Skip to main content
PermitBase

Change of Use / Occupancy Permit in Washington Terrace, Utah

Washington Terrace has no standalone change-of-use permit, certificate-of-occupancy application, or associated fee line distinct from its general Building Permit. Municipal Code § 15.02.010 (Ordinance 2009-02) expressly lists 'occupancy' as its own independent permit trigger, alongside construction, alteration, repair, removal, and modification: 'A building permit or comprehensive construction permit is required for the construction, alteration, repair, removal, modification, or occupancy of any structure within the city limits.' A pure use/occupancy change with no construction scope is therefore filed and processed as the same Building/Excavation Permit used for new construction, nominally valued under the ICC 'Building Valuation Data' mechanism in § 15.02.020 — a mechanism that is inherently tied to construction cost and does not itemize a fee for an occupancy change involving little or no construction value, which is a genuine gap in the city's published fee structure rather than a $0 fee. Separately, Municipal Code § 15.14.130(7) confirms the city does formally issue a 'permanent certif[icate] of occupancy' following final inspection (referenced there only as a security-forfeiture trigger for excavation permits), and § 15.16.010 bars utility companies from connecting service to a structure 'until approval is granted by the building official' — both confirming occupancy approval is a real, distinct step in the city's process even though it is not sold as its own permit product. Most occupants of commercial space undergoing a use change will also separately need a City of Washington Terrace business license (base fee $102.00 plus a category-specific 'disproportionate' fee, per the FY 2026-27 Consolidated Fee Schedule's Business Licenses table).

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A change in use or occupancy classification of an existing structure, with or without accompanying construction, triggers the same building-permit requirement as new construction, per Municipal Code § 15.02.010
  • Obtain any required land use authority approval before permit application, per § 15.02.010(1)
  • Complete a building permit application filed with the Chief Building Official, per § 15.02.010(2)
  • Comply with the adopted International Existing Building Code (Municipal Code § 15.06.010) where the change of use involves an existing building rather than new construction
  • Submit the site to regular inspection until final occupancy is authorized, per § 15.02.010(7)
  • Utility service to the structure cannot be connected or continued without building-official approval, per § 15.16.010
  • A new City of Washington Terrace business license is separately required for most new commercial occupants, per the FY 2026-27 Consolidated Fee Schedule's Business Licenses table

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet — 0 of 2 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our checklist will assemble all of them, free →

Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (ICC Building Valuation Data)
Washington Terrace Municipal Code § 15.02.020 ties every building-permit fee to project valuation. Show full citationWashington Terrace Municipal Code § 15.02.020 ties every building-permit fee to project valuation. For a pure change of use with minimal construction scope, the city's own fee schedule does not publish a minimum/administrative dollar figure to apply instead — confirmed by direct page-by-page review of the FY 2026-27 Consolidated Fee Schedule (2026-07-22), which contains no change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy line item. Confirm the applicable fee directly with the Building Department for low/no-construction-value occupancy changes.
Set by the 'Building Permit Fee Schedule' in the most current adopted code edition, applied to project valuation from the ICC 'Building Valuation Data' table; no separate figure is published for occupancy changes involving little or no construction value.
Plan Review Fee (residential 25% / commercial 65%)Washington Terrace City FY 2026-27 Consolidated Fee Schedule (Resolution 26-08), 'Building Permits (3.2)' — the same rate structure used for every other permit type in this record; occupancy changes are not broken out separately.
25% of the building permit fee for single/multiple-family permits; 65% for commercial permits
State SurchargeWashington Terrace Municipal Code § 15.02.040, imposed under Utah Code Ann. § 58-56-9(4).
1% of building permit fee
Business License Fee (separate from the building/change-of-use process)
Washington Terrace City FY 2026-27 Consolidated Fee Schedule (Resolution 26-08), 'Business Licenses' table, read directly 2026-07-22. Show full citationWashington Terrace City FY 2026-27 Consolidated Fee Schedule (Resolution 26-08), 'Business Licenses' table, read directly 2026-07-22. Most new commercial occupants triggering a change of use will also need this separate license; it is not itemized as part of the building permit fee.
$102.00 base fee, plus a category-specific 'disproportionate' fee (e.g., $4.00 for Professional/Business Services, $30.00 for General Services, $201.00 for Entertainment or Automotive, $150.00 for Family Services-Commercial)

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Occupancy Permit permit actually take in Washington Terrace?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final Building/Occupancy Inspection

    Scheduled by calling (801) 395-8288 or (801) 393-8681, weekdays 9am-4pm, with 24-hour advance notice required; verifies the space complies with the adopted IBC/IEBC for the new occupancy classification before final occupancy is authorized, per Municipal Code § 15.02.010(7).

