Commercial Building Permit — Unincorporated San Juan County, Utah · Requirements sheet
Reviewed 2026-07-20 · Source: https://sanjuancountyut.gov/building
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.
Commercial Building Permit in Unincorporated San Juan County, Utah
Required for new commercial building construction in unincorporated San Juan County. The county bills commercial construction under the same combined Plan Review & Building Permit formula published for residential construction (1.75 × the structure's square footage) — San Juan County's official Building Department webpage publishes no separate commercial valuation track or fee tier. The county's own Building Permit Checklist states verbatim: 'All commercial Buildings must, by Utah Law, be designed, drawn and stamped by a Utah Licensed Architect or Engineer. A building can be considered commercial by the building use, occupancy, or construction type,' and: 'ALL WORK TO BE PERFORMED ON ANY COMMERCIAL PROJECT MUST BE DONE BY LICENSED CONTRACTORS. THE OWNER OF A COMMERCIAL PROJECT C[A]NNOT ACT AS THEIR OWN CONTRACTOR IN THE STATE OF UTAH.'
Reviewed 2026-07-20 · Source
When you need this permit
- New commercial building construction
- "All commercial Buildings must, by Utah Law, be designed, drawn and stamped by a Utah Licensed Architect or Engineer. A building can be considered commercial by the building use, occupancy, or construction type." — quoted verbatim from San Juan County's official Building Permit Checklist
- "ALL WORK TO BE PERFORMED ON ANY COMMERCIAL PROJECT MUST BE DONE BY LICENSED CONTRACTORS. THE OWNER OF A COMMERCIAL PROJECT C[A]NNOT ACT AS THEIR OWN CONTRACTOR IN THE STATE OF UTAH." — quoted verbatim from the county's Building Permit Checklist Contractor
- Structural Steel, Straw Bale, Adobe, or Rammed Earth construction methods require plans drawn by a Utah Licensed Architect or Engineer regardless of building type
- Legal description and San Juan County property tax parcel number
- Sewage system approved by the San Juan County Health Department, or connection to public sewer where available
- Road Encroachment Permit from the San Juan County Road Department, if applicable
- Property must be deeded in the applicant's name and recorded in the San Juan County Recorder's Office before permit issuance (or a notarized statement from the legal owner granting permission to build)
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Review timeline
Inspection process
- 1
Foundation Inspection
Made after trenches are excavated, forms erected, and required reinforcement steel is in place; frost depth checked for all exterior footings.
- 2
4-Way Inspection
Framing, rough electrical, rough plumbing, rough mechanical — made after roof, framing, fire-blocking, and bracing are in place, before any work is concealed.
- 3
Final Inspection
Made after finished grade and building is complete and ready for occupancy; the completed building should not be occupied until a written Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
See the full Unincorporated San Juan County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- San Juan County bills commercial construction under the exact same 1.75×-square-footage combined Plan Review & Building Permit formula as residential — there is no separate commercial fee tier published on the county's Building Department webpage.
- Commercial project owners cannot act as their own contractor in Utah; all work must be performed by licensed contractors, per the county's own Building Permit Checklist. Contractor
- Every request for inspection must be filed at least 48 hours in advance, by phone (435-587-3221) or email (building@sanjuancountymail.org).
- No separate fire sprinkler or fire alarm permit or fee is published by San Juan County. Fire suppression/alarm work on a commercial building is covered under this same combined Plan Review & Building Permit fee (1.75x square footage) — the county's Building Department fee page lists no distinct fire-system line item. Separately, the San Juan County Fire Chief enforces the county's wildfire-focused Fire Policy for Approved Development/Construction ordinance (adopted February 1, 2022): no building permit may issue if the plan application does not comply with that policy, and a previously issued permit becomes void if the property falls out of compliance. That wildfire/defensible-space review is separate from, and not a substitute for, interior fire suppression or alarm system review under the adopted state construction codes.
Frequently asked questions
Sources & verification
Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-20.
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 Unincorporated San Juan County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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