South Jordan, Utah Building Permit Guide

Building permits in South Jordan are issued by the city’s Building Department (Engineering & Building, 1600 West Towne Center Drive, 801-446-4357), and every application and inspection request goes through the city’s CityView online portal. Under the FY 2026-27 fee schedule a new single-family house pays a flat $3,877 permit fee up to $500,000 in valuation, or $4,885 above that, before impact fees. The city sits in the south-west of the Salt Lake Valley among five other cities that permit their own work, and is a separate city from West Jordan despite the shared name.

Work inside South Jordan city limits, Daybreak included. West Jordan, Riverton and Herriman are separate cities.

What requires a permit in South Jordan?

The South Jordan City Building Department issues building permits for work inside the city limits. Applications and inspection requests go through the city’s CityView online portal, and the department is reached through the city offices at 1600 West Towne Center Drive, South Jordan, UT 84095 (801-446-4357, SJCbuildingdepartment@sjc.utah.gov). South Jordan sits in the south-west of the Salt Lake Valley; its neighbours include West Jordan, Riverton, Herriman and Sandy, all of which permit their own work, and it is a separate city from West Jordan despite the shared name.

The editions are statewide; the design criteria are the city’s. South Jordan lists the 2021 IRC with Appendices E and Q, the 2024 IBC with Appendix J, the 2024 plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, existing building and pool codes, the 2023 NEC, the residential provisions of the 2021 IECC and the commercial provisions of the 2024 IECC, with the Utah state amendments. Its design criteria call for snow loads under Chapter 7 of ASCE 7, wind loads under Chapters 26–30 of ASCE 7 with Exposure C, seismic design category D and a frost depth of at least 30 inches from the bottom of the footing to finished grade.

Demolition depends on approvals from outside the city: the application must include pre-demolition approval certificates from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and the Salt Lake County Health Department, and the applicant arranges the utility shut-offs.

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

South Jordan building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department publishes its codes and design criteria, forms (commercial certificate of occupancy checklists, owner/builder certification, trash and sanitation notice, water line criteria, the water-efficient landscaping notice and the re-roof requirements statement), permit application checklists and the city fee and impact fee schedules on one page. Permits and inspection requests are filed in the CityView portal, and permit staff answer at SJCbuildingdepartment@sjc.utah.gov.

Construction noise is a separate approval. Work before 7 am or after 10 pm needs a noise disturbance permit from the Salt Lake County Health Department, and a copy of the approved permit has to be given to the Building Department. The county’s noise regulation prohibits loud noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and construction work with a temporary noise permit is exempt.

Daybreak, in the west of the city, has its own steps: a detached accessory building there needs HOA architectural committee approval with the permit application, and the city’s transportation impact fee has a lower Daybreak-adjusted rate ($705.17 for a single-family home against $3,403.10 elsewhere in the city).

The south-west valley is a dense patchwork. South Jordan borders West Jordan, Riverton, Herriman, Bluffdale and Draper, all of which permit their own work, and Copperton nearby is served by the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District rather than a city department. Draper straddles the Salt Lake and Utah county line.

In 2025, building permits issued in South Jordan authorized 754 new privately owned housing units, 525 of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.

South Jordan permits: record types and what each covers

The record catalog follows the permit types in South Jordan’s fee schedule, each priced as a flat fee or by valuation band.

Residential permit types

Commercial permit types

Records you will actually see in South Jordan

Solar permits in South Jordan

Solar in South Jordan is permitted and inspected by the city under Utah's statewide adopted editions and their state amendments. The Utah rule governing 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. Reading the building code year and inferring the electrical year gets rapid shutdown, labelling and conductor requirements wrong. The city publishes residential solar plan review requirements, and a residential solar permit costs $588 for a system valued at $2,001 to $40,000 under the FY 2026-27 schedule. Roof attachment design follows the city’s criteria: snow loads under Chapter 7 of ASCE 7.

Roofing permits in South Jordan

A re-roof is a $209 permit under the FY 2026-27 schedule. The Chief Building Official’s re-roof statement says all roof work must follow the state and city adopted codes, including their ventilation, ice and water shield and drainage requirements, and that each day of a violation is a separate offense.

Solar and roofing work follow the statewide code, and utilities run interconnection on their own timeline. Utah rules

South Jordan permit cost

South Jordan charges flat building permit fees by permit type and valuation band, set in the FY 2026-27 city fee schedule that went with the FY 2027 adopted budget; the budget lists building and engineering permit fee changes for FY 2027. The schedule lists no separate plan review percentage or state surcharge line for these permits, but charges $316 for each additional plan review.

