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Residential Building Permit in Moab, Utah

Required for new single-family and two-family residential construction, additions, remodels, and any work regulated by the 2021 IRC and the 2024 IBC (current statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103, effective 7/1/2026) in Moab, including detached accessory dwelling units (Type 1 ADUs) built under Moab Municipal Code Chapter 17.70. Fees are valuation-based per the City's Master Fee Schedule (Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165), most recently amended by Ordinance #2025-08 (effective June 24, 2025).

Verified 2026-07-08 · Source

When you need this permit

  • New single-family or two-family residential construction, or an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) permitted under Moab Municipal Code Chapter 17.70
  • Any work regulated by the 2021 IRC
  • Structural modifications regulated by the current-statewide 2024 IBC and the 2021 IRC (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a)/(b))
  • Site plan submittal (required per the official Building Permit Application; may be marked N/A for interior-only work)
  • Utah State Contractor's License and Moab municipal business license for the general contractor and any subcontractors (electrical, plumbing, mechanical), per the official Building Permit Application form Contractor

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165, as amended by Ordinance #2025-08, effective 06/24/2025)Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165 'Building permit (by total valuation)' table, as adopted by Ordinance #2023-06 (2023) and the $1–$500 tier subsequently updated from $65.00 to $85.00 by Ordinance #2025-08 (passed June 24, 2025; all other valuation tiers unchanged by 2025-08). Valuation determined per attached ICC Building Valuation Data (updated every February/August per the fee schedule's own footnote). Source: adopted ordinance Attachment A PDFs, moabcity.gov/DocumentCenter.
$1.00–$500.00: $85.00 flat. $501.00–$2,000.00: $100.00 for the first $500 plus $3.66 for each additional $100 (or fraction). $2,001.00–$25,000.00: $119.90 for the first $2,000 plus $16.80 for each additional $1,000 (or fraction). $25,001.00–$50,000.00: $506.30 for the first $25,000 plus $12.12 for each additional $1,000. $50,001.00–$100,000.00: $809.30 for the first $50,000 plus $8.40 for each additional $1,000. $100,001.00–$500,000.00: $1,229.30 for the first $100,000 plus $6.72 for each additional $1,000. $500,001.00–$1,000,000.00: $3,917.30 for the first $500,000 plus $6.72 for each additional $1,000. $1,000,001.00 and up: $7,277.30 for the first $1,000,000 plus $6.72 for each additional $1,000.
State Building Code Training Fund Surcharge ('State 1%')Statewide surcharge required by the Uniform Building Standards Act (Utah Code Title 58-56) and Utah Admin. Code R156-15A-230; every Utah compliance agency issuing building permits must collect this 1% surcharge and remit 85% to the Division of Professional Licensing's Building Code Training Fund. Appears as its own 'STATE 1%' line item on Moab's official Building Permit Application fee routing box — this is a statutory pass-through, not a Moab-set fee.
1% of the building permit fee
Building Permit Renewal FeeMoab Municipal Code § 3.50.165, added by Ordinance #2025-08: covers renewal of a permit that has expired or is nearing expiration (permits are valid 180 days/6 months from the last inspection, per the ordinance's own commentary).
$85.00
Re-inspection FeeMoab Municipal Code § 3.50.165, 'Reinspection fees assessed under provisions of Section 305.8 due prior to the reinspection' — 2-hour minimum added by Ordinance #2025-08.
Actual costs plus 10%, 2-hour minimum
Nonrefundable Residential Plan Review Deposit (new construction only)Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165, updated from $130.00 to $170.00 by Ordinance #2025-08.
$170.00 per permit

Review timeline

Plan reviewMoab’s published plan-review target
14–14 business days

How long did your Residential Building Permit permit actually take in Moab?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Building Department

    Core building inspection and final Building Department approval sign-off, one of seven routing lines on the official Building Permit Application. Inspections scheduled by phone at (435) 259-5129; 24-hour advance notice required.

  2. 2

    Zoning Administrator

    Zoning compliance sign-off, a required routing line on the official Building Permit Application.

  3. 3

    Engineering

    Engineering review and approval sign-off, a required routing line on the official Building Permit Application.

  4. 4

    Public Works & Utility

    Public Works and Utility sign-off, a required routing line on the official Building Permit Application.

  5. 5

    Health Department

    Health Department sign-off, a required routing line on the official Building Permit Application (applicable to septic, water systems, and similar).

