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Change of Use / Nonconforming Use Permit — Cottonwood Heights, Utah · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-21 · Source: https://www.cottonwoodheights.utah.gov/doing-business/fee-schedule
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Change of Use / Nonconforming Use Permit in Cottonwood Heights, Utah
Cottonwood Heights has no single permit literally named 'Change of Use Permit.' Depending on the specific scenario, a change of use is instead processed through one of several distinct, separately fee'd mechanisms: (1) a Zoning Verification Letter ($150) confirming a property's current zoning/use status; (2) if the change is between two legally nonconforming uses, a Conditional Use application under City Code § 19.88.090(4) ($350 base fee, 'Conditional uses not requiring site plan approval'), reviewed by the Planning Commission; (3) if the change involves addition, enlargement, or reconstruction of a nonconforming building under City Code § 19.88.070, a 'Nonconforming Building or Use Application' ($900), reviewed by the Board of Adjustment / appeals hearing officer; and (4) for an ordinary new-tenant occupancy change in an existing commercial space, a Commercial Business License Change (Major Change, $170) that triggers zoning, fire, and health department review when the change involves a location/use change (vs. a $50 Minor Change for name/ownership changes requiring no departmental review). A same-use or code-conforming occupancy-classification change accompanied by construction is instead processed as the Commercial or Commercial Tenant Improvement Building Permit.
Verified 2026-07-21 · Source
When you need this permit
- No construction, only a zoning-status question: file for a Zoning Verification Letter ($150) confirming the property's current zoning/use status for a lender, buyer, or tenant
- Change from one legally nonconforming use to another nonconforming use: subject to Planning Commission review as a Conditional Use per City Code § 19.88.090(4), which cross-references Chapters 19.78 (Conditional Uses) and 19.84 (Board of Adjustment)
- Change to a use allowed in the most restrictive zone where the existing nonconforming use is allowed: Planning Commission must find the new use 'would not be more intensive than the most recent existing legal nonconforming use,' per City Code § 19.88.090
- Addition, enlargement, or reconstruction of a nonconforming building or use: requires a permit authorized by the appeals hearing officer after a hearing, per City Code § 19.88.070, funded by the 'Nonconforming Building or Use Application' fee under the Fee Schedule's Board of Adjustment section
- New tenant/business occupying an existing commercial space with a location or use change: file a Commercial Business License Change (Major Change) triggering zoning, fire, and health department review
- Use change accompanied by construction or a change in IBC occupancy classification: processed as the standard Commercial Building Permit or Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit rather than as a standalone change-of-use product
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Zoning Verification LetterCottonwood Heights official Fee Schedule page, Zoning review section: 'Zoning verification letter — $150.' Confirms current zoning/use status; not a construction-code Certificate of Occupancy.
$150
Conditional Use (change of nonconforming use to another nonconforming use)Cottonwood Heights official Fee Schedule page: 'Conditional uses not requiring site plan approval — $350 base fee (covers two staff and engineering reviews)' plus a separate 'Conditional use application noticing fee — $150' in addition to the application fee. City Code § 19.88.090(4) requires this pathway when a nonconforming use changes to another nonconforming use.
$350 base fee, plus $150 noticing fee
Nonconforming Building or Use Application (Board of Adjustment)Cottonwood Heights official Fee Schedule page, Board of Adjustment section: 'Nonconforming building or use application — $900,' alongside 'Appeal — $600' and 'Variance application — $900' in the same section. This funds the City Code § 19.88.070 process (addition, enlargement, or reconstruction of a nonconforming building/use via the appeals hearing officer) — distinct from the Planning Commission's Conditional Use track under § 19.88.090.
$900
Commercial Business License Change — Major ChangeCottonwood Heights official Fee Schedule page, Community and Economic Development section: Major Change fee applies to changes such as business location changes that necessitate zoning, fire, and health department review — the closest city-published analog to a same-space change-of-use/occupant review for an ordinary (non-nonconforming) tenant change.
