Building permits in Cottonwood Heights are applied for online only, through the City’s iWorQ portal, and handled by City permit staff and a contracted Building Official from Sunrise Engineering. The permit fee follows construction valuation, a plan review fee of 65% of it is due at submittal, and the City aims to finish the first review within 7 business days. Since March 2, 2026, City Hall and inspections run Monday to Thursday only.
What requires a building permit in Cottonwood Heights?
All construction in the city needs a building permit apart from four exceptions the City lists:
No building permit
- One-story detached accessory buildings under 200 sq ft that meet setbacks and height limits
- Floor coverings such as carpet, hardwood and tile on residential projects
- Interior wall coverings such as wallpaper, paint and paneling on residential projects
- Private fencing that meets the City’s zoning rules and clear-view standards
Checklists for permitted work
- New homes and residential remodels
- Accessory buildings and paved activity surfaces
- Driveway approaches
- Solar installations
- Swimming pools
- Demolition
- New commercial buildings and commercial tenant improvements
Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work is permitted with the building permit or on its own. Accessory dwelling units, conditional uses and site plans go to the Planning team first.
Who issues building permits in Cottonwood Heights?
The City’s permits team takes applications, fees and inspection requests, and the City’s Building Official is contracted: James Short of Sunrise Engineering. Questions on permit costs go to the Administrative Services Assistant (801-944-7062) and zoning questions to the Planning Technician (801-944-7065). Fire fees follow the Unified Fire Authority’s fee schedule, which the City links from its own.
The City permits work inside Cottonwood Heights only. Neighboring cities run their own permit offices, and unincorporated Salt Lake County is served by the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| City Hall | 2277 E Bengal Blvd, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121; 801-944-7000 |
| Hours (since March 2, 2026) | Monday–Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closed Friday |
| Permit costs | 801-944-7062 |
| Planning Technician | 801-944-7065 |
| Contracted Building Official | James Short, Sunrise Engineering, 801-550-1837 |
| Portal | iWorQ: Building Permit Application and Inspection Requests |
The iWorQ application and City checklists
The Building Permit Application link opens the City’s iWorQ form; the City posts video tutorials for applying and for requesting inspections on a desktop or phone. An application with no plans attached is refused. Plan sets too big for iWorQ can be emailed to the permits team with the project address.
The permit page carries a checklist for each common project: accessory building, clear view and fences, commercial tenant improvement, construction mitigation plan, demolition, driveway approach, first story structure, new commercial, outdoor lighting, residential new construction, residential remodel, solar, stormwater review, structure height and swimming pool. It also posts a Paved Activity Surface Affidavit and the State’s Owner Builder Form for owners doing their own work.
Cottonwood Heights permit fees
The City’s consolidated fee schedule sets building fees in three parts. The building permit fee is taken from the building valuation data table of the current IBC adopted in Utah, plan review adds 65% of that base fee for both residential and commercial work, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits add 5% of the base fee each when filed with the building permit. Permit staff quote costs on 801-944-7062.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Based on construction valuation (IBC valuation data table) |
| Plan review, residential or non-residential | 65% of the base building permit fee |
| Electrical, mechanical or plumbing, with a building permit | 5% of the base building permit fee each |
| Electrical, mechanical or plumbing, applied for separately | IBC fee schedule |
| Zoning review of a building permit | $75 residential; $150 commercial |
| Demolition permit | $47.47 |
| Grading permit | 100% of the IBC schedule |
| Transportation impact fee | $242.84 per single-family home; $158.36 per multi-family unit |
| Right-of-way permit | $300 application + $150 for up to three inspections |
| Work started without a permit | 200% of the calculated fees plus $500 |
The plan review fee is due when you submit; staff email a link for the initial fees, or you can tell them you prefer to pay by phone or in person. Applicants also pay the direct cost of reviewing any geologic hazard report. Roadway excavation needs a bond of at least $5,000.
Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits
Trade work is reviewed and inspected through the same permit system. When it is part of a building permit, each trade adds 5% of the base building fee; a stand-alone trade permit is charged on the IBC fee schedule. Inspectors require tinted primer on every HVAC PVC joint. Where the City cannot practically apply the fee schedule, the Building Official sets the fee.
