Building permits, zoning and land rules in Sheridan County, Wyoming

At a glance

Building permit

Zoning and/or building permit required before covered work; some structures are exempt from the zoning permit¹

Zoning

Yes, in unincorporated areas; cities and towns zone their own land²

Septic

Permit from Sheridan County Public Works³

RV living

Not confirmed; ask Public Works about the parcel⁴

Tiny homes

No specific rule confirmed; permits still apply to covered work¹

Owner-builder

No county owner-builder permit exemption confirmed⁴

Private well

State approval required before drilling⁵

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Sheridan County, Wyoming?

Yes, in unincorporated Sheridan County, Wyoming. A zoning and/or building permit must be obtained before construction, reconstruction, alteration or a change in the use of a structure or lot.¹ Some structures or uses are exempt from the zoning permit, and the county directs applicants to Public Works to learn whether an exemption applies and to get the proper application.¹

Do not start first and sort out the paperwork later: Sheridan County assesses an additional inspection fee when construction begins without a permit.¹ Inside incorporated cities and towns, the municipality may administer its own building permit requirements, so land inside a city or town needs a municipal answer rather than an assumption based on county rules.¹ Septic permits are different: the county's Public Works office handles them countywide (see the septic section below).³ County Public Works also provides letters of occupancy, although a letter is not shown to be required for every project.⁶

Who issues building permits in Sheridan County?

Sheridan County Public Works is the office that issues county building permits, and it also handles zoning applications, septic permits and floodplain permits.⁷⁴ Public Works can be reached at 307-675-2420 or publicworks@sheridancountywy.gov.⁴ Its published forms include building and zoning, floodplain, septic and driveway applications.⁴

Floodplain questions and floodplain permits for property in the unincorporated area also go through the same department.⁷ Before filing, give Public Works the parcel location, present use, proposed use and a basic project description so staff can tell you which jurisdiction applies and which forms you need.⁴ That jurisdiction check matters because the county's building permit rule recognizes both zoning permit exemptions and separate municipal administration.¹

Does Sheridan County have zoning?

Yes. Sheridan County's zoning resolution regulates the location and use of buildings, structures and land in the unincorporated area of the county, and incorporated municipalities administer their own zoning.² Wyoming law lets county commissioners zone unincorporated land but bars county zoning from overriding an incorporated city or town's zoning authority.⁸ County Planning administers the Zoning and Division of Land Rules and Regulations and answers zoning district and land use questions.⁹

The current minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and building-height limits could not be confirmed, so ask Public Works for the parcel's zoning district and the standards that apply to it.⁴ Some structures or uses may be exempt from the zoning permit, but only Public Works can say whether a given structure qualifies.¹ A land division can also trigger subdivision review before sale, plat recording or subdivision construction.¹⁰

How do septic permits work in Sheridan County?

Septic permits for every address in Sheridan County come from Sheridan County Public Works, not from a city office and not from Wyoming DEQ.³¹¹ A septic permit is required for any change to a system, including adding or removing components, but replacing pumps or solid piping without changing the layout does not need one.¹²

The permit process calls for a soil exploration pit, a percolation test, a completed design guide, proof of ownership and a $250 permit fee.¹² Construction may begin only after the permit is approved and the Permit to Construct is picked up from Public Works.¹² Call for an inspection when the system is built but not covered, with at least 24 hours notice; the permit fee covers that inspection.¹³

Only 16.2% of mapped Sheridan County soils avoid a "very limited" rating for a conventional septic drain field, so acreage alone is not evidence that a standard drain field will work.¹⁴ The county's building page also publishes applications for holding tanks, greywater systems and privy-vault non-plumbing sanitation; ask Public Works which one fits the site.⁴

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Sheridan County?

