Washington City building permits

Building department

Address

111 N 100 E, Washington, UT 84780

Phone

(435) 656-6326

Office hours

Mon–Thu 7:30am–5:30pm, Fri 8am–Noon

Website

Official site

Permit portal

Apply online at Washington City's portal

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Washington City — 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 — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a). Washington City Building Department's own 'Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria' notice was live-checked 2026-07-16 (raw HTML, not an AI summary) and STILL displays '2021 IBC' — the city page has NOT been updated to reflect the statewide 7/1/2026 transition
• 2021 Utah State Residential Code (based on IRC) — REMAINS CURRENT; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b) did not change this edition in the 7/1/2026 amendment. Washington City's own page correctly still shows '2021 UTAH STATE RESIDENTIAL CODE'
• Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(c); not separately itemized on Washington City's own page, added here per statute
• 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d). Washington City's own page was live-checked 2026-07-16 and STILL displays '2021 IPC' — the city page has NOT been updated
• 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e). Washington City's own page was live-checked 2026-07-16 and STILL displays '2021 IMC' — the city page has NOT been updated
• 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC, listed on city page as 'IFCI') — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f). Washington City's own page was live-checked 2026-07-16 and STILL displays '2021 IFCI' — the city page has NOT been updated
• 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — current; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g) did not change this edition in the 7/1/2026 amendment. Show full textShow less

  2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — current; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g) did not change this edition in the 7/1/2026 amendment. The Washington City Building Department page states it directly: “MAY 7 2025 UPDATE OF ADOPTED CODES BY THE STATE OF UTAH: 2023 NEC code update,” superseding the 2020 NEC still shown struck through on that page. Most Washington County-area jurisdiction pages leave the electrical edition to be inferred from state law; this one states it on the page itself.

• 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), single unsplit statewide edition — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h). Washington City's own page was live-checked 2026-07-16 and STILL displays '2021 IECC' — the city page has NOT been updated
• Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n). Washington City's own page was live-checked 2026-07-16 and STILL displays '2021 ISPSC', and the city's Swimming Pool permit instructions (ISPSC sections 305.3.3/305.3.4, 807, 809, 323) likewise still cite the 2021 edition — the city has NOT updated either page
• 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i); NOT listed at all on Washington City's own Building Department page, added here per statute since the City's own materials omit it entirely
• ICC A117.1-2009 or 2017 (Accessibility Standard) — listed on Washington City Building Department page; not part of Utah Code § 15A-2-103's construction-code list, left unchanged
• 2018 IBC construction-type valuation table (ICC Building Valuation Data) — used directly in the city's own published 'Square Foot Construction Costs Table B' on its fee schedule; a fee-calculation reference table, not a code edition, left unchanged
• Utah Code § 15A-2-103, in the version effective 7/1/2026 (superseded 1/1/2027), makes the 2024 editions of the IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC and residential ISPSC the statewide codes; the IRC (2021) and NEC (2023) did not change. Show full textShow less

  Utah Code § 15A-2-103, in the version effective 7/1/2026 (superseded 1/1/2027), makes the 2024 editions of the IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC and residential ISPSC the statewide codes; the IRC (2021) and NEC (2023) did not change. Washington City's own Building Department page (its 'Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria' notice) still displays 2021 editions for the IBC, IMC, IPC, IFGC, IECC and ISPSC — it has not been updated to reflect the statutory transition, unlike its NEC line, which was updated in May 2025. The governing codes are the statutory editions (2024/2021/2023 by subsection) under Utah's statewide-mandatory code regime (Utah Code § 15A-1-204); the City's own page text is preserved above as local-document context. Design to the statutory editions, and confirm with the Building Department before relying on the City page.

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (Single Family)

  Required for new single-family residential construction in Washington City. Governed by the 2021 Utah State Residential Code. Fees are valuation-based per Washington City's own published Building Permit Fee Table (a distinct, current ICC-style fee schedule — not St. George's 1997 UBC scale or Washington County's identical-to-St.-George scale).

  From$30.00→

• Swimming Pool Permit

  Required for swimming pool construction in Washington City. Governed by the residential provisions of the 2024 ISPSC (Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n), effective 7/1/2026, superseding the 2021 edition; Washington City's own pool-permit page still cites the 2021 ISPSC as of 2026-07-16) and the 2021 IRC as adopted, plus Washington City Code Title 4, Chapter 6 (pool fencing/gates). Fees are valuation-based per the same Building Permit Fee Table used for building permits.

  See fee schedule→

• Solar Panel Permit

  Required for solar photovoltaic installation in Washington City. Washington City imposes two local prerequisites not found in the sibling St. George or Washington County files: installer pre-approval by the Washington City Power Department, and mandatory third-party plan pre-approval.