  6. 6

    Fire Department

    Fire Department review, marked 'REQUIRED ON ALL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS' on the official form; included as a routing line for residential applications as well.

  7. 7

    Floodplain Administrator

    Floodplain Administrator sign-off and comments, required when the Floodplain Status field on the application indicates the parcel is within a mapped floodplain; an Elevation Certificate field is also present on the form.

See the full Moab inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Moab's Building Department is open Mon–Thu 8:00 AM–5:00 PM and Fri 8:00 AM–noon (half-day Friday, unlike Murray's full Friday hours).
  • Applications can be submitted in person at 217 E Center Street, emailed to permitting@moabcity.gov, or filed online via the City's iworq portal (moab.portal.iworq.net/portalhome/moab); a separate Contractor's Portal exists at portal.iworq.net/MOAB/permits/600.
  • 24-hour advance notice is required to schedule any inspection — call (435) 259-5129.
  • The Master Fee Schedule's $1–$500 valuation tier fee was raised from $65 to $85 by Ordinance #2025-08 (June 24, 2025); a competing staff proposal to convert the entire small-project tier to a flat $865 'actual cost to process' fee was floated in the June 2025 hearing redline but was NOT adopted — the valuation-tiered table survives essentially intact.
  • A 1% state surcharge (Utah Building Code Training Fund, Utah Code Title 58-56) is added to every building permit fee statewide, not unique to Moab — it appears as its own 'STATE 1%' line on Moab's fee routing sheet.
  • Moab allows Type 1 (external/detached), Type 2, and Type 3 (internal, owner-occupied) accessory dwelling units as a permitted use in most residential zones under Municipal Code Chapter 17.70 — ADUs are permitted via this same Residential Building Permit process and valuation-based fee table; there is no separate ADU permit fee line in the Master Fee Schedule. Owner-builder
  • Moab has no distinct EV charger / EVSE permit type or fee: a full-text check of the Master Fee Schedule (Ordinance ORD-CC-2025-08, moabcity.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5083, PDF fetched and searched directly 2026-07-20) found zero mentions of 'EV,' 'electric vehicle,' 'charging station,' or 'EVSE.' Moab also has no standalone electrical-trade permit fee line, so a residential EV charger install is expected to route through this same valuation-based Building Permit fee (plus the statewide 1% surcharge) as standard electrical work; confirm directly with the Building Department at (435) 259-5129 before applying.

Frequently asked questions

Moab requires a residential building permit for: New single-family or two-family residential construction, or an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) permitted under Moab Municipal Code Chapter 17.70; Any work regulated by the 2021 IRC; Structural modifications regulated by the current-statewide 2024 IBC and the 2021 IRC (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a)/(b)); Site plan submittal (required per the official Building Permit Application; may be marked N/A for interior-only work); Utah State Contractor's License and Moab municipal business license for the general contractor and any subcontractors (electrical, plumbing, mechanical), per the official Building Permit Application form. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Moab City Building Safety / Building Inspection Division (Community Development Department) at (435) 259-5129 before starting work.

Per Moab Municipal Code § 3.50.165 (as amended by Ordinance #2025-08, effective June 24, 2025), fees are valuation-based: e.g., a project valued $100,001–$500,000 costs $1,229.30 plus $6.72 per additional $1,000 of valuation, plus a statewide 1% Building Code Training Fund surcharge on top of the base fee.

Moab has not published its own plan-review turnaround time. Utah Code § 10-20-909 requires every Utah municipality, including Moab, to complete plan review of a one- or two-family dwelling or townhome within 14 business days after a 3-business-day application-completeness screening period — this statutory floor applies in the absence of a published local SLA.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Site Plan. Depending on your project, Moab may also ask for: COMcheck / REScheck. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Moab requires 7 inspection(s) for a residential building permit, in order: Building Department, Zoning Administrator, Engineering, Public Works & Utility, Health Department, Fire Department, Floodplain Administrator. Schedule each through Moab City Building Safety / Building Inspection Division (Community Development Department) ((435) 259-5129).

Apply through Moab City Building Safety / Building Inspection Division (Community Development Department) at 217 East Center Street, Moab, UT 84532. Phone: (435) 259-5129, email: permitting@moabcity.gov. Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Fri 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Official information: https://www.moabcity.gov/500/Building-Inspection.