$170
Commercial Business License Change — Minor ChangeCottonwood Heights official Fee Schedule page: Minor Change fee applies to name or ownership changes that do not require zoning, fire, or health department evaluation — included here for contrast; this tier does NOT represent a change of use.
$50
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
Tips
- Cottonwood Heights has no single product literally named 'Change of Use Permit' — which mechanism applies depends entirely on the specific scenario (see requirements above); confirm the correct pathway with Community and Economic Development (801-944-7062) before applying.
- A change between two nonconforming uses goes to the Planning Commission as a Conditional Use ($350 base fee) per City Code § 19.88.090(4); an addition, enlargement, or reconstruction of a nonconforming building instead goes to the Board of Adjustment / appeals hearing officer as a distinct $900 'Nonconforming Building or Use Application' per § 19.88.070 — these are NOT the same process or fee despite both arising under Chapter 19.88.
- For an ordinary new tenant moving into an existing, non-nonconforming commercial space, the relevant mechanism is typically the $170 Commercial Business License Change (Major Change) which triggers zoning, fire, and health department review — not a Planning Commission or Board of Adjustment hearing.
- If construction accompanies the use change (e.g. new walls, new occupancy-classification build-out), it is processed as the standard Commercial Building Permit or Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit rather than as a standalone change-of-use product — see those permit types in this file.
Frequently asked questions
Cottonwood Heights requires a change of use / nonconforming use permit for: No construction, only a zoning-status question: file for a Zoning Verification Letter ($150) confirming the property's current zoning/use status for a lender, buyer, or tenant; Change from one legally nonconforming use to another nonconforming use: subject to Planning Commission review as a Conditional Use per City Code § 19.88.090(4), which cross-references Chapters 19.78 (Conditional Uses) and 19.84 (Board of Adjustment); Change to a use allowed in the most restrictive zone where the existing nonconforming use is allowed: Planning Commission must find the new use 'would not be more intensive than the most recent existing legal nonconforming use,' per City Code § 19.88.090; Addition, enlargement, or reconstruction of a nonconforming building or use: requires a permit authorized by the appeals hearing officer after a hearing, per City Code § 19.88.070, funded by the 'Nonconforming Building or Use Application' fee under the Fee Schedule's Board of Adjustment section; New tenant/business occupying an existing commercial space with a location or use change: file a Commercial Business License Change (Major Change) triggering zoning, fire, and health department review; Use change accompanied by construction or a change in IBC occupancy classification: processed as the standard Commercial Building Permit or Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit rather than as a standalone change-of-use product. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Cottonwood Heights Community and Economic Development (CED) — Building Permit Division, staffed by a contracted Building Official (James Short, Sunrise Engineering) at 801-944-7062 before starting work.
It depends on the pathway: changing one nonconforming use to another nonconforming use is a $350 base-fee Conditional Use reviewed by the Planning Commission (City Code § 19.88.090(4)); adding to, enlarging, or reconstructing a nonconforming building is a separate $900 Nonconforming Building or Use Application reviewed by the Board of Adjustment / appeals hearing officer (§ 19.88.070).
Cottonwood Heights does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Cottonwood Heights Community and Economic Development (CED) — Building Permit Division, staffed by a contracted Building Official (James Short, Sunrise Engineering) at 801-944-7062 for current turnaround.
Depending on your project, Cottonwood Heights may also ask for: Zoning Verification Letter Request; Conditional Use Application; Nonconforming Building or Use Application; Commercial Business License Change Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Apply through Cottonwood Heights Community and Economic Development (CED) — Building Permit Division, staffed by a contracted Building Official (James Short, Sunrise Engineering) at 2277 E Bengal Blvd, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121. Phone: 801-944-7062. Office hours: City Hall regular business hours (specific daily hours not published on the Building Permits or Codes and Standards pages as of the dates verified below); contact 801-944-7060 (codes/standards) or 801-944-7062 (permits) to confirm.. Official information: https://www.cottonwoodheights.utah.gov/city-services/building-permits/.
