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Crook County?
Unincorporated Crook County has no county land-use rule restricting long-term RV occupancy or temporary camping on private land1516. The county likewise has no land-use rule restricting occupancy of a tiny home, manufactured home or accessory dwelling in an unincorporated area181920. These occupancy answers concern county land-use authority; separate state requirements can still apply1518. A qualifying septic system needs a county Permit to Construct before installation11. A holding tank cannot serve as permanent sanitation for a year-round residence and requires its own county permit and inspection when the limited-use conditions are met4041. Pine Haven applies separate zoning and subdivision regulations within its town limits and planning boundary934.
Building a home in Crook County: the steps, in order
- Confirm whether the parcel is unincorporated or inside a municipality; Pine Haven applies zoning and subdivision rules within its town limits and planning boundary42.
- If the project creates a parcel, resolve Crook County's subdivision-permit process before recording or construction2843.
- For a covered large-acreage subdivision, plan for the 20-foot property-line setback and obtain the required county-road or highway access permit; public-road approaches must meet the subdivision access standards65.
- Obtain State Engineer approval before drilling a well, and use Wyoming-licensed drilling and pump contractors17.
- Submit the septic application and obtain Crook County Planning's Permit to Construct before installing a qualifying small wastewater system2930.
- Build without a Crook County building permit or county building inspection, while following applicable state requirements123.
- Arrange the county septic inspection before backfilling or covering the system44.
What to check before you buy land in Crook County
Before buying a proposed division in unincorporated Crook County, ask Crook County Planning which subdivision permit or transfer exemption applies2845. The large-acreage transfer affidavit includes an exemption allowing no more than 10 parcels from an original parcel, with every new or remaining parcel at least 35 acres; some exemptions require County Commissioner approval45. Access and utility easements must be at least 40 feet wide to a public road unless specifically waived in a binding, recordable document45. Do not assume acreage alone establishes an exemption45. A groundwater well requires State Engineer approval before drilling; the domestic or stock filing fee is $50, and the completion statement is due within 30 days after completion, including pump installation, when the well is ready for use17. Crook County averages 18.3 inches of annual precipitation, and severe drought occurred in 18.6% of years measured4647. We could not confirm a county floodplain-development permit rule; ask Crook County Planning about the parcel before building27.
Watch-outs
- Inside Pine Haven, individual septic applications accompany the town building-permit application for lots of at least 1 acre when town sewer is unavailable; the ordinance requests a Permit to Construct and a DEQ-approved plan, so ask the town and Crook County Planning how to coordinate approvals4810.
- We could not confirm whether Crook County has a floodplain-development permit; ask Crook County Planning before building in a mapped floodplain because participating Wyoming communities require permits under their local ordinances49.
- County building-permit and zoning answers apply to unincorporated land; Sundance and Pine Haven issue town building permits and administer town zoning252689.
- Crook County does not permit a permanent holding tank at a year-round residence; limited holding-tank use requires a county permit, inspection and compliant design404150.
Sources
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
- Small Wastewater (Septic Systems 2000 gallons or less per day), quoted and re-checked
- Crook County Large Acreage Subdivision Regulation, quoted and re-checked
- Crook County Large Acreage Subdivision Regulation, quoted and re-checked
- Crook County Large Acreage Subdivision Regulation, quoted and re-checked
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information (2026 county census)
- Town of Sundance: Sundance Code of Ordinances, Appendix C, Section 504. Bulk Regulations (Crook County), quoted and re-checked
- Town of Pine Haven: Sec. 30-70. Single-family residential district (R-1) (Crook County), quoted and re-checked
- Small Wastewater (Septic Systems 2000 gallons or less per day), quoted and re-checked
- Small Wastewater (Septic Systems 2000 gallons or less per day), quoted and re-checked
- Small Wastewater (Septic Systems 2000 gallons or less per day), quoted and re-checked
- Wyoming law on county zoning and building authority
- W.S. 35-9-123. Electrical installations to be performed by licensed electricians; exceptions, quoted and re-checked
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
- seo.wyo.gov, quoted and re-checked
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
- Crook County Conventional Small Wastewater Application Packet, quoted and re-checked
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
- Town of Sundance: Sundance Code of Ordinances, Section 8-23. Permit required (Crook County), quoted and re-checked
- Town of Pine Haven: Sec. 8-61. Building permits (Crook County), quoted and re-checked
- Crook County Growth & Development (Planning Department) (crookcounty.wy.gov)
- Crook County Large Acreage Subdivision Regulation, quoted and re-checked
- Crook County Planning, Small Wastewater Program (crookcounty.wy.gov)
- Small Wastewater (Septic Systems 2000 gallons or less per day), quoted and re-checked
- County Zoning, Licensing and Permitting, quoted and re-checked
- Wyoming law on county zoning and building authority
- Land Use Zoning Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
- Planning & Zoning Commission, quoted and re-checked
- Crook County Large Acreage Subdivision Regulation, quoted and re-checked
- Small Wastewater (Septic Systems 2000 gallons or less per day), quoted and re-checked
- Small Wastewater (Septic Systems 2000 gallons or less per day), quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
- Crook County Holding Tank Application, quoted and re-checked
- Crook County Holding Tank Application, quoted and re-checked
- Crook County Holding Tank Application, quoted and re-checked
- Planning & Zoning Commission - Pine Haven, Wyoming, quoted and re-checked
- Minor Subdivision Application Checklist, quoted and re-checked
- Crook County Conventional Small Wastewater Application Packet, quoted and re-checked
- Exemption Affidavit Concerning Sale or Transfer of 35 to 140 Acres, quoted and re-checked
- Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
- Share of years in severe drought: Bolthole Index county data
- Town of Pine Haven: Sec. 8-61. Building permits (Crook County), quoted and re-checked
- 2027-2028 Biennium Unit Narrative, Wyoming Office of Homeland Security (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Crook County Holding Tank Application, 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.