Draper, Utah Building Permit Guide

Building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits inside Draper city limits come from the Draper City Building Division, and every application goes through the City’s online Building Services Portal. The permit fee follows ICC valuation data with a 65% plan review fee on top, and new homes, townhouses, apartments and commercial buildings are not accepted until the City has approved the lot’s geotechnical report.

What requires a building permit in Draper?

Draper requires a building permit and inspections for new construction and whenever a building or home is remodeled. The City’s submittal checklists and fee schedule show the work it permits:

An accessory dwelling unit needs its own ADU permit from the City as well as a building permit for the construction work.

Who issues building permits in Draper?

The Draper City Building Division handles permits, plan review and inspections for property inside Draper. It works with the Planning Division and the fire service, and fire sprinkler, alarm and suppression reviews are charged under the same City fee schedule. Every outside agency and City department approval a project needs must be in place when you apply. Neighboring cities run their own permit offices, unincorporated Salt Lake County is served by the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, and across the Utah County line, unincorporated land goes to Utah County Community Development, which serves only property outside city limits.

The Building Services Portal and checklists

Create an account in the portal to submit applications, check their status and see inspections. When you start an application the portal shows the checklist for that project type; the City lists checklists for additions, basements, commercial buildings, decks, residential accessory buildings, retaining walls, single-family dwellings, and site and SWPPP plans.

• Owner-Builder Certification: owners building for themselves upload a signed copy with the application instead of naming a contractor.
• Deposit for Geologic Peer Review and the City’s Geotechnical Engineering Standards, for lots that need a geotechnical or geologic hazard review.
• Public Improvement Bond Agreement, where public improvements are involved.
• Demolition Request Plan Requirements, including disconnect letters and a historic preservation request form where needed.
• ADU Permit Application, also filed in the portal.

Draper building permit fees

Fees come from the Consolidated Fee Schedule adopted by Resolution 26-37 (July 21, 2026). The building permit fee is 100% of the ICC fee schedule, with valuation taken from the ICC Building Valuation Data, and plan review is added at 65% of that fee. A $500 deposit is paid when the application or plans are submitted and is credited toward the total.

Refunds for cancelled or changed permits are capped at 60% of the building permit fee. The City’s 2023 basement and deck checklist still describes a $100 application fee invoiced before review starts; the adopted 2026 schedule sets the $500 deposit.

New homes also pay City impact fees when the permit is issued: for a single-family detached house, $4,162 for parks, $2,097 for water, $1,152 for transportation, $102 for police and $71 for fire. The storm water impact fee ($1,729 per ERU) is listed but its collection is temporarily suspended. The City schedule has no sewer impact fee; part of Draper lies in the service area of the Timpanogos Sanitary Sewer District, whose own impact fee is $5,793 per ERU in 2026 and $6,171 from January 1, 2027 (district Resolution 2026-11, adopted September 17, 2026).

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire permits

The Building Division issues trade permits through the same portal. Trade work that is not part of a larger building permit is a stand-alone plumbing, mechanical or electrical permit at $150 each.

Fire protection reviews are charged under the fee schedule’s fire section: a residential fire sprinkler inspection is $100 (two visits included), new commercial sprinkler systems run from $125 for under 100 heads to $275 for over 300 plus $0.50 a head, a new fire alarm system is $150 and a remodel or tenant-finish alarm $100.

Application documents

All drawings must be unlocked PDFs so plans examiners can comment; locked files are returned unreviewed. The basement and deck checklist adds that drawings must be to scale, numbered consecutively and combined in one PDF, with engineered elements stamped and signed by a Utah design professional. Name the contractor (or attach the owner-builder certification) and the property owner as contacts.

For homes, townhouses, twin homes, apartments and commercial buildings, the City accepts plans only when the permit could be issued at submittal and the parcel’s geotechnical engineering report has already been reviewed and accepted. Geologic and geotechnical report reviews are paid from a deposit before any City action:

• Single residential lot: $5,000 in a geologic hazard area, $1,000 elsewhere
• Residential subdivision: $5,000 in a hazard area, $1,000 elsewhere
• Commercial development: $10,000 in a hazard area, $1,000 elsewhere

The City charges the actual review cost against the deposit and refunds the rest.

How to get a Draper building permit

Draper inspections

Inspections are requested in the portal: open the Inspections card, choose View Inspections under the Ready tab, click “I’m Ready for this Inspection/Reinspection”, accept the notice and fill in the request. Same-day inspections are not available, and the requested date and time are not guaranteed. Call 801-576-6581 if the portal gives you trouble.

Results for inspections done that day appear in the portal. Do not call the assigned inspector before 8:30 a.m. on inspection day, because inspections may not be assigned until then. Each re-inspection costs $85. The Building Department also keeps a post-earthquake inspection plan, with inspection zone maps and a request form for damaged buildings.

Local Draper details

Geotechnical rules: the City publishes its own Geotechnical Engineering Standards, and geologic hazard areas carry higher review deposits.

Accessory dwelling units: one ADU is allowed on a single-family lot, not on a lot with a townhouse or other multi-family dwelling. Detached ADUs need a residential lot of at least 12,000 sq ft; internal ADUs are generally allowed on lots over 6,000 sq ft that front a public street meeting width standards.

Demolition: the application needs disconnect letters from Enbridge, Rocky Mountain Power and Draper City Utilities, a Utah Division of Air Quality notice, a health department inspection for asbestos and similar hazards, four photos of the structure, and a work description so the City can decide whether a land disturbance permit is needed. The Draper City Fire Department accepts suitable buildings for training before demolition.

Public improvements: projects that could damage streets or other public improvements post a repair and restoration bond, and a public improvement bond agreement covers required improvements.

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 Draper permitting resources

• Draper building permits and checklists
• Draper Building Services Portal
• Draper inspection scheduling
• Draper Consolidated Fee Schedule, Resolution 26-37
• Draper basement finish and deck submission requirements
• Draper demolition permit plan requirements
• Draper Geotechnical Engineering Standards
• Draper deposit for geologic peer review
• Draper accessory dwelling unit permits

Draper building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Draper?

The Draper City Building Division at City Hall, 1020 E. Pioneer Road (801-576-6399, building@draperutah.gov).

How much does a building permit cost in Draper?

The permit fee is 100% of the ICC fee schedule based on ICC valuation data, plus a 65% plan review fee. A $500 deposit is due at application, and new homes also pay impact fees.

How much is a plumbing, electrical or mechanical permit?

$150 each when it is a stand-alone permit.

Why was my new home application not accepted?

Draper does not accept plans for homes, townhouses, twin homes, apartments or commercial buildings until the lot’s geotechnical report has been accepted and the permit could be issued at submittal.

Can a homeowner pull a permit?

Yes, as an owner-builder, by attaching a signed Owner-Builder Certification to the portal application.

Can I get a same-day inspection?

No. Request inspections in the portal ahead of time; the requested slot is not guaranteed.

Simplify Draper 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 Draper permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.