Cottonwood Heights, 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. Cottonwood Heights' own Building Codes and Standards page, live-checked 2026-07-16, still lists '2021 International Building Code' verbatim — the city's page has NOT been updated to reflect the 7/1/2026 statewide flip. 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 city's Building Codes and Standards page (live-checked 2026-07-16: '2021 International Residential Code').; Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(c); not separately itemized on the city's own Building Codes and Standards page, added here per statute.; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e), superseding the 2021 IMC. The city's Building Codes and Standards page still lists '2021 International Mechanical Code' — live-checked 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. The city's Building Codes and Standards page still lists '2021 International Fuel Gas Code' — live-checked 2026-07-16, confirming lag. The statute controls.; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d), superseding the 2021 IPC. The city's Building Codes and Standards page still lists '2021 International Plumbing Code' — live-checked 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). The city's Building Codes and Standards page lists '2020 National Electric Code' — one edition behind the statewide-mandatory floor, confirmed still unchanged via live-check 2026-07-16. 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 the 2018 IECC. The city's Building Codes and Standards page still lists '2018 international energy conservation code' — live-checked 2026-07-16, confirming lag (this was already one edition behind the pre-7/1/2026 2021 IECC baseline other Salt Lake County cities used, and is now two editions behind current). The statute controls.; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i); not listed on the city's own Building Codes and Standards page (live-checked 2026-07-16), added here per statute since the city's own materials omit it entirely.; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n); not listed on the city's own Building Codes and Standards page (live-checked 2026-07-16), added here per statute since the city's own materials omit it entirely.; Modular Building Institute (MBI) Standards 1200 and 1205 — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(o); not listed on the city's own Building Codes and Standards page, added here per statute.; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), with Utah state amendments — per the city's official Building Codes and Standards page (live-checked 2026-07-16, unchanged). NOTE: the IFC is NOT among the codes adopted by Utah Code § 15A-2-103 (Title 15A Chapter 2, State Construction Code) — Utah's Fire Code is separately adopted under Title 15A Chapter 5, State Fire Code Act; left as published by the city, no statutory edition change applies via § 15A-2-103.; 2017 ANSI ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities (referenced on the codes page as '2017 ANSI ADA CODE') — per the city's official Building Codes and Standards page, live-checked 2026-07-16, unchanged.; 2009 ANSI A117.1 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities — also separately listed on the same official codes page (both 2017 and 2009 editions appear on the city's current list; reproduced verbatim rather than reconciled, since only the city's own text is authoritative here). Live-checked 2026-07-16, unchanged.; 2015 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings — per the city's official Building Codes and Standards page, live-checked 2026-07-16, unchanged.; Cottonwood Heights Code of Ordinances (local amendments to the above, referenced but not separately itemized on the Codes and Standards page) — see localAmendments below.; 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. The city's Building Codes and Standards page (cottonwoodheights.utah.gov/city-services/building/codes-and-standards) was live-checked 2026-07-16 via real-browser navigation and confirmed still lagging — it verbatim lists 2021 IBC/IMC/IFGC/IPC/IRC, 2020 National Electric Code, and 2018 IECC, and omits IEBC and ISPSC entirely. The statewide statute controls over the city's un-updated page; the prior version of this array presented the city's stale figures as simply 'the city's own page controls' without flagging that the statute itself had moved past them — this entry corrects that.. Local amendments apply — see the Cottonwood Heights overview page for the full list.
Not as a single named product. Depending on the scenario, a change of use is processed as a Zoning Verification Letter ($150), a Conditional Use application under City Code § 19.88.090(4) if changing between two nonconforming uses ($350 base fee), a Nonconforming Building or Use Application under § 19.88.070 if altering a nonconforming building ($900, Board of Adjustment), or a Commercial Business License Change (Major Change, $170) for an ordinary new tenant/use change in an existing commercial space.
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-21.
Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Cottonwood Heights building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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