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Commercial Building Permit in Provo, Utah

Required for new commercial construction in Provo, regulated by the adopted 2021 IBC (per the city's own Tenant Finish checklist, revised 10/2024, which states: "Currently codes are 2021 IBC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IPC, 2020 NEC, 2021 IECC, 2021 IFGC"). A Project Plan Approval application must be approved before the Building Division will review the building permit itself. Fees are valuation-based per the same 1997 UBC Fee Chart used for residential structures; distinct Commercial Electrical ($175) and Commercial Mechanical ($175) trade-permit fees apply, unlike the ≤4-unit residential MEP-inclusion rule.

Verified 2026-07-19 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Project Plan Approval application approved before the Building Permit application can be reviewed, per Provo City Building Division New Commercial Submittal Requirements Checklist
  • CRC (Conditional/Combined Review Committee) Approved Plan Set
  • Complete set of fully dimensioned plans demonstrating the full scope of work, including a Code Analysis
  • Complete set of structural calculations, sealed and signed by an architect and/or engineer
  • Complete set of heating/cooling load calculations and Energy Compliance Certificates (COMcheck), including Envelope, Mechanical, and Interior Lighting
  • Construction General Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan with Storm Water Construction General Permit Coverage (NOI)
  • All documents in PDF format, drawn to architectural scale, unlocked and flattened, with constant sheet title block sizes and locations

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (1997 UBC Fee Chart)Provo City Consolidated Fee Schedule (provo.municipal.codes/Code/CFS), Inspection Fees: building permit 'Based on the 1997 UBC Fee Chart' with Building Valuation 'Based upon International Code Council Building Valuation Data' — a single valuation-based mechanism used for all structure types; only the trade-permit inclusion rule (see below) differs for ≤4-unit residential.
Same 1997 UBC Table 1-A tier schedule as the residential building permit (see residential-building-permit permit type for the full tier breakdown), based on ICC Building Valuation Data
Plan Review FeeProvo City Consolidated Fee Schedule, Inspection Fees: 'Plan review — 65% of the Building Permit Fee.'
65% of the building permit fee
Commercial Electrical InspectionProvo City Consolidated Fee Schedule, Inspection Fees: 'Commercial Electrical — $175.00' — distinct from the $75.00 residential standalone electrical fee. Commercial structures do not qualify for the ≤4-unit residential MEP-inclusion rule, so this is charged separately from the building permit.
$175.00
Commercial Mechanical InspectionProvo City Consolidated Fee Schedule, Inspection Fees: 'Mechanical Inspection — Minimum fee $75.00; Commercial Mechanical $175.00.'
$175.00
Reinspection FeeProvo City Consolidated Fee Schedule, Inspection Fees: 'Reinspection fee — $100.00 per system.'
$100.00 per system

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Building Permit permit actually take in Provo?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation / Footing

    Before concrete pour — forms, rebar, anchor bolts, and hold-down locations verified.

  2. 2

    Framing

    After framing, sheathing, and roof installed — before insulation or wall cover.

  3. 3

    Rough Electrical / Mechanical / Plumbing

    Conduit, ductwork, and piping rough-in verified before walls are closed.

  4. 4

    Final / Certificate of Occupancy

    All work complete, fire and health department approvals obtained where applicable, before occupancy.

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

Tips

  • Building permits cannot be reviewed before the Project Plan Approval application is approved — budget extra time for this prerequisite step ahead of the building permit submittal itself.
  • Commercial Electrical ($175) and Commercial Mechanical ($175) are separate line items from the building permit fee — commercial structures do not get the ≤4-unit residential MEP-inclusion discount.
  • All commercial plan sets must be sealed and signed by an architect and/or engineer, in PDF format, unlocked and flattened, per the New Commercial Submittal Requirements Checklist.
  • A Storm Water Construction General Permit (NOI) from Utah DEQ is required as part of the SWPPP submittal package.

