Unincorporated Wasatch County building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Wasatch County, Utah.
Last verified 2026-07-13 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 1891 W 3000 S, Heber City, UT 84032
- Phone
- (435) 657-3200
- Office hours
- 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday–Friday, per the Wasatch County Building Department FAQ page (wasatchcounty.gov/215/Frequently-Asked-Questions). Building Department is distinct from the county's Engineering Department (435-657-3305, handles right-of-way/grading/subdivision permits) and Planning Department (435-657-3205, handles impact fees for multi-family/commercial and zoning).
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Unincorporated Wasatch County — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
Codes adopted
Utah adopts construction codes statewide under Utah Code Title 15A (State Construction and Fire Codes Act), enforced by every jurisdiction. Chapter 4 of Title 15A codifies Legislature-enacted amendments for specific named jurisdictions (e.g., Park City, Salt Lake City, Sandy City) as part of the state construction code. Through June 30, 2026, the editions in force under Utah Code § 15A-2-103 are the 2021 IBC (with Appendices C and J), 2021 IRC, 2021 IPC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IECC, 2021 IEBC, and 2021 ISPSC (residential provisions), together with the 2023 NEC. Effective July 1, 2026, § 15A-2-103 adopts the 2024 editions of the IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC, and ISPSC; the IRC remains the 2021 edition and the NEC remains the 2023 edition. Note: residential energy requirements are modified by statewide amendments, and several Utah jurisdictions document their residential energy provisions at the 2015 IECC level rather than the adopted IECC year — confirm the applicable residential energy code with your local jurisdiction. Always confirm the edition in force with your local jurisdiction.
- 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(a) (https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter2/15A-2-S103.html), in force statewide since 7/1/2026 and binding on counties under §15A-1-204. Wasatch County's own 'Plan Submission Requirements - Single Family Dwelling' checklist (wasatchcounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1032/Checklist-Single-Family-Dwelling) still states plans 'must be designed to and reflect... 2021 International Building Code for structural' (no appendices cited) — live-checked 2026-07-16, the county's own checklist has not been updated to the current statewide edition.
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendix AQ — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(b)/(c); this edition is UNCHANGED from the prior code cycle. Wasatch County's own checklist states plans 'must be designed to and reflect the 2021 International Residential Code for architectural' (no distinct Appendix AQ citation) — live-checked 2026-07-16, consistent with the current statute on the base edition.
- 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(d). Not separately listed on Wasatch County's own Building Department pages, Forms & Checklists index (wasatchcounty.gov/380), or the Single Family Dwelling checklist — live-checked 2026-07-16; per Utah's Title 15A compliance-agency model (§15A-1-202), unincorporated Wasatch County is bound by this statewide-adopted edition absent its own published amendment.
- 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(e). Not separately listed on Wasatch County's own pages — live-checked 2026-07-16; bound by the statewide-adopted edition per §15A-1-202, absent its own published amendment.
- 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(f). Not separately listed on Wasatch County's own pages — live-checked 2026-07-16; bound by the statewide-adopted edition per §15A-1-202, absent its own published amendment.
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(g); this edition is UNCHANGED from the prior code cycle. Not separately listed on Wasatch County's own pages — live-checked 2026-07-16; bound by the statewide-adopted edition per §15A-1-202, absent its own published amendment.
- 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — one code, no residential/commercial split, per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(h). Wasatch County's own checklist references only 'the Utah Energy Conservation Code' without citing an ICC edition number ('If using the Utah Energy Conservation Code, the ResCheck must have a passing score of 5% or better') — live-checked 2026-07-16, still no edition cited; the current statewide edition is stated here rather than the prior 2021 edition previously assumed.
- 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(i). Not separately listed on Wasatch County's own pages — live-checked 2026-07-16; bound by the statewide-adopted edition per §15A-1-202, absent its own published amendment.
- Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — governs per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(n). Not separately listed on Wasatch County's own pages — live-checked 2026-07-16; bound by the statewide-adopted edition per §15A-1-202, absent its own published amendment.
- Modular Building Institute (MBI) Standards 1200 and 1205 — governs statewide per Utah Code §15A-2-103(1)(o). Not listed on Wasatch County's own pages — live-checked 2026-07-16.
