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Certificate of Occupancy / Change of Use Permit in St. George, Utah

Required before any building, structure, or tenant space in St. George is occupied or its use changed, per St. George City Code § 9-1-3 (Certificates of Occupancy). Triggered by new construction, remodeling, tenant improvement, or a change in occupancy classification under the 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted statewide under Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i). For commercial tenants this process is coordinated with St. George's business/occupational licensing process, which requires Planning and Zoning approval, a Fire Department inspection, and Building Department approval before a new or relocated business can open — St. George's own Business License Overview states that a newly constructed, remodeled, or Tenant-Improved location must obtain a Certificate of Occupancy or Final Construction approval as part of that process.

Reviewed 2026-07-23 · Source

When you need this permit

  • No building, structure, or vacant land may be occupied or used, and no building hereafter erected, altered, or moved may be occupied, until a Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the chief building official — St. George City Code § 9-1-3
  • Required whenever a business occupies a newly constructed, remodeled, or Tenant-Improved commercial space, per the St. George Business License Overview
  • Required for any change in occupancy classification or use of an existing building under the 2024 IEBC (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i))
  • Final inspection by the Building Department confirming the building and its proposed use conform to the adopted codes
  • Planning and Zoning approval that the use and location meet zoning requirements
  • Fire Department inspection/approval (required only when the business maintains a physical location in St. George — not applicable to home occupations)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Certificate of Occupancy (tied to new construction, remodel, or Tenant Improvement)St. George's Building Fee Sheet (re-fetched and confirmed live 2026-07-22) has no distinct 'certificate of occupancy' or 'change of use' line item; issuance is bundled into the underlying construction permit's final inspection, consistent with St. George City Code § 9-1-3, which conditions the Certificate on a passed final inspection rather than a standalone fee.
No separate Certificate of Occupancy fee is published — it is issued as part of the final inspection on the associated valuation-based building/TI permit (same 1997 UBC fee scale, $60.60 minimum)
Occupational (Business) License FeeConfirmed by direct fetch of the Business Licensing page and code section 2026-07-22: the fee amount itself is not stated in the ordinance text or the department's public page. A prior search-engine summary suggested a $50/$25 seasonal minimum, but that figure could not be independently verified against the primary source and is NOT included here per this file's zero-fabrication policy. Contact Business Licensing at (435) 627-4740 or buslic@sgcity.org for the current fee.
Not published in city code or on the Business Licensing page — set by resolution of the St. George City Council per St. George City Code § 3-1-7 (Fees, Rates and Charges)
Reinspection FeeSt. George City Impact Fees document (effective 4/21/21)
$47.00 per hour (minimum one-half hour)

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Certificate of Occupancy / Change of Use Permit permit actually take in St. George?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Building Department Final Inspection

    Confirms the building or tenant space and its proposed use conform to the adopted building codes — required before the Certificate of Occupancy is issued per St. George City Code § 9-1-3

  2. 2

    Fire Department Inspection

    Required only when the business maintains a physical location in St. George (not applicable to home occupations); a Fire Department representative contacts the applicant if required

See the full St. George inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • St. George City Code § 9-1-3 allows the chief building official to issue a conditional (partial/temporary) Certificate of Occupancy for all or a portion of a building when appropriate — ask the Building Department whether this applies to phased tenant build-outs.
  • If your commercial space is newly constructed, remodeled, or the result of a Tenant Improvement, budget time for a Certificate of Occupancy or Final Construction approval as part of your business license application — per the city's Business License Overview.
  • Fire Department inspection is required only for businesses with a physical St. George location — home-based businesses are exempt from this specific requirement, per the Business License Overview.
  • A change of occupancy classification on an existing building (even without new construction) is regulated by the 2024 International Existing Building Code, adopted statewide under Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i) — confirm with the Building Department whether your specific use change triggers IEBC Chapter 10 requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, if your location is newly constructed, remodeled, or the result of a Tenant Improvement. St. George City Code § 9-1-3 requires a Certificate of Occupancy issued by the chief building official before any building or space may be occupied, and the city's Business License Overview confirms this is part of the standard business licensing checklist for a physical location.

St. George does not publish a separate Certificate of Occupancy fee — it is issued as part of the final inspection on the associated building or tenant-improvement permit. The separate Occupational (Business) License fee is set by City Council resolution and is not published in the code or on the city's business licensing page; contact Business Licensing at (435) 627-4740 for the current amount.

St. George does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact St. George Building Department at (435) 627-4100 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Certificate of Occupancy / Final Construction Request (CityInspect); Occupational (Business) License Application; Planning and Zoning Approval. Depending on your project, St. George may also ask for: Fire Department Inspection/Approval; Building Permit / Tenant Improvement Permit Final Inspection. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

St. George requires 2 inspection(s) for a certificate of occupancy / change of use permit, in order: Building Department Final Inspection, Fire Department Inspection. Schedule each through St. George Building Department ((435) 627-4100).

Apply through St. George Building Department at 61 S Main St, St. George, UT 84770. Phone: (435) 627-4100, email: building@sgcity.org. Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Official information: https://sgcityutah.gov/departments/community_development/building_department.php.

St. George, Utah has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a); CURRENT as of 7/1/2026 (statute version headed 'Effective 7/1/2026 (Superseded 1/1/2027)', confirmed by direct fetch 2026-07-16). Supersedes the 2021 IBC, which governed through 6/30/2026.; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b); UNCHANGED by the 7/1/2026 code cycle — remains 2021 and continues in force (confirmed by direct statute fetch 2026-07-16).; Appendix AQ of the 2021 International Residential Code — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(c) (confirmed by direct statute fetch 2026-07-16).; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d); CURRENT as of 7/1/2026 (confirmed by direct statute fetch 2026-07-16). Supersedes the 2021 IPC, which governed through 6/30/2026.; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e); CURRENT as of 7/1/2026 (confirmed by direct statute fetch 2026-07-16). Supersedes the 2021 IMC, which governed through 6/30/2026.; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f); CURRENT as of 7/1/2026 (confirmed by direct statute fetch 2026-07-16). Supersedes the 2021 IFGC, which governed through 6/30/2026.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g); UNCHANGED by the 7/1/2026 code cycle — remains 2023 (confirmed by direct statute fetch 2026-07-16).; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h); CURRENT as of 7/1/2026 (confirmed by direct statute fetch 2026-07-16). ONE statewide edition — the statute does not split residential vs. commercial IECC editions. Supersedes the 2021 IECC, which governed through 6/30/2026.; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i); CURRENT as of 7/1/2026 (confirmed by direct statute fetch 2026-07-16). Supersedes the 2021 IEBC, which governed through 6/30/2026.; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n); CURRENT as of 7/1/2026 (confirmed by direct statute fetch 2026-07-16). Supersedes the 2021 ISPSC, which governed through 6/30/2026.; NOTE (2026-07-16 corpus-staleness fix): This file previously stated the 2021 editions as current and only forecasted the 7/1/2026 flip; the effective date has now passed and the entries above have been corrected to state the 2024 editions (per §15A-2-103(1)(a)/(d)/(e)/(f)/(h)/(i)/(n)) as current, with the superseded 2021 editions preserved as historical context. IRC (2021) and NEC (2023) were NOT changed — verified unchanged directly against the live statute. The International Fire Code (IFC) is NOT adopted anywhere in Utah Code § 15A-2-103 — the statute has no IFC subsection; St. George's own building department page does not independently cite an IFC edition, so no IFC entry appears in this list.. Local amendments apply — see the St. George overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-23.

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

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