Unincorporated Sanpete County building permits

Requirements

• New single-family dwelling construction
• Additions to existing residential structures
• Any structural modification, reconstruction, repair, remodeling, or alteration to existing improvements (Sanpete County Land Use Ordinance § 14.08.050)
• Properties in the county's WUI Zone must additionally comply with the 2006 Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code (§ 14.76.365)
• Properties within incorporated city limits must first obtain zoning approval from the applicable city before the County Building Department will process the building permit application

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationSubmitted via the county's online CityInspect permit portal (registration required) — apply, pay fee, and submit for review online
• OptionalCity Zoning ApprovalRequired first for any parcel within an incorporated city's limits — obtained from the applicable city (contacts on file: Centerfield, Fayette, Manti, Moroni, Sterling, Ephraim, Ft. Green, Mayfield, Spring City, Wales, Fairview, Gunnison, Mt. Pleasant). Not required for unincorporated county land, which is zoned directly by Sanpete County Planning & Zoning.
• RequiredComplete Set of Building PlansSite plan, floor plans for each level, elevations (new construction), foundation/structural/framing detail, and electrical/mechanical/plumbing design, per the county's Building Plans Checklist and the state plan-review completeness requirements of Utah Code § 17-36-55(8)
• RequiredSite PlanDrawn to scale with north arrow and legend; lot size/dimensions, setbacks, easements, property lines, topography (if slope > 10%), utilities, driveway locations, and (in WUI areas) defensible space provisions — per Utah Code § 17-36-55(8)(b)
• RequiredEnergy Code Compliance DocumentationDemonstrates compliance with the adopted Utah energy code (2024 IECC, effective since July 1, 2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h); supersedes the 2021 IECC)
• OptionalStructural CalculationsRequired except for trusses, per Utah Code § 17-36-55(8)(e)
• OptionalGeotechnical ReportRequired if lot slope exceeds 15%, including slope stability evaluation and retaining wall design, per Utah Code § 17-36-55(8)(f)

Fee schedule

Requirements

• New commercial construction
• Compliance with Sanpete County Land Use Ordinance § 14.08.050, which requires a permit for 'any and all improvements to real property, including but not limited to construction, reconstruction, repair, remodeling, alteration or addition to existing improvements'
• Properties in the county's WUI Zone must additionally comply with the 2006 Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code (§ 14.76.365)
• Utah law requires commercial building plans to be designed, drawn, and stamped by a Utah Licensed Architect or Engineer (Utah Code §§ 58-22-305 and 58-3a-304 — the exemption from stamped plans applies only to one- and two-family dwellings, not commercial structures)
• Properties within incorporated city limits must first obtain zoning approval from the applicable city before the County Building Department will process the building permit application

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationSubmitted via the county's online CityInspect permit portal (registration required).
• OptionalCity Zoning ApprovalRequired first for any parcel within an incorporated city's limits. Not required for unincorporated county land.
• RequiredComplete Set of Building Plans, Stamped by a Utah Licensed Architect or EngineerSite plan, floor plans for each level, elevations, foundation/structural/framing detail, and electrical/mechanical/plumbing design, per the county's Building Plans Checklist and the plan-review completeness requirements of Utah Code § 17-36-55(8) for the residential-scoped portions of that statute.
• RequiredSite PlanDrawn to scale with north arrow and legend; lot size/dimensions, setbacks, easements, property lines, utilities, driveway locations.
• RequiredEnergy Code Compliance DocumentationDemonstrates compliance with the adopted Utah energy code (2024 IECC, effective since July 1, 2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h)).
• OptionalStructural CalculationsRequired except for trusses.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Tenant improvement, tenant finish, or remodel work inside an existing commercial building — falls under Sanpete County Land Use Ordinance § 14.08.050's definition of 'reconstruction, repair, remodeling, alteration or addition to existing improvements'
• Utah law requires commercial building plans to be designed, drawn, and stamped by a Utah Licensed Architect or Engineer (Utah Code §§ 58-22-305 and 58-3a-304 — the exemption from stamped plans applies only to one- and two-family dwellings, not commercial structures)
• Properties within incorporated city limits must first obtain zoning approval from the applicable city

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationSubmitted via the county's online CityInspect permit portal.
• RequiredComplete Set of Building Plans, Stamped by a Utah Licensed Architect or Engineer (where scope requires)Floor plans and structural/electrical/mechanical/plumbing detail for the improved space, per the county's Building Plans Checklist.
• OptionalEnergy Code Compliance DocumentationDemonstrates compliance with the adopted Utah energy code where the scope affects the building envelope or systems.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Rooftop or ground-mounted solar PV installation
• Ground-mounted solar arrays require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) from the Sanpete County Planning Commission prior to installation — verified via Sanpete County Planning Commission meeting minutes (September 14, 2022, Book 3 p. 478), which record one approved CUP for a ground-mounted solar array (Tim's Ranch LLC/Lyle Hardy, parcel S-26102). A second item on the same agenda (Wind Walker Ranch, parcel S-27340, p. 477) requested a bundled CUP update including a solar array but was withdrawn before a vote, not approved — not cited as precedent here
• Roof-mounted (flush) solar panels on an existing single-family dwelling do not appear in the same Planning Commission CUP record and are treated as an attachment to the dwelling rather than a separate structure, per Sanpete County Land Use Ordinance Title 14's general provisions
• Building permit application through the county's CityInspect portal, as with other Sanpete County permit types
• Properties within incorporated city limits must first obtain zoning approval from the applicable city before the County Building Department will process the associated building permit

