Building permits in unincorporated Davis County are issued by Community and Economic Development at the county administration building, 61 South Main Street, Suite 304, Farmington, with applications through the county’s iWorQ portal. Inspections are performed under contract by Shums Coda Associates rather than by county staff. Davis is a narrow, densely incorporated county, so the unincorporated share is modest.
This guide covers what requires a permit in unincorporated Davis County, the contracted inspection arrangement, Utah's statutory third-party inspection right and the exact sequence that makes it valid, the published minimum permit fee, and the valuation data behind the fee calculation.
This guide covers unincorporated Davis County. Layton, Bountiful, Kaysville and the other cities permit their own work.
Utah gives you a route around a slow inspection queue, and Davis County publishes the exact procedure. Where the county cannot complete a requested inspection within three business days, a contracted third-party firm may inspect. But you must notify the county first, and the inspection is not authorized until the county confirms it cannot inspect in time and you have told it you intend to use the third party.
What requires a permit in Davis County?
Davis County Community and Economic Development, Davis County Administration Building, 61 South Main Street, Suite 304, Farmington (801-451-3278, Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm) issues building permits for the unincorporated county. All applications and plans go through the county’s iWorQ permit portal. Davis is a narrow, densely incorporated county between the Wasatch and the Great Salt Lake, so Layton, Bountiful, Kaysville, Clearfield, Syracuse, Farmington, Clinton, North Salt Lake, Centerville, Woods Cross and the other cities each permit their own work. The county’s jurisdiction map shows which side of a city line a parcel sits on. Confirm the parcel before filing.
The county’s inspections are performed under contract rather than by county staff on a county line. Inspections are scheduled with Shums Coda Associates (ut@shumscoda.com, 800-286-0374) by email or telephone, with a minimum 24 hour notice. That is a genuinely different operating model from a municipal building department, and it means the number you call for an inspection is not the number you call for a permit question.
Permit required
- New residential and commercial construction, additions and remodels
- Structural alterations, relocation and demolition
- Furnace and air conditioning installations
- Power-to-panel repairs and upgrades, and new meters
- Plumbing, gas piping and water heater work
- Solar photovoltaic systems and battery storage
- Manufactured home placement
- Work requiring a construction bond under the county's provisions
Typically exempt
- Purely cosmetic finish work that alters no regulated system
- Like-for-like minor repairs not affecting structure or a system
- Routine maintenance that does not extend or reroute a system
- Work the county's published guidance identifies as exempt
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
Davis County building department: who handles permitting
The county publishes how its fees are actually calculated, which is more useful than a headline rate. Permit fees are based on the project square footage and/or the project valuation provided on the application, and the county applies square foot construction costs from a specific, named edition of the code body's building valuation data. Knowing that the fee follows a published valuation table rather than your contract price changes how you estimate.
There is a published floor as well. Permits that require no plan check review, no construction bond and just one inspection carry the county’s minimum fee of $202 — the county names furnace and air conditioning unit installations, power-to-panel repairs and upgrades and new meters as examples, with other items at the discretion of the Community and Economic Development office. For a change-out contractor working across the county, that single number covers most of the workload.
Payment mechanics are worth knowing before you file. Permits can be paid by mailing a cheque to the county or by calling Community and Economic Development, and a 2.5% processing fee is added to all credit card transactions. On a portfolio of small permits that surcharge is a real line rather than a rounding item.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Community and Economic Development, unincorporated Davis County; 61 South Main Street, Suite 304, Farmington; 801-451-3278; Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm |
| Inspections | Shums Coda Associates (ut@shumscoda.com, 800-286-0374), minimum 24 hours’ notice |
| Inspection notice | Minimum 24 hours |
| Third-party route | Available where the county cannot inspect within three business days |
| Third-party condition | Notify the county first; not authorized until confirmed |
| Fee basis | Project square footage and/or valuation on the application |
| Valuation data | Square foot construction costs from a named code-body table |
| Minimum fee | $202 for no-plan-check, no-bond, single-inspection permits |
| Card payments | A 2.5% processing fee is added to all credit card transactions |
| Governing code | Utah Title 15A statewide adopted editions |
The county’s inspection line is not the county. Davis County schedules inspections through Shums Coda Associates, a contracted inspection firm, by email (ut@shumscoda.com) or telephone (800-286-0374), with a minimum 24 hour notice. Put that contact in your field team’s phone separately from the permit desk — the most common wasted call here is an inspection request made to the wrong organisation.
