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Change of Use / Change of Occupancy in Highland, Utah

Highland City does not publish a standalone Change of Use, Change of Occupancy, or existing-building Certificate of Occupancy re-issuance permit or fee — a full-text review of the FY2026 Comprehensive Fee Schedule (22 pages, adopted 5/5/26), the Building Division page, and the Applications & Fees page found no 'change of use' or 'change of occupancy' line item anywhere. In practice, a use change in an existing commercial space in Highland is processed through two mechanisms: (1) a Use Determination application at Planning & Zoning — either a $50.00 Classification Request (confirming a new use is sufficiently similar to an already-allowed use) or a $500.00 Approval of New/Unlisted Business Use (for a use not similar to any already-allowed use) — per Highland's official Applications & Fees page and the FY2026 Fee Schedule; and (2) an annual Commercial Business License, which Highland's official Business Licensing page states REQUIRES a passed fire inspection: 'Fire inspections are required for all commercial businesses, and record of a passed inspection must be attached with the business application,' scheduled directly with Lone Peak Fire District (801-763-5365). If the use change also involves construction or tenant-improvement scope, it is processed via this record's existing Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit entry.

Verified 2026-07-21 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A new or changed business use in an existing commercial space that is not already specifically listed as an allowed use in the zone requires a Use Determination application (Classification Request or Approval of New/Unlisted Business Use) at Planning & Zoning
  • An annual Commercial Business License is required for the business occupying the space, per the City's Business Licensing fee table
  • A fire inspection performed by Lone Peak Fire District is required for all commercial businesses, with a record of the passed inspection attached to the business license application, per Highland's official Business Licensing page
  • If the use change involves construction or tenant-improvement scope, a separate Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit is also required (see that permit type in this record)
  • No separate Change of Use, Change of Occupancy, or Certificate of Occupancy application, fee, or process is published by the City independent of the above mechanisms

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Use Determination — Classification RequestHighland City Comprehensive Fee Schedule, FY2026, adopted 5/5/26, Planning & Zoning / Development section, page 11: 'Use Determination / Classification Request ... $50.00.'
$50.00
Use Determination — Approval of New/Unlisted Business UseHighland City Comprehensive Fee Schedule, FY2026, Planning & Zoning / Development section, page 11: 'Use Determination / Approval of New/Unlisted Business Use ... $500.00.'
$500.00
Commercial Business License — Filing Fee (unless specifically noted below)Highland City Comprehensive Fee Schedule, FY2026, Community Development & Planning / Business Licensing section, page 10: 'Business License Filing Fee (unless specifically noted below) ... $90.00.' Certain business categories (e.g. Auto Repair/Mechanical $230, Dry Cleaners $160, Hotel/Motel $375) are billed at their own specific rate instead.
$90.00
Commercial Business License — Renewal Fee (unless specifically noted below)Highland City Comprehensive Fee Schedule, FY2026, Business Licensing section, page 10: 'Business license Renewal Fee (unless specifically noted below) ... $60.00.'
$60.00
Business License Fire Department Reinspection FeeHighland City Comprehensive Fee Schedule, FY2026, Business Licensing / Miscellaneous section, page 10: 'Business License Fire Department Reinspection Fee ... $100.00.' Charged if the initial Lone Peak Fire District inspection required for the business license does not pass and a reinspection is needed.
$100.00

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

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

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Fire Inspection (Lone Peak Fire District)

    Required for all commercial businesses before a Commercial Business License is issued; scheduled directly with Lone Peak Fire District at (801) 763-5365, per Highland's official Business Licensing page. A record of the passed inspection must be attached to the business license application.

