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Residential Building Permit in Unincorporated Garfield County, Utah

Required for new single-family/manufactured home construction, additions, and structural alterations in unincorporated Garfield County. The Garfield County Building Department issues the building permit, performs plan review, and conducts all inspections for the unincorporated county AND — per contract — for essentially all of the county's small incorporated towns (documented explicitly for Boulder Town, which contracts with Garfield County 'to issue the actual Building Permit, conduct all building code inspections, and issue the Certificate of Occupancy'). Property inside city/town limits requires town-level zoning/project approval first, but the building permit itself still comes from the county.

Verified 2026-07-13 · Source

When you need this permit

  • New single-family dwelling or manufactured home construction
  • Additions to existing residential structures
  • Any structural modification, remodel, repair, or demolition
  • Basements, second levels, decks, private garages, carports, patio covers, and other accessory structures per the fee schedule
  • Large sheds (200 sq ft or more, or any shed with power/water/heat) — see Local Amendments
  • Two complete sets of plans (one retained by the building department, one kept on the jobsite)
  • City/town zoning approval first if the property is within incorporated city/town limits

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Total Building Permit Valuation — $2,000 or lessGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule (building-department-fees.pdf); valuation set per ICC Building Valuation Data Sheet or itemized component pricing below
$60.00
Total Building Permit Valuation — $2,001–$25,000Garfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$73.68 for first $2,000 + $14.90 per additional $1,000
Total Building Permit Valuation — $25,001–$50,000Garfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$416.82 for first $25,000 + $10.75 per additional $1,000
Total Building Permit Valuation — $50,001–$100,000Garfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$684.95 for first $50,000 + $7.93 per additional $1,000
Total Building Permit Valuation — $100,001–$500,000Garfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$1,057.35 for first $100,000 + $5.96 per additional $1,000
Total Building Permit Valuation — $500,001–$1,000,000Garfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$3,440.71 for first $500,000 + $5.03 per additional $1,000
Total Building Permit Valuation — $1,000,001 or moreGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$5,967.71 for first $1,000,000 + $3.88 per additional $1,000
Manufactured HomeGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
80% of cost
Basement — UnfinishedGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$30.00 per square foot
Basement — Finished with DwellingGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$45.48 per square foot
Second Level — UnfinishedGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$30.00 per square foot
Second Level — Finished with DwellingGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$45.48 per square foot
Private Garage — FinishedGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$42.50 per square foot
Private Garage — UnfinishedGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$24.00 per square foot
Deck — OpenGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$16.68 per square foot
Deck — CoveredGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$27.48 per square foot
Plan Review — Residential DwellingGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$100.00
WUI Plan Review (one per parcel)Garfield County Building Department Fees schedule — Wildland Urban Interface Code review
$225.00
Re-InspectionGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$60.00 per inspection
Permit RenewalGarfield County Building Department Fees schedule
$100.00

Review timeline

Plan reviewUnincorporated Garfield County’s published plan-review target
0–14 business days

How long did your Residential Building Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Garfield County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Footings

    After excavation with required forms and reinforcing steel in place; other required materials except concrete must be on the job site, including slab-edge insulation where applicable.

  2. 2

    Foundation Walls

    After forms and reinforcing steel are in place with other required materials on-site; includes basement wall exterior insulation or crawl space wall insulation where applicable.

  3. 3

    4-Way Rough

    Rough framing, rough electrical, rough plumbing, and rough mechanical performed together where possible. Energy code items (floor/wall insulation, glazing and door area, mass walls, joints/penetrations, duct insulation, vapor retarder, duct construction) checked at the same inspection where applicable.

  4. 4

    Insulation Inspection and Shower Pan

    Insulation installed and shower pan liner tested before cover

  5. 5

    Gypsum Board

    After gypsum board is in place, before taping and finishing

  6. 6

    Final Inspection

    After finish grading and building completion, ready for occupancy but before occupying. The county will not perform a final inspection on an occupied building, and will not issue a signed Final Inspection or Certificate of Occupancy with uncorrected code violations.

