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Change of Use / Change of Occupancy in Ephraim, Utah

Ephraim City has no standalone Change of Use, Change of Occupancy, or existing-building Certificate of Occupancy re-issuance permit or fee. Ephraim's Consolidated Fee Schedule Ordinance (ECO 23-06, read in full across all 22 lettered sections) lists Zoning Permits (Accessory Building, Commercial, House, Multi-Unit Residential, Remodel, Sign Permit) and a separate Applications table (3rd Party Technical Review, Annexation, Appeal to Appeal Authority, Conditional Use Permit, Home Occupation, Subdivision, Variance, Zone Change) in its Planning and Zoning Fees section (L) -- neither table contains a 'Change of Use,' 'Change of Occupancy,' or 'Certificate of Occupancy' line. Instead, occupancy/use screening for an existing building happens through Ephraim's Business License process: per the City's Business License Division FAQ, an applicant must first 'confirm your business may be conducted in your type of Zone,' and 'in some cases, a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) may be required,' per Ephraim City Code Section 3.04. If the new use requires interior construction to adapt the space, that work is handled through the same Commercial Building Permit / Tenant Improvement process as any other commercial remodel (see the commercial-tenant-improvement-permit entry).

Verified 2026-07-21 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Business License Application submitted to the Ephraim City Business License Division, which first confirms the proposed use is allowed (by right or conditionally) in the property's zone
  • Conditional Use Permit (CUP) approval obtained, per Ephraim City Code Section 3.04, if the new use is not permitted by right in the applicable zone
  • Fire Safety Inspection passed as part of the business-license process (required of all businesses except certain exempt categories)
  • If the new use requires interior remodeling or reconfiguration, the standard Commercial Building Permit / Tenant Improvement process applies: Ephraim zoning sign-off followed by a Sanpete County structural building permit

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Commercial/Industrial Business License (new, 1st or 2nd Quarter)Ephraim City Consolidated Fee Schedule Ordinance ECO 23-06, Section C (Business License Fees) table. Pro-rated to $170.00 if applied for in the 3rd quarter, $165.00 in the 4th quarter.
$175.00
Commercial/Industrial Business License Renewal (Annual)Ephraim City Consolidated Fee Schedule Ordinance ECO 23-06, Section C (Business License Fees) table.
$65.00
Fire Safety Inspection Fee (initial)Ephraim City Consolidated Fee Schedule Ordinance ECO 23-06, Section H (Fire Safety Inspection Fee); covers the initial inspection and one follow-up if required.
$35.00
Conditional Use PermitEphraim City Consolidated Fee Schedule Ordinance ECO 23-06, Section L (Planning and Zoning Fees, Applications table) -- no charge is listed for a CUP application itself.
$0.00

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Change of Occupancy permit actually take in Ephraim?

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Fire Safety Inspection

    Conducted as part of the business-license process for the new use; per Ephraim City Consolidated Fee Schedule Ordinance ECO 23-06, Section H, all businesses are subject to this inspection in addition to business license fees.

See the full Ephraim inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Ephraim has no standalone Change of Use, Change of Occupancy, or existing-building Certificate of Occupancy re-issuance permit or fee distinct from the Business License process -- no mention of any such permit or fee line was found in the Consolidated Fee Schedule Ordinance (ECO 23-06, all 22 lettered sections), the Commercial Development checklist, or the Business License Division's General Licensing Requirements sheet.
  • The real gate on changing a building's use in Ephraim is zoning conformance, checked at business-license application: confirm the new use is permitted (or obtain a Conditional Use Permit under Ephraim City Code Section 3.04) before assuming a straightforward license renewal will cover it.
  • If adapting the physical space for the new use requires construction (new walls, MEP changes, etc.), that triggers the separate Commercial Building Permit / Tenant Improvement process -- a change of use alone, with no construction, does not require a Sanpete County structural building permit.

Frequently asked questions

Ephraim requires a change of use / change of occupancy permit for: Business License Application submitted to the Ephraim City Business License Division, which first confirms the proposed use is allowed (by right or conditionally) in the property's zone; Conditional Use Permit (CUP) approval obtained, per Ephraim City Code Section 3.04, if the new use is not permitted by right in the applicable zone; Fire Safety Inspection passed as part of the business-license process (required of all businesses except certain exempt categories); If the new use requires interior remodeling or reconfiguration, the standard Commercial Building Permit / Tenant Improvement process applies: Ephraim zoning sign-off followed by a Sanpete County structural building permit. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Ephraim City Community Development Department handles zoning/Land Use Permit approval, which is a mandatory prerequisite for a building permit; the actual structural building permit is issued and inspected by the Sanpete County Building Department, which serves Ephraim and every other city in Sanpete County under a countywide building-official arrangement. Per the county's own Building Department page: 'For properties located within city limits, zoning approval must be obtained from the applicable city prior to submitting a permit application.' at 435-283-4631 (Ephraim City Hall); 435-835-2113 (Sanpete County Building Department) before starting work.

