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Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy Permit in Unincorporated Uintah County, Utah

Required for a change in use or occupancy classification of an existing building in unincorporated Uintah County, and covers the Certificate of Occupancy sign-off that closes out any building, commercial, tenant-improvement, or change-of-use permit before the space may be occupied. Uintah County's Fee Schedule (Uintah County Code § 3.30.010, Ordinance No. 08-06-2025 O1, enacted 8/12/2025) prices two distinct change-of-use scenarios: (1) 'Change in Use of Occupancy' for a previously-approved building, billed at a flat $0.40 per square foot across all occupancies (Building Permit Fees table); and (2) 'Change of use for a non-approved (unconfirmed) building,' billed 'as per new occupancy classification' — i.e., at the applicable per-square-foot rate for the new occupancy type from the same table (Permit Fee by Activity & Flat Fee table), ranging $0.40-$1.25/sq ft depending on classification. No standalone Certificate of Occupancy application fee is separately published; a CO is issued as part of the final inspection sign-off on the underlying permit.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Change in use or occupancy classification of an existing, previously-approved commercial or other non-residential building — billed at a flat $0.40/sq ft across all occupancies
  • Change of use for a building whose existing use was never officially approved or confirmed by the county — billed 'as per new occupancy classification' at the applicable per-square-foot rate for the new use
  • Compliance review for the new use under the currently adopted IBC (2024 IBC per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a)), including egress, occupant load, and fire separation for the new occupancy
  • Final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy issuance before the new use may commence

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Change in Use of Occupancy (Previously-Approved Building), All Occupancies — per square foot
Uintah County Fee Schedule — Uintah County Code § 3.30.010, Ordinance No. Show full citationUintah County Fee Schedule — Uintah County Code § 3.30.010, Ordinance No. 08-06-2025 O1 (Entry 2025004950, Book 1921, Page 868, enacted 8/12/2025) — 'Community Development Fee Schedule,' Building Permit Fees table, the 'All Occupancies / Change in Use of Occupancy / $0.40' row, on page 4 of the 16-page schedule.
$0.40 per sq ft
Change of Use for a Non-Approved (Unconfirmed) Building
Uintah County Fee Schedule, same ordinance (Entry 2025004950, Book 1921, Page 869) — 'Permit Fee by Activity & Flat Fee' table, 'Change of use for a non-approved (unconfirmed) building / As per new… Show full citationUintah County Fee Schedule, same ordinance (Entry 2025004950, Book 1921, Page 869) — 'Permit Fee by Activity & Flat Fee' table, 'Change of use for a non-approved (unconfirmed) building / As per new occupancy classification' row, page 5 of 16. Applies when the building's existing use was never officially permitted or confirmed by the county, as distinct from the flat $0.40/sq ft rate for a previously-approved building changing use.
As per new occupancy classification (i.e., the applicable Building Permit Fees per-sq-ft rate for the new use, $0.40-$1.25/sq ft depending on classification)
Minimum Building Permit FeeUintah County Fee Schedule, Ord. 08-06-2025 O1 — Permit Fee by Activity & Flat Fee table.
$50.00
Plan Check FeeUintah County Fee Schedule, Ord. 08-06-2025 O1 — Review of Plans table.
Up to 65% of the building permit fee
Re-Inspection FeeUintah County Fee Schedule, Ord. 08-06-2025 O1 — Inspection/Re-Inspection fee line item.
$50.00

Review timeline

Plan reviewTypical estimate — confirm current times with the Unincorporated Uintah County building department
~10–14 business days

How long did your Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Uintah County?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Life-Safety / Occupancy Compliance Inspection

    County inspector verifies the space meets IBC requirements for the new occupancy classification — egress, occupant load, fire separation — before sign-off.

  2. 2

    Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy

    All work required by the permit is complete; a Certificate of Occupancy is issued before the new use may commence, consistent with the other final-inspection entries.

See the full Unincorporated Uintah County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Uintah County prices a change of use differently depending on whether the building's CURRENT use was ever officially approved: a previously-approved building changing use is a flat $0.40/sq ft across all occupancies, while a building whose existing use was never confirmed by the county is billed 'as per new occupancy classification' — i.e., the full per-square-foot Building Permit Fees rate for the new use (up to $1.25/sq ft for Hazardous/Institutional).
  • There is no standalone Certificate of Occupancy application or fee — a CO is issued as the final sign-off on the underlying building, commercial, tenant-improvement, or change-of-use permit once all required inspections pass.
  • A change of use that adds plumbing, mechanical, or electrical service to space that previously lacked it triggers the separate flat tiered fee ($150-$400 by square footage) documented in the commercial-tenant-improvement-permit entry, in addition to the change-of-use fee.

