In Clearfield, building permits are issued by the City’s Community Development Department at 55 South State Street, which also carries out building inspections; applications are filed online through Civic Review. Under the fee schedule adopted in June 2026, the permit fee follows a valuation table, residential plan check adds 20% of it, and a new house pays a $100 plan check deposit.
What requires a building permit in Clearfield?
City Code 11-2-3 says no building or structure may be built, altered, remodeled, moved or demolished without a City permit. Clearfield’s permit guide spells out the common cases:
Permit needed
- Additions, garages, patio enclosures, and porch or patio covers and awnings
- Decks more than 30 inches above grade
- Sheds over 200 sq ft (over 120 sq ft for commercial or multi-family sites of four or more units)
- Masonry or concrete fences
- Pools, hot tubs and spas
- Solar panels, re-roofing and siding
- Retaining walls 4 feet or taller, measured from the bottom of the footing
- Furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters, boilers, fireplaces and gas lines
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, basement finishes and remodels that move walls, windows or doors
No building permit
- Landscaping, private sidewalks and unroofed concrete patios
- Unroofed decks under 30 inches high
- Painting, flooring, cabinets, insulation and minor roof repairs
- Replacing plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, switches or outlets
- One-story sheds of 200 sq ft or less on one- and two-family lots
- Retaining walls under 4 feet and pools under 24 inches deep
Some exempt work still needs a different approval: ordinary fences need a fence permit, driveway approaches need an excavation permit, commercial sheds of 120 sq ft or less still need site plan approval, and the residential checklist calls for site plan approval on decks of 120 sq ft or more.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who issues Clearfield building permits?
Clearfield’s Community Development Department covers planning, building inspections, customer service and code compliance. Under the City Code, building permit applications go to the building official and are checked by both the building official and the planning and zoning administrator before a permit is issued. Public Works issues excavation permits for streets, sidewalks and trails, and the North Davis Fire District and North Davis Sewer District each provide an impact fee letter for new homes.
Clearfield permits only property inside the city; land outside it belongs to the neighboring city or, if unincorporated, to Davis County’s Community and Economic Development office.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Community Development | 55 South State Street, Clearfield, UT 84015 |
| Phone | 801-525-2701 |
| Apply | Civic Review online application; plans can also be emailed to permits@clearfieldcity.org |
| Public Works (excavation permits) | 801-525-4419 |
| City Hall customer service | 801-525-2700 |
Applying online
The Apply Now button on the City’s Building Permits page opens the Civic Review building permit application. It walks through applicant and owner details, the project location and description, the general contractor and other contractors, fees and a signature, and the City says online payment is available. Each application carries its own checklist of required items; if a permit type has no checklist, nothing more is needed.
Separate applications cover excavation in the right-of-way (also through Civic Review, from the Public Works page), home occupations and residential chickens.
Clearfield permit fees
Fees are in the City’s consolidated fee schedule adopted in June 2026. The building permit fee is set from the project valuation:
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1–$500 | $23.50 |
| $501–$2,000 | $23.50 plus $3.05 per additional $100 |
| $2,001–$25,000 | $69.25 plus $14 per additional $1,000 |
| $25,001–$50,000 | $391.75 plus $10.10 per additional $1,000 |
| $50,001–$100,000 | $643.75 plus $7 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,001–$500,000 | $993.75 plus $5.60 per additional $1,000 |
| $500,001–$1,000,000 | $3,233.75 plus $4.75 per additional $1,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $5,608.75 plus $3.65 per additional $1,000 |
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plan check, residential and pools | 20% of the permit fee |
| Plan check, commercial | 65% of the permit fee up to $100,000 of value; 60% from $100,001 to $500,000; 50% above $500,000 |
| Plan check deposit, new construction | $100 residential; $250 commercial |
| Repeat (identical) plans | Actual review cost or 30% of the permit fee, whichever is less |
| Private pool, tub or spa | $47 each |
| Demolition permit, with inspections | $150 |
| Re-inspection, after-hours or extra plan review | $47 an hour |
| Off-site bond, residential | $2,000 |
| State surcharge | 1% where it applies |
For a house valued at $300,000, the table gives $993.75 plus 200 × $5.60, or $2,113.75, and residential plan check adds 20%, $422.75.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work
Community Development permits trade work as well as building work. Its permit guide lists plumbing (new installations or replaced lines), electrical work, heating and air conditioning installations or replacements, water heaters, boilers, gas logs and lines, and wood, pellet or gas fireplaces. New-home plan sets must include the electrical, mechanical and plumbing designs, and commercial sets need electrical diagrams on each floor plan. Replacing plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, switches or outlets does not need a permit.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What to submit
