Unincorporated Grand County building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Grand County, Utah.
Last verified 2026-07-08 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 59 N 200 E, Moab, UT 84532
- Phone
- (435) 259-4134
- Office hours
- Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, closed 12:00–1:00 PM and on county holidays. Appointment required — call ahead before visiting; the office does not accept walk-ins.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Unincorporated Grand County's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Unincorporated Grand County — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
Codes adopted
Utah adopts construction codes statewide under Utah Code Title 15A (State Construction and Fire Codes Act), enforced by every jurisdiction. Chapter 4 of Title 15A codifies Legislature-enacted amendments for specific named jurisdictions (e.g., Park City, Salt Lake City, Sandy City) as part of the state construction code. Through June 30, 2026, the editions in force under Utah Code § 15A-2-103 are the 2021 IBC (with Appendices C and J), 2021 IRC, 2021 IPC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IECC, 2021 IEBC, and 2021 ISPSC (residential provisions), together with the 2023 NEC. Effective July 1, 2026, § 15A-2-103 adopts the 2024 editions of the IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC, and ISPSC; the IRC remains the 2021 edition and the NEC remains the 2023 edition. Note: residential energy requirements are modified by statewide amendments, and several Utah jurisdictions document their residential energy provisions at the 2015 IECC level rather than the adopted IECC year — confirm the applicable residential energy code with your local jurisdiction. Always confirm the edition in force with your local jurisdiction.
- 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(a) (https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter2/15A-2-S103.html), in force statewide since 7/1/2026 and binding on counties under §15A-1-204. Grand County's own Design Criteria page still lists the 2021 IBC with Appendix J (with Utah State Amendments; no Appendix C cited) — live-checked 2026-07-16, the county's own page has not been updated to the current statewide edition.
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendix AQ — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(b)/(c); this edition is UNCHANGED from the prior code cycle. Grand County's own Design Criteria page lists the 2021 IRC with Utah State Amendments (no distinct Appendix AQ citation) — live-checked 2026-07-16, consistent with the current statute on the base edition.
- 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(d). Grand County's own Design Criteria page still lists the 2021 IPC — live-checked 2026-07-16, lags the current statewide edition.
- 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(e). Grand County's own Design Criteria page still lists the 2021 IMC — live-checked 2026-07-16, lags the current statewide edition.
- 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(f). Grand County's own Design Criteria page still lists the 2021 IFGC — live-checked 2026-07-16, lags the current statewide edition.
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(g); this edition is UNCHANGED from the prior code cycle. Grand County's own Design Criteria page lists the 2020 NEC with Utah State Amendments — live-checked 2026-07-16, one cycle behind the current statewide edition; verify current edition in force with the Building Department at time of application.
- 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — one code, no residential/commercial split, per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(h). Grand County's own Design Criteria page still splits it — 2021 IECC for commercial and 2015 IECC for residential — live-checked 2026-07-16, both lag the current statewide edition; the residential/commercial split itself is preserved here as county-published history, not carried into the governing statutory citation.
- 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(i). Grand County's own Design Criteria page still lists the 2021 IEBC with Utah State Amendments — live-checked 2026-07-16, lags the current statewide edition.
- Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(n). Grand County's own Design Criteria page text reads '2018 edition of the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code' while its hyperlink label reads '2021 ISPSC' (an internal inconsistency on the county's own page, live-checked 2026-07-16, quoted verbatim as history) — both lag the current statewide edition.
- Modular Building Institute (MBI) Standards 1200 and 1205 — governs statewide per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(o). Not listed on Grand County's own Design Criteria page — live-checked 2026-07-16.
- ICC A117.1-2009 (Accessibility)
- 2006 Utah Wildland-Urban Interface Code
- HUD Code (manufactured/mobile homes)
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit
Required for new single-family residential construction, additions, and structural alterations in unincorporated Grand County, Utah (outside Moab city limits). The Grand County Building Department issues permits for all of Grand County including Castle Valley and the unincorporated area, and also serves as the county Floodplain Administrator.
