Jackson building department

The Town of Jackson Planning & Building Department issues building permits, reviews plans and inspects construction inside Jackson town limits. It also licenses contractors who work in town. The office is at 150 E. Pearl Avenue (mailing address P.O. Box 1687). The main number is (307) 733-0440, and the Building Division is extension 1352. The town does no over-the-counter permitting and does not accept paper plans. Unincorporated Teton County has its own building department at (307) 733-3959. The town also stopped issuing contractor licenses for county work.

What needs a residential permit

A building permit is required to construct, reconstruct, alter or change the use of any building in town. The plans must also conform to zoning and subdivision rules. The town’s residential permit page lists:

• new one- and two-family dwellings and townhomes
• additions, alterations and repairs
• removing or building interior walls, whether structural or not
• decks over 200 sq ft, more than 30 inches above grade at any point, or attached to the house
• one-story detached accessory structures over 200 sq ft

Retaining walls over 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, must be engineered by a Wyoming-licensed engineer. Fences do not need a building permit. They must still meet the fencing standards in the Land Development Regulations.

Wildland-urban interface (WUI): before applying for a building permit, you may need a WUI permit from the Fire Division of Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, and your WUI permit number goes in the building submittal. These projects are exempt from WUI review:

• re-roofs
• interior-only projects that do not affect windows, doors or decking
• sheds of 120 sq ft or less located more than 50 feet from the nearest structure

How to submit

Building permit packets go by email to [email protected]. That applies to both residential and commercial permits, and to addenda. Each PDF may be at most 200 MB. Anything submitted after 3:00 p.m. counts as received the next business day. A residential packet includes:

• the completed application, which includes the applicant’s guide
• a narrative of the scope of work
• a letter of authorization if the applicant is not the owner
• the nonrefundable plan review fee
• a Special/Third-Party Inspection Agreement for modular buildings or projects using special inspectors

Plan sheets must be digitally stamped by a Wyoming-licensed architect or engineer where applicable. Projects with plan-level grading need a grading pre-application meeting first. If a submittal is found insufficient, resubmit a full plan set with the changes bubbled and a narrative answering each comment.

Trade permits are handled separately:

• Mechanical and plumbing permits go through the Town SmartGov portal, and only contractors with a Town license in that trade can use it. Staff process requests within 48 hours.
• Electrical permits are issued by the Electrical Division of Jackson Hole Fire/EMS through the separate Teton County SmartGov portal. Electrical plan review is required for commercial and industrial work, and for homes with services over 400 amps.

Once a permit is approved, pay through SmartGov, by check at the front desk, or by card by phone or in person. Card payments carry a 2.55% processing fee. The permit, conditions and inspection cards are emailed within 48 hours of payment.

Fees (Resolution 26-19, effective October 1, 2026)

The town does not estimate fees in advance. Building permits under the IBC and IRC require a $579 nonrefundable deposit, which is credited toward the permit fee. The fee itself is based on total valuation:

Total valuation	Building permit fee
$1 to $17,000	$288
$17,001 to $40,000	$288 + $12 per additional $1,000
$40,001 to $100,000	$564 + $10 per additional $1,000
$100,001 to $500,000	$1,164 + $8 per additional $1,000
$500,001 to $1,000,000	$4,364 + $6 per additional $1,000
$1,000,001 to $5,000,000	$7,364 + $4 per additional $1,000

Other fees from the same schedule:

• plan review: 65% of the building permit fee
• reinspection: $159 per hour
• inspections outside normal hours: $250 per hour
• reinstating a permit: $525
• work done without a permit: double the permit fee

New development may also owe housing mitigation fees. The town posts a calculator for estimating them.

Adopted codes and design criteria

Jackson enforces these codes:

• the 2024 IBC, IRC, IMC, IPC and IFGC
• the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code
• the National Electrical Code, through the Fire/EMS Electrical Division
• the International Fire Code and International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, administered by the Fire Division

The town’s design criteria:

• 34-inch frost depth
• Seismic Design Category D
• 115 mph wind speed
• ground snow load set by site under IRC R301.2.3 and IBC 1608
• ice-shield underlayment required

All structures of 5,000 sq ft or more, of any occupancy, must have automatic sprinklers.

Inspections

Inspections cannot be scheduled in SmartGov. To request one, call the Building Inspection Request Hotline at (307) 733-0520, ext. 1351, at least 24 hours ahead.

• Cutoff: requests received after 3:30 p.m. go to the following business day. Monday inspections must be requested by Friday at 3:30 p.m.
• What to leave: your name and phone, a FaceTime number or Zoom email, the permit number, the address, the inspection type and a two-hour window (8–10, 10–12 or 1–3).
• Schedule: virtual inspections by FaceTime or Zoom are held Tuesdays and Thursdays, and in-person inspections typically Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
• Confirmation: the town no longer confirms requests. It calls only if your window cannot be met.

Keep the permit, the inspection card and the stamped Town plan set on site. The combined rough mechanical, gas, plumbing and framing inspection can be scheduled only after rough electrical passes. Other departments must sign the inspection card before the final building inspection:

• Engineering: (307) 733-3079
• Fire/Electrical: (307) 733-4732
• Health: (307) 732-8490
• Planning: (307) 733-0440, ext. 1304

After all sign-offs, email the scanned inspection cards to [email protected]. The town then processes the Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion.

Contractor licensing and homeowners

Contractors working in town need a Town of Jackson license, which expires every December 31. First, the Master of Record must get a Certificate of Qualification (COQ), either by passing the ICC exam or through reciprocity with another qualifying Wyoming jurisdiction. Then the company applies for its license in SmartGov. The town now issues only Master COQ cards. Starting in 2027, all contractors must meet the current insurance and bond requirements in Municipal Code 15.36.035. License classes:

• Class A (General): any structure
• Class B (Building): commercial and residential buildings up to three stories
• Class Br (Restricted): requires two prior years holding a Class C
• Class C (Residential): one- and two-family homes
• Trade and specialty licenses: HVAC, plumbing, gas service, solar installers (NABCEP or similar certification), pool and spa, and cell towers

A homeowner may act as a “Proprietary Homeowner Contractor” on their own principal residence and accessory buildings, but not on accessory residential units. They must first pass the town’s written exam or an ICC Class C exam. They may build only one residence every 8 years. Homeowners may also do electrical work on their own occupied residence without a state license. See the owner-builder permits guide for general background.