Moab, Utah has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a), superseding the 2021 IBC. Moab City's official Building Inspection page (moabcity.gov/500/Building-Inspection) embeds a hidden 'BUILDING CODE' tab whose content is the verbatim text of an old snapshot of Utah Code § 15A-2-103 — live-inspected via DOM extraction 2026-07-16, that embedded text lists only 'Appendix J' (not C and J) and links frozen statute-version pages from 2014-2019, indicating the city's page predates even the pre-7/1/2026 code cycle, let alone the current one. The statute controls regardless of the city page's lag.; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — REMAINS CURRENT; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b) did NOT change this edition in the 7/1/2026 amendment. Matches the (otherwise stale) statute text embedded on Moab's page.; Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(c); Moab's embedded page text instead cites 'Appendix Q of the 2021 edition of the International Residential Code' (an older statute numbering, live-inspected 2026-07-16) — reproduced verbatim as history; the current statute's Appendix AQ is added here as the operative citation.; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d), superseding the 2021 IPC. Moab's embedded page text still shows the 2021 IPC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, confirming lag. The statute controls.; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e), superseding the 2021 IMC. Moab's embedded page text still shows the 2021 IMC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, confirming lag. The statute controls.; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f), superseding the 2021 IFGC. Moab's embedded page text still shows the 2021 IFGC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, confirming lag. The statute controls.; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i), superseding the 2021 IEBC. Moab's embedded page text still shows the 2021 IEBC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, confirming lag. The statute controls.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — statewide-mandatory edition per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g); UNCHANGED by the 7/1/2026 amendment (the 2023 NEC baseline predates this code cycle). Moab's embedded page text still shows the 2020 NEC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, one edition behind the statewide-mandatory floor. Per Utah Code § 15A-1-204 (statewide-mandatory construction code), the 2023 NEC governs regardless of the city's own page.; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), single unsplit statewide edition — CURRENT as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h) (no residential/commercial split under current law), superseding Moab's residential/commercial split. Moab's embedded page text still cites 'Residential provisions of the 2015 edition' and 'Commercial provisions of the 2021 edition' of the IECC — live-inspected 2026-07-16, preserved as history — both are now collapsed into the single current 2024 IECC. The statute controls.; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n); not present anywhere in the statute text Moab's own page embeds (live-inspected 2026-07-16 — that embedded text predates the ISPSC's addition to § 15A-2-103 and instead references now-superseded mobile/manufactured-home provisions), added here per the current statute.; Modular Building Institute (MBI) Standards 1200 and 1205 — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(o); not present in the statute text Moab's own page embeds, added here per the current statute.; All per Moab City's official Building Inspection Department page (moabcity.gov/500/Building-Inspection), consistent with Utah Code § 15A-2-103 statewide code adoption.; NOTE (2026-07-16 re-verification): Utah Code § 15A-2-103, version effective 7/1/2026 (superseded 1/1/2027), took effect 15 days before this re-verification. IBC/IPC/IMC/IFGC/IECC/IEBC/residential ISPSC are now 2024 statewide; IRC (2021) and NEC (2023) did NOT change. Moab's Building Inspection page (moabcity.gov/500/Building-Inspection) was live-inspected 2026-07-16 via DOM extraction of its hidden 'BUILDING CODE' tab panel, which turns out to embed the raw text of an old snapshot of § 15A-2-103 itself (with hyperlinks to frozen statute-version pages dated 2014-2019) rather than a city-authored summary — meaning Moab's page is not merely one cycle behind but reflects a substantially older statute snapshot (pre-dating even the introduction of the residential ISPSC provision). The current statewide statute, read live at le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter2/15A-2-S103.html, controls over this stale embedded text.. Local amendments apply — see the Moab overview page for the full list.

Yes. Moab Municipal Code Chapter 17.70 permits Type 1 (external/detached), Type 2, and Type 3 (internal, owner-occupied) ADUs in the RA-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4 residential zones. Type 1 ADUs are capped at 1,200 sq ft (1,500 sq ft on lots over 20,000 sq ft). ADUs are built under the standard Residential Building Permit process and the same valuation-based fee table — there's no separate ADU fee schedule.

Other permits in Moab

Commercial Building PermitCommercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish PermitSolar PV PermitSign PermitEV Charger / EVSE PermitFire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System PermitChange of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit

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