Davis County permits only the unincorporated county, and there is not much of it. This is a narrow, densely incorporated county: Layton, Bountiful, Kaysville, Clearfield, Syracuse, Farmington, Clinton, North Salt Lake, Centerville, Woods Cross and West Point all issue their own building permits. West Point’s own Building Department does the plan review and inspections, with permits and inspection requests filed on the city’s CityInspect portal (801-776-0970). Centerville’s Building and Renovating Division takes applications electronically, but its Building Official is contracted from Sunrise Engineering, which also carries out the city’s inspections (1-800-560-6151, 24 hours’ notice). Hill Air Force Base occupies a substantial share of the county and is federal land outside county building jurisdiction altogether.
Davis County permits: record types and what each covers
The record catalog here is conventional, but the minimum-fee category is unusually clearly defined and covers a large share of routine residential trade work.
Residential permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | New dwellings, additions, and accessory structures above the local size threshold | Plan review against the state-adopted 2021 International Residential Code with Utah amendments, plus zoning and setbacks | Valuation-based |
| Addition | Added conditioned or unconditioned space attached to an existing dwelling | Structural and energy review; since 1 July 2026 houses follow Utah's own energy chapter in the residential code, with one set of insulation values statewide | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural changes, layout changes, or added plumbing, mechanical, or electrical | Plan review scaled to scope; a change that alters egress, structure, or a system is reviewed even where the footprint does not move | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Roof covering replacement, recover, and structural deck repair | Deck and dry-in inspection; plan review rarely required, but a change of assembly type can trigger a structural check | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Rooftop or ground-mount arrays, with or without battery storage | Single local review covering both the structural attachment and the electrical scope; there is no separate state electrical record in Utah | Flat or system-size based |
| Battery energy storage | Wall or floor-mounted storage added to a dwelling | Electrical review plus fire separation, ventilation, and location check | Flat or per-permit minimum |
| Electrical | Service changes, panel upgrades, new circuits, EV chargers, meter sets, and rewiring | Local trade review and local inspection against the 2023 National Electrical Code, which applies statewide | Per-permit or per-device |
| Plumbing | New piping, repipes, fixtures, gas piping, and water heater replacement | Local trade review; performed by a contractor holding the matching state licence classification and qualifier | Per-permit minimum or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Changeouts, new ductwork, and refrigeration | Local trade review; changeout volume is heavy given Utah heating loads and wide seasonal swings | Per-permit minimum or per-unit |
| Patio cover and shade structure | Attached and detached covers, ramadas, and carports | Structural review for wind uplift and attachment, plus zoning for setbacks and lot coverage | Valuation or flat |
| Swimming pool | In-ground and above-ground pools and spas | Barrier, bonding, and electrical review; the state code adopts the residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code | Valuation or flat |
| Manufactured home set-up | Placing or re-siting a manufactured or modular home | Federal HUD label for manufactured homes or a state decal for modular units, with local zoning, floodplain, foundation, and utility connection review | Flat or per-unit |
| Demolition | Full or partial demolition of a dwelling or accessory structure | Utility disconnect confirmation, dust control where earthmoving is involved, and site restoration check | Flat |
| Minimum-fee permit | Furnaces, AC installs, power-to-panel, new meters | No plan check review, no construction bond, a single inspection | The county minimum |
| Third-party inspection | Where the county cannot inspect within three business days | Notify the county first; not authorized until confirmed | Arranged with the contracted firm |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Commercial permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New commercial construction | Ground-up commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings | Concurrent review against the state-adopted 2024 International Building Code with Utah amendments, plus fire and zoning | Valuation-based |
| Tenant improvement / upfit | Interior fit-out of an existing tenant space | Building, trade, and life-safety review; accessibility attaches on change of use | Valuation-based |
| Change of occupancy | Converting a building or space to a different use group | Occupancy classification, egress, and accessibility review | Valuation or flat |
| Commercial electrical | Service, distribution, and branch circuit work | Local trade review and local inspection; Utah has no central state electrical permit for either residential or commercial work | Per-permit or valuation |
| Commercial plumbing | Process piping, fixtures, backflow, and grease waste | Local trade review; backflow and grease interceptor sign-off where applicable | Per-fixture or valuation |
