Bluffdale, Utah Building Permit Guide

Building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Bluffdale are issued by the City’s Building Department. Applications and plans go in as separate PDF files in a single email to buildingpermitsubmittal@bluffdale.com, and fees follow the Consolidated Fee Schedule adopted on June 10, 2026: a valuation-based permit fee plus a 65% plan review fee.

What requires a building permit in Bluffdale?

Under the City code, no building, structure or building service equipment may be built, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, converted or demolished without a permit. The Building Department publishes submittal requirements for new homes, additions, basements, garages, barns and sheds, retaining walls, solar, pools, tenant improvements, commercial buildings and fire alarms and sprinklers, and its exemption list sets out what can be done without one.

Work in the street, a new driveway approach, land disturbance and floodplain development need separate permits from the City’s Engineering Department.

Who issues building permits in Bluffdale?

The City code creates a department of building safety headed by a building official who reviews applications, issues permits, inspects work and issues certificates of occupancy. Scott Stewart is the Chief Building Official. The Building Department covers property inside Bluffdale; neighboring cities run their own permit offices, and unincorporated Salt Lake County is served by the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District. Bluffdale has its own fire department, and the fee schedule charges $550 for a fire sprinkler permit (up to 3 inspections).

How to submit in Bluffdale

Building permit applications are submitted electronically. Send the application, plans and related documents in one email to buildingpermitsubmittal@bluffdale.com, every document as a PDF and each one as its own file (do not merge them), named and ordered as the City’s document lists ask. Once the City has the complete email, a series of emails guides you through plan review. The Building page also links the City’s iWorQ portal for applications.

Solar applications need a structural letter, panel cut sheets and plans; a basement finish needs the application and a floor plan. A detached garage with plumbing needs an approval letter from the sewer district first (the City’s sheet calls it Jordan Basin Sewer District; its current name is Jordan Basin Improvement District). For new construction, a SWPPP and land disturbance permit are required before the building permit is issued.

Bluffdale building permit fees

Fees come from the Consolidated Fee Schedule adopted by the City Council as Ordinance 2026-09 on June 10, 2026. The building permit fee follows the project value from the ICC Building Valuation Data, set by the Building Inspection Division; plan review adds 65% of the permit fee, and a 1% state surcharge applies to each permit.

For a project valued at $400,000, the permit fee is $1,244 + 300 × $6 = $3,044 and the plan review fee $1,978.60. Building without a permit costs twice the regular fee. Refunds are limited to 80% of permit costs within 180 days, plan review fees are not refunded once review has been done, and card payments of $3,000 or more carry a 3% surcharge. The schedule leaves impact fees to the City’s impact fee ordinance.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire work

The Building Department permits electrical, plumbing and mechanical work. The fee schedule sets a $110 minimum for each mechanical, electrical, plumbing or solar permit, $80 for a free-standing wood stove, and $550 for fire sprinklers with up to three inspections. The City also publishes fire alarm and fire sprinkler requirements. For a 4-way inspection with power or a power-to-panel inspection, have the Rocky Mountain Power work order number ready when you call.

Plan details and design criteria

For garages, barns and sheds, the City asks for a scaled site plan with distances to property lines, other buildings and easements, a floor plan with room uses, windows and any electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, a framing plan (members, headers, sheathing and nailing, footings, treated sill plates and anchor bolts) and a cross section with wall heights, insulation and attic ventilation.

Bluffdale’s design criteria are a 23 psf roof snow load, a 32 psf ground snow load, a frost depth of 30 inches to the bottom of footings and a 105 mph wind speed at Exposure C.

Under the City code, a permit expires if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days. Renewing within a year with no plan changes costs half the new-permit fee; the building official can grant one extension of up to 180 days for reasons beyond the permittee’s control.

How to get a Bluffdale building permit

Bluffdale inspections

Call 801-849-9425, 801-849-9414 or 801-849-9424 no later than 3:30 p.m. on the business day before the inspection. Give your name and phone number, the inspection type, the date needed, the permit number and the address; for footings or foundations add the time you want. If you reach voicemail, leave all of that information: the office does not call back to confirm, but it clears messages each day and puts them on the schedule. A re-inspection costs $110.

Request the Certificate of Occupancy on 801-849-9425 at least 24 hours before you need it. Under the City code, no certificate is issued until the required public improvements, such as asphalt, curbs, gutters, water meter boxes and sidewalks, are complete, and anything damaged during construction has been repaired; the building official may issue a temporary certificate when only site improvements remain.

Local Bluffdale details

Public improvement bond: new homes, commercial buildings, pools and accessory structures post a cash escrow bond against damage to public improvements ($5,000 for a residential lot; $3,000 per 150 feet of frontage for commercial, institutional and industrial buildings and pools or accessory structures). The City uses it for repairs the builder does not make and keeps 15% of the repair cost for overhead.

Land disturbance: a land disturbance and SWPPP permit is required when work disturbs one acre or more, or less than an acre within a larger common plan of development, or when the City Engineer finds a particular risk. Apply through the City’s iWorQ portal.

Street work and driveways: any cut into a City street or sidewalk, and every new driveway approach, needs an encroachment permit; allow 10 to 14 working days for review.

Floodplain: development in a mapped floodplain needs the City’s floodplain development permit from Engineering.

Utah building code

Utah adopts one construction code for the whole state; cities and counties enforce it, and any local amendments are set by the Legislature. Utah rules

Official Bluffdale permitting resources

• Bluffdale Building Department
• Bluffdale building permit submittal guidelines and requirement documents
• Bluffdale work exempt from permit
• Bluffdale garages, barns and sheds requirements (2026)
• Bluffdale design criteria
• Bluffdale City Council packet, June 10, 2026 (Consolidated Fee Schedule, Ordinance 2026-09)
• Bluffdale City Council minutes, June 10, 2026
• Bluffdale City Code (Title 9, Buildings and Construction)
• Bluffdale land disturbance and SWPPP permits
• Bluffdale encroachment permits
• Bluffdale floodplain development permit
• Bluffdale Engineering permits and contractor submittal

Bluffdale building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Bluffdale?

The Bluffdale City Building Department at City Hall, 2222 West 14400 South. Scott Stewart is the Chief Building Official.

How much is a building permit in Bluffdale?

It is based on project value: $1,244 plus $6 per $1,000 over $100,000 for projects up to $499,999, plus a 65% plan review fee. A $400,000 project pays $3,044 and $1,978.60.

How do I submit plans?

Email the application and every document as separate PDFs, all in one message, to buildingpermitsubmittal@bluffdale.com.

Do I need a permit for a shed or fence?

Not for a one-story residential shed up to 200 sq ft or a fence up to 7 feet. Larger garages, barns and sheds need a permit.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 801-849-9425, 801-849-9414 or 801-849-9424 by 3:30 p.m. on the business day before, and leave full details if you get voicemail.

Is there a bond for a new home?

Yes. A residential lot posts a $5,000 public improvement repair and restoration bond.

Simplify Bluffdale permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Utah. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bluffdale permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.