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Residential Building Permit in Unincorporated Duchesne County, Utah

Required for new single-family dwelling construction, additions, and structural alterations in unincorporated Duchesne County. The Duchesne County Department of Building Safety also reviews and issues building permits for the Town of Altamont and the Town of Tabiona under a full contract arrangement — those towns do not run their own building departments. Duchesne City, Roosevelt, and Myton run independent city building departments and are excluded.

Verified 2026-07-08 · Source

When you need this permit

  • New single-family dwelling, addition, or structural alteration 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 (tax notice, recorded deed, or notarized purchase contract) 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
  • Road Approach Permit from the Duchesne County Road Department ((435) 738-2468) or UDOT ((801) 227-8000) approved prior to building permit issuance if access is from a county- or state-maintained road
  • Zoning verification and, if the site is a new parcel split, Minor Subdivision Approval from Planning & Zoning ((435) 738-1135 or 1152)
  • Complete construction documents per Utah Code § 17-36-55(1)(e) / § 17-36-8(c): elevations (new construction), floor plans, foundation/structural/framing detail, electrical/mechanical/plumbing design, energy code compliance documentation, structural calculations (except trusses), and a statement of code compliance

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee (Valuation-Based)Duchesne County Permit Packet (dated July 1, 2023), 'Permit Fees' section — worked example given: a typical 1,500 sq ft single-level home with a 700 sq ft attached garage valuations to $295,654.18, yielding a base building permit fee of $1,744.36. Applicants who disagree with the county's valuation may submit a contractor's bid and a county assessor appraisal instead.
Calculated from the county-adopted cost-per-square-foot valuation table published in the August issue of the ICC Building Safety Journal, applied to the project's estimated construction cost valuation
Plan Review FeeDuchesne County Permit Packet (dated July 1, 2023) — example given: $610.53 to $1,133.83 on a $1,744.36 base permit fee.
35% to 65% of the building permit fee
State SurchargeDuchesne County Permit Packet (dated July 1, 2023); required on all issued building permits statewide per Utah Code.
1% of the building permit fee
Card/E-Check Processing FeeDuchesne County Permit Packet (dated July 1, 2023), 'Permit Fees' section.
2.5% of fees paid for debit/credit card; $0.75 flat fee for E-check

Review timeline

Plan reviewUnincorporated Duchesne County’s published plan-review target
3–14 business days

How long did your Residential 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 (road/driveway access for emergency vehicles, defensible space, firefighting water supply) and any conditions needing engineered design (poor soils, high groundwater, steep slopes, retaining walls)

  2. 2

    Footings

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

  3. 3

    Foundation

    Confirms reinforcement placement, anchoring, basement window/door or crawl space access, under-floor vent sizing, and form shoring. Includes bond beam inspection for masonry foundations.

  4. 4

    Foundation Waterproofing

    Required for below-grade livable space and masonry foundation walls

  5. 5

    Underground Utility

    Building sewer line to septic/city sewer, water line from home to water source, and any underground gas or electrical lines on the consumer side of the service disconnect

  6. 6

    Under-Floor Slab

    Building drain line installation and pressure test, electrical, heat ducts and insulation, reinforcement, and moisture barrier

  7. 7

    Floor Framing

    Prior to sheathing — confirms joist size for span, lumber grade, and sill-plate connections

  8. 8

    Roof and Wall Sheathing

    Prior to finish coverings — confirms nailing, joint offsets, panel usage, and moisture barrier need

  9. 9

    Weather-Resistive Barrier and Flashing

    Utah Amendment R109.1.5 — inspects the weather-resistive barrier (IRC R703.1) and flashing (IRC R703.8) before it is covered

  10. 10

    Rough Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical / Framing

    Wire and box installation, DWV/gas/water piping pressure tests, duct and vent installation, and rough framing — these may be conducted together prior to insulation or any other coverage

  11. 11

    Insulation and Moisture Barrier

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

  12. 12

    Drywall

    Confirms fire barriers, tile backers, and brace wall installation prior to plastering

  13. 13

    Final Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical / Exterior Grading / Final

    Final inspections may be conducted together. 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