| Commercial mechanical | Rooftop units, kitchen exhaust and hood systems, and refrigeration | Local trade review; hood and suppression systems draw fire review alongside mechanical | Per-unit or valuation |
| Commercial reroof | Roof covering replacement on a commercial structure | Deck, dry-in, and attachment inspection | Valuation or squares |
| Signage | Wall, ground, and illuminated signs | Zoning review for size and placement, plus electrical where illuminated | Flat or per-sign |
| Grading and drainage | Clearing, grading, and site work that alters drainage | Civil review of grading and drainage, separate from the building permit | Acreage or valuation |
| Dust control permit | Earthmoving, trenching, and construction dust on a qualifying site | Utah Division of Air Quality, not the building department; a fugitive dust control plan is required for qualifying sites larger than a quarter acre | Set by the Utah Division of Air Quality where a dust control plan is required |
| Commercial demolition | Full or partial demolition of a commercial structure | Utility disconnect, asbestos notification, dust control, and site restoration | Flat or valuation |
| Construction bond | Project categories the county requires it for | Assessed alongside the permit | Per the county schedule |
| Valuation assessment | Any project priced on the published table | Square foot construction costs from a named code-body edition | Drives the permit fee |
Residential
- Building and trade permits are issued and inspected by the same local authority
- There is no separate state electrical permit — electrical is a local record
- A state contractor licence in the correct classification is required, with a named qualifier where the classification demands one
- Properties on septic need on-site wastewater approval before ground is broken
Commercial — multi-discipline
- Concurrent review across building, trades, fire, and zoning
- Signed and sealed plans across every affected discipline
- The licensee's classification must match the actual scope of work
- Accessibility and life-safety review attach to any change of occupancy
Records you will actually see in Davis County
| Record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Construction and alteration in the unincorporated county |
| Minimum-fee permit | No plan check, no bond, one inspection |
| Mechanical permit | Furnace and air conditioning installations |
| Electrical permit | Power-to-panel repairs and upgrades, and new meters |
| Plumbing and gas permit | Piping, fixtures, water heaters and gas work |
| Solar photovoltaic permit | Arrays, inverters and battery storage |
| Third-party inspection | Where the county cannot inspect within three business days |
| Manufactured home permit | Placement on a private parcel |
| Construction bond | Where the project category requires one |
Rather not deal with the Davis County building department?
Get a free quote →Solar permits in Davis County
Solar in unincorporated Davis County is permitted by the county and inspected through its contracted arrangement. The Utah point that governs every trade here is the edition split: the building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas and energy codes moved to their 2024 editions in July 2026, while the residential code stayed on 2021 and the electrical code on 2023. A designer who reads the building code year and infers the electrical year gets rapid shutdown, labelling and conductor requirements wrong. Book the inspection with the contracted firm rather than the permit desk, on the minimum notice the county publishes — and remember the statutory third-party route exists if that firm cannot reach you in time either.
Roofing permits in Davis County
A roof covering replacement is permitted work here and follows the ordinary sequence. Check first whether it falls in the county's published minimum-fee category, which covers permits needing no plan check review, no construction bond and a single inspection. Inspections are booked with the county's contracted firm on a minimum 24 hour notice.
Solar and roofing work follow the statewide code, and utilities run interconnection on their own timeline. Utah rules
Davis County permit cost
Fees are driven by project square footage and valuation as provided on the application, calculated against published square foot construction cost data rather than your contract price. Plan check is assessed where the project requires review, and a construction bond applies to some categories.
The published minimum is the number to know for routine work: permits requiring no plan check review, no construction bond and a single inspection carry it. Utah jurisdictions commonly double permit fees where work has been started or completed without a permit, and several publish that rule explicitly. Treat it as the default expectation rather than an unusual penalty.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit fee | Square footage and/or valuation on the application |
| Valuation basis | Square foot construction costs from a named published table |
| Minimum permit fee | No plan check, no bond, single inspection |
| Plan check | Assessed where the project requires review |
| Construction bond | Required for some project categories |
| Card processing | A surcharge is added to all credit card transactions |
| Third-party inspection | Farmington, Kaysville or Syracuse city building department, under the statutory route |
Want a precise number for a specific Davis County project? Send us the scope and we will price the permit path before you file.
