States, Counties and Places with No Building Codes in the USA: Comprehensive List

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Even though building codes exist to protect people from dangerous construction, they can also be a huge hassle – especially if you want to build a home on a budget, live off-grid or use alternative materials such as cob or adobe.

In most places in the USA, there is no getting around building codes (or the expensive permits and inspections process!). However, there are still many places in the USA without building codes.

Here’s what you need to know about no building codes, as well as a list of counties in the USA without residential building codes.

Places With No Building Codes Interactive Map

Hover over each state to get a brief status. Click any green state to get more in-depth information.

States without Building Codes

There are 12 states in the USA which do not have statewide building codes or allow jurisdictions to opt out of the codes. However, this does not mean that you are free to build whatever you want in these states.

Many counties within the states have chosen to adopt codes. For example, even though Delaware has no statewide residential codes, every county in Delaware has adopted a building code.

Alabama
Arizona
Colorado
Delaware
Illinois
Mississippi
Missouri
North Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
West Virginia
Wyoming

List of Places without Residential Building Codes in the USA

Here is a comprehensive list of counties and local jurisdictions in the USA which do not have any residential building codes.

Important: I did not call every single county on this list. Also, laws are constantly being updated, so some of the counties may have enacted building codes since the time of writing. There may be some inaccuracies!

Please let us know in the comments if you find an inaccuracy. Also, let us know of any counties without building codes that didn’t make this list. It will be updated regularly!

Alabama actually does have statewide building codes. However, they only apply to residential construction and certain types of commercial construction.

Further, the Division of Construction Management does not have authority to enforce residential codes. Instead, it is left up to the local counties. If there is no local authority, then codes are enforced by the State Fire Marshall. Read more here.

Below are counties that do not have local code enforcement in Alabama.

Arizona does not have any statewide building codes, but most larger towns and cities have adopted codes.

Currently, there is one county in Arizona without building codes.

Counties with No building Codes in Colorado:

Illinois does not have statewide building codes for residential buildings. Instead, it is up to local counties and cities to adopt codes.

Many places in the southern part of Illinois do not have building codes. Unfortunately, a lot of these places also don’t have websites where you can find that information – you’ll have to call each county individually to ask.

You can find a directory of places that do have codes here.

Places without building codes in Illinois:

Woodford County
Macoupin County
Ogle County: The county does not have building codes but does enforce zoning laws.
Pope County
Gallatin County

Kansas has no statewide building codes besides the Kansas Fire Prevention Code and 2006 IECC for commercial buildings.

Many counties have not adopted building codes at all, though building permits are usually still required. Note that cities and towns in the counties below usually do have building codes.

+ Counties (click to open)

Allen County
Anderson County
Barber County
Barton County
Bourbon County
Brown County
Chase County
Chautauqua County
Cherokee County
Cheyenne County
Clay County
Cloud County
Coffey County
Comanche County
Cowley County
Decatur County
Dickson County
Doniphan County
Edwards County
Elk County
Ellsworth County
Finney County
Ford County
Geary County
Gove County
Graham County
Grant County
Gray County
Greeley County
Greenwood County
Hamilton County

Harper County
Harvey County
Haskell County
Hodgeman County
Jackson County
Jefferson County
Jewell County
Kearny County
Kingman County
Kiowa County
Labette County
Lane County
Leavenworth County
Lincoln County
Linn County
Logan County
Lyon County
McPherson County
Marion County
Marshall County
Meade County
Mitchell County
Montgomery County
Morris County
Morton County
Nemaha County
Neosho County
Ness County
Norton County
Osage County
Osborne County

Ottawa County
Pawnee County
Phillips County
Pottawatomie County
Pratt County
Rawlins County
Reno County
Republic County
Rice County
Riley County
Rooks County
Rush County
Russell County
Saline County
Sheridan County
Sherman County
Smith County
Stafford County
Stanton County
Stevens County
Sumner County
Thomas County
Wabaunsee County
Wallace County
Washington County
Wichita County
Wilson County
Woodson County

Mississippi has state-wide building codes but allowed local jurisdictions to opt-out. Two that did are:

Warren County
Adams County

If you know any other counties in Mississippi without building codes, let us know in the comments section!

Here are just some of the counties without building codes in Missouri:

Buchanan County
Douglas County
Jasper County
Lawrence County
Lincoln County
Newton County
Texas County
Vernon County
Webster County

Contrary to common belief, Montana does have statewide building codes. However, local jurisdictions are not required to enforce these codes.

You’ll have to call the county to find out whether they enforce codes or not. Because some counties are so small, this can actually be quite difficult. There often isn’t a website or a phone number to call. You are also required to get a state permit before doing most types of construction. More info here.

The following counties in North Dakota do not have building codes:

Tennessee has a very confusing building code system. There are statewide codes, but jurisdictions can choose to enact their own building codes.

Further, jurisdictions can also vote to completely opt out of having codes. When voting, they can choose to opt out of just unincorporated areas or just certain towns or cities. This has created a patchwork system of codes across the state.

Voting to opt out occurs fairly frequently, so there is no guarantee that your county will continue to opt out of having building codes.

Places that have not opted out of code can choose to enforce the codes themselves. Or they can enroll in a program where the State Fire Marshal’s Office conducts inspections and enforces codes. It uses local contractors for this.

