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Commercial Building Permit in Unincorporated Duchesne County, Utah

Required for new commercial construction in unincorporated Duchesne County (plus the Towns of Altamont and Tabiona, which fully contract building-permit review to the county). The Duchesne County Permit Packet does not itemize a distinct commercial fee table or a commercial-specific plan-review percentage separate from residential — re-verified 2026-07-19 by direct full-text extraction of the county's own 14-page Permit Packet, in which the word 'commercial' appears only in the codesAdopted context (IECC commercial provisions) and an unrelated owner-builder certification clause, never in the fee or plan-review sections. The same valuation-based fee methodology, 35%-65% plan review range, and 1% state surcharge documented for the Residential Building Permit apply to commercial projects.

Reviewed 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • New commercial construction on any parcel — vacant/bare land always requires a permit regardless of size or use unless a qualifying agricultural exemption is filed
  • Legal description of property and proof of ownership with proof of legal deeded access from a public right-of-way
  • Site evaluated for on-site wastewater (septic) system approval before a building permit is issued, per Tri-County Health Department review, or proof of sewer connection
  • Road Approach Permit from the Duchesne County Road Department or UDOT approved prior to building permit issuance if access is from a county- or state-maintained road
  • Zoning verification from Planning & Zoning ((435) 738-1135 or 1152)
  • Complete construction documents per Utah Code § 17-36-55(1)(e)/(c): elevations, floor plans, foundation/structural/framing detail, electrical/mechanical/plumbing design, energy code compliance documentation, structural calculations, and a statement of code compliance
  • Geotechnical report if lot slope exceeds 15%, including slope stability evaluation and retaining wall design, per the county's general submittal requirements

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee (Valuation-Based)Duchesne County Permit Packet (dated July 1, 2023) — same generic valuation methodology documented for the Residential Building Permit; the Permit Packet does not publish a separate commercial valuation table.
Calculated from the county-adopted cost-per-square-foot valuation table published in the August issue of the ICC Building Safety Journal
Plan Review FeeDuchesne County Permit Packet (dated July 1, 2023), re-verified 2026-07-19 by full-text extraction: 'a plan review fee of not less than 35% and up to as much as 65% of the building permit fee.' The packet gives this range in a worked residential example only and never uses the word 'commercial' to explain what determines where a project falls in the range — NOT confirmed that the high end specifically applies to commercial. Commercial projects should expect to fall toward the higher end given typically greater plan-review complexity, but this is not stated by the county.
35% to 65% of the building permit fee
State SurchargeDuchesne County Permit Packet (dated July 1, 2023); required on all issued building permits statewide.
1% of the building permit fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Building Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Duchesne County?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Pre-Site / Wildland Urban Interface Evaluation

    Identifies site conditions requiring alteration to conform to the adopted Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code and any conditions needing engineered design.

  2. 2

    Footings

    Confirms reinforcement placement and footing form size; also confirms building location on the parcel.

  3. 3

    Foundation

    Confirms reinforcement placement, anchoring, and form shoring.

  4. 4

    Rough Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical / Framing

    Wire and box installation, DWV/gas/water piping pressure tests, duct and vent installation, and rough framing.

  5. 5

    Insulation and Moisture Barrier

    Confirms insulation R-values and window U-values for Energy Code compliance.

  6. 6

    Final Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical / Exterior Grading / Final

    A Certificate of Occupancy is required before any building or structure may be occupied or used.

See the full Unincorporated Duchesne County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Duchesne County's Permit Packet does not distinguish a commercial fee category or plan-review percentage from residential — re-verified 2026-07-19 by full-text search of the entire 14-page document; the plan-review fee range (35%-65%) is not explained as residential-vs-commercial. Contact the Department of Building Safety at (435) 738-1150 for a project-specific fee estimate before applying.
  • The Towns of Altamont and Tabiona do not run their own building departments — Duchesne County issues and inspects their commercial building permits directly, the same as unincorporated county land.
  • Inspection notice must be given at least 24-48 hours in advance depending on time of day — call Glenna at (435) 738-1150 to schedule; voicemail alone does not count as notice.
  • Duchesne County does not publish a distinct sign-permit fee, application, or process. County Code § 8-9-14 ("Signs, On Premises and Off Premises Advertising") sets sign STANDARDS instead — no confusing/traffic-hazard signs, none in the public right-of-way, NEC/IBC compliance for any electrical or structural sign work, a 50-foot height cap measured from roadway grade, written property-owner permission for off-premises signs, and repair/removal obligations on the sign owner — but does not establish a separate sign permit fee or application. Per County Code § 8-1-4, no construction (which a sign attached to real property would fall under) may occur without a validly issued building permit, so a commercial sign is expected to be reviewed under this Commercial Building Permit process rather than a standalone sign permit.
  • Duchesne County does not publish a standalone fire-sprinkler or fire-alarm permit or fee schedule. Per the county's New Business License Application guidance, plan review for a proposed commercial use is conducted jointly by the Department of Building Safety and the Fire Marshal's Office, and 'there are some uses that require a fire sprinkler system be installed in the building,' with 'all commercial buildings...to have a fire hydrant within 400 feet of the building' (or an approved alternative if one is not present). Fire suppression/alarm work is processed under this Commercial Building Permit (or, for an occupancy change, under the county's change-of-use building permit) rather than as a separate permit type. As a worked example, the guidance states that if a proposed use is similar to the prior use and 'you may only need to install a fire alarm or something simple like that,' the county says 'this would most likely require a minimum permit fee of $55.55.'