New house
- Signed building permit application and checklist
- Land use set with the final approval stamp and a site plan showing setbacks, easements, retaining walls, utilities, driveway and the nearest hydrant
- Two sets of engineered plans: one wet-stamped and one electronic
- Two Res-check reports and two sets of structural calculations
- Truss details as a deferred submittal
- Geotechnical report where the slope exceeds 15%
- Common Plan SWPPP and Notice of Intent for a lot in a subdivision of more than 1 acre dedicated since October 1992
- Impact fee worksheets and letters from the North Davis Fire District and North Davis Sewer District
Commercial
- Current ownership plat from Davis County
- Two site plans with drainage, grading and exact sewer and water tie-ins
- A wet-stamped set and an electronic set of drawings with structural calculations
- Energy code compliance
- Tenant improvements: stamped plans from a Utah architect or engineer
Plans must meet the City’s design criteria, which list the codes in effect from July 1, 2026: the 2021 IRC with Utah’s energy amendments for houses, the 2024 IBC and companion codes with the 2023 NEC for other buildings. Design loads are a 30 psf roof snow load, 39 psf ground snow load, 115 mph wind, Seismic Design Category D or D1 and a 30-inch frost line, and ice barrier must run 24 inches past the warm side of the exterior wall.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a Clearfield permit: 5 steps
Use the City’s list to see whether you need a building permit, a fence permit, site plan approval or an excavation permit.
New houses need the stamped land use set, and commercial work its planning approvals, before the building submittal.
For a new house, get the impact fee letters from the North Davis Fire District ($181.13 per household on its fee schedule) and the North Davis Sewer District ($3,454.03 for a single-family home on its rate page).
Complete the online application, upload the checklist items and pay the plan check deposit.
Pay the remaining fees online, then contact Community Development at 801-525-2701 to arrange the inspections listed on the permit.
Clearfield inspections
Building inspections are part of Community Development; call 801-525-2701 about scheduling. Re-inspections, inspections outside normal business hours (two-hour minimum) and inspections with no set fee cost $47 an hour, and a demolition permit includes its inspections. Pools deeper than 30 inches must be at least 5 feet from every property line and fully enclosed by a fence or wall at least 6 feet high with lockable, self-closing and self-latching gates.
Local Clearfield details
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Park impact fee | $2,339 |
| Water impact fee (2026 rate) | $2,054.51 |
| Sewer impact fee (2026 rate) | $882.84 |
| Storm water impact fee | $64 per equivalent service unit |
| City sewer connection | $500 |
| Water meter, 5/8 x 3/4 inch | $399 plus $50 installation |
| Construction water | $50 per unit |
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Rising impact fees: the schedule sets the City’s water and sewer impact fees each January 1; the single-family water fee rises to $2,129.62 in 2027.
Street and sidewalk work: excavation permits need a surety or cash bond, construction plans and a traffic control plan. The application fee is $150 with two inspections included, and further inspections are $60 each. Excavations between October 15 and April 15 cost twice the permit fee.
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 Clearfield permitting resources
- Clearfield Building Permits: Apply Now link and checklists
- Clearfield: When Do I Need a Building Permit?
- Clearfield design criteria and adopted codes (effective July 1, 2026)
- Clearfield consolidated fee schedule adopted June 2026
- Clearfield residential checklists
- Clearfield commercial checklists
- Clearfield Public Works excavation permits
- Clearfield City Code 11-2-3, building permits
- Utah State Construction Code editions
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Clearfield permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Clearfield?
Clearfield City’s Community Development Department, 55 South State Street (801-525-2701), which also does building inspections.
Can I apply online?
Yes. The building permit application is on Civic Review, linked from the City’s Building Permits page, and fees can be paid online.
How much is a building permit for a house in Clearfield?
The fee depends on valuation: a $300,000 house pays $2,113.75 plus 20% residential plan check, about $2,536 in all, before impact and connection fees.
Do I need a permit for a shed or deck?
Not for a one-story shed of 200 sq ft or less on a house lot, or an unroofed deck under 30 inches high. Larger sheds and higher or covered decks need a permit.
Do I need a permit for a fence?
Masonry and concrete fences need a building permit; other fences need only a fence permit.
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater or furnace?
Yes. Heating, air conditioning and water heater installations or replacements all need a permit.
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More Utah permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Clearfield permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.