  • Inspection notice must be given at least 24 hours in advance for afternoon inspections and 48 hours in advance for morning inspections, due to the size of the county's coverage area — call Glenna at (435) 738-1150 to schedule. Voicemail alone does not count as notice; the office must return your call to confirm.
  • Permits expire if work has not commenced within 180 days of issuance, or if work is suspended/abandoned for 180 days. A single 180-day extension may be granted in writing for good cause.
  • The Towns of Altamont and Tabiona do not run their own building departments — Duchesne County issues and inspects their building permits directly, per the county's own Permit Packet contact list.
  • A structure used solely for agriculture (not for human occupancy) is exempt from the building permit requirement under Utah Code § 15A-1-204(11), but plumbing/electrical/mechanical permits may still be required, and the exemption form must be notarized and recorded with the County Recorder.
  • Water wells for a new culinary water supply require an inorganic water test that can take 4-6 weeks for results — start this early, since a Certificate of Occupancy cannot be issued without an approved water source.
  • If you disagree with the county's ICC-valuation-table-based permit fee, you may submit a contractor's bid plus a county assessor appraisal as an alternative valuation basis.
  • Rooftop and ground-mounted solar PV installations are not itemized separately anywhere in the county's Permit Packet or Land Use Fee Schedule (re-checked 2026-07-19) — a solar project is filed through this same Building Permit Application, with the structural mounting and electrical interconnection scope covered by the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee, Plan Review Fee, and 1% State Surcharge documented above. Duchesne County publishes no dedicated solar checklist, application, or fee line item; confirm the exact submittal package with the Department of Building Safety, (435) 738-1150, before applying.
  • EV charger / EVSE installation is not itemized anywhere in the county's Permit Packet (dated July 1, 2023) or on the Department of Building Safety's own pages (re-checked 2026-07-20) — a full-text review found no 'EV,' 'electric vehicle,' or 'charging station' entry. Consistent with the county's treatment of solar (above), an EV charging circuit would be filed through this same Building Permit Application, with the electrical work covered by the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee, Plan Review Fee, and 1% State Surcharge documented above.

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Duchesne County requires a residential building permit for: New single-family dwelling, addition, or structural alteration 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 (tax notice, recorded deed, or notarized purchase contract) 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; Road Approach Permit from the Duchesne County Road Department ((435) 738-2468) or UDOT ((801) 227-8000) approved prior to building permit issuance if access is from a county- or state-maintained road; Zoning verification and, if the site is a new parcel split, Minor Subdivision Approval from Planning & Zoning ((435) 738-1135 or 1152); Complete construction documents per Utah Code § 17-36-55(1)(e) / § 17-36-8(c): elevations (new construction), floor plans, foundation/structural/framing detail, electrical/mechanical/plumbing design, energy code compliance documentation, structural calculations (except trusses), and a statement of code compliance. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Duchesne County Department of Building Safety at (435) 738-1150 before starting work.

The fee is based on an estimated construction valuation calculated from the county-adopted cost-per-square-foot table (published annually in the ICC Building Safety Journal's August issue). The county's own worked example: a 1,500 sq ft home with a 700 sq ft garage valuations at $295,654.18, for a base permit fee of $1,744.36, plus a plan review fee of 35-65% of that base fee and a 1% state surcharge.

Duchesne County has not published its own plan-review SLA. Utah Code § 17-36-55(3)(a) sets a statutory ceiling requiring counties to complete plan review of a one- or two-family dwelling or townhome construction project no later than 14 business days after a complete application is submitted.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Complete Site Plan; Complete Set of Building Plans (PDF or paper); Proof of Culinary Water Source; Onsite Wastewater Disposal Permit or Sewer Connection Proof; Contractor List / Owner-Builder Exemption Form. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Duchesne County may also ask for: HVAC Manual J/D/S Calculations; Geotechnical Report; Fire Protection Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Duchesne County requires 13 inspection(s) for a residential building permit, in order: Pre-Site / Wildland Urban Interface Evaluation, Footings, Foundation, Foundation Waterproofing, Underground Utility, Under-Floor Slab, Floor Framing, Roof and Wall Sheathing, Weather-Resistive Barrier and Flashing, Rough Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical / Framing, Insulation and Moisture Barrier, Drywall, 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.

Yes. Per the Duchesne County Department of Building Safety's own Permit Packet (dated July 1, 2023), the county 'Reviews & Issues Building Permits for' the Town of Altamont and the Town of Tabiona — both towns are listed alongside unincorporated county areas, distinct from Duchesne City, Roosevelt, and Myton, which each run independent city building departments.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-08.

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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