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Duchesne County requires a commercial building permit for: New commercial construction on any parcel — vacant/bare land always requires a permit regardless of size or use unless a qualifying agricultural exemption is filed; Legal description of property and proof of ownership with proof of legal deeded access from a public right-of-way; Site evaluated for on-site wastewater (septic) system approval before a building permit is issued, per Tri-County Health Department review, or proof of sewer connection; Road Approach Permit from the Duchesne County Road Department or UDOT approved prior to building permit issuance if access is from a county- or state-maintained road; Zoning verification from Planning & Zoning ((435) 738-1135 or 1152); Complete construction documents per Utah Code § 17-36-55(1)(e)/(c): elevations, floor plans, foundation/structural/framing detail, electrical/mechanical/plumbing design, energy code compliance documentation, structural calculations, and a statement of code compliance; Geotechnical report if lot slope exceeds 15%, including slope stability evaluation and retaining wall design, per the county's general submittal requirements. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Duchesne County Department of Building Safety at (435) 738-1150 before starting work.

Duchesne County's Permit Packet publishes a plan review fee range of 35% to 65% of the building permit fee but does not state that the high end of the range is specifically for commercial projects — the packet's only worked example is for a residential home. Contact the Department of Building Safety at (435) 738-1150 to confirm what rate will apply to your specific commercial project.

Duchesne County has not published a commercial-specific review timeline. The 14-business-day statutory ceiling under Utah Code § 17-36-55(3)(a) applies only to one- and two-family dwellings, townhomes, and other residential structures — it does not extend to commercial buildings by the statute's own terms.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Complete Set of Building Plans (PDF or paper). Depending on your project, Unincorporated Duchesne County may also ask for: Fire Protection Plan; Geotechnical Report. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Duchesne County requires 6 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit, in order: Pre-Site / Wildland Urban Interface Evaluation, Footings, Foundation, Rough Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical / Framing, Insulation and Moisture Barrier, Final Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical / Exterior Grading / Final. Schedule each through Duchesne County Department of Building Safety ((435) 738-1150).

Apply through Duchesne County Department of Building Safety at 734 North Center Street, P.O. Box 317, Duchesne, UT 84021-0317. Phone: (435) 738-1150, email: Building@duchesne.utah.gov. Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (closed state and federal holidays); Planning & Zoning zoning-clearance line (435) 738-1135 or 1152. Official information: https://duchesne.utah.gov/gov/dept/building-inspector/.

Unincorporated Duchesne County, Utah has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), plus Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b)/(c); unchanged by the July 1, 2026 revision — still the current edition; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition, including Utah amendment P2602.3 (individual water supply), governed through June 30, 2026 — confirm the amendment still applies against the 2024 base edition); 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); statute has no residential/commercial split — one edition applies to both; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), residential provisions — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n). ADDED 2026-07-16: this code is not listed on Duchesne County's own permit materials, but it is adopted statewide by statute, so it applies here regardless of the county page's omission.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g); statewide in force, unchanged by the July 1, 2026 revision; Utah State Amendment to IBC Section 1807 (Empirical Concrete Foundation Design, Table 1807.1.6.4) — Duchesne County Permit Packet, dated July 1, 2023; Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code — adopted under Utah Code § 15A-2-103; a Pre-site/WUI evaluation is a required inspection for new construction in Duchesne County; NOTE (verified 2026-07-16 against the live Utah Code § 15A-2-103 text, version headed 'Effective 7/1/2026 / Superseded 1/1/2027'): the 2024 editions of IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, and IEBC listed above took effect July 1, 2026, replacing the 2021 editions; IRC (2021) and NEC (2023) did not change. The 1/1/2027 version of the statute carries identical editions, so no further flip is expected then. This file previously forecast this change but still led with the 2021 editions as current — corrected on this date.. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Duchesne County overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-20.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Unincorporated Duchesne County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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