The process to get a building permit in Star Valley Ranch, WY isn't as hard as you think.

Digging the hole is the easy part! To build a home in Star Valley Ranch, WY, there's a few things we need to do first.

So you’ve bought a piece of property in beautiful Star Valley Ranch… The real estate agent you worked with told you the lot is “builder ready”, or “the building process in Star Valley Ranch is really simple”. But is it?

Yes! However, there are a few steps we need to check off the list before we can get started digging.

One of the most frequent questions we get asked when consulting with new clients is “what’s next?” Here we’ll break it down so it's easier to understand and that you’ll have more transparency about the process of building your new home in Star Valley Ranch, WY.

The Town of Star Valley Ranch (SVR) is a town within Lincoln County, Wyoming. Because it’s a separate jurisdiction, the Town of SVR chooses to operate to a different standard than what is required outside of the “city limits”. This means in addition to obtaining a building permit, we need to complete a few other tasks as well.

"I have the deed to my new lot, and now I’m ready to build. Is there a permit I need to obtain? What's the first step?"

We tell all of our clients that the first step should be to get the lot surveyed and the deed recorded with the county. We’ve all heard the nightmare stories of houses that get built half on one piece of property, half on another. Let's not let that happen!

Getting the lot surveyed pins exactly where the corners of the lot are, so you know exactly what belongs to you. Getting a lot surveyed with a local surveyor, such as Surveyor Scherbel located in Afton, Wyoming, costs around $1500 (this includes a Certificate of Placement, which we’ll talk about in another article).

"Once I have the corners marked out from the surveyor, are we ready to get digging? We have a floor plan and drawings from an engineer, so let’s go!"

Not quite. We need a permit! This is THE most frequently asked question we get as home builders in Star Valley Ranch. Well, what's the permitting process look like?

So we talked about SVR being a town within Lincoln County - our next step is applying for a construction permit through the Town of SVR. The construction permit fee schedule for a new single-family residence includes an administrative fee of $500, plus $1.00/per square foot.

In order to apply for this permit, we need to submit our floor plan and engineered drawings to the Town for approval. The Planning and Zoning Committee meets twice per month (the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month) to approve new residences up for review.

As a service to all of our clients I attend those meetings to answer any questions the committee may have, although most times our clients like to be there with us, or our out-of-town clients will attend via Zoom.

This means if you plan on building say, an 1800 square foot new residence, your construction permit will cost $2,300. This fee covers the cost of filing paperwork with the Town and with Lincoln County, and also covers the required inspections that will occur throughout the building process.

The $500 administrative fee is not refundable, however, the $1800 fee to cover inspections IS refundable if you pass all of your inspections the first time.

A small part of the home building process in Star Valley Ranch, WY Starts with a floor plan.

"So, we’ve paid the Town for our construction permit, we're ready to start building, right? Right…?"

Close! We’re getting there, but we have a couple more steps to cover before we can break ground.

Once we’ve paid for our Town construction permit, we need to submit the plans we sent to the Town for approval, to the Star Valley Ranch Association (SVRA) Architectural Review Board for approval. This application is free but has a few different requirements.

The most important requirement is that we adhere to the SVRA materials standards. Basically, they just want to make sure we aren’t covering the outside of your new home with something that doesn’t fit with the aesthetic of the Town.

When you build with Unshakeable Custom Homes, we go through a thorough design process with all of our clients before building, so we’ve never had a problem getting approved for this permit, but it is an important box we need to check.

"Alright, alright. Now we have both the permits needed to get this thing going. Please say we’re ready!"

Almost. The last step is getting your water turned on. You need water, right?

Correct! The Town of SVR has its own community water system, which means instead of the large expense of digging a well, we can pay the Town to install a water meter to get water directly to the property. 

Fortunately, the Town of SVR Public Works takes care of this, BUT we need to pay them first. To get the water meter installed and the water turned on, it's going to cost you $7,500. 

I know, I know, it’s a large expense, but it beats paying anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000 to have a well dug and a pump system installed. This truly is one of the unseen benefits of building in Star Valley Ranch, WY, even though it feels like you have to pay to play.

"Well, I’m down $7,500. But we’re in it now. What else??"

That's the gist of it! There’s a few more things we’ll need to get sorted once we start building, but now we’re all legal with the Town.

Let's look back at what all we’ve accomplished:

• Surveyed the lot

• Obtained a floor plan & engineered blueprints

• Filled out and applied for a Building Permit through the Town of SVR

• Approved for a building permit with the Town of SVR

• Filled out and applied for a Architectural Review Board permit

• Approved for an Architectural Review permit

• Paid to have the Town of SVR install a water meter

"Not too bad, HUH?"

We’ve gotten through the boring (but important) part of getting a building permit in Star Valley Ranch, WY, so let's move onto the part we’re all actually excited for: BUILDING YOUR DREAM HOME!

If you’re still confused (we get it!) or have questions about the process on how to obtain a building permit in Star Valley Ranch, Wyoming, REACH OUT TO US! We’d love to answer any of your questions and help you get started. Fill out the short form to get the process going, or call us directly at (706) 840-4301 for a quicker response. We’re available Monday through Friday 7AM to 6PM, and Saturdays 9AM to 5PM.

We look forward to hearing from you!

When it's all said and done, and you've moved into your new home. Can you spot the dog?