Frequently asked questions

Per Provo's New Commercial Submittal Requirements Checklist, you need a CRC Approved Plan Set, a complete set of plans with Code Analysis, structural calculations, geotechnical reports (if applicable), heating/cooling load calculations, COMcheck energy compliance certificates, and a Construction General Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan with NOI. A Project Plan Approval application must be approved before Building Permit review begins.

Per Provo's Consolidated Fee Schedule, the building permit fee is based on the 1997 UBC Fee Chart using ICC Building Valuation Data, the same mechanism used for residential structures, plus a plan review fee of 65% of the permit fee. Commercial Electrical ($175.00) and Commercial Mechanical ($175.00) are billed separately, since commercial structures do not qualify for the ≤4-unit residential MEP-inclusion rule.

Provo does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Provo City Development Services — Building Division at (801) 852-6428 for current turnaround.

You'll need: CRC Approved Plan Set; Complete Set of Plans (Code Analysis); Structural Calculations; Heating/Cooling Load Calculations and Energy Compliance Certificates (COMcheck); Construction General SWPPP / Storm Water NOI. Depending on your project, Provo may also ask for: Geotechnical Report; Health Department Review. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Provo requires 4 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit, in order: Foundation / Footing, Framing, Rough Electrical / Mechanical / Plumbing, Final / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through Provo City Development Services — Building Division ((801) 852-6428).

Apply through Provo City Development Services — Building Division at 445 W Center Street, Suite 200, Provo, UT 84601. Phone: (801) 852-6428, email: building@provo.gov. Office hours: Mon–Thu 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM (building permits issued until 5:30 PM); closed Fridays. Official information: https://www.provo.gov/200/Building.

Provo, Utah has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — currently in effect as of July 1, 2026, superseding the 2021 IBC that was in effect through June 30, 2026 (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a)); Provo's own Building FAQ still lists 2021 IBC as of 2026-07-16 — see NOTE below.; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — currently in effect; unchanged by the July 1, 2026 statewide code-edition update (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b)).; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — currently in effect as of July 1, 2026, superseding the 2021 IPC that was in effect through June 30, 2026 (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d)).; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — currently in effect as of July 1, 2026, superseding the 2021 IMC that was in effect through June 30, 2026 (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e)).; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — currently in effect as of July 1, 2026, superseding the 2021 IFGC that was in effect through June 30, 2026 (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f)).; 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — per Provo City Building FAQ (provo.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=88) listing codes adopted as of July 1, 2021 (not adopted under Utah Code § 15A-2-103, which does not list an IFC edition; edition unconfirmed for the current period beyond this FAQ citation).; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — currently in effect statewide as of July 1, 2026, a single edition with no residential/commercial split under current law (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h)); superseding the 2021 IECC (commercial and residential editions) that Provo's Building FAQ had cited and that was in effect through June 30, 2026.; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — currently in effect as of July 1, 2026, superseding the 2021 IEBC that was in effect through June 30, 2026 (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i)).; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — currently in effect (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g)); unchanged by the July 1, 2026 statewide code-edition update. NOTE: Provo's own Building FAQ (provo.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=88) still listed 'National Electric Code 2020 Edition' as of 2026-07-16 (re-confirmed live) — this is STALE and always has been, independent of the 7/1/2026 transition; the statewide statute mandates the 2023 NEC, which supersedes the city FAQ.; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — currently in effect as of July 1, 2026, superseding the 2021 ISPSC that was in effect through June 30, 2026 (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n)).; NOTE (updated 2026-07-16): the July 1, 2026 transition forecast in the prior version of this entry has now occurred — confirmed live against Utah Code § 15A-2-103, current version (effective 7/1/2026, superseded 1/1/2027), read at le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter2/15A-2-S103.html. Provo's own Building FAQ (provo.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=88), re-fetched live 2026-07-16, still lists every code at its pre-transition July 1, 2021 edition (2021 IBC/IMC/IPC/IFGC/IRC/IFC, 2021 commercial and residential IECC, plus the already-stale 2020 NEC) — the city FAQ has not been updated to reflect either the 2023 NEC statewide mandate or the 7/1/2026 edition change; the state statute governs regardless.. Local amendments apply — see the Provo overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-19.

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

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