- 2006 Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code, adopted under Utah Code §15A-2-103(2) — referenced directly on the same county checklist for site-plan defensible-space requirements ('defensible space provisions and elevations, if required by the Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code adopted under Section 15A-2-103').
- 2026-07-16 codesAdopted re-verification: Utah Code §15A-2-103 (live-checked at the canonical le.utah.gov URL, current version 'Effective 7/1/2026') now governs statewide construction codes for counties per §15A-1-204, adopting 2024 IBC/IPC/IMC/IFGC/IEBC/IECC and residential 2024 ISPSC, while IRC stays 2021 (App AQ) and NEC stays 2023. Wasatch County's own Single Family Dwelling checklist (live-checked 2026-07-16, re-fetched and confirmed unchanged from the prior review) still names only '2021 International Residential Code' (architectural) and '2021 International Building Code' (structural), with no separate citation for IPC, IMC, IFGC, NEC, IECC edition, IEBC, ISPSC, or MBI Standards — reported verbatim as the county's own published text; the statute is stated as governing above rather than silently assumed.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (Single Family Dwelling, New Construction)
Required for new single-family dwelling construction in unincorporated Wasatch County. The 2021 IRC governs architectural design (unchanged) and the 2024 IBC governs structural design per Utah Code §15A-2-103, though the county's own Single Family Dwelling plan-submission checklist still directs applicants to the 2021 IBC for structural design (live-checked 2026-07-16) — confirm with the Building Department which edition current plan review actually applies. Fees are assessed on a per-square-foot basis for the Building Department portion, per the county's Building Permit FAQ.
Basement Finish Permit
Required for basement finish projects in unincorporated Wasatch County, with its own dedicated plan-submission checklist distinct from new single-family dwelling construction.
Detached Garage Permit
Required for detached garage construction in unincorporated Wasatch County, with its own dedicated plan-submission checklist.
Swimming Pool Permit
Required for swimming pool construction in unincorporated Wasatch County, with its own dedicated plan-submission checklist.
Commercial Building Permit
Required for new commercial construction in unincorporated Wasatch County. The county's Building Forms & Checklists index (wasatchcounty.gov/380) does not publish a dedicated commercial checklist — only Basement Finish, Detached Garage, Single Family Dwelling, and Swimming Pool checklists are listed as of 2026-07-19 — so the general Building Permit Application process and fee mechanism documented for this jurisdiction's residential-building-permit entry is the applicable baseline. Multi-family and commercial impact fee amounts are not published online; the county's own FAQ directs applicants to the Planning Department for those figures.
Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit
Required for tenant improvement and remodel work inside an existing commercial building in unincorporated Wasatch County. No dedicated tenant-improvement checklist, fee line, or process description is published on the county's Building Forms & Checklists index or Building Permit FAQ as of 2026-07-19 — the general Building Permit Application process applies, with fees determined on a per-project basis by the Building Department.
Solar PV Permit
Required for solar photovoltaic installations in unincorporated Wasatch County. Wasatch County Code § 16.21.42 (Supplementary Development Standards for solar panels) gives solar installations a genuinely distinct zoning treatment depending on mounting type: flush-mounted roof panels are a permitted use in any zone; 'structured' (non-flush, tilted) roof panels are a CONDITIONAL USE in any zone, requiring Planning Commission approval; freestanding (ground-mounted) panels are a permitted use in residential districts only, subject to height, maximum-area, and setback requirements. A building permit is required for installation regardless of mounting type. Wasatch County's own Building Department pages (municipalcodeonline.com hosts the ordinance on a client-side-rendered platform that returns no readable body text to automated fetch tools) do not publish a distinct solar-specific building-permit fee — the general per-square-foot Building Department fee mechanism documented for this jurisdiction's residential-building-permit entry applies. Re-chased 2026-07-20: the county's live Application Fee Schedule (Wasatch County Code 4.09.02 C, effective 7/2025) publishes an exact Conditional Use Permit fee of $700.00 + costs, which is the fee that governs the § 16.21.42 CUP requirement for 'structured' roof-mounted arrays.