Commercial Building Permit
Required for new commercial construction in unincorporated Grand County (outside Moab city limits), regulated by the state-adopted 2024 IBC (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a)). Grand County does not publish a separate commercial valuation-based fee table distinct from the general Building Permit Fee schedule used for residential construction (Ordinance No. 688, § 3.06.100(A)) — the same valuation brackets apply, with a distinct non-refundable Plan Review Deposit specific to commercial projects.
Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit
Required for tenant improvement and tenant finish work in existing commercial buildings in unincorporated Grand County. Grand County does not publish a distinct tenant-improvement permit type, checklist, or fee line separate from its general Commercial Building Permit Requirements — tenant improvement projects are processed as commercial construction using the same Commercial Checklist, Plan Review Deposit, and valuation-based Building Permit Fee table.
Solar Permit
Grand County's Consolidated Fee Schedule publishes distinct flat fees for solar installations, split by mounting type (roof vs. ground), separate from the general residential valuation-based building permit fee table.
Sign Permit
Required before erecting, constructing, reconstructing, altering, painting, or repainting any sign (other than exact-as-permitted maintenance repainting) in unincorporated Grand County, per Grand County Land Use Code § 6.5.6. Signs are regulated by zone district under LUC § 6.5, with distinct standards for non-residential, residential, and off-premises directional signs, and a flat permit fee set by the county's Consolidated Fee Schedule. Re-chased 2026-07-20: independently re-confirmed the $75.00 fee against the county's live, currently-hosted Consolidated Fee Schedule Ordinance webpage (grandcountyutah.net/857/Consolidated-Fee-Schedule-Ordinance) — its Planning & Zoning fee table shows 'Sign Permit $75.00,' matching the previously-cited Ordinance No. 688 figure exactly. This live page was also checked against a February 17, 2026 public hearing on further amendments to the Consolidated Fee Schedule Ordinance (confirmed via a Utah Public Notice Website posting) — the fetch performed today, after that hearing date, still shows $75.00, so no post-hearing change to the Sign Permit fee was found.
Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System Permit
Grand County's own Consolidated Fee Schedule (Ordinance No. 688) has no fire sprinkler or fire alarm line item — fire protection system plan review and permitting in unincorporated Grand County is instead handled by Moab Valley Fire Protection District (MVFD), which annexed the county's previously-unserved unincorporated areas (Moab Valley Fire Protection District Board resolution approved 3-0 on 11/4/2024, following the Grand County Commission's pre-annexation agreement on 11/1/2024; certified by Utah Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson on 1/20/2025). The Grand County Commission then voted unanimously on 3/4/2025 to dissolve the former Thompson Special Service Fire District and transfer its assets (fire trucks, equipment, and the Thompson Springs fire station) to MVFD. Per The Times-Independent's reporting on the dissolution vote, "the annexation shifted fire protection in unincorporated Grand County from the county to Moab Valley Fire, consolidating services under a single agency" — re-chased 2026-07-20 to confirm MVFD's coverage now extends county-wide across unincorporated Grand County (outside Moab and the separately-incorporated Castle Valley, which are out of this file's scope), resolving the earlier open question of whether remote unincorporated areas might fall outside the district. MVFD publishes a distinct, itemized 2026 Amended Fee Schedule (approved and effective 04.21.2026) covering Residential Fire Plan Review, Commercial Fire Plan Review, Automatic Fire Sprinkler System Plan Review, and Fire Alarm System plan review/inspection, separate from and in addition to Grand County's own building permit fees — re-fetched directly from moabfiredepartment.org 2026-07-20 and all dollar figures below confirmed to match the live PDF exactly.
EV Charger / EVSE Permit
Grand County does not publish a distinct EV charger, EVSE, or electric vehicle charging station permit or fee. Installation of a Level 2 or DC fast EV charger involves electrical work, and Grand County's building permit code (Building Permit Requirements for Electrical Work) expressly lists an "Electrical" scope with specific minor-work exemptions (e.g., replacing lamps, connecting portable equipment to existing approved receptacles) — meaning non-exempt electrical installations, including a new dedicated EV charger circuit, require the same general Building Permit issued by the Grand County Building Department, valuation-based per Ordinance No. 688, § 3.06.100(A). No separate EV-specific line item exists.
Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy Permit
Grand County does not publish a standalone change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy permit type or fee line item, separate from its general Building Permit process. The county's own 'What Requires a Permit' page states that 'Any owner or owner's authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure...shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit' — meaning a change of occupancy is processed as a standard Building Permit application, not a distinct application type. A written Certificate of Occupancy (CO) is issued at the end of any permitted project (new construction, alteration, or occupancy change) once work is complete and inspections pass; per the county's Building Permit Process page, 'The completed building cannot be used until a written Certificate of Occupancy has been issued.' Re-chased 2026-07-22: reviewed the full Ordinance No. 688 (2024 Consolidated Fee Schedule) Building Department fee table (§3.06.100) directly and confirmed no 'Certificate of Occupancy,' 'Change of Use,' or 'Change of Occupancy' line item exists among its Specific Projects or general fee entries.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- 8units
3 buildings · $2.6M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 289units
12 of 12 months reported · #25 in Utah coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 227units
35 buildings · $45.3M valuation
- Full year 2025
- 124units
49 buildings · $29.6M valuation
County-wide figures: BPS reports county-wide totals; jurisdiction is the unincorporated remainder — county totals include Moab (incorporated). Grand County Building Department also serves Castle Valley (a separate incorporated town) by interlocal arrangement, but this file's scope is the unincorporated county area outside Moab.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Utah building activity
Tips & gotchas
- The Grand County Building Department serves all of unincorporated Grand County plus Castle Valley (a separate incorporated town) — but NOT Moab, which is its own incorporated city with its own building department (see moab.json), and NOT the San Juan County portions the department formerly covered (refer those to San Juan County Building Department, (435) 587-3829).
- All permit applications are submitted online via the Grand County iworq citizen portal (grandcounty.portal.iworq.net/portalhome/grandcounty) — new construction/addition/renovation applications route electronically to Zoning, the Floodplain Administrator, Water & Sewer (GWSSA), and Health (if well/septic) for sign-off before Building review begins.
- The Building Department also serves as the county's Floodplain Administrator — any construction in or touching a floodplain/floodway requires a separate Floodplain Development Permit Application plus pre- and post-construction Elevation Certificates from a Utah-licensed surveyor.
- Design criteria (snow load 21 psf, wind 115 mph Exposure C, frost depth 20 in, Seismic Design Category B) apply below 5,000 ft elevation — contact the Building Department directly for higher-elevation sites (much of Grand County's La Sal Mountains area sits above 5,000 ft).
- Grand County's own Design Criteria page lists 2020 NEC, but Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g) sets 2023 NEC as the statewide in-force edition (unchanged from the prior cycle) — verify the currently enforced NEC edition with the Building Department at time of application, as county publications may lag the statewide code cycle.
- 2026-07-16 codesAdopted re-verification: Utah Code §15A-2-103 (live-checked at the canonical le.utah.gov URL, current version 'Effective 7/1/2026') now governs statewide construction codes for counties per §15A-1-204, adopting 2024 IBC/IPC/IMC/IFGC/IEBC/IECC and residential 2024 ISPSC, while IRC stays 2021 and NEC stays 2023. Grand County's own Design Criteria page (live-checked 2026-07-16) was re-fetched and confirmed unchanged from the prior review — it still lists 2021-cycle IBC/IRC/IPC/IMC/IFGC/IEBC, a 2020 NEC, a split 2021-commercial/2015-residential IECC, and an internally inconsistent ISPSC citation (text says 2018, hyperlink label says 2021), and does not list MBI Standards 1200/1205 at all. The statute is stated as governing above; the county's page is preserved as history.
- Inspections require 24-hour advance notice and can only be scheduled by phone at (435) 259-4134 — email, text, and voicemail requests are explicitly not accepted.
- All contractors and subcontractors listed on any permit must hold a current Utah State Contractor's license (Utah DOPL) — the county checklist notes this applies even to work that does not itself require a building permit.
- Building permits expire 180 days after issuance or after the last inspection; a one-time 6-month extension can be requested in writing before expiration.
- The office requires an appointment — call ahead; walk-ins are discouraged. Office closed daily 12:00–1:00 PM in addition to weekends and county holidays.