What a new-home submittal needs
The City’s new-construction checklist asks for plans at 1/4 inch to the foot or larger and recommends, but does not require, a pre-application meeting. It lists:
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →- A site plan stamped by a licensed engineer or other qualified professional, with easements, setbacks, natural and finished grade contours at 2-foot intervals, corner elevations, the roof’s highest point, driveway widths and retaining walls
- Floor areas, foundation and hold-down layout, full wall sections, floor plans with braced wall lines, electrical layout, stair sections and elevations of all four sides
- Energy compliance, REScheck and Manual J and D calculations, and gas line schematics
- An outdoor lighting plan meeting the City’s lighting ordinance and a construction mitigation plan
- Will-serve letters from the water and sewer providers, and SWPPP permits where they apply
Staff may also ask for geotechnical or groundwater letters, slope stability analysis on steep lots, fault hazard studies, stucco details or a second kitchen agreement. Building height is the average vertical distance at the four corners, from natural grade to the highest point of the roof.
After payment, processing takes 5 to 7 business days, and the City aims to complete the first plan review within 7 business days, longer when volumes are high. Corrected plans are emailed to the staff member who sent the corrections, with the permit number or address in the subject line.
How to get a building permit in Cottonwood Heights
Confirm your project is not on the short exempt list and meets setbacks and height rules.
Download the City checklist for the project and prepare the plans it lists.
Upload the plans with the online application; email oversized sets to the permits team.
Use the emailed link, or ask to pay by phone or at City Hall; processing takes 5 to 7 business days.
Answer the reviewers’ corrections by email until staff send the final fee link.
Print the emailed permit and plans at 24 x 36 inches, keep them on site, and book inspections in iWorQ.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Cottonwood Heights inspections
Request inspections through the Inspection Requests and Details link to iWorQ, entering the permit number as digits only. For a next-day inspection, request it before 3:00 p.m. the day before. Since City Hall moved to a Monday-to-Thursday week on March 2, 2026, there are no Friday inspections, and requests for a Monday inspection must be in by 3:00 p.m. the previous Thursday. Same-day and weekend inspections are not offered.
The printed permit and approved 24 x 36 plan set must be on site at all times.
Local Cottonwood Heights details
Accessory buildings: the minimum setback is 3 feet in the R-1 and R-2 zones and 5 feet in the RR zone, and exterior walls 5 feet or less from a property line need a one-hour fire-resistance rating.
Accessory dwelling units: internal ADUs are permitted on lots of at least 6,000 sq ft in the R-1, RR-1 and F-1 zones; detached ADUs need conditional use approval in the same zones. The record owner must live on the property, and an ADU adds one parking stall (internal) or two (detached) to the two every house needs, with no tandem or front-yard stalls. ADU applications go to the Planning team.
Outdoor lighting and hillside lots: new homes must show an outdoor lighting plan under the City’s lighting ordinance, and steep or fault-area lots may need slope or fault studies. The City’s design factors include Seismic Design Category D-2 and a 30-inch frost depth.
Pre-application meetings: a pre-application meeting costs $150, credited toward a later application 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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official Cottonwood Heights permitting resources
- Cottonwood Heights building permits
- Cottonwood Heights iWorQ building permit application
- Cottonwood Heights iWorQ inspection requests
- Cottonwood Heights fee schedule
- Cottonwood Heights consolidated fee schedule (PDF)
- Cottonwood Heights residential new construction checklist
- Cottonwood Heights residential accessory building checklist
- Owner Builder Form (posted by the City)
- Cottonwood Heights accessory dwelling units
- Cottonwood Heights outdoor lighting ordinance
- Cottonwood Heights codes and design factors
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Cottonwood Heights building permit FAQs
Who handles building permits in Cottonwood Heights?
City permit staff with a contracted Building Official, James Short of Sunrise Engineering. Permit cost questions go to 801-944-7062.
Can I apply on paper?
No. Applications are taken online only in iWorQ, and plans must be uploaded with them.
How much does a building permit cost?
The base fee follows construction valuation, plan review adds 65% of it, and trade work filed with the permit adds 5% each. Zoning review is $75 for a house.
How long does plan review take?
Processing takes 5 to 7 business days after payment, and the City aims to finish the first review within 7 business days after that.
Are inspections available on Fridays?
No. Since March 2, 2026, City Hall is open Monday to Thursday, and Monday inspections must be requested by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Do I need a permit for a shed or fence?
Not for a one-story detached building under 200 sq ft that meets setbacks and height limits, or a private fence that meets zoning.
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More Utah permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Cottonwood Heights permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.