Duchesne County, Utah Building Permit Guide

The Duchesne County Department of Building Safety (435-738-1150), at the County offices in Duchesne, issues building permits for the unincorporated county and for the towns of Altamont and Tabiona, while Duchesne City, Roosevelt and Myton have their own building departments. Applications start online, every building on bare land needs a permit, and the fee is set from a valuation table with plan review of 35% to 65% of the permit fee added.

What needs a building permit in Duchesne County?

The County requires a building permit before any building is built or placed on vacant bare land, whatever its size or use, unless it is used only for agriculture. Size-based exemptions in the codes apply only to accessory structures on a lot that already has a dwelling:

Before any building permit is issued, the property must be evaluated for an on-site wastewater (septic) system. Building or placing a structure without a permit carries a minimum penalty equal to the permit fee, even where no permit can be issued (County Code 7-1E-4).

Who issues building permits in Duchesne County?

The Department of Building Safety reviews plans, issues permits and inspects construction. Adam Johnson is the Building Official. Zoning and subdivision questions go to Planning & Zoning (Community Development), which also assigns physical addresses to new homes as part of the permit process.

Applying and the County’s forms

Start the application with the online form linked from the Building Inspector page. The page also posts the documents the County uses:

• Building Permit Application Check List for stick-frame buildings, and the full Permit Packet
• What Buildings Need a Building Permit, and an example site plan
• Tiny Home Information Sheet and Storage Container Exemption Acknowledgement
• Agricultural Exemption Form, which must be notarized and recorded
• Information Required for Business License Review
• Empirical Foundation Requirements and General Design Information
• Guide to REScheck Compliance, and permit information in Spanish

Every contractor on the job is listed with licence number, address, phone, email and business licence. An owner acting as builder completes the owner-builder exemption form instead.

Duchesne County permit fees

The building permit fee is based on the estimated construction value, worked out with the County’s adopted cost-per-square-foot valuation table, taken from the table published in the August issue of the ICC’s Building Safety Journal. An owner who disagrees with the valuation may submit a contractor’s bid and an appraisal from the County Assessor.

The County’s 2023 packet gives its own example: a 1,500 sq ft single-level home with a 700 sq ft attached garage was valued at $295,654.18, for a building permit fee of $1,744.36 and a plan review fee of $610.53 to $1,133.83, plus the 1% surcharge. That example used the valuation table in force in 2023. Payment is by cash, check, debit or credit card, or e-check.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work

The Department of Building Safety permits and inspects electrical, plumbing and HVAC work. The County’s permit handout notes that these permits can be required even where the building itself is exempt, including solar and wind systems. Plans must show the electrical layout with outlets, fixtures and panel location, the plumbing fixtures and vents, and HVAC sizing by Manual J, Manual D and Manual S, which can be a deferred submittal.

Wastewater and drinking water are approved by the TriCounty Health Department (Roosevelt office, 409 South 200 East, 435-722-6300; wastewater program 435-247-1165), not the County building office.

What to submit for a new home

• Owner’s name, address, phone and email; legal description and proof of ownership with legal deeded access from a public road
• Plot plan with setbacks, driveway, rights-of-way, easements, roads and utilities, and zoning verification from Planning & Zoning
• HOA or architectural committee approval where applicable
• Road approach permit from the County Road Department or UDOT, approved before the building permit
• Site coordinates for the snow load
• TriCounty Health Department septic permit, or proof of connection to an approved sewer
• Proof of culinary water: a district or town bill or receipt, a well (an inorganic test can take 4–6 weeks), or an approved haul-water variance
• Fire protection plan approved by the County Fire Warden or Fire Marshal where the wildland-urban interface code applies
• Full plan set: elevations, floor plans, foundation and framing, electrical, mechanical and plumbing, energy compliance and structural calculations
• A geotechnical report where the lot slope exceeds 15% and the County requires one

Plans should be PDFs; a full-size paper set may be accepted. The approved plans come back with the permit as an electronic copy and one 11x17 set, which must be on site for every inspection.

How to get a Duchesne County building permit

Duchesne County inspections

Because inspectors cover a large area, an afternoon inspection needs at least 24 hours’ notice and a morning inspection 48 hours. Call 435-738-1150 to schedule; a voicemail does not count as notice, though you should leave a message so the office can call back to confirm. The day is confirmed but not the time.

The County’s inspection list starts with a pre-site wildland-urban interface evaluation, which checks emergency access, defensible space and fire-fighting water and can flag poor soils, high groundwater or steep slopes. It then runs through footings, foundation, waterproofing, underground utilities, under-slab, floor framing, roof and wall sheathing, weather-resistive barrier and flashing, rough electrical, plumbing and mechanical, framing, insulation, drywall, the trade finals, final grading and the final. No building may be occupied until it passes the final and a certificate of occupancy is issued.

Local Duchesne County details

Design values: wind 105 mph, seismic design category C or D1, severe weathering, 30-inch frost line, slight to moderate termite risk, a winter design temperature of −2°F, and an ice barrier under roofing. Ground snow loads are taken from the state snow-load site using the building’s coordinates.

Permit life: a permit expires if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days; the Building Official may grant one extension of up to 180 days on a written request.

Addresses: physical addresses are given only to habitable structures, on a grid centred on Roosevelt, and are assigned through the building permit.

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 Duchesne County permitting resources

• Duchesne County Building Inspector page and forms
• Duchesne County online building permit application
• Duchesne County Department of Building Safety contact list
• Duchesne County building permit packet (July 2023)
• Duchesne County: what buildings need a building permit
• Duchesne County Agricultural Exemption Form
• Duchesne County general design information
• Duchesne County building ordinance (County Code Title 7)
• Duchesne County physical address assignment
• Duchesne County page linking to Duchesne City building permits
• Duchesne City building permits
• Roosevelt City Building Department
• Myton City building permits and inspections
• Myton City fee schedule, Resolution 10142025-001
• TriCounty Health Department onsite wastewater and septic permits

Duchesne County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Roosevelt, Duchesne City and Myton?

Each city’s own building department. The County issues permits in the unincorporated area and in Altamont and Tabiona.

How much is a building permit in Duchesne County?

The fee comes from the County valuation table, plus 35% to 65% for plan review and a 1% state surcharge. In the County’s 2023 example, a $295,654.18 home had a $1,744.36 permit fee.

Do I need a permit for a shed on bare land?

Yes. Any building placed on vacant land needs a permit unless it is used only for agriculture and covered by a recorded Agricultural Exemption Form.

Who issues septic permits?

The TriCounty Health Department, which takes septic construction permit applications online (Roosevelt office 435-722-6300; wastewater program 435-247-1165). Its operating permit is needed before the County issues a certificate of occupancy.

How much notice do inspections need?

24 hours for an afternoon inspection and 48 hours for a morning one, by phone at 435-738-1150.

Can I contest the valuation?

Yes, by submitting a contractor’s bid and an appraisal from the County Assessor’s office.

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