Unincorporated Box Elder County building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Box Elder County, Utah.
Last verified 2026-07-03 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 1 S Main Street, Room 19, Brigham City, UT 84302
- Phone
- (435) 734-2634
- Office hours
- Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (per Box Elder County Building Permits/Inspection page)
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Unincorporated Box Elder County — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
Codes adopted
Utah adopts construction codes statewide under Utah Code Title 15A (State Construction and Fire Codes Act), enforced by every jurisdiction. Chapter 4 of Title 15A codifies Legislature-enacted amendments for specific named jurisdictions (e.g., Park City, Salt Lake City, Sandy City) as part of the state construction code. Through June 30, 2026, the editions in force under Utah Code § 15A-2-103 are the 2021 IBC (with Appendices C and J), 2021 IRC, 2021 IPC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IECC, 2021 IEBC, and 2021 ISPSC (residential provisions), together with the 2023 NEC. Effective July 1, 2026, § 15A-2-103 adopts the 2024 editions of the IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC, and ISPSC; the IRC remains the 2021 edition and the NEC remains the 2023 edition. Note: residential energy requirements are modified by statewide amendments, and several Utah jurisdictions document their residential energy provisions at the 2015 IECC level rather than the adopted IECC year — confirm the applicable residential energy code with your local jurisdiction. Always confirm the edition in force with your local jurisdiction.
- 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(a) (https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter2/15A-2-S103.html), in force statewide since 7/1/2026 and binding on counties under §15A-1-204. Box Elder County's own '2021 Adopted Code' document (DocumentCenter/View/173) still lists the 2021 IBC with Appendix J only (no Appendix C) — live-checked 2026-07-16, the county's own document has not been updated to the current statewide edition.
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendix AQ — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(b)/(c); this edition is UNCHANGED from the prior code cycle. Box Elder County's own document lists the 2021 IRC (without a distinct Appendix AQ citation) — live-checked 2026-07-16, consistent with the current statute on the base edition.
- 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(d). Box Elder County's own document still lists the 2021 IPC — live-checked 2026-07-16, lags the current statewide edition.
- 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(e). Box Elder County's own document still lists the 2021 IMC — live-checked 2026-07-16, lags the current statewide edition.
- 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(f). Box Elder County's own document still lists the 2021 IFGC — live-checked 2026-07-16, lags the current statewide edition.
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(g); this edition is UNCHANGED from the prior code cycle. Box Elder County's own '2021 Adopted Code' document lists the 2017 NEC — live-checked 2026-07-16, a genuine and long-standing discrepancy in the county's own published document (not a transcription error); confirm the currently enforced edition directly with the Chief Building Official, Codey Illum, at (435) 734-3303 before relying on this for a live electrical project.
- 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — one code, no residential/commercial split, per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(h). Box Elder County's own document lists the 2021 IECC (also undifferentiated by residential/commercial) — live-checked 2026-07-16, lags the current statewide edition.
- 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), subject to Utah Code §15A-2-104(2) (the HUD Code) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(i)/(j). Box Elder County's own document lists the 2021 IEBC — live-checked 2026-07-16, lags the current statewide edition.
- Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — governs statewide per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(n). Box Elder County's own '2021 Adopted Code' document does not list any ISPSC edition — live-checked 2026-07-16; added here per the statute, not omitted.
- Modular Building Institute (MBI) Standards 1200 and 1205 — governs statewide per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(o). Not separately listed in Box Elder County's own '2021 Adopted Code' document — live-checked 2026-07-16.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit
Required for new single-family home construction and additions in unincorporated Box Elder County. The county uses the State ICC valuation-based fee structure rather than a published flat fee table.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) / Internal ADU (IADU)
Required for detached ADUs (via Administrative Conditional Use Permit) and internal ADUs (permitted use) in unincorporated Box Elder County, governed by Chapter 5-6 of the Land Use Management & Development Code.
Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System Permit
Required for residential rooftop or ground-mounted solar PV system installation in unincorporated Box Elder County.
Electrical Permit (Meter Upgrade / Generator / Battery)
Required for gas & electric meter upgrades, generator, and battery installations in unincorporated Box Elder County. These are listed as their own flat-fee line items in the county fee schedule, distinct from the general valuation-based building permit fee.
Agricultural Building Exemption
Application/exemption process for agricultural buildings in unincorporated Box Elder County, which are treated distinctly from standard residential/commercial building permits.
Commercial Building Permit
Required for new commercial construction in unincorporated Box Elder County. The county publishes a dedicated 'Commercial Building Permit Submittal Required Documents' checklist distinct from the residential checklist, and its 2026 Fee Schedule publishes a materially higher Plan Review Fee percentage and Plan Review Deposit for commercial projects than for dwellings, while the base Building Permit Fee still uses the same 'State ICC Fee Structure' (valuation-based, no separate commercial dollar table published).
Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit
Required for interior tenant-improvement and tenant-finish work within existing commercial space in unincorporated Box Elder County. The county does not publish a fee category or document checklist distinct from new commercial construction — the same 'Commercial Building Permit Submittal Required Documents' checklist and the same 65% Plan Review Fee / $2,500 Plan Review Deposit apply, scoped to the actual work performed.
Sign Permit
Required in unincorporated Box Elder County for sign installation, with the fee tiered by the county's zoning classification of the property. Per the county's 2026 Fee Schedule for Community Development and Planning & Zoning: Zone I signs have no charge, Zone II signs are $25, and Zone III signs are $375.
