Unincorporated Iron County building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Iron County, Utah.
Last verified 2026-07-03 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 82 N 100 E #102, Cedar City, UT 84720
- Phone
- (435) 865-5350
- Office hours
- Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, per ironcountyut.gov/building. Building Official: Terry Palmer; Assistant Building Official/Zoning Officer: Nate Dennett.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Unincorporated Iron County's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Unincorporated Iron 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 & J — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026). Iron County's own building.gov page and forms index do not publish a distinct county code-adoption page; per Utah's Title 15A compliance-agency model, unincorporated Iron County (like unincorporated Washington County in this corpus) is bound by the statewide-adopted specific editions absent its own published amendment.
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendix Q — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b); unchanged by the July 1, 2026 revision — only the IRC (and NEC) held at their prior editions while the other codes advanced to 2024 — 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).
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g); NEC remains 2023 across the 7/1/2026 statutory rollover (not superseded by a 2024/2026 NEC edition in that cycle) — still the current edition.
- 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); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026).
- 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, IEBC, and ISPSC 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 entry previously (as of lastVerified 2026-07-03) correctly flagged that the rollover had occurred in a trailing note, but the individual code lines above it still led with the 2021 editions as the primary/current statement — corrected on this date so the lines themselves state the current editions. Iron County's own building.gov/building page and its Forms index (ironcountyut.gov/building/forms) do not independently republish specific code-edition numbers, so this file reports the statutory default rather than a county-specific citation — flagged here rather than silently assumed identical to Cedar City's page, which does publish its own distinct Current Adopted Codes list.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (Single Family Dwelling, New Construction)
Required for new single-family dwelling construction in unincorporated Iron County, regulated by the state-adopted IBC/IRC per Utah Code § 15A-2-103. Building valuation for fee purposes is set at $108.46 per square foot for a Single Family Dwelling ($34.09/sq ft for a semi-finished basement, $23.20/sq ft for an unfinished basement) per the Iron County Fee Schedule adopted May 26, 2026.
Electrical Permit (Service Upgrade, New Meter Base)
Required for electrical service upgrades, new meter base installations, and other electrical work in unincorporated Iron County. Assessed as a flat Building Permit (B.P.) fee plus the state fee, per the Iron County Fee Schedule. EV charger/EVSE installation is electrical work and falls under this general Electrical Permit; the Iron County Fee Schedule (adopted May 26, 2026) does not publish a separate EV-specific fee line item.
Mechanical Permit (Furnace, Gas Line/Meter, etc.)
Required for furnace, gas line, and gas meter installations in unincorporated Iron County. Assessed as a flat Building Permit (B.P.) fee plus the state fee, per the Iron County Fee Schedule.
Plumbing Permit (Water Heater, etc.)
Required for water heater installations and other plumbing work in unincorporated Iron County. Assessed as a flat Building Permit (B.P.) fee plus the state fee, per the Iron County Fee Schedule.
Residential Solar Permit
Required for residential rooftop solar photovoltaic installations in unincorporated Iron County, with a distinct higher fee tier for systems including battery backup. Fees are flat per the Iron County Fee Schedule, not valuation-based.
Swimming Pool Permit
Required for swimming pool construction in unincorporated Iron County. Fee is flat per the Iron County Fee Schedule, not valuation-based.
Remodel / Basement Finish Permit
Required for remodels and basement finishes in unincorporated Iron County. Uniquely among Iron County's published fee lines, the Building Permit fee for this category is based on the Contractor's Estimate rather than the per-square-foot valuation table used for new construction.
Commercial Building Permit
Required for new commercial construction in unincorporated Iron County, regulated by the state-adopted 2024 IBC per Utah Code § 15A-2-103. The county's own Fee Schedule (adopted May 26, 2026) publishes distinct building-valuation-per-square-foot rates by IBC occupancy classification (e.g., Business Group B $153.62/sq ft, Mercantile Group M $117.89/sq ft) and a separate, higher Building Application/Plan Review Submittal Fee for commercial projects than for a dwelling.
Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit
Required for tenant improvement and remodel work inside an existing commercial building in unincorporated Iron County. Iron County's Fee Schedule does not publish a tenant-improvement-specific line; the county's 'Remodel' fee line (valued at Contractor's Estimate rather than the per-occupancy-classification valuation table) is the closest published match, alongside the $500 Commercial Building Application/Plan Review Submittal Fee.
Sign Permit
Required before erecting a sign in unincorporated Iron County, per Iron County Code § 17.32.030(N) ("Application for a sign permit" is one of the county's enumerated Title 17 application forms) and Chapter 17.52 (Signs), which sets detailed maximum sign area, height, illumination, and placement standards by sign category. The county's adopted Fee Schedule separately confirms a $90 flat Sign Permit (zoning) fee. Re-chased 2026-07-20: the full text of Iron County Code Chapter 17.52 was located and read via Municode Library (a prior pass had not located this ordinance), resolving the previously-unverified sign-standards gap; no dedicated downloadable sign permit application form was found on the county Building Department's Forms page as of 2026-07-20, and no sign-permit-specific review timeline is published.
EV Charger / EVSE Permit
Iron County does not publish a distinct EV charger, EVSE, or electric vehicle charging station permit or fee. EV charger/EVSE installation is electrical work and falls under the county's general Electrical Permit (Service Upgrade, New Meter Base, etc.), assessed as a flat Building Permit fee plus the state fee, per the Iron County Fee Schedule (adopted May 26, 2026). The fee schedule does not publish a separate EV-specific fee line item.