In Ephraim, the published Commercial/Industrial Business License (new, 1st or 2nd Quarter) is: $175.00. Additional published fees: Commercial/Industrial Business License Renewal (Annual) — $65.00; Fire Safety Inspection Fee (initial) — $35.00; Conditional Use Permit — $0.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Ephraim does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Ephraim City Community Development Department handles zoning/Land Use Permit approval, which is a mandatory prerequisite for a building permit; the actual structural building permit is issued and inspected by the Sanpete County Building Department, which serves Ephraim and every other city in Sanpete County under a countywide building-official arrangement. Per the county's own Building Department page: 'For properties located within city limits, zoning approval must be obtained from the applicable city prior to submitting a permit application.' at 435-283-4631 (Ephraim City Hall); 435-835-2113 (Sanpete County Building Department) for current turnaround.

You'll need: Ephraim City Business License Application. Depending on your project, Ephraim may also ask for: Conditional Use Permit Application (Online, ZipFlow). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Ephraim requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use / change of occupancy permit, in order: Fire Safety Inspection. Schedule each through Ephraim City Community Development Department handles zoning/Land Use Permit approval, which is a mandatory prerequisite for a building permit; the actual structural building permit is issued and inspected by the Sanpete County Building Department, which serves Ephraim and every other city in Sanpete County under a countywide building-official arrangement. Per the county's own Building Department page: 'For properties located within city limits, zoning approval must be obtained from the applicable city prior to submitting a permit application.' (435-283-4631 (Ephraim City Hall); 435-835-2113 (Sanpete County Building Department)).

Apply through Ephraim City Community Development Department handles zoning/Land Use Permit approval, which is a mandatory prerequisite for a building permit; the actual structural building permit is issued and inspected by the Sanpete County Building Department, which serves Ephraim and every other city in Sanpete County under a countywide building-official arrangement. Per the county's own Building Department page: 'For properties located within city limits, zoning approval must be obtained from the applicable city prior to submitting a permit application.' at Ephraim City Community Development: 5 South Main Street, Ephraim, UT 84627. Sanpete County Building Department: 160 North Main, Suite 201, Manti, UT 84642.. Phone: 435-283-4631 (Ephraim City Hall); 435-835-2113 (Sanpete County Building Department), email: No dedicated Community Development or Building Official email is published on ephraim.gov or sanpetecountyutah.gov as of 2026-07-19; applicants are directed to the phone numbers above.. Office hours: Ephraim City Hall: Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM-5:30 PM, Friday 8:00 AM-12:00 PM (per ephraim.gov/277/Contact-Us). Sanpete County Building Department: Monday-Thursday 7:00 AM-6:00 PM, closed Fridays (per sanpetecountyutah.gov/building-dept.html).. Official information: https://www.ephraim.gov/178/Community-Development.

Ephraim, Utah has adopted: No separately adopted local building code was found for Ephraim City or Sanpete County; both apply Utah's statewide State Construction Code under Utah Code Title 15A. Per Utah Code § 15A-2-103 (version effective 7/1/2026, current as of 2026-07-19): 2024 International Building Code (including Appendices C and J), 2021 International Residential Code (including Appendix AQ), 2024 International Plumbing Code, 2024 International Mechanical Code, 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, 2023 National Electrical Code, 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, 2024 International Existing Building Code, the HUD Code and 2005 NFPA 225 for manufactured homes, and the residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code.; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(2) separately authorizes a local compliance agency to adopt the 2006 Utah Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Code by local ordinance. Sanpete County's Building Department page links a WUI page and county WUI maps and requires an onsite inspection before a WUI plan is approved (per the county's Residential Building Plans Requirement Checklist), indicating the WUI code is applied in practice, but no formal county or city WUI-adoption ordinance was located to confirm the exact edition/amendments.; DISCREPANCY FLAGGED: Sanpete County's own 'Residential Building Plans Requirement Checklist' (sanpetecountyutah.gov/DocumentCenter/View/722/Building-Plans-Checklist) still labels its general construction plan section 'GENERAL CONSTRUCTION PLAN AS PER 2009 IRC' and cites '603 IMC 2012' for duct sizing — both several code cycles behind the current statewide-adopted 2021 IRC / 2024 IMC. This checklist document itself does not carry a visible revision date. Applicants should confirm the currently enforced code edition directly with the Building Official rather than relying on the checklist's code-year references.. Local amendments apply — see the Ephraim overview page for the full list.

No. Ephraim screens a building's change of use through its Business License process (zone confirmation, and a Conditional Use Permit under Ephraim City Code Section 3.04 if the new use isn't permitted by right), rather than through a distinct Change of Use, Change of Occupancy, or Certificate of Occupancy permit or fee.

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