See the full Washington Terrace inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • There is no standalone change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy permit product in Washington Terrace — Municipal Code § 15.02.010 treats 'occupancy' as its own trigger under the same general Building/Excavation Permit used for new construction, so apply through that same process.
  • Because the city's only published fee mechanism (§ 15.02.020) is tied to ICC construction valuation, a pure occupancy change with little or no construction cost has no clearly published dollar figure — confirm the fee directly with the Building Department (801-395-8288) rather than assuming it is free.
  • Don't forget the separate Business License requirement — most new commercial tenants changing use will owe a $102 base license fee plus a category-specific disproportionate fee, tracked independently of the building-permit/change-of-use process.
  • Utility companies are barred by Municipal Code § 15.16.010 from connecting service to a structure until the building official grants approval — in practice this is one of the city's real enforcement levers over occupancy changes even without a dedicated CO permit.

Frequently asked questions

Washington Terrace requires a change of use / occupancy permit for: A change in use or occupancy classification of an existing structure, with or without accompanying construction, triggers the same building-permit requirement as new construction, per Municipal Code § 15.02.010; Obtain any required land use authority approval before permit application, per § 15.02.010(1); Complete a building permit application filed with the Chief Building Official, per § 15.02.010(2); Comply with the adopted International Existing Building Code (Municipal Code § 15.06.010) where the change of use involves an existing building rather than new construction; Submit the site to regular inspection until final occupancy is authorized, per § 15.02.010(7); Utility service to the structure cannot be connected or continued without building-official approval, per § 15.16.010; A new City of Washington Terrace business license is separately required for most new commercial occupants, per the FY 2026-27 Consolidated Fee Schedule's Business Licenses table. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Washington Terrace City Building, Planning & Inspection Department at (801) 395-8288 before starting work.

In Washington Terrace, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (ICC Building Valuation Data) is: Set by the 'Building Permit Fee Schedule' in the most current adopted code edition, applied to project valuation from the ICC 'Building Valuation Data' table; no separate figure is published for occupancy changes involving little or no construction value.. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee (residential 25% / commercial 65%) — 25% of the building permit fee for single/multiple-family permits; 65% for commercial permits; State Surcharge — 1% of building permit fee; Business License Fee (separate from the building/change-of-use process) — $102.00 base fee, plus a category-specific 'disproportionate' fee (e.g., $4.00 for Professional/Business Services, $30.00 for General Services, $201.00 for Entertainment or Automotive, $150.00 for Family Services-Commercial). These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Washington Terrace does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Washington Terrace City Building, Planning & Inspection Department at (801) 395-8288 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building/Excavation Permit Application; Existing vs. Proposed Occupancy Classification Documentation. Depending on your project, Washington Terrace may also ask for: Business License Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Washington Terrace requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use / occupancy permit, in order: Final Building/Occupancy Inspection. Schedule each through Washington Terrace City Building, Planning & Inspection Department ((801) 395-8288).

Apply through Washington Terrace City Building, Planning & Inspection Department at 5249 South 400 East, Washington Terrace, UT 84405. Phone: (801) 395-8288, email: Tylers@washingtonterracecity.org. Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Closed Holidays). Official information: https://washingtonterrace.gov/building.

No. Municipal Code § 15.02.010 lists 'occupancy' as its own trigger for the same building permit or comprehensive construction permit required for new construction — there is no distinct change-of-use application, fee schedule, or certificate-of-occupancy product. The city's fee mechanism is valuation-based, so a pure occupancy change with minimal construction cost has no clearly published fee; confirm directly with the Building Department.

In most cases, yes, separately from any building/change-of-use permit. The FY 2026-27 Consolidated Fee Schedule's Business Licenses table sets a $102 base fee plus a category-specific disproportionate fee (for example, $4 for professional/business services, $201 for entertainment or automotive uses, $150 for commercial family services).

Sources & verification

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

Fee schedules

Online permit portal

Department & other records

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

Washington Terrace's permit history isn't searchable here yet

This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Washington Terrace yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.

Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Washington Terrace lands. Privacy.

Other permits in Washington Terrace

Residential Building PermitCommercial Building PermitEV Charger / EVSE PermitSign PermitCommercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish PermitSolar PV (Photovoltaic) Installation PermitFire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System Permit

Change of Use / Occupancy Permit in other cities

Alpine, UtahAmerican Fork, UtahBountiful, UtahBrigham City, UtahCedar City, UtahCedar Hills, UtahCenterville, UtahClearfield, Utah

Compare change of use / occupancy permit fees across Utah →

Look up this fee in a different city →

Embed this data card →

Now live

Build your Washington Terrace project checklist

Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Washington Terrace — in one checklist. Free, for any city and any number of projects.

Get started →