Fire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm Permit
Iron County does not publish a standalone fire-sprinkler or fire-alarm permit fee. The county's Fee Schedule (adopted May 26, 2026) lists 'Fire' among the departments in its 'For Reference Only' section that 'have reported that they do not collect fees' (re-verified directly against the live PDF on 2026-07-22), and the Building Department's own list of inspected trades (Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas) does not include a distinct fire-suppression category. The real fallback path for fire alarm and automatic fire sprinkler plan review is the Utah State Fire Marshal's Office, which publishes statewide Fire Alarm and Automatic Fire Sprinkler Plan Submittal Forms billed at $0.022 per square foot of review scope with a $75 minimum fee (re-verified directly against both live SFM submittal-form PDFs on 2026-07-22). Whether the State Fire Marshal's plan-review authority is the operative path specifically for private commercial construction in unincorporated Iron County (versus, e.g., state-owned buildings or schools) is not independently confirmed on either agency's website, so this entry is marked partial rather than fully verified.
Change of Use Permit
No standalone Change-of-Use or Certificate-of-Occupancy-verification permit or fee is published for unincorporated Iron County. The county's Fee Schedule (adopted May 26, 2026) contains no 'occupancy' or 'change of use' line item, and Iron County Code § 17.68.080(A) ('Change of use,' governing nonconforming uses) states only that 'a nonconforming use may only be changed to a use allowed in the zoning district in which the property is located by following the use permitting procedures as identified in this title' — re-verified directly against the ordinance text on 2026-07-22. An ordinary change of use therefore follows the county's standard Title 17 use-permitting process (Administrative Land Use Permit or Conditional Use Permit, depending on the use) rather than triggering a distinct fee, and a use/occupancy classification change without new construction, or a CO re-verification for an existing building, is expected to be handled through this jurisdiction's Commercial Building Permit plan review under the adopted 2024 IEBC (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i)).
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)
- 54units
54 buildings · $14.6M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 742units
12 of 12 months reported · #14 in Utah coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 362units
359 buildings · $91.8M valuation
- Full year 2025
- 678units
678 buildings · $190.4M valuation
County-wide figures: BPS reports county-wide totals; jurisdiction is the unincorporated remainder — county totals include incorporated cities (Cedar City, Parowan, Enoch, Brian Head, Kanarraville, Paragonah); county file row: 'Iron County' (co2605c.txt, 49/021); place file also carries 'Iron County Unincorporated Area' (place code 99990) as a possible Phase-1 alternative
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
- Iron County's Building Department is open Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM — earlier opening and shorter hours than Cedar City's 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, and applications may be submitted online (ironcounty.cityinspect.com), by phone/in person, or by credit card/cash/check — unlike Cedar City, which describes online-only submittal.
- Iron County (the unincorporated county) has its OWN separate Building Department from Cedar City (the incorporated city) under Utah Code Title 15A's compliance-agency model — properties inside Cedar City limits must use the city's Building & Zoning Department (10 N Main Street), while properties in the unincorporated county must use the county's Building Department (82 N 100 E #102), a physically different office in the same city (Cedar City is the county seat).
- Iron County publishes FLAT per-trade fees (Electrical $111.25, Mechanical $111.25, Plumbing $112.25, Residential Solar $391.25/$492.75-with-battery, Swimming Pool $568.30, Finish Basement $321.25) plus a separate Plan Check (P.C.) percentage — a materially different, more itemized fee structure than Cedar City's water-meter-size-based Building Permit fee and its per-square-foot residential electrical rate.
- No building permit fees are refunded after 180 days, and plan review fees are never refundable, per the Iron County Fee Schedule (adopted May 26, 2026) and the Building & Zoning FAQ.
- A permit must be renewed (fee 'Up to $750') if no required inspections occur within 1 year of issuance, per the Iron County Fee Schedule and Building & Zoning FAQ — the same 1-year no-inspection renewal trigger, though Cedar City does not publish an equivalent renewal-fee figure.
- Fences over 6 feet tall and retaining walls over 4 feet tall require a building permit AND engineering, per the Iron County Building & Zoning FAQ.
- Accessory structures up to a maximum of 200 square feet without electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work do NOT require a permit, per the Iron County Building & Zoning FAQ — above that threshold, or with any utility connection, a permit is required.
- Iron County requires a Utah Prairie Dog Clearance form (per the county's own Forms index) — the same Endangered Species Act consideration documented for neighboring Cedar City, since unincorporated Iron County lies within/adjoins Utah prairie dog habitat.
- Iron County requires TWO separate geotechnical form stages — 'Footing Foundation' and 'Backfill Final Grade' — a two-stage process distinct from Cedar City's single combined Geo-Technical Data Sheet.
- No jurisdiction-published plan-review or permit-issuance turnaround time (in business or calendar days) was found for any Iron County unincorporated-area permit type as of 2026-07-04 — every permitType in this file carries reviewTimelineDays: null with a note, consistent with the same gap documented for Cedar City.
- The statutory 7/1/2026 rollover to 2024 editions of IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC, and ISPSC has occurred per Utah Code § 15A-2-103 (re-verified live against the statute text on 2026-07-16, which also corrected the codesAdopted lines above that had still led with the 2021 editions despite this note); IRC remains 2021 and NEC remains 2023. Iron County's own website does not independently republish specific code-edition numbers (unlike Cedar City's dedicated Current Adopted Codes page), so this file reports the statutory default.