  See fee schedule→

• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)

  Required for construction of a secondary dwelling unit in Washington City. Qualification is governed by Washington City Ordinance #2019-25, which the city's own permit page instructs applicants to review before designing plans.

  See fee schedule→

• Demolition Permit

  Required for demolition of structures in Washington City, including asbestos report and Fire Department coordination for explosive use.

  See fee schedule→

• Simple Permit (Electrical / Gas Line / Plumbing / HVAC Equipment Swap)

  Washington City's own consolidated permit category for straightforward trade work — generators, water heater replacement, HVAC equipment upgrades, electrical meter upgrades and gas line additions — submitted as a single 'Simple Permit' rather than as separate trade-specific permits. Check whether your scope qualifies, since it is a materially lighter path than filing each trade separately.

  See fee schedule→

• EV Charger / EVSE Permit

  Washington City has not published a distinct EV-charger fee category. EV charger/EVSE installation is treated as standard electrical work filed under the city's 'Simple Permit' category: the official Simple Permit Requirements page instructs applicants to select 'ELECTRICAL' as the permit type, lists example projects (generators, water heater replacement, HVAC equipment upgrades, electrical meter upgrades, gas line additions) with no distinct EV-charger or electric-vehicle-charging line item, and assesses the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee Table used for other Simple Permit work.

  See fee schedule→

• Commercial Building Permit

  Required for new commercial construction, additions, and common area buildings in Washington City. Building permit applications and plans will not be accepted until Civil Plans are approved. Washington City publishes its own detailed 'Commercial Plans Submittal Checklist' and a step-by-step CityInspect submittal guide distinct from the residential process, and calculates the fee from the city's own current valuation-based Building Permit Fee Table plus a Square Foot Construction Costs table (2018 IBC) covering commercial occupancy classifications such as B Business and M Mercantile — with a Plan Review Fee equal to 45% of the total calculated building permit fee.

  From$30.00→

• Sign Permit

  Required in Washington City to paint, mark, post, or otherwise affix a sign to any public or private land or structure, or to physically change/modify an existing sign to add new or additional features, per Washington City Code § 9-18-6 (Chapter 18, Signs). Governed by a dedicated sign chapter of the zoning title rather than folded silently into the building permit. Per § 9-18-6(D), the application is assessed a 'planning review fee' plus a fee under the Building Permit Fee Table; the city's published Planning-Zoning-Economic Development fee schedule (the Master Fee Schedule's 'Maps/Land Use' tab, 'CUP, BOA & MISC.' section) lists that planning review fee by name — 'Sign Permit... $35.00' — with a separate 'Conditional Use Permit - Signs... $100.00' line for signs not specifically allowed under Chapter 18 and therefore requiring a conditional use permit per Title 9, Chapter 17.

  From$35.00→

• Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit

  Required for tenant improvement and tenant finish work in existing commercial buildings in Washington City. The city's own Commercial Plans Submittal Checklist directly addresses tenant improvement scope in its handicap-accessibility section: 'For remodeling and tenant improvements - the area of improvement shall comply with the access requirements for new construction. An accessible route of travel will be required to the remodeled/improved area.' No separate CityInspect permit-type option specific to 'tenant improvement' was found distinct from 'Commercial Addition' — the same Pre-Submittal Process, Commercial Checklist, and fee mechanism used for new commercial construction apply.

  See fee schedule→

• Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System Plans (Commercial)

  Washington City has no standalone fire sprinkler or fire alarm permit application, fee, or CityInspect permit-type category distinct from the Commercial Building Permit. Fire sprinkler plans, fire alarm system plans, a Fire Review Information Form, and a single-page Fire & Life Safety (F&LS) plan are required attachment items within the Commercial Building Permit's CityInspect submittal (and the Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit's submittal, where life-safety systems are affected), reviewed by the Washington City Fire Department (WCFD) as part of the city's multi-department 'Packet Review' process alongside Building, Planning, Power, and Public Works.

  See fee schedule→

• Certificate of Occupancy / Change of Use Permit

  Governed by Washington City Code § 9-2-11 (Occupancy Permit). A certificate of occupancy (CO) must be issued by the city official charged with administering and enforcing the zoning title before occupancy of any building 'hereafter erected, enlarged or structurally altered,' before any vacant land (other than for permitted agricultural uses) is occupied or used, and — the change-of-use trigger — 'whenever the character or use of any building or land is proposed to be changed from one use to another use.' Washington City's own site publishes no distinct online application, form, or fee specifically for a pure change-of-use CO (one not accompanying new construction); for new construction and additions, CO issuance is folded into the Commercial/Residential Building Permit's final-inspection process already documented elsewhere in this record.

  See fee schedule→

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