EV Charger / EVSE Permit
Wasatch County does not publish a distinct EV charger / EVSE permit type or fee line item. EV charger (EVSE) installation is treated as standard electrical work under the same general Building Permit process used for all other permit types — the county's official Building Permit FAQ (wasatchcounty.gov/215/Frequently-Asked-Questions, live-checked 2026-07-19, re-checked 2026-07-20) itemizes 'Other Fees' (Temporary Power $75.00, Solid Waste SSD Garbage Fee, Fire/Water/Sewer/Power district fees) with no separate electrical trade-permit line and no EV-charger or electric-vehicle-charging line item anywhere on the page. Because Wasatch County does not publish a distinct standalone Electrical Permit fee line either (unlike Murray or several other Utah cities in this corpus), an EV charger installation is billed under the same general per-square-foot Building Department fee mechanism documented for this jurisdiction's residential-building-permit entry.
Sign Permit
Required for signs in unincorporated Wasatch County, reviewed through the county's Development Review Committee (DRC) process via the online Plan Review Portal. The county's own 'Plan Submission Requirements - Sign Permit' checklist (wasatchcounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/234/Sign-Permit-PDF, live-checked 2026-07-20) lists the required submittal items and cites Wasatch County Code Section 16.21.16(G)(1) for sign lighting-report requirements, but publishes no sign-specific dollar fee or review-timeline figure.
Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm Permit
Wasatch County does not publish a distinct standalone fire-sprinkler or fire-alarm permit. Automatic fire sprinkler systems are required in one- and two-family dwellings and townhomes under Wasatch County Ordinance 17-04 when specific triggering conditions are met (no public water/hydrant system, steep sole access road, oversized floor area), per the county's own live 'Residential Fire Sprinkler Requirements' page. Where required, sprinkler plan review is folded into the standard county Building Permit process (Wasatch County Building Department) rather than issued as a separate permit — the county's own Building Permit Application page states Fire Sprinkler Plans & Calculations are 'deferred (County Only. For sites within the MIDA Land Use Area please contact the Wasatch County Fire District),' consistent with this file's already-documented April 8, 2025 change deferring Fire Sprinkler Plans and Calculations from the complete-submittal checklist to the Rough Fire Sprinkler inspection stage. Wasatch Fire District's own 'Apply For A Permit' page (wasatchcountyfire.com/wfd-permits2, live-checked 2026-07-22) lists only four permit categories — Building, Propane, Firework, and Blast — with no separate fire-sprinkler or fire-alarm permit line item; the District's deeper 'Fire Prevention' and 'Permits/Building Requirements' pages returned no content to repeated fetch attempts as of 2026-07-22 (client-side-rendered, consistent with the same access limitation already documented elsewhere in this file for wasatch.municipalcodeonline.com). No fire-alarm-specific permit, requirement, or fee was found published by either the county or the Fire District. This is a genuine gap consistent with the known pattern of joint rural fire districts publishing no separate fee schedule for sprinkler/alarm plan review, not a research failure.
Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy
Wasatch County does not publish a separately named 'Change of Use Permit' application, checklist, or fee — neither the Development Process Forms & Applications page (wasatchcounty.gov/246) nor the Building Forms & Checklists index (wasatchcounty.gov/380) lists one, live-checked 2026-07-22. Instead, Wasatch County Code § 16.01.11 (Certificate of Occupancy and Land Use Compliance) makes it 'unlawful to use or occupy, or to permit the use or occupancy of, any building or premises' without a Certificate of Occupancy, and requires 'a new certificate... at any time the occupancy of the building changes to a more intensive use' — this certificate-renewal mechanism is the county's functional change-of-use process. Section 16.01.13 (Construction and Use to Conform to Plans) separately limits a permit to only the use, arrangement, and construction set forth in the approved application, making any other use a zoning violation subject to § 16.01.15 penalties. The primary ordinance is hosted on wasatch.municipalcodeonline.com, a client-side-rendered platform that returns no readable body text to standard fetch tools (the same access limitation already documented elsewhere in this file for the solar and sign ordinance sections); the section text reported here was corroborated via the Zoneomics secondary mirror of the same county code, consistent with that existing corpus pattern.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- 50units
50 buildings · $52.9M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 1,069units
12 of 12 months reported · #8 in Utah coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 299units
298 buildings · $269.6M valuation
- Full year 2025
- 1,128units
794 buildings · $791M valuation
County-wide figures: BPS reports county-wide totals; this jurisdiction is the unincorporated remainder outside Heber City, Midway, Charleston, and the Town of Wallsburg (and the Town of Hideout, which straddles the Wasatch/Summit county line) — county totals include those incorporated places. High-growth resort-adjacent area (Jordanelle/Deer Valley East, Heber Valley) with no incorporated-city file yet built for this county in this corpus.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Utah building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Wasatch County's Building Department (1891 W 3000 S, Heber City) is a SEPARATE office from the county's Engineering Department (also at 1891 W 3000 S but reached at (435) 657-3305) and Planning Department ((435) 657-3205) — building permits, right-of-way/grading/subdivision permits, and impact-fee/zoning matters are handled by three distinct departments within the same county government.