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationSubmitted via the county's online CityInspect permit portal (registration required), the same portal used for all other Sanpete County building permit types.
• OptionalConditional Use Permit Application (ground-mounted arrays only)Required before a building permit will be issued for a ground-mounted solar array, per the Sanpete County Planning Commission's own approval record for this project type; submitted to the Planning Commission, not the Building Department.
• RequiredElectrical Single-Line Diagram and Equipment SpecificationsSystem wiring from panels/array to inverter to main panel and utility meter; manufacturer specifications for panels, racking, and inverter — standard supporting documents for any electrical permit component of a solar installation.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• A commercial sign requires BOTH a Conditional Use Permit AND a valid building permit — per § 14.77.060's own text, both are required, not either/or
• The sign must be located within or adjacent to the Business/Commercial (BC) Zone (established under Land Use Ordinance Chapter 14.50)
• Maximum sign size is 300 square feet
• The Planning Commission and the Sanpete County Board of Commissioners will consider safety and visual impact in deciding whether to grant or deny the sign's Conditional Use Permit
• As with any Sanpete County Conditional Use Permit application, the general application procedures of Land Use Ordinance Chapter 14.68 (Conditional Uses) apply: a complete application, payment of the county's fee schedule amount, and (if the applicant fails to correct deficiencies within 30 days) potential deemed-withdrawal of the application
• The ordinance's § 14.77.060 text is limited to commercial signs — it does not state a distinct process, size limit, or fee for residential, real estate, or other non-commercial signage in unincorporated Sanpete County; no such provision was found elsewhere in the ordinance during this research

Required documents

• RequiredConditional Use Permit ApplicationSanpete County's standard Conditional Use Permit application (Attachment I to the Land Use Ordinance), required for a commercial sign under § 14.77.060.
• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationSubmitted via the county's CityInspect portal, the same as for other Sanpete County building permit types — required in addition to the Conditional Use Permit for a commercial sign.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Installation of a Level 2 or DC fast EV charger (EVSE) at a residential or commercial property in unincorporated Sanpete County
• New dedicated electrical circuit and/or panel capacity to serve the charger, reviewed under the same Building Permit process (and 2023 NEC, statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g)) as other electrical work
• Properties within incorporated city limits must first obtain zoning approval from the applicable city before the County Building Department will process the associated building permit

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationSubmitted via the county's online CityInspect permit portal (registration required) — the same portal and application used for all other Sanpete County building permit types; no distinct EV-charger application form is published.
• OptionalElectrical Single-Line Diagram / Equipment SpecificationsCharger manufacturer specifications and circuit/panel capacity information — standard supporting documentation for the electrical-work component of a building permit.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Any agricultural, commercial, industrial, or residential structure requiring a Sanpete County building permit is reviewed by County Building Department staff for compliance with Fire District provisions as part of that same building permit's plan review, per Land Use Ordinance § 14.76.360 -- this applies whether the fire-prevention feature is a sprinkler system, alarm system, access/design requirement, or other mitigation measure
• Selected provisions of the International Fire Code, as determined applicable by the Building Official, govern the fire-related requirements imposed per § 14.78.050
• No separate application, fee, or approval body exists for fire sprinkler or fire alarm work distinct from the underlying Building Permit -- fire-prevention requirements are imposed as conditions of that permit, not as a standalone permit
• Properties within incorporated city limits must still first obtain zoning approval from the applicable city before the County Building Department will process the associated building permit

Required documents

• RequiredBuilding Permit ApplicationSubmitted via the county's online CityInspect permit portal (registration required) -- the same application used for all other Sanpete County building permit types; no distinct fire sprinkler/alarm application form is published.
• OptionalFire Suppression / Alarm System Shop Drawings and SpecificationsManufacturer/installer shop drawings, hydraulic calculations, and equipment specifications for any fire sprinkler or fire alarm system included in the project scope, submitted as part of the overall building plan set reviewed by the Building Department for Fire District compliance per § 14.76.360.

Fee schedule

Requirements

• A Certificate of Occupancy must be obtained from the Sanpete County Building Inspection Department prior to occupying any building or structure approved under the Land Use Ordinance, per § 14.90.110 -- this is issued as the closing step of the underlying Building Permit, not a standalone application
• Changing the use of a building, structure, or land within unincorporated Sanpete County without complying with the Land Use Ordinance is a Class C misdemeanor under § 14.90.080
• Changing a LEGALLY NONCONFORMING use specifically requires a Variance from the Sanpete County Board of Adjustments, per § 14.60.010's restriction that a nonconforming use may continue only if 'no change in use occurs, except as may be allowed by Section 14.20.050' (Variance)
• No county building permit will be issued, and the county has no obligation to issue a certificate of occupancy, for any parcel subdivided or sold in violation of the ordinance, per § 14.90.050
• Properties within incorporated city limits must first obtain zoning approval from the applicable city before the County Building Department will process any associated building permit or certificate of occupancy

Required documents

• RequiredCertificate of Occupancy RequestRequested through the Sanpete County Building Inspection Department (via the CityInspect portal used for the underlying building permit) once construction/work approved under a building permit is complete and has passed final inspection, per § 14.90.110 and § 14.90.115. No separate standalone CO application form, distinct from the building permit's own final-inspection process, is published.
• OptionalVariance Application (nonconforming-use changes only)Required only when the change of use affects a legally nonconforming use, per § 14.60.010 -- submitted to the Sanpete County Board of Adjustments; not required for an ordinary conforming-to-conforming use change.

Fee schedule