We could not confirm a Sheridan County rule on long-term residential occupancy of an RV on private land in unincorporated areas. Ask Public Works about the parcel's zoning district, the length of stay, utility connections and wastewater plan before moving an RV onto the property.⁴ Temporary camping rules also remain unconfirmed, so do not treat short stays as automatically permitted.⁴

A tiny home is not automatically outside county review: a zoning and/or building permit is required before covered construction or a change of use.¹ Ask Public Works whether the proposed unit will be treated as a dwelling, manufactured home, recreational vehicle or accessory structure, and which zoning and building approvals follow from that classification.⁴ Any RV or tiny home that needs wastewater service still needs a septic permit from the same office.³

Building a home in Sheridan County: what are the steps?

1. Ask Sheridan County Public Works to confirm whether the parcel is in county jurisdiction, identify its zoning district and name the required zoning and building permit applications.¹⁴
2. Resolve legal access before design; Wyoming law requires qualifying large-parcel dispositions to have binding, recordable ingress, egress and utility easements to a public road.¹⁵ A driveway onto a state highway needs a separate access permit from the Wyoming Department of Transportation.¹⁶
3. Secure water authority before drilling; Wyoming requires an approved groundwater permit before well or qualifying spring-development work begins.⁵
4. Apply to Public Works for a septic permit, with the soil pit, percolation test and design guide.¹²
5. Obtain the zoning and/or building permit before covered construction, reconstruction, alteration or change of use begins.¹
6. Call for the septic inspection before covering the system, then confirm remaining inspections and occupancy documentation with Public Works.¹³⁶

What should you check before buying land in Sheridan County?

Start with zoning, buildability, wastewater, water, legal access and flood exposure.¹⁷ Public Works answers floodplain questions for property in unincorporated Sheridan County and issues floodplain permits there.⁷ The county's published forms also include a driveway permit packet, but the operative driveway standards were not confirmed, so ask Public Works before relying on an existing approach or cutting a new one, and expect a WYDOT access permit if the road is a state highway.⁴¹⁶

Sheridan County receives about 18.4 inches of precipitation annually, and severe drought occurred in 16.9% of measured years, so verify a dependable water source rather than assuming a well will meet the intended use.¹⁸¹⁹ About 16.2% of mapped soils avoid severe limitations for conventional septic drain fields, making an early wastewater feasibility check especially valuable.¹⁴ Federal land makes up 27.3% of the county, so confirm recorded access rather than relying on an apparent road across adjoining land.²⁰ The effective property-tax rate is about 0.6%, with a median annual bill of $1,951.²¹²²

Watch-outs

• Starting covered construction without a permit can trigger an additional inspection fee.¹
• Inside incorporated cities and towns, the municipality may run its own building permits and zoning, but septic permits still come from Sheridan County Public Works.¹³
• Long-term RV living, temporary camping and specific tiny-home occupancy rules remain unconfirmed; ask Public Works about the exact parcel and proposal.⁴
• Only 16.2% of mapped soils avoid a severe limitation rating for conventional septic drain fields, so complete wastewater due diligence early.¹⁴

Sources

1. Building in the County, quoted and re-checked
2. Sheridan County Comprehensive Plan Update, Chapter 1: Introduction, quoted and re-checked
3. Septic System Information, quoted and re-checked
4. Sheridan County Public Works Department (sheridancountywy.gov)
5. seo.wyo.gov (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. sheridancountywy.gov, quoted and re-checked
7. sheridancountywy.gov, quoted and re-checked
8. Wyoming Statutes, Title 18, W.S. 18-5-201 (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Planning, quoted and re-checked
10. Wyoming Statutes, Title 18 (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Small Wastewater Systems (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Septic System Information, quoted and re-checked
13. Septic System Information, quoted and re-checked
14. 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
15. Wyoming Statutes, Title 18 (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Form M-3A, Application for Permit to Construct Access Driveway (Wyoming statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Sheridan County Comprehensive Plan Update, Chapter 1: Introduction (2026 county census)
18. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
19. Share of years in severe drought: Bolthole Index county data
20. Federal land share: Bolthole Index county data
21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
22. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 9, 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.