Davis County trade permits
The trades are permitted by the county and inspected through its contracted arrangement, under Utah's statewide adopted editions. There is no central state electrical permit.
Electrical permits
Required for service changes, panel work, new circuits, solar and EV charging. Power-to-panel repairs and upgrades and new meters are named by the county as minimum-fee categories, which makes routine service work unusually predictable to price here.
Plumbing and gas permits
Required for new piping, repipes, fixtures, water heaters, sewer and water connections and gas piping. On parcels without a public sewer connection the wastewater approval runs through the health department rather than the building counter.
Mechanical permits
Required for furnaces, boilers, air conditioning, heat pumps and ductwork. Furnace and air conditioning unit installations are named as minimum-fee permits, so a change-out contractor can price the permit side of the work with confidence.
Inspection logistics
Not a trade, but the operational fact that shapes every trade here. Inspections are booked through the county's contracted firm with a minimum 24 hour notice, and the statutory third-party route opens if the county cannot inspect within three business days of the request.
Contractors are licensed by the state Division of Professional Licensing, and a business licence must name a qualifier. Utah rules
Davis County permit application: how to apply step by step
Here is how to get a building permit in Davis County, from confirming the requirement through to close-out. Each step below corresponds to a real decision point where projects commonly stall.
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Get a free quote →Davis is densely incorporated and Hill Air Force Base is federal land. The unincorporated county is a modest share of the map, so settle jurisdiction from the parcel.
Fees follow project square footage and valuation against published square foot construction cost data. Check whether your project falls in the minimum-fee category before assuming a plan check applies.
Applications and plans go through the county’s iWorQ permit portal. Payment is by cheque by post or by calling Community and Economic Development, with a 2.5% processing fee on credit card transactions.
Inspections are scheduled with Shums Coda Associates (ut@shumscoda.com, 800-286-0374) with a minimum 24 hour notice — not through the permit desk.
Notify the county before contacting a third-party inspector. It is not authorized until the county confirms it cannot inspect within three business days and you have told it you intend to use the third party.
Work the inspection sequence through to occupancy, clearing health, engineering and planning approvals alongside the building items where the project requires them.
Inspections in Davis County
Davis County’s inspection model is the thing to internalise. Inspections are scheduled through Shums Coda Associates, a contracted inspection firm, rather than a county inspection line, by email or telephone, with a minimum 24 hour notice. Have the permit number and project details ready, and keep that contact separate in your records from the permit desk.
Utah gives applicants a route around a slow inspection queue. Under Utah Code 15A-1-105, where the jurisdiction cannot complete a requested inspection within three business days of receiving the request, inspection may be carried out by a third party the jurisdiction has contracted with. Davis County lists three: the Farmington, Kaysville and Syracuse city building departments, with 801-544-1363 for Kaysville and 801-825-1477 for Syracuse. For Farmington the county page gives 801-451-2383, which is Farmington’s City Office main line; the Farmington Building Department’s own number is 801-939-9214, and its inspection line is 801-882-8954. The procedure matters as much as the right, and skipping a step voids it. You must notify the county before contacting a third-party inspector, and the third-party inspection is not authorized until two things have happened: the county has confirmed it cannot complete a timely inspection itself, and you have told it you intend to use the third party. An inspection obtained without that sequence is not a valid inspection.
In Utah the building permit is a lien document, and the mechanism is unusual enough to be worth stating plainly. Under the state's lien provisions, the local government entity that issues a building permit must, within 15 days of issuing it, transmit the building permit information to the State Construction Registry — and that transmitted information forms the basis of the notice of commencement for the project. You do not file it; the jurisdiction does, automatically, because your permit issued. Two consequences follow. The person to whom the permit is issued is responsible for the accuracy of the information in that permit application, so an error entered at the permit counter propagates into the lien registry rather than staying a clerical detail. And because subcontractor preliminary notice deadlines run from the registry filing, the date your permit issues is effectively the date the downstream notice clock starts for everyone on the job. Check the registry entry after issuance rather than assuming it is right.