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Uintah County requires a change of use / certificate of occupancy permit for: Change in use or occupancy classification of an existing, previously-approved commercial or other non-residential building — billed at a flat $0.40/sq ft across all occupancies; Change of use for a building whose existing use was never officially approved or confirmed by the county — billed 'as per new occupancy classification' at the applicable per-square-foot rate for the new use; Compliance review for the new use under the currently adopted IBC (2024 IBC per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a)), including egress, occupant load, and fire separation for the new occupancy; Final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy issuance before the new use may commence. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Uintah County Community Development — Building Division at (435) 781-5336 before starting work.

No standalone Certificate of Occupancy fee is published. A CO is issued as the final inspection sign-off on the underlying building, commercial, tenant-improvement, or change-of-use permit — it is not a separately priced permit type.

Plan review for a change of use / certificate of occupancy permit in Unincorporated Uintah County typically runs 10–14 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with Uintah County Community Development — Building Division at (435) 781-5336.

You'll need: Commercial Building Permit Application or Tenant Improvement/Remodel Application; Floor Plan Showing Existing and Proposed Use; Proof of Ownership or Tenant Authorization. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Uintah County requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of use / certificate of occupancy permit, in order: Life-Safety / Occupancy Compliance Inspection, Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through Uintah County Community Development — Building Division ((435) 781-5336).

Apply through Uintah County Community Development — Building Division at 152 East 100 North, Vernal, UT 84078. Phone: (435) 781-5336. Official information: https://www.uintah.gov/departments/a_-_e_departments/community_development/building_permits.php.

Unincorporated Uintah County, 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); supersedes the 2021 edition. Uintah County's own Building Code page (uintah.gov) still states '2021 International Building Codes Effective July 1, 2023' — the county page has not been updated for the 2024 statewide edition now in force; the statute governs.; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — REMAINS CURRENT; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b) did not change this edition in the 7/1/2026 statewide transition.; Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(c); not itemized on Uintah County's own Building Code page, added here per statute.; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d); supersedes the 2021 edition.; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e); supersedes the 2021 edition.; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — current statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f); supersedes the 2021 edition.; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), single unsplit statewide edition — current statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h); supersedes the 2021 edition.; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i); this supersedes the 2021 edition. Uintah County's FAQ page ('Do I need a permit for my building? It's portable on a skid?' article) still cites 'Chapter 14 of the 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC)' and '2018 International Building Code (IBC)' / '2015 International Residential Code (IRC)' / 'IRC 2015 or IBC 2018' for relocated/moved structures — a substantial lag (2015/2018 editions vs. the current 2024/2021 statewide editions); the FAQ page's separate 'When are building permits required' article also still cites 'IBC 2015 & IRC 2015' verbatim. The statute governs; Uintah County's FAQ page has not been updated to reflect any statewide code cycle since at least 2015/2018.; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — current statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n); supersedes the 2021 edition.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — REMAINS CURRENT; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g) did not change this edition in the 7/1/2026 statewide transition. Uintah County's Building Code Information page is UNCHANGED and still lists '2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) Effective July 1, 2021' — that page remains not updated; the statewide 2023 NEC is the legally in-force edition per the statute.; 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 — the flip anticipated by the prior 'Effective July 1, 2026' note has now occurred and is confirmed live. IBC/IPC/IMC/IFGC/IECC/IEBC/residential ISPSC are now 2024 statewide; IRC (2021) and NEC (2023) did NOT change. Uintah County's own Building Code page and FAQ page were both live-checked 2026-07-16 and remain unchanged/stale exactly as previously found (in the FAQ's case, considerably staler than previously documented — see the IEBC entry above) — the statute is cited directly as governing throughout, per the established recovery-avenue policy.. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Uintah County overview page for the full list.

Yes. A previously-approved building changing use is billed a flat $0.40 per square foot across all occupancies. A building whose existing use was never officially confirmed by the county is billed 'as per new occupancy classification' — the applicable per-square-foot Building Permit Fees rate for the new use. Source: Uintah County Fee Schedule, Ordinance No. 08-06-2025 O1 (enacted 8/12/2025).

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.

Fee schedules

Codes & ordinances

Department & other records

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 Uintah County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Property Access

Unincorporated Uintah County's permit history is searchable by address

3,137 permits on record for Unincorporated Uintah County, 2019–2026 — searchable by street address, with permit type, status, issued date and valuation where the city publishes them.

98% of Unincorporated Uintah County's records carry a street address to match against, so a search that finds nothing here means we could not look — not that the property is clear.

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