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

Tips

  • Highland has no standalone Change of Use, Change of Occupancy, or Certificate of Occupancy re-issuance permit — the closest published mechanisms are the Use Determination application (Planning & Zoning) and the annual Commercial Business License, which bundles a mandatory Lone Peak Fire District fire inspection.
  • A brand-new/unlisted business use costs $500.00 for Planning & Zoning approval, versus just $50.00 for a Classification Request confirming the new use is similar enough to one already allowed in the zone — confirm which category applies before budgeting.
  • Because a passed fire inspection from Lone Peak Fire District must be attached to the Commercial Business License application, schedule that inspection early — call (801) 763-5365. A failed inspection triggers a separate $100.00 Business License Fire Department Reinspection Fee.
  • If the use change also involves construction or tenant-improvement work, it must additionally go through the Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit process documented elsewhere in this record.

Frequently asked questions

Highland requires a change of use / change of occupancy permit for: A new or changed business use in an existing commercial space that is not already specifically listed as an allowed use in the zone requires a Use Determination application (Classification Request or Approval of New/Unlisted Business Use) at Planning & Zoning; An annual Commercial Business License is required for the business occupying the space, per the City's Business Licensing fee table; A fire inspection performed by Lone Peak Fire District is required for all commercial businesses, with a record of the passed inspection attached to the business license application, per Highland's official Business Licensing page; If the use change involves construction or tenant-improvement scope, a separate Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit is also required (see that permit type in this record); No separate Change of Use, Change of Occupancy, or Certificate of Occupancy application, fee, or process is published by the City independent of the above mechanisms. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Highland City Building Division (Community Development Department) at (801) 772-4516 before starting work.

In Highland, the published Use Determination — Classification Request is: $50.00. Additional published fees: Use Determination — Approval of New/Unlisted Business Use — $500.00; Commercial Business License — Filing Fee (unless specifically noted below) — $90.00; Commercial Business License — Renewal Fee (unless specifically noted below) — $60.00; Business License Fire Department Reinspection Fee — $100.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Highland does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Highland City Building Division (Community Development Department) at (801) 772-4516 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Use Determination Application (Classification Request or Approval of New/Unlisted Business Use); Commercial Business License Application. Depending on your project, Highland may also ask for: Building Permit Application (Tenant Improvement). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Yes. Per Highland's official Business Licensing page: 'Fire inspections are required for all commercial businesses, and record of a passed inspection must be attached with the business application.' Inspections are scheduled directly with Lone Peak Fire District at (801) 763-5365; a failed inspection triggers a $100.00 Business License Fire Department Reinspection Fee.

Apply through Highland City Building Division (Community Development Department) at 5400 W Civic Center Drive, Suite 1, Highland, UT 84003. Phone: (801) 772-4516, email: jnelson@highlandut.gov. Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed Friday; inspections available Mon–Thu 8:00 AM–6:00 PM by appointment via My City Inspector or (801) 772-4516, scheduled at least 24 hours in advance). Official information: https://www.highlandut.gov/96/Building.

Highland, Utah has adopted: 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted, effective July 1, 2026 per Highland City's official Building Division page; the city states 'any submittals after July 1, 2026' must be designed to these standards.; 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted, effective July 1, 2026 per Highland City's official Building Division page.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — adopted, effective July 1, 2026 per Highland City's official Building Division page.; Other 2024 International Codes (IPC, IMC, IEBC, IECC) — Highland's Building Division page references adoption of 'other 2024 codes' alongside the 2024 IBC and 2023 NEC effective July 1, 2026, consistent with the statewide framework under Utah Code § 15A-1-204/Title 15A, but does not itemize each code title individually by name on the page; only the IRC, IBC, and NEC editions are explicitly named.. Local amendments apply — see the Highland overview page for the full list.

No standalone Change of Use, Change of Occupancy, or Certificate of Occupancy permit is published. A use change is processed through a Use Determination application at Planning & Zoning ($50.00 Classification Request or $500.00 Approval of New/Unlisted Business Use) and the City's annual Commercial Business License ($90.00 filing/$60.00 renewal, plus any category-specific rate), which requires a passed Lone Peak Fire District fire inspection attached to the application. If construction is involved, a separate Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit is also required.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-21.

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

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Change of Use / Change of Occupancy in other cities

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