Grantsville, Utah Building Permit Guide

Grantsville City’s Building Department, in the Public Works building at 336 West Main Street, issues building permits inside the city and takes applications and inspection requests through its iWorQ permit portal. Small permits start at $151.50, and a new house pays 0.73% of its ICC-based valuation as the permit fee plus 0.52% for plan check before impact fees.

What requires a building permit in Grantsville?

The City’s “When Do I Need a Building Permit?” sheet sets out what needs a permit and what does not:

Drive approaches need an Engineering permit rather than a building permit. A commercial accessory structure needs a permit above 120 sq ft.

Who issues building permits in Grantsville?

Grantsville’s Building Department issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits for property inside the city and carries out the inspections. Andy Jensen is the Building Official. Questions about where a building may sit on a lot go to the Community & Economic Development (planning and zoning) department, and drive approaches to Engineering. Land outside the city in unincorporated Tooele County is permitted by Tooele County’s Community Development (Building Services) office; Tooele City runs its own building department.

Grantsville permit applications and forms

Building permit applications are filed in the City’s iWorQ permit portal, which contractors also use to schedule inspections. The Building Department’s Checklists & Forms page provides:

• The Grantsville building permit application (fillable PDF).
• The state Owner Builder Certification Agreement, for owners acting as their own contractor.
• A Power to Panel Agreement, which lets a house under construction have two energized breakers (one for the furnace and one GFI-protected receptacle) before final approval.
• A single-family submittal checklist, accessory structure requirements, common code requirements and a required inspection list for basements, an inspection list for all residential and commercial work, and the City’s building design criteria.

Commercial plan check and inspection are billed hourly rather than by valuation: $110 an hour for the City Engineer, $95 for the Building Official and $80 or $74 for inspectors.

Grantsville permit costs and fees

Fees are set in Grantsville’s Consolidated Fee Schedule. For a house, the permit and plan check fees are percentages of the total permit value, which the City sets from ICC building valuation data updated each January 1 (single-family fees approved by Ordinance 2024-30, November 6, 2024).

For example, a house with a total permit value of $300,000 pays a $2,190 building permit fee, a $1,560 plan check fee and a $21.90 state surcharge, $3,771.90 before impact and utility fees. The Building Department’s FAQ gives everyday figures: $151.50 for a furnace or water heater change-out, re-roof, window and door replacement or new siding, and $251.50 for a basic deck, small shed or basement finish valued at $15,000 or less.

Grantsville does not sell water rights. The outdoor water fee is waived when the owner turns in enough secondary water shares appurtenant to the property; Grantsville Irrigation Company can confirm how many shares a lot needs. Card payments carry a 2.5% fee, and a few subdivisions with 1-inch water lines pay the higher water, sewer and meter charges unless converted to 3/4 inch before the permit is issued.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work

Trade permits come from the Building Department. Furnace and water heater change-outs are the City’s base permit at $151.50, and all electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas line, fireplace and boiler work needs a permit. A new house plan must include the electrical, mechanical and plumbing design, Manual J and D load calculations and a gas line diagram showing the meter size and the length, size and type of every pipe.

Under-slab plumbing is tested with a 10-foot head of water or air pressure, and sewer lateral work must be done by a licensed, bonded contractor. Temporary power can come from an approved pedestal, and the Power to Panel Agreement covers early service to the panel; occupying the house before final approval can lead to the power being cut and a report to the state licensing division.

Application documents and plan review

Under the City’s single-family checklist, an application is complete only with these items, all in PDF:

• Contact details for the applicant and general contractor, or the state owner-builder declaration.
• A site plan with lot size, setbacks, easements, property lines, retaining walls, hard surfaces, curb and gutter elevations, utilities, street names, driveways and the nearest hydrant, plus topography on lots steeper than 10% and wildland defensible space where that code applies.
• Elevations, floor plans with door, window and egress sizes, and foundation, structural and framing details.
• Electrical, mechanical and plumbing design and fire suppression details where the fire code requires them.
• Structural calculations when the home is not built to the residential code’s prescriptive rules, energy code compliance, Manual J and D, and the gas line diagram.

Design to the City’s criteria: wind 102 mph exposure C, ground snow load 25 psf (roof not under 20), frost depth 30 inches, ice barrier required, and seismic category D1 (D2 for livable space). Detached accessory buildings up to 600 sq ft with walls 10 feet or lower need a 12 by 18 inch perimeter footing or an engineered anchoring design; larger or taller ones need a 30-inch frost footing, and every metal building needs engineered plans. Grantsville does not publish a plan review time.

How to apply for a Grantsville building permit: 6 steps

Inspections in Grantsville

The permit holder or person doing the work calls for inspections, with 24 hours’ notice. Contractors can book in the iWorQ portal or call the inspector; residents call 435-884-1691. Give the inspection type, permit number, job address or lot and subdivision, and the caller’s name and phone number.

A soils observation report from a geotechnical engineer must be provided before or at the footing inspection, and footings need the setbacks staked. Each permit includes one consultation visit. Re-inspections after the second cost $50, and work covered without inspection may have to be opened up or redone at the builder’s cost. Final approval of the house and of the curb, gutter and sidewalk must come before anyone moves in.

Local Grantsville details that matter

Easements: most subdivisions have a public utility easement around the lot edges, recorded on the plat, and no shed may sit on it. A small shed must also be 5 feet from property lines or have 1-hour fire-rated walls and eaves.

Water: the City does not sell water rights, and lots of half an acre or more may need two secondary water shares; Grantsville Irrigation Company confirms the number.

Drive approaches: these need an Engineering permit even though no building permit is required.

Recovery rights: the fee schedule lets you request a recovery right review for a parcel before you build.

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 Grantsville permitting resources

City and state sources:

• Grantsville Building Department
• Grantsville iWorQ permit portal
• When Do I Need a Building Permit? (Grantsville)
• Building checklists and forms
• New residential building submittal checklist
• Grantsville inspection requests
• Building Department FAQ
• Grantsville Consolidated Fee Schedule (online fee book)
• Utah Code 15A-2-103, adopted code editions
• Utah Division of Professional Licensing

Grantsville building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Grantsville?

Simple jobs such as a water heater, furnace, re-roof or window replacement cost $151.50. A new house pays 0.73% of its total permit value plus 0.52% for plan check and a 1% surcharge on the permit fee; at a $300,000 value that is $3,771.90 before impact fees.

Do I need a permit for a shed or deck?

Not for a one-story shed of 200 sq ft or less with no utilities, though it still needs site plan approval. Decks and sheds over 200 sq ft need a permit.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Fences under 6 feet do not need a building permit; masonry or concrete fences do.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Contractors use the iWorQ portal or call the inspector; residents call 435-884-1691. Give 24 hours’ notice.

What if I start work before the permit is issued?

The permit fee is doubled under the City’s fee schedule.

Can a homeowner pull the permit?

Yes, with the state Owner Builder Certification Agreement from the Checklists & Forms page.

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