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

Tips

  • Requests for inspection must be made to the Garfield County Building Department no less than two working days prior to the proposed inspection date, by telephone or in writing.
  • If your property is within Tropic or anywhere west of Tropic, get your Utah Prairie Dog clearance letter from DWR (Patrick Anderson, 435-691-5700) before applying — the application will not be accepted without it.
  • If your property is within an incorporated city/town (Antimony, Boulder Town, Bryce Canyon City, Cannonville, Escalante, Hatch, Henrieville, Panguitch, Tropic), get town-level zoning/project approval first — the county will not issue the building permit until the town approves the project. Boulder Town's process is fully documented as a two-step Town Project Approval + County Building Permit; most other incorporated towns in the county follow the same pattern of contracting building-permit issuance to the county.
  • Sheds under 200 sq ft with no power, water, or heat are exempt from a building permit; sheds at or above 200 sq ft, or any shed with power/water/heat regardless of size, require one.
  • Applications are submitted through the 'City Inspect' online portal — new users create an account and receive a temporary password by email.
  • Two complete sets of plans are required — one is retained by the building department, one must stay on the jobsite.
  • Permits expire if construction has not commenced within 180 days of issuance, or if work is suspended for 180 days; no fees are refunded after 180 days.
  • EV charger / EVSE installation is not itemized anywhere in the Garfield County Building Department Fees schedule — a full-text review of its itemized valuation tiers, Manufactured Home, Basement, Second Level, Garage, Deck, Plan Review, WUI, Re-Inspection, and Permit Renewal line items found no 'EV,' 'electric vehicle,' or 'charging station' entry. A standalone EV charging circuit would be expected to fall under the general valuation-based Building Permit Fee applied to other electrical work; confirm with the Building Department, (435) 676-1111, before budgeting a specific project.

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Garfield County requires a residential building permit for: New single-family dwelling or manufactured home construction; Additions to existing residential structures; Any structural modification, remodel, repair, or demolition; Basements, second levels, decks, private garages, carports, patio covers, and other accessory structures per the fee schedule; Large sheds (200 sq ft or more, or any shed with power/water/heat) — see Local Amendments; Two complete sets of plans (one retained by the building department, one kept on the jobsite); City/town zoning approval first if the property is within incorporated city/town limits. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Garfield County Building Department at (435) 676-1111 before starting work.

Fees are based on total project valuation on a sliding scale: $60 for valuations up to $2,000, rising with per-$1,000 increments through higher tiers (e.g., $1,057.35 + $5.96/$1,000 for $100,001–$500,000). Component-based fees also apply for specific elements (e.g., unfinished basement $30/sq ft, finished garage $42.50/sq ft, open deck $16.68/sq ft). A separate $100 plan review fee applies to residential dwellings, plus a $225 WUI plan review fee per parcel where applicable.

The county does not publish a specific internal SLA. Utah Code § 17-79-810(4)(a) requires counties to complete plan review of a one-to-two family dwelling or townhome construction project within 14 business days of a complete application being submitted; this is the statutory outer bound that governs Garfield County.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Septic System Permit; Two Complete Sets of Plans; Plot Plan; Proof of Ownership; Proof of Cost / Valuation; REScheck. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Garfield County may also ask for: City/Town Permission; Owner/Builder Affidavit; Utah Prairie Dog Clearance. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Garfield County requires 6 inspection(s) for a residential building permit, in order: Footings, Foundation Walls, 4-Way Rough, Insulation Inspection and Shower Pan, Gypsum Board, Final Inspection. Schedule each through Garfield County Building Department ((435) 676-1111).

Apply through Garfield County Building Department at Garfield County Courthouse, 55 South Main St, PO Box 77, Panguitch, UT 84759. Phone: (435) 676-1111, email: jared.woolsey@garfield.utah.gov. Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–12:00 PM, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM (closed noon–1pm and all holidays). Official information: https://www.garfield.utah.gov/Departments/Building.

Unincorporated Garfield 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 governed through June 30, 2026); 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 Garfield County's own building-department pages, 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 Wildland Urban Interface Code — adopted under Utah Code § 15A-2-103; Garfield County charges a WUI plan review fee (one per parcel); 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 Garfield County overview page for the full list.

Garfield County issues the building permit for essentially the entire county, including inside most incorporated towns. For property inside a town (e.g., Boulder Town, Escalante, Panguitch, Tropic), you typically need town zoning/project approval first, but the county performs the plan review, issues the actual building permit, conducts inspections, and issues the Certificate of Occupancy. This is documented explicitly for Boulder Town, which contracts with Garfield County for these services.

Other permits in Unincorporated Garfield County

Commercial Building PermitCommercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish PermitSolar PermitEV Charger / EVSE PermitSign PermitFire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm PermitChange of Use / Certificate of Occupancy Permit

Residential Building Permit in other cities

Alpine, UtahAmerican Fork, UtahBountiful, UtahBrigham City, UtahCedar City, UtahCedar Hills, UtahCenterville, UtahClearfield, Utah

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