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