Unincorporated Box Elder County building permits

Requirements

• New single-family dwelling construction
• Additions and structural alterations
• Site plan with zoning approval — orientation of site plan must match orientation of building plans
• Engineering package and stamped structural pages where applicable

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationStandard county building permit application form
• RequiredRequired Documents for New Homes (per 'Residential Building Permit Submittal Required Documents' PDF)Site Plan with Zoning Approval; Floor Plan; Footing/Foundation Plan; Floor Framing; Roof Framing; Elevations; Wall Section; Electrical Plan; Mechanical/HVAC design with heat loss calculations per Manual J & D; Stair Section; REScheck or prescriptive energy-code compliance; Gas Line Schematic; Engineering Package and stamped structural pages; a Fire Flow (water availability) report may be required prior to permit issuance based on Fire Marshal review.
• OptionalOwner-Builder FormRequired if the owner is acting as their own contractor (New Fillable PDF available on county site)

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Property owner must occupy either the principal unit or the ADU/IADU as their permanent residence, with a recorded affidavit of owner occupancy
• Minimum lot size of 20,000 sq ft in zones allowing single-family dwellings
• ADU floor area must be less than 40% of the primary residence's square footage
• Only one ADU or IADU permitted per lot/property
• No separate utility meters or separate addresses for the ADU/IADU
• Septic feasibility review and approval by the Bear River Health Department
• Maximum height no taller in elevation than the roof of the primary structure
• Minimum one off-street parking space
• Occupants must be related by blood/marriage/adoption or up to two unrelated individuals living as a single housekeeping unit; no subleasing or rentals under 30 days
• Multi-family homes, mobile homes, RVs, trailers, campers, and tents do not qualify as an ADU or IADU

Required documents

• RequiredAdministrative Conditional Use Permit application (detached ADU) or Permitted Use application (IADU)Scaled site plan showing ADU/IADU location and property line dimensions; current home square footage and proposed ADU square footage
• RequiredAffidavit and Notice of Accessory Dwelling Unit (or Internal ADU)Sworn affidavit of owner occupancy, recorded against the property with the County Recorder; must be re-signed and re-recorded by any future owner to continue the use
• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationFiled after the conditional use permit / permitted use approval, to begin construction

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Detailed site plan showing home location, electrical meter panel, backfed sub-panelboards, and all PV system components
• Mounting system details including weight of all components and support spacing based on local wind/snow loads
• One-line electrical diagram showing system type, module layout/connections, wire types/sizes, conduit, grounding, and component ratings
• Modules must be listed UL 1703; utility-tied inverters must be listed 'utility interactive' meeting UL 1741 with ground fault protection

Required documents

• RequiredResidential Solar PV System Plan Submittal Checklist itemsSite plan; mounting system spec sheets (with roof rafter/truss type and roof covering info); one-line diagram; identification of which electrical panel will be backfed with photos of panel labels; module spec sheets (STC watts, volts, amps, Voc, Isc — UL 1703 listed); inverter spec sheets (watts/volts/max AC output, UL 1741 listed for utility-tied systems with ground fault protection); total array power (Voc at coldest expected temperature per NEC 690.7, not required for microinverter systems); system component listings and ratings

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Meter upgrade (gas or electric)
• Generator or battery storage installation
• Compliance with the 2023 NEC, which governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(g); Box Elder County's own published adopted-code document still lists the 2017 NEC (live-checked 2026-07-16) — confirm the currently enforced edition with the Building Official before starting work

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationStandard county building permit application
• OptionalGas Clearance FormRequired for gas meter/line work per the county's Forms & Applications page

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Site plan showing where on the property the agricultural building will be located and its distance in feet from each property line
• State-issued Agriculture Permit form

Required documents

• RequiredAgricultural Exemptions FormCounty application form for agricultural building exemption
• RequiredAgriculture Permit State-Issued formState-issued supporting document required with the application

Fee schedule

Requirements

• New commercial construction
• Site-specific soils report meeting IBC Section 1802 requirements, no older than 2 years, for all commercial projects and new subdivisions (additions to existing facilities under 3,000 sq ft are exempt), per the county's Design Criteria document
• Architectural code analysis: occupancy classification, building construction type, design criteria, occupant loads
• Fire Flow (water availability) report, if required by the Fire Marshal's recommendation, prior to permit issuance
• ADA accessible route, parking, and restrooms where applicable

