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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

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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. 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 file; 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. 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?

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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).

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