Unincorporated Emery County building permits

Requirements

• New single-family dwelling construction, additions, and structural alterations
• Outside city limits: property must be at least 10 acres, or a minor subdivision of at least 2-acre lots, recorded in the applicant's name on County records
• Outside city limits: Building Permit Point System worksheet must total 1000 qualifying points (proximity to town, road access, lot size, culinary water, electrical, sewage disposal, dwelling size)
• Minimum dwelling size 800 sq ft (per plot-plan requirement in the Outside City Limits BP Packet)
• Zoning clearance/plot plan review by the County Zoning Administrator (plot plan submitted with application)
• Road Encroachment Permit from Emery County Road Department or UDOT if the driveway/access crosses a county or state road
• Health Department approval of septic system/drain field (Southeast Utah Health Department) where no sewer connection exists
• Letter of Intent for culinary water and/or sewer hookup from the applicable irrigation/water company or district
• Setbacks (outside city limits): front 55 ft from road center or 30 ft from right-of-way (whichever is greater; 50 ft for state/federal highways), side 10 ft, rear 10 ft minimum
• Unconventional construction (log, metal frame) requires an architect/engineer stamp; commercial buildings require a certified architect/engineer

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationEmery County Building Permit Application form (front and back signatures required from owner and contractor). Submitted with all supporting documents to building@emery.utah.gov.
• RequiredOutside City Limits Building Permit ChecklistCover checklist confirming all required items are included in the submittal packet
• RequiredPlat / Ownership DocumentationTrust deed or county plat showing ownership, road access, Tax ID number, and County-issued address
• RequiredDetailed Plot PlanShows lot dimensions, structure size (minimum 800 sq ft for dwellings) and location, utility line/connection locations, water/sewer connections, and distances to other buildings and boundary lines
• OptionalRoad Encroachment PermitFrom Emery County Road Department (435-381-3510) or UDOT, if applicable
• RequiredLetter of Intent for Water/Sewer HookupFrom the applicable irrigation company or water district serving the property
• OptionalHealth Department Septic ApprovalSoutheast Utah Health Department approval of septic system/drain fields where applicable (requires percolation test)
• RequiredComplete Construction Plans (PDF)One complete set of legible plans: footing/foundation, floor plan, electrical plan, elevations, wall sections. Unconventional construction (log, metal frame) and commercial buildings require an architect/engineer stamp.
• RequiredEmery Telcom Fiber Optic Service RequestPreconstruction fiber optic service request form for new construction, coordinating conduit installation with the power utility trench
• RequiredResidential Property Declaration (Form PT-24)Utah State Tax Commission form submitted to the County Assessor's office for the residential exemption on property under construction or unoccupied
• OptionalOwner/Builder Certification AgreementUtah DOPL form required if the owner is not using a licensed contractor; filed with the county, which forwards it to the state
• RequiredEmery County Building Permit Point System QualificationsWorksheet scoring proximity to town, road access, lot size, culinary water, electrical, sewage disposal, and dwelling size — total must equal 1000 points

Fee schedule

Requirements

• New commercial construction on unincorporated land
• Zoning clearance/plot plan review by the County Zoning Administrator
• Plans drawn by a certified architect and/or engineer — per Emery County's Permit Process page: 'Commercial buildings...require an architect/engineer stamp'
• Road Encroachment Permit from Emery County Road Department or UDOT if the driveway/access crosses a county or state road
• Health Department approval of septic system/drain field (Southeast Utah Health Department) where no sewer connection exists, or Letter of Intent for sewer hookup
• Outside city limits, the same underlying 10-acre minimum lot / qualifying 2-acre minor-subdivision threshold and Building Permit Point System worksheet requirements documented for the Residential Building Permit are listed as general application checklist items — the county's materials do not explicitly state whether commercial projects are exempt from the point system (it is written in residential terms: dwelling size, culinary water, etc.); confirm applicability with the Zoning Administrator before applying