Required documents

• RequiredCommercial Building Permit Submittal Required DocumentsOfficial county checklist, verified by direct PDF extraction 2026-07-19: Site Plan with Zoning Approval (orientation must match building plans); Architectural code analysis (occupancy classification, construction type, design criteria, occupant loads); Floor Plan with path-of-egress distances; Footing/Foundation Plan; Floor Framing; Roof Framing; Elevations; Wall Section; Electrical Plan; Mechanical/HVAC design with heat loss calculations; Stair Section; Com Check or other approved Energy Code compliance method; Gas Line Schematic; Engineering Package and Stamped Structural Pages; Fire Flow (water availability) report if required by the Fire Marshal; ADA accessible route/parking/restrooms if applicable.
• OptionalOwner-Builder FormNot applicable to most commercial projects (typically requires a licensed general contractor), but available if relevant per the county's forms page.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Interior tenant-improvement or tenant-finish work inside an existing commercial structure
• Architectural code analysis and floor plan showing scope of work and egress compliance, per the county's Commercial checklist
• Energy code compliance documentation (Com Check) for any envelope, lighting, or mechanical changes

Required documents

• RequiredCommercial Building Permit Submittal Required DocumentsSame official county checklist used for new commercial construction — Box Elder County does not publish a distinct, scaled-down tenant-improvement checklist; applicants should submit the items relevant to their actual scope of work (e.g., floor plan and MEP plans for a TI, rather than a full footing/foundation plan for interior-only work).

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Sign Permit application submitted through the Community Development Application process, per the county's Applications & Fee Schedule page
• Fee is determined by which zoning tier (Zone I, II, or III) the property falls under — confirm zone classification with Box Elder County Planning & Zoning before applying
• Signs are also subject to Box Elder County Land Use Management & Development Code Chapter 5-3 (referenced for home-occupation sign compliance in the county's land use code)

Required documents

• RequiredCommunity Development ApplicationGeneral application form used for most Box Elder County land use requests, including sign permits; a notarized owner-authorization form is required if the applicant is not the property owner

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Fire Alarm System Permit is a distinct line item under Fire Protection Systems in Box Elder County's 2026 Fee Schedule for County Fire
• The permit includes 2 inspections; the county charges no fee for the permit but requires third-party plan review submission
• Fire Alarm System Plan Re-Inspection (each additional inspection beyond the 2 included) is billed at the same rate as the initial inspection

Required documents

• RequiredFire Alarm System plans (third-party reviewed)Plans for the proposed fire alarm system must be submitted with third-party plan review, per Box Elder County's Fee Schedule for County Fire.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Fire Sprinkler System plans require third-party plan review for submission, tiered by square footage (0-3,000 / 3,001-10,000 / 10,001+ sq ft) — the county charges no fee for this plan review step
• Permit (flow, hydro, final) includes 3 inspections and costs $300.00 regardless of size tier, per Box Elder County's 2026 Fee Schedule for County Fire
• Plan Re-inspection (each additional inspection beyond the 3 included) is $100.00

Required documents

• RequiredFire Sprinkler System plans (third-party reviewed)Plans for the proposed fire sprinkler system, sized by square footage, submitted with required third-party plan review.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Installation of a Level 2 or DC fast EV charger (EVSE) at a residential or commercial property in unincorporated Box Elder County
• New dedicated 240V circuit and/or panel capacity to serve the charger, inspected under the adopted National Electrical Code
• Licensed electrical contractor, or owner-performed work on the owner's own residence

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationBox Elder County Building Department application; describe the scope as an electrical circuit/EV charger installation so staff can determine the applicable fee category.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Change of Building User Application submitted through the Community Development Application process, per the county's 2026 Fee Schedule for Community Development and Planning & Zoning
• Applies when a new tenant, business, or use triggers a change of occupancy classification in an existing building — Utah's adopted 2024 IBC (per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(a)), Chapter 34 (Existing Buildings and Structures), provides that a change of occupancy may not be made until the Building Official has issued a certificate of occupancy
• Notarized owner-authorization form required if the applicant is not the property owner, per the standard Community Development Application requirements

Required documents

• RequiredCommunity Development ApplicationGeneral application form used for most Box Elder County land use requests; the county does not publish a form or checklist specific to the Change of Building User Application beyond this general application and its associated fee.
• OptionalLand Use Property Authorization FormNotarized owner-authorization form required if the applicant is not the property owner, per the county's Applications & Fee Schedule page.

Fee schedule