Close-out follows the ordinary sequence to occupancy once every required inspection has passed. Because inspections are contracted, make sure the records held by the inspection firm and the county's permit record agree before you rely on a final having been logged.
Davis County permit search and official resources
These are the primary Davis County and Utah sources behind this guide. Fee schedules and contracted arrangements change, so confirm before filing.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →- Davis County building permits
- Utah Code Title 15A, State Construction and Fire Codes Act
- Utah Code Section 15A-2-103, adopted code editions
- Utah DOPL contracting
- Utah DOPL licence lookup
- Utah State Fire Marshal plan review
- Utah State Construction Registry
Frequently asked questions
Who inspects in Davis County?
Shums Coda Associates, a contracted inspection firm, rather than a county inspection line. Inspections are scheduled with that firm by email (ut@shumscoda.com) or telephone (800-286-0374) with a minimum 24 hour notice, so keep that contact separate from the permit desk in your records.
What if nobody can inspect in time?
Utah’s state construction code provisions allow a third-party inspection where the jurisdiction cannot complete a requested inspection within three business days of the request. For that situation Davis County lists the Farmington, Kaysville and Syracuse city building departments. Farmington’s Building Department is on 801-939-9214 (inspection line 801-882-8954); the 801-451-2383 number on the county page is Farmington’s City Office. Kaysville is 801-544-1363 and Syracuse 801-825-1477.
What is the procedure for a third-party inspection?
Notify the county before contacting a third-party inspector. The inspection is not authorized until two things happen: the county confirms it cannot conduct its own timely inspection, and you notify the county that you intend to use the third-party inspector. Skipping either step means the inspection is not valid.
How are permit fees calculated?
From the project square footage and/or the project valuation provided on the application, using published square foot construction cost data from a named code-body table. The fee follows that table rather than your contract price.
Is there a minimum permit fee?
Yes, and it covers a lot of routine work. Permits requiring no plan check review, no construction bond and just one inspection carry the county minimum — the county names furnace and air conditioning installations, power-to-panel repairs and upgrades and new meters as examples.
How can I pay?
By mailing a cheque to the county or by calling Community and Economic Development. Note that a processing fee is added to all credit card transactions, which matters on a portfolio of small permits.
Which codes apply?
Utah's statewide adopted editions under Title 15A. The building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy, existing building and pool codes moved to 2024 editions in July 2026, while the residential code remains 2021 and the electrical code 2023.
Does the county permit inside Layton or Bountiful?
No. Davis is a narrow, densely incorporated county and its cities each run their own building departments. Hill Air Force Base is federal land outside county building jurisdiction altogether.
Does my permit affect lien rights?
Yes. A city, town or county that issues a building permit for a private project must send the permit information to the State Construction Registry within 15 days, and the contractor must post a copy of the permit at the site. The permit holder is responsible for the accuracy of that information.
Do I need fire sprinklers in a new house?
Not by force of the state residential code, which Utah amended to remove the model requirement for automatic sprinklers in new one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses. Local fire requirements can still apply.
What happens if I build without a permit?
Utah jurisdictions commonly double permit fees for work started or completed without a permit, and several publish that rule explicitly. Treat it as the default expectation.
Do I need a licensed contractor?
In almost all cases. Utah licenses contractors through the Division of Professional Licensing, and a business licence must name a qualifier. The licence is a state licence valid statewide; besides it, state law requires only a business licence from the city or county where the contractor's main office is.
Simplify Davis County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Davis County runs a contracted inspection model and publishes the procedure for the statutory third-party inspection route. Used properly, that is a real schedule tool. Alliance Permitting prepares, files and tracks Davis County permits through issuance.
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Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Davis County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We book inspections with the contracted firm, not the permit desk, on the required notice.
- We invoke the third-party route in the correct sequence so the inspection is actually valid.
- We price from the county's published valuation basis rather than contract value.
- We check whether routine trade work falls in the published minimum-fee category.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and expediting service in Utah. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice, and we are not the permitting authority.
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More Utah permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Davis County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.