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

Required when a building or portion of a building in unincorporated Utah County changes from one use or occupancy classification to another. The county's Community Development Building page lists 'changing the use of a building' alongside new construction as a permit-triggering activity, requiring a standard Building Permit Application. Utah County's own codified Fee Schedule (Building Permits, Exhibit A, effective 4/3/2012, last updated 3/13/2019) publishes a dedicated 'Change in Use or Occupancy' line item in its 'Permit Fee by Building Type & Size' table, billed at the same $0.30 per square foot 'All Occupancies' multiplier tier as Remodeling, Shell Only Buildings (prior to tenant build-out), and Porches/Decks — confirmed live 2026-07-22 by rendering the codified ordinance site (utahcounty.municipalcodeonline.com), which serves the full Exhibit A table (this schedule is a JavaScript single-page application not reachable by direct non-browser fetch, which is why the commercial-building-permit and commercial-tenant-improvement-permit entries elsewhere in this file could not independently confirm their own commercial per-square-foot rows — the 'Change in Use or Occupancy' row was successfully located and confirmed on this same live-rendered table). A new or amended Certificate of Occupancy is issued upon passing final inspection, consistent with the Certificate of Occupancy language used throughout this file's other Building Division entries.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Any change in the use or occupancy classification of an existing building or portion of a building in unincorporated Utah County
  • Utah County Building Permit Application, including Description of Work and the existing and proposed use
  • Health Department review/approval if the proposed use involves plumbing fixtures connecting to sewer/potable water, or is within 5 feet of an existing septic system, per the county's own Building Permit Application health-screening questions
  • Compliance with the occupancy-classification provisions of the adopted 2024 IBC and 2024 IEBC (Utah Code § 15A-2-103) before a new or amended Certificate of Occupancy is issued

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Change in Use or OccupancyUtah County Code, Fee Schedule — Building Permits, Exhibit A (effective 4/3/2012), 'Permit Fee by Building Type & Size' table, 'All Occupancies — Change in Use or Occupancy' row. Same $0.30/sq ft multiplier tier as Remodeling, Shell Only Buildings (prior to tenant build-out), and Porches/Decks. Includes Plan Review Fee and State of Utah surcharge; does not include bonds. Confirmed live 2026-07-22 on the codified ordinance site (utahcounty.municipalcodeonline.com).
$0.30 per square foot
Minimum Permit FeeUtah County Code, Fee Schedule — Building Permits, Exhibit A (effective 4/3/2012), 'Permit Fee by Activity & Flat Fee — Minimum permit fee.' General floor applicable to any permit type, including a change of use, if the per-square-foot calculation falls below it.
$101.00

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

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

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final

    All work complete and the new use/occupancy classification confirmed against the adopted code — Certificate of Occupancy issued upon passing. Occupancy under the new use is prohibited until the final inspection is approved.

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

Tips

  • Utah County bills a change of use or occupancy at a flat $0.30 per square foot under the 'Change in Use or Occupancy' row of Exhibit A's Permit Fee by Building Type & Size table — the same per-square-foot tier as Remodeling and Porches/Decks — subject to the $101.00 minimum permit fee.
  • Exhibit A also lists a refundable Compliance Deposit of $500.00 (or 30% of the total permit fee, whichever is greater) for habitable/usable buildings, refunded only if no illegal use or occupancy occurs before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued, plus a separate $300.00 Investigation/Red Tag Fee (reduced to $75.00 if required permits are filed within 2 business days) for occupying or using a structure under its new use without a permit — do not occupy the space under the new use before the Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
  • Contact the Building Official (stevek@utahcounty.gov) or (801) 851-8342 to confirm which occupancy-classification provisions of the adopted 2024 IBC/IEBC apply to your specific change of use before applying.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. The county's Community Development Building page lists changing the use of a building as one of the activities that requires a Building Permit Application, and Exhibit A publishes a dedicated fee line for it. A new or amended Certificate of Occupancy is issued once the final inspection confirms the new use complies with the adopted code.

Utah County's Fee Schedule (Building Permits, Exhibit A) bills a change in use or occupancy at a flat $0.30 per square foot — the same 'All Occupancies' rate as Remodeling — subject to a $101.00 minimum permit fee. Includes plan review and the state surcharge; does not include bonds.

Unincorporated Utah County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Utah County Community Development — Building Division at (801) 851-8342 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Utah County Building Permit Application (PDF). Depending on your project, Unincorporated Utah County may also ask for: Health Department Approval Form. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Utah County requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use / certificate of occupancy permit, in order: Final. Schedule each through Utah County Community Development — Building Division ((801) 851-8342).

Apply through Utah County Community Development — Building Division at 51 South University Avenue, Suite 117, Provo, UT 84601. Phone: (801) 851-8342, email: comdev@utahcounty.gov. Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (inspection scheduling: ShaunaL@utahcounty.gov). Official information: https://codev.utahcounty.gov/building.

Unincorporated Utah County, Utah has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — current statewide code per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a), in force since July 1, 2026 (superseded the 2021 IBC); confirmed matching the County's own Building page, which lists 'International Building Code 2024' as of 2026-07-16; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b); unchanged by the July 1, 2026 code cycle flip; confirmed matching the County's own Building page, which lists 'International Residential Code 2021' as of 2026-07-16; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — current statewide code per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d), in force since July 1, 2026 (superseded the 2021 IPC); confirmed matching the County's own Building page as of 2026-07-16; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — current statewide code per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e), in force since July 1, 2026 (superseded the 2021 IMC); confirmed matching the County's own Building page as of 2026-07-16; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — current statewide code per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f), in force since July 1, 2026 (superseded the 2021 IFGC); confirmed matching the County's own Building page as of 2026-07-16; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g); unchanged by the July 1, 2026 code cycle flip; confirmed matching the County's own Building page as of 2026-07-16; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — current statewide code per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h), in force since July 1, 2026 (superseded the 2021 IECC; one edition applies statewide, no separate residential/commercial split); confirmed matching the County's own Building page as of 2026-07-16; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — current statewide code per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i), in force since July 1, 2026 (superseded the 2021 IEBC); confirmed matching the County's own Building page as of 2026-07-16; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — current statewide code per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n), in force since July 1, 2026 (superseded the 2021 ISPSC); not separately itemized on the County's own Building page as of 2026-07-16, added here as it applies statewide; NOTE: The July 1, 2026 statewide code cycle flip (Utah Code § 15A-2-103, amended by Ch. 47, 2026 General Session) is now in effect. The County's own Building page was re-checked live on 2026-07-16 and has ALREADY been updated to reflect it — it now lists IBC 2024, IPC 2024, IMC 2024, IFGC 2024, IECC 2024, and IEBC 2024, alongside the unchanged IRC 2021 and NEC 2023. This supersedes the prior 2026-06-30 note recorded here (which said the page still showed '2021 IBC'); the County's page is current, not lagging.. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Utah County overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

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

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