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Deck Permit in St. George, Utah

Required for new deck construction or structural modification of existing decks in St. George. Permit fees are valuation-based per the 1997 UBC building permit fee schedule.

Verified 2026-07-23 · Source

When you need this permit

  • New deck construction attached to or detached from the house
  • Decks higher than 30 inches above grade
  • Structural modifications to existing decks
  • Adding or replacing a deck ledger board

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Deck PermitAssessed on project valuation per St. George's published 1997 UBC building permit fee schedule (sgcityutah.gov Building Fee Sheet PDF, re-fetched and confirmed live 2026-07-01) — no separate deck-specific flat fee is published; the valuation table itself is the grounded fee. Minimum $60.60; plan check 65%; D.O.C. 1%
Valuation-based per the 1997 Uniform Building Code fee scale (based on total value of deck construction)
Minimum PermitSt. George Building Fee Sheet
$60.60
Reinspection FeeSt. George City Impact Fees document (effective 4/21/21)
$47.00 per hour (minimum one-half hour)

Review timeline

Plan reviewTypical estimate — confirm current times with the St. George building department
~5–14 business days

How long did your Deck 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

    Footings

    Verify footing depth, diameter, and rebar before concrete pour — frost line is 12 inches in St. George per the city's published design criteria (Table R301.2(1) insert)

  2. 2

    Framing

    Posts, beams, joists, ledger connection, and hardware (joist hangers, post caps, bolts) verified

  3. 3

    Final

    Decking, stairs, guards, and railings complete — guards required when deck surface is 30 inches or more above grade; guardrail spacing: a 4-inch sphere cannot pass between rails (per St. George Final Inspection Checklist item 10)

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

Tips

  • Footings in St. George need only extend below the 12-inch frost line (per St. George's own design criteria Table R301.2(1) insert) — significantly shallower than northern Utah's 30-inch frost line.
  • Deck guards are required when the deck surface is 30 inches or more above grade — a 4-inch sphere cannot pass between guardrail components per the St. George Residential Final Inspection Checklist.
  • Ledger boards must be positively attached with lag screws or through-bolts per IRC R507.2 — nails alone are not permitted for ledger attachment.
  • Free-standing decks under 200 sq ft and under 30 inches above grade may qualify for an exemption — confirm with the Building Department at (435) 627-4100.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, in most cases. St. George requires a permit for decks over 200 square feet, decks more than 30 inches above grade, and any deck attached to the house. Small ground-level platforms may be exempt — confirm with the Building Department at (435) 627-4100.

In St. George, the published Deck Permit is: Valuation-based per the 1997 Uniform Building Code fee scale (based on total value of deck construction). Additional published fees: Minimum Permit — $60.60; Reinspection Fee — $47.00 per hour (minimum one-half hour). These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Plan review for a deck permit in St. George typically runs 5–14 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with St. George Building Department at (435) 627-4100.

You'll need: Permit Application (CityInspect); Deck Construction Drawings; Site Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

St. George requires 3 inspection(s) for a deck permit, in order: Footings, Framing, Final. 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.

Per St. George's published design criteria (Table R301.2(1) insert on the building department page), the frost line depth is 12 inches — much shallower than northern Utah due to St. George's warm desert climate. Footings must extend below this depth.

Sources & verification

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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