Fire Alarm System Permit
Box Elder County's 2026 Fee Schedule for County Fire lists Fire Alarm System Installation as its own line item under Fire Protection Systems, separate from the county's Fire Sprinkler System permit. Unlike the sprinkler permit, the county charges no county fee for the fire alarm permit itself, but requires third-party plan review for submission.
Fire Sprinkler System Permit
Box Elder County's 2026 Fee Schedule for County Fire lists a Fire Sprinkler System permit as its own line item under Fire Protection Systems, tiered by square footage. Plan review is handled by a required third party at no county fee, while the installation permit itself (flow, hydro, final inspections) carries a flat $300.00 county fee across all size tiers.
EV Charger / EVSE Permit
Box Elder County's 2026 Fee Schedule for Buildings & Grounds does not publish a distinct EV charger / EVSE line item. Its Building and Grounds fee table lists Mobile Inspection ($500), Solar Inspection ($500), Generator/Battery ($350), Pump ($100), and Meter Upgrade (Gas & Electric) ($100) as its only itemized inspection categories, plus a general Building Permit Fee that adopts the state ICC valuation-based fee structure — an EV charger circuit does not clearly map to any single one of these named categories.
Change of Building User Application (Change of Occupancy)
Box Elder County's own 2026 Fee Schedule for Community Development and Planning & Zoning lists a 'Change of Building User Application' as its own $75 line item under the Community Development fee category, distinct from a standard building permit. The county does not publish a dedicated checklist or standalone process page for this application — it is submitted through the same general Community Development Application used for other land-use requests (e.g. sign permits, conditional use permits).
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- 58units
54 buildings · $17.6M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 508units
12 of 12 months reported · #19 in Utah coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 223units
209 buildings · $73.4M valuation
- Full year 2025
- 456units
386 buildings · $155.4M valuation
County-wide figures: BPS reports county-wide totals; this jurisdiction is the unincorporated remainder outside Box Elder County's incorporated cities and towns (Brigham City, Tremonton, Perry, Willard, Corinne, Deweyville, Elwood, Fielding, Garland, Honeyville, Mantua, Portage, Snowville, Bear River City) — county totals include those incorporated places. No incorporated-city file yet exists in this corpus for Box Elder County; this file is the county-only building authority for unincorporated land, centered on the Brigham City area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Utah building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Box Elder County's own '2021 Adopted Code' document lists the 2017 NEC — not the 2023 NEC that Utah Code Sec 15A-2-103(1)(g) applies statewide as of the 2026 code cycle. This is a genuine discrepancy in the county's own published document (not a transcription error on our part); confirm the currently enforced NEC edition directly with the Chief Building Official, Codey Illum, at (435) 734-3303 before relying on it for a live electrical project.
- Unlike Cache County, Tooele County, and other Utah counties in this corpus that publish a flat valuation-tiered building permit fee table, Box Elder County's 2026 Fee Schedule for Buildings & Grounds states the county 'Adopts State ICC Fee Structure' for the base building permit fee — no specific dollar amounts are published online for the base fee itself. Only ancillary items (solar inspection, generator/battery, meter upgrade, pump, mobile inspection) have published flat fees.
- Standard permit processing time is 7 to 10 business days once all required documents are received, per the county's own Building Permits/Inspection page — this is a general timeline for 'all permits,' not broken out per permit type.
- 24-hour advance notice is required for all inspections — call (435) 734-2634 or email Diane (dfuhriman@boxeldercountyut.gov) or Jessie (jfernelius@boxeldercountyut.gov).
- Detached ADUs require an Administrative Conditional Use Permit; Internal ADUs (IADUs) are a permitted use. Both require a recorded owner-occupancy affidavit, a minimum 20,000 sq ft lot, and Bear River Health Department septic approval — see Chapter 5-6 of the Land Use Management & Development Code.
- The county's 'Residential Accessory Structures Less Than 600 Sq Ft' framing handout is explicitly based on the outdated 2009 IRC (not the currently adopted 2021 IRC) and is limited to one-story structures no greater than 600 sq ft and 30 ft in width/length — the county disclaims design liability for its use.
- Design criteria for structural design in the absence of a site-specific report: 43 PSF ground snow load, 90 mph 3-second gust wind speed, Seismic Design Category D (typical), 30-inch frost depth, and Site Class D — per the county's own Design Criteria document.
- Fire Flow (water availability) reports may be required by the Fire Marshal before permit issuance for new residential construction.
- The Chief Building Official is Codey Illum (cillum@boxeldercountyut.gov, 435-734-3303); day-to-day permit/inspection scheduling contacts are Diane Fuhriman and Jessie Fernelius at (435) 734-2634.
- 2026-07-16 codesAdopted re-verification: Utah Code §15A-2-103 (live-checked at the canonical le.utah.gov URL, current version 'Effective 7/1/2026') now governs statewide construction codes for counties per §15A-1-204, adopting 2024 IBC/IPC/IMC/IFGC/IEBC/IECC and residential 2024 ISPSC, while IRC stays 2021 and NEC stays 2023. Box Elder County's own '2021 Adopted Code' document (DocumentCenter/View/173, live-checked 2026-07-16) was re-fetched and confirmed UNCHANGED since the prior review — it still lists 2021 IBC/IRC/IPC/IMC/IFGC/IECC/IEBC and 2017 NEC, with no ISPSC or MBI Standards entries. The statute is stated as governing above; the county's document is preserved as history.