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit Application (Building Type & Fee Calculation table)Official application lists 'Commercial Building' as its own valuation row (Sq Ft Area x Sq Ft Value = Total Value), alongside Basement, Main Floor, Garage, Remodel, and other building types — the same per-square-foot mechanism, no separate commercial multiplier.
• RequiredOutside City Limits Building Permit ChecklistCover checklist confirming all required items are included; written primarily in residential terms (dwelling size, point system) — confirm with the Zoning Administrator which items apply to a commercial project.
• RequiredComplete Construction Plans (PDF), Architect/Engineer StampedPer Emery County's Permit Process page, commercial buildings require a certified architect and/or engineer stamp — a hard requirement, unlike residential permits where a stamp is only conditionally triggered (unconventional construction).
• RequiredLetter of Intent for Water/Sewer HookupFrom the applicable irrigation company or water district serving the property.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Interior tenant-improvement or tenant-finish work inside existing commercial space
• Plans drawn by a certified architect and/or engineer for the scope of work, consistent with Emery County's commercial stamp requirement
• Zoning clearance if the tenant improvement changes use or occupancy

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit Application (Building Type & Fee Calculation table, 'Remodel' line)The county's application form includes 'Remodel' as its own valuation row, using the same per-square-foot mechanism as new construction — no distinct TI checklist is published.
• RequiredScope-Appropriate Construction Plans (PDF), Architect/Engineer StampedFloor plan and applicable MEP plans for the tenant-improvement scope, stamped per the county's commercial-plan requirement.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Installation of a Level 2 or DC fast EV charger (EVSE) at a residential or commercial property in unincorporated Emery County
• New dedicated 240V circuit and/or panel capacity to serve the charger, shown on the electrical plan
• Licensed electrical contractor, or owner-performed work where allowed

Required documents

• RequiredEmery County Building Permit ApplicationOutside City Limits Building Permit Packet application; include the electrical scope for the EV charger circuit.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Installation of a rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system at a residential or commercial property in unincorporated Emery County
• Electrical scope (panel/interconnection, inverter, wiring) shown on the plans submitted with the Building Permit Application — the county's Building Permit Requirements page lists 'Electrical work' among the categories requiring a permit
• Licensed electrical contractor, or owner-performed work where allowed
• Roof-mounted arrays: structural adequacy of the roof framing for the added dead load, per the adopted IBC/IRC
• Zoning clearance/plot plan review by the County Zoning Administrator for ground-mounted arrays sited on the property

Required documents

• RequiredEmery County Building Permit ApplicationOutside City Limits Building Permit Packet application; include the electrical scope (and structural details for roof-mounted arrays) for the solar PV installation.
• RequiredSystem PlansElectrical single-line diagram and equipment specifications (panels, inverter, mounting/racking); for roof-mounted systems, include roof framing/attachment details showing the structure can support the added load.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Complete sign permit application submitted to the Zoning Administrator, including applicant name/address/phone, a statement showing how the request meets approval standards, a plot plan (site address, property boundaries/dimensions, layout of existing/proposed buildings, parking, landscaping, utilities, and adjoining property lines/uses within 100 feet), and an elevation drawing (sign type, location relative to nearest property line, height, and face area) — Emery County Zoning Ordinance Section 6-17-1(b)
• Sign must conform to applicable provisions of Section 6-17 of the Zoning Ordinance — Section 6-17-2(a)(i)
• Building and electrical permits must be obtained as required by the applicable building code, in addition to the sign permit, if the sign's construction/wiring triggers them — Section 6-17-2(a)(iii)
• Requester must request County inspection within five (5) business days after the sign is installed — Section 6-17-2(a)(ii)
• Not required for: name/address plates up to 226 sq in, temporary event-advertising signs (within 90 days of the event, max 32 sq ft per side), and government/church/civic direction signs within a road right-of-way — Section 6-17-8
• County promotional signs/billboards require a different track: approval of the Emery County Commission (and, for a city/town-erected sign within the county, approval of both the Planning Commission and County Commission) rather than a standard sign permit — Section 6-17-9

