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Retaining Wall Permit in Unincorporated Uintah County, Utah

Required for retaining walls over 4 feet in height (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall) or any wall supporting a surcharge, in unincorporated Uintah County. Walls at or under 4 feet that do not support a surcharge are exempt per the IRC.

Verified 2026-07-08 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Retaining walls over 4 feet in total height (bottom of footing to top of wall)
  • Any retaining wall supporting a surcharge, regardless of height
  • Walls not exceeding 4 feet in height and not supporting a surcharge are exempt from a permit under IRC R105.2 (as reprinted in the county's Building Permit FAQ)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Retaining Walls Over 4 FeetUintah County Fee Schedule, Uintah County Code § 3.30.010 (Ord. 08-06-2025 O1, enacted 8/12/2025) — Permit Fee by Activity & Flat Fee table.
$50.00
Inspection/Re-Inspection FeeUintah County Fee Schedule, Ord. 08-06-2025 O1.
$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 Retaining Wall 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

    Footing

    Footing excavation, rebar, and forms before concrete pour — minimum 30-inch depth for frost protection

  2. 2

    Final

    Wall complete, drainage functional, site graded

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

Tips

  • Uintah County's Building Permit FAQ reprints IRC R105.2 Item 3: retaining walls not over 4 feet in height (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall), unless supporting a surcharge, do not require a permit.
  • Frost depth in Uintah County is a minimum of 30 inches — wall footings must extend below this depth.

Frequently asked questions

Only if the wall is over 4 feet tall (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall) or supports a surcharge. The permit fee is a flat $50 per the Uintah County Fee Schedule (Ord. 08-06-2025 O1, enacted 8/12/2025). Walls at or under 4 feet that don't support a surcharge are exempt per IRC R105.2, as confirmed on the county's own FAQ page.

In Unincorporated Uintah County, the published Retaining Walls Over 4 Feet is: $50.00. Additional published fees: Inspection/Re-Inspection Fee — $50.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Plan review for a retaining wall 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: Building Permit Application; Site Plan. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Uintah County may also ask for: Engineered Wall Plans. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Uintah County requires 2 inspection(s) for a retaining wall permit, in order: Footing, Final. 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 previously listed here. Uintah County's own Building Code page (uintah.gov, live-checked 2026-07-16) is UNCHANGED and still states '2021 International Building Codes Effective July 1, 2023' — the county page has not been updated for either the 2021→2023 language it already had wrong stylistically or 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 previously listed here.; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e); supersedes the 2021 edition previously listed here.; 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 previously listed here.; 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 previously listed here.; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i); supersedes the 2021 edition previously listed here. Uintah County's FAQ page ('Do I need a permit for my building? It's portable on a skid?' article, live-checked 2026-07-16) is UNCHANGED and 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 — this is now a much larger lag (2015/2018 editions vs. the current 2024/2021 statewide editions) than previously flagged; 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 previously listed here.; 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 (live-checked 2026-07-16) 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 this file's 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 this file's established recovery-avenue policy.. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Uintah County overview page for the full list.

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

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