Even if your place in Tennessee doesn’t have any codes, you can still request an inspection from the Fire Marshall. This allows you to get financing and insurance – both of which may require passing code inspection. You can get more info here.

Places in Tennessee without residential building codes are:

Benton County
Auburntown
Carroll County
Cocke County
Parrottsville
Decatur County
Dowelltown
Slayden
Vanleer
Fentress County
Franklin County
Ardmore
Minor Hill
Grundy County
Henry County
Puryear
Houston County
Humphreys County
Jackson County
Lawrence County
Lewis County
Moore County/Lynchburg
Perry County
Pickett County
Scott County
Huntsville
Stewart County
Van Buren County
Wayne County

Texas has adopted the IBC, IEBC and IRC for residential dwellings. However, in unincorporated areas, the code does not apply automatically; the area must specifically adopt a resolution ordering the code.

Further, jurisdictions are allowed to amend the code as they see fit. As a result, many places in Texas still have no building codes or very relaxed building codes. Many areas also don’t enforce existing building codes.

You’ll have to do some digging to find out which counties have building codes or not. I suggest going to Wikipedia to get a list of Texas counties and filtering it by population. The counties with the fewest residents tend to not have any codes at all.

Places in Texas without building codes:

*There are probably many more, but I didn’t research them all. Also, please double-check with these counties in case I made a mistake or the laws have changed!

Loving County
McMullen County
Borden County
Roberts County
Motley County
Foard County
Glasscock County
Stonewall County
Cottle County
Sterling County
Briscoe County
Throckmorton County
Oldham County
Armstrong County
Jeff Davis County
Menard County

West Virginia has a state building code, but it does not require communities to adopt it or enforce it. As a result, many unincorporated areas in West Virginia have no building codes.

You can find a list of places that have adopted the state building code here.

Here are some places in WV without building codes:

Monongolia County
Pocohontas County
Terra Alta County
Preston County
Braxton County
Pendelton County
Calhoun County

Wyoming has building codes but leaves it up to local jurisdictions to adopt them. As a result, there are still many places in Wyoming without building codes.

Some places in Wyoming without building codes are:

Johnson County
Fremont County
Crook County
Park County
Niobrara County
Hot Springs County
Weston County

How Are Building Codes Regulated?

Most states have adopted a statewide building code that automatically applies to every community in the state.

Some states have a statewide code but let local jurisdictions decide whether they want to enact it (either through an opt-in or opt-out system).

And there are a few states which have absolutely no statewide building codes and leave it completely up to local jurisdictions.

Residential vs. Commercial Building Codes

Even in states with relaxed building codes, there are usually still codes for commercial buildings or certain types of buildings (such as schools and government buildings).

In this article, we are going to focus on residential codes. Farm buildings are generally excluded from commercial building codes.

No Codes vs. No Code Enforcement

A lot of places do have building codes but just choose not to enforce them.

One example is Montana. It regularly appears on lists of states without building codes when in fact, it does have statewide codes. However, the state is so large and rural that most areas have no way of performing inspections or enforcing code. The same applies to Alaska and South Dakota.

Even if a place does not enforce code, it is always a risk to build something not up to code. You never know when the jurisdiction will hire inspectors to do enforcement – meaning you could suddenly face large fines for violations.

There are plenty of horror stories online from people who had this happen to them. Some were even forced to demolish their homes because there was no way to get them up to code.

Septic and Wastewater Codes Still Apply

Septic and “onsite wastewater” laws are enacted on a statewide level. So, even if there are no building or plumbing codes in your area, you will still have to follow these laws.

If you aren’t connected to the municipal sewer system, you will probably need a state wastewater permit and may need an inspection too. It’s often impossible to get a building permit until you get your wastewater permit.

Building Codes vs. Zoning Laws

Building codes are very detailed rules regarding building practices. The goal is to ensure buildings are safe to live in. By contrast, zoning laws are more focused on how you can use your property.

The goal of zoning laws is to preserve the local culture, ensure complementary uses, and control development.

There is often some overlap between the two sets of rules. For example, both building codes and zoning laws usually have minimum floor size requirements for dwellings.

Here are some examples of each.

Building code examples: Allowed materials, stairway heights, number of electrical outlets required, non-potable water labeling, baluster spacing
Zoning laws: Setback requirements, maximum building height, required number of parking spaces, whether you can have ADUs, number of permitted farm animals

Just because a place doesn’t have building codes, it doesn’t mean there aren’t zoning laws (and vice versa).

Problems with Not Building to Code

Aside from the safety aspect of building a home that isn’t up to code, you can face some other problems if you don’t follow code. They include:

Not being able to get financing for your build: This is rare, but some lenders consider it too risky to finance homes not built to code
Difficulty selling the home later on: Especially if the county has since adopted codes
County may enact code later on: You may then be forced to pay for very expensive upgrades to get your home up to code.
Expensive building code insurance: This insurance covers costs to get your home up to code. If your home isn’t built to code, this insurance will be expensive.
Can’t use it commercially: Many places without residential codes do have commercial codes. If you ever want to open a commercial business in your home, you would have to get up to code first.

Know of other places without building codes that didn’t make this list? Or find an inaccuracy? Please let us know in the comments section. We will update this list regularly.

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