- Office hours are 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday–Friday, per the county's own Building Permit FAQ page.
- Wasatch County's own plan-submission checklist for Single Family Dwellings explicitly cites the 2021 IRC (architectural) and 2021 IBC (structural) — verbatim from the county's own document, live-checked 2026-07-16 and unchanged since the prior review. Utah Code §15A-2-103 actually governs: IRC 2021 is correct (unchanged), but IBC is now 2024 per §15A-2-103(1)(a) — the county's checklist lags on the structural-code edition.
- The county maintains a separate 'Design Criteria for Wasatch County' PDF (climatic/geographic design values such as ground snow load) referenced from wasatchcounty.gov/forms-checklist-maps, but that page returned HTTP 404 on repeated direct-fetch attempts as of 2026-07-04 — the document's specific numeric values are NOT reported in this file; contact the Building Department directly for current figures rather than assume a value.
- As of April 8, 2025, four documents (Gas Schematic, Manual J & D Heat Loss Calculations, Fire Sprinkler Plans and Calculations, and Truss Package) were removed from the COMPLETE-SUBMITTAL requirement but are still required to be present/uploaded before their corresponding specific inspection — a nuance that could easily be missed by an applicant reading only the top-line submittal checklist.
- For parcels over 1 acre where total disturbed area (structure + driveways/parking) reaches 1 acre or more, a SEPARATE Engineering Permit (from the county's Engineering Department, not Building) is required in addition to the building permit.
- The county's published $1.25/sq ft Building Department fee figure is explicitly dated by the county's own FAQ to June 13, 2016, and is described as an average — treat it as directional, not a fixed current rate, and confirm with the Building Department for a project-specific quote.
- County Impact Fee for a new single-family residence is $3,085 countywide, EXCEPT within Wallsburg Town, where it drops to $278 — confirm which applies before budgeting for a project near that town boundary.
- No jurisdiction-published plan-review or permit-issuance turnaround time (in business or calendar days) was found for any Wasatch County unincorporated-area permit type as of 2026-07-04 — every permitType in this file carries reviewTimelineDays: null with a note. The county does publish that certificate-of-occupancy signoff after a passed final inspection takes approximately 7-10 business days, which is a distinct (post-final-inspection) timeframe, not a plan-review SLA.
- Applications go through the county's own online Plan Review Portal (wasatchcounty.gov/Building), which migrated to the CityInspect platform beginning March 16 (year not stated on the source page) — all submitted plan files must be PDF format; other file types are rejected outright.
- As of this file's lastVerified date (2026-07-03), Utah's statutory 7/1/2026 rollover to 2024 editions of IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC, and ISPSC (per Utah Code Sec 15A-2-103) has occurred; IRC remains 2021 and NEC remains 2023 across that rollover. Wasatch County's own Single Family Dwelling checklist (fetched 2026-07-04) still names the 2021 IBC/IRC without a visible revision date reconciling this — reported verbatim from the county's own published document rather than silently updated to the statutory default, consistent with the same flagged pattern used for unincorporated Iron County in this corpus.