Required documents

• RequiredSign Permit ApplicationForm established by the Zoning Administrator; must include applicant contact information and a statement demonstrating how the request meets Section 6-17-2 approval standards.
• RequiredPlot PlanShows applicant's name, site address, property boundaries and dimensions, layout of existing and proposed buildings/parking/landscaping/utilities, and adjoining property lines and uses within 100 feet of the subject property — Zoning Ordinance Section 6-17-1(b)(iii)
• RequiredElevation DrawingShows sign type, sign location relative to the nearest property line, sign height, and sign face area — Zoning Ordinance Section 6-17-1(b)(iv)

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Automatic fire sprinkler system installation (NFPA 13, 13R, or 13D) in a building in unincorporated Emery County: submit plans directly to the Utah State Fire Marshal's Office for review and approval prior to installation — per the SFM's Fire Sprinkler Systems program page, applicable statewide 'regardless of whether the local city or county also reviews the plans'
• Fire alarm system installation: submit plans to the Utah State Fire Marshal's Office using the Fire Alarm Plan Review Submittal Form
• Water supply analysis (static pressure, residual pressure, flow) with documented source of information, required per Utah Admin. Code R710-4-5(A)(B)(C), included with sprinkler submittal
• Sprinkler system inspection and testing (including the final Main Drain Test) must be performed by an individual holding a current State Fire Marshal certificate of registration for automatic fire sprinkler system inspecting/testing — Utah Code § 53-7-225.5 and Utah Admin. Code R710-5
• A local Emery County Building Permit is still separately required for any associated construction/electrical work under the county's standard Building Permit process

Required documents

• RequiredAutomatic Fire Sprinkler Plan Submittal FormUtah State Fire Marshal's Office form: project name/location, scope-of-work square footage for the review-fee invoice, submitting company/license #, architect/engineer contact info, automatic sprinkler drawings (sheet count/date), hydraulic calculations, material submittals, seismic calculations, and water supply analysis information (static/residual pressure, flow, source).
• RequiredFire Alarm Plan Review Submittal FormUtah State Fire Marshal's Office form: project name/location, scope-of-work square footage for the review-fee invoice, submitting company info, and a checklist covering floor plan (room size/use), occupancy type, project code analysis, alarm-initiating/notification device locations, alarm control/trouble signaling equipment, annunciation, power connection, battery calculations, conductor type/sizes, voltage-drop calculations, equipment cut sheets, ceiling height/construction details, and fire-safety control function interfaces.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• A change in use of an existing building or structure to a MORE INTENSIVE use requires a new certificate of occupancy — Emery County Zoning Ordinance Section 5-11-7(c)(ii) (this is listed as one of two triggers, alongside a 30%+ floor-area or 50%+ value increase, that bring an 'other nonconformity' into conformance)
• Building permits and occupancy permits are issued through the Building Official/Building Permit process, NOT through the Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, or County Commission's conditional-use-permit process — Zoning Ordinance Section 10-1-1
• Zoning Clearance (Zoning Ordinance Section 7-5) is a prerequisite for a building permit for construction, remodeling, or moving of any structure — an application for a zoning clearance for a project that appears to require a conditional use permit is instead treated and processed as a conditional use permit application
• A nonconforming use of a vacant structure may only be resumed if reoccupied by a use for which the structure was designed within one (1) year after the use became nonconforming — Section 5-11-4(a)
• No process specific to 'change of use' alone (without accompanying construction) — e.g., a tenant simply changing the type of business in an existing, unaltered space — is separately documented anywhere in Emery County's Zoning Ordinance or Building & Zoning web materials; this is a genuine gap, not an inferred figure

Required documents

• RequiredEmery County Building Permit ApplicationThe Certificate of Occupancy is issued through this standard application/final-inspection process (see Residential and Commercial Building Permit entries in this file) — there is no separate CO-only or change-of-use-only application form published by Emery County.

Fee schedule