Residential Building Permit — Unincorporated San Juan County, Utah · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-08 · 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.
Residential Building Permit in Unincorporated San Juan County, Utah
Required for new residential construction, moving a trailer or pre-built home onto a lot, and any addition or remodeling in unincorporated San Juan County (which also covers the Town of Bluff, whose Planning & Zoning Commission issues a prerequisite Land Use Clearance before the county issues the actual building permit). Plan review for one- and two-family dwellings and townhomes must be completed within the 14-business-day statutory window required by Utah Code § 17-36-55(3)(a).
Verified 2026-07-08 · Source
When you need this permit
- New residential construction, moving a trailer/pre-built home onto a lot, or any addition or remodeling
- Complete set of plans drawn to scale submitted to the Building Department for review (per the county's Plan Requirements sheet)
- Per Utah Code §§ 58-22-305 & 58-3a-304, only one- or two-family dwellings not exceeding two stories are exempt from requiring a licensed Professional Engineer or Architect to prepare the plans; the Building Official may require stamped plans when project scope/design warrants it
- All commercial buildings must be designed, drawn, and stamped by a Utah Licensed Architect or Engineer
- 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 (located at 735 S 200 W Suite 2, Blanding, or in the basement of the County Administration Building in Monticello)
- 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)
- For property within the Town of Bluff: a Land Use Clearance (LUC) approved by the Bluff Planning & Zoning Commission must be obtained before the county building permit application
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 is checked for all exterior footings (monolithic slab/footings also need to reach frost depth). Also checks building location relative to setbacks while footers/foundation are formed but not poured.
- 2
4-Way Inspection
Framing (before building wrap or roofing underlayment), rough electrical, rough plumbing, rough mechanical — made after roof, framing, fire-blocking, and bracing are in place, and pipe chimneys/vents are complete, before any work is concealed.
- 3
Septic System Inspection
Final on-site inspection of house sewer, septic tank, and absorption field lines after completion but before the system is covered — usually performed by the San Juan County Health District Sanitarian, sometimes the Building Official. A separate Septic Permit is required.
- 4
Final Inspection
Made after finished grade and building is complete and ready for occupancy, but before occupied — includes porches, steps, decks, railings, sidewalks, and driveways. 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
- Every request for inspection must be filed at least 48 hours in advance, by phone (435-587-3221) or email (building@sanjuancountymail.org per the county's Building Permit Checklist; the department's general contact email is permits@sanjuancountyut.gov).
- San Juan County requires the building lot to be deeded in the applicant's name and recorded with the San Juan County Recorder's Office (or a notarized owner-permission statement) before the county will issue a building permit.
- If your property is within the Town of Bluff, you must first obtain a Land Use Clearance from the Bluff Planning & Zoning Commission — the LUC is valid for one year, and if a building permit is not acquired within that year, a new LUC is required.
- Investigation fees equal to the permit fee are charged if construction work begins before a permit is obtained, plus $150/week if the violation continues beyond a 30-day notice, per the county's official Building Department webpage.
- Owner-builders acting as their own contractor on a personal, non-commercial single-family residence are permitted under the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act, but unlicensed-contractor violations can be a class A misdemeanor plus an administrative fine up to $2,000/day; all commercial project work must be performed by licensed contractors. Owner-builderContractor
- Rooftop or ground-mounted solar PV installations require this same Residential Building Permit — San Juan County's Building Department webpage (sanjuancountyut.gov/building), live-checked 2026-07-19, publishes no distinct solar-specific fee tier or permit type, so solar installs are billed under the same combined Plan Review & Building Permit formula (1.75× square footage); confirm with the department at (435) 587-3829 how valuation is calculated for a non-structure PV system.
- EV charger / EVSE installation would fall under this same Residential Building Permit — San Juan County's Building Department webpage (re-checked 2026-07-20) publishes no distinct EV/EVSE fee tier or permit type (consistent with its treatment of solar, above); a standalone EV charging circuit would be expected to be billed under the county's $65.00-per-inspection Inspection Fee rather than the combined Plan Review & Building Permit valuation formula used for new structures.
Frequently asked questions
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-08.
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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