Worked example. A new detached house valued at $450,000 pays the flat $3,877 permit fee. Outside Daybreak it also pays $6,552 park, $3,403.10 transportation, $939 public safety and $3,107.68 water impact fees with a 3/4-inch meter, plus the storm water fee for its zone. Lots in the Last Hold Out and Lark Meadows service areas have their own transportation and water impact fees, listed in the impact fee table, which the example leaves out.

South Jordan trade permits

Trade work is permitted and inspected by South Jordan itself under the statewide editions, and the fee schedule prices stand-alone trade permits as flat fees.

Contractors are licensed by the state Division of Professional Licensing, and a business licence must name a qualifier. Utah rules

South Jordan application documents

The residential building permit submission checklist says an application missing any of these items is incomplete:

• The city’s trash and sanitation notice
• A site and grading plan stamped by a licensed civil engineer, showing the main level, top of foundation and garage floor against the back of curb, the next upstream sewer manhole cover elevation, setbacks and grading away from the house
• A soils report, due before the footing inspection
• Stamped engineering calculations and complete stamped structural and architectural plans, including electrical load calculations, the panel schedule and the A/C disconnect
• Manual J and D load calculations, signed Res-Check or REM/Rate, gas line diagrams and the water line criteria
• SWPPP and NOI number, and the water-efficient landscaping notice

Detached accessory buildings need architectural and structural plans, a scaled site plan with drainage, and HOA architectural committee approval where one applies (required for permits in Daybreak). An owner doing the work files the owner/builder certification; an owner who hires a contractor attaches the contractor’s state licence. Where no sewer is available, the septic system is permitted by the Salt Lake County Health Department (385-468-3862).

South Jordan permit application: how to apply step by step

Here is how to get a building permit in South Jordan, from confirming the requirement through to close-out. Each step below corresponds to a real decision point where projects commonly stall.

Inspections in South Jordan

Inspections are requested in the CityView portal against the issued permit, through its inspection request page. A re-inspection costs $182 and an inspection outside business hours $79 an hour under the FY 2026-27 schedule. A new home’s soils report has to be in before the footing inspection.

Commercial projects close out with the city’s certificate of occupancy checklists, one for new buildings and one for tenant finishes, both posted on the Building Department page.

Close-out follows the ordinary sequence to the certificate of occupancy once every required inspection has passed. Where a noise permit or pre-demolition approvals were needed, copies belong in the permit file.

Utah law lets you use a third-party inspection firm when the building department cannot inspect within three business days. Utah rules

South Jordan permit search and official resources

These are the primary South Jordan and Utah sources behind this guide. The Building Department page lists the editions and design criteria in force.

• South Jordan Building Department
• Utah Code Title 15A, State Construction and Fire Codes Act
• Utah Code Section 15A-2-103, adopted code editions
• Utah Administrative Rules
• Utah DOPL contracting
• Utah Department of Environmental Quality
• Utah State Construction Registry
• South Jordan CityView permit portal
• South Jordan CityView inspection requests
• South Jordan FY 2026-27 fee schedule
• South Jordan combined city impact fee schedule
• South Jordan residential building permit submission checklist
• South Jordan detached accessory building requirements
• Salt Lake County Health Department noise regulation and permits
• Salt Lake County Health Department pre-demolition requirements

Frequently asked questions

Is South Jordan the same as West Jordan?

No. They are separate cities with similar names sharing a boundary in the south-west of the Salt Lake Valley, each with its own building department, portal and fee schedule. South Jordan permits are filed in its CityView portal.

What snow load should I design to?

The Building Department’s design criteria say snow loads are determined under Chapter 7 of ASCE 7, with wind under Chapters 26–30 and Exposure C. The city does not publish a single snow figure.

Which codes apply?

Utah’s statewide adopted editions under Title 15A with the state amendments, including Utah Code 15A-4-303, the plumbing amendment for South Jordan that requires reduced pressure backflow protection on lawn irrigation. The building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy, existing building and pool codes moved to 2024 editions in July 2026; the residential code remains 2021 and the electrical code 2023.

How much is a building permit in South Jordan?

South Jordan charges flat fees by permit type and valuation band. Under the FY 2026-27 schedule a new single-family house is $3,877 up to $500,000 in valuation and $4,885 above, a re-roof $209 and a deck from $228; new homes also pay impact fees such as $6,552 for parks.

Do I need a permit for a shed in South Jordan?

Detached accessory buildings of 200 square feet or more need a building permit, with HOA approval in Daybreak. Smaller ones follow the Planning and Zoning Department’s accessory building requirements instead.

Is there a noise permit?

Yes, but not from the city. Construction work before 7 am or after 10 pm needs a noise disturbance permit from the Salt Lake County Health Department, and the Building Department needs a copy of the approved permit. The county’s noise regulation covers loud noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

How do I request an inspection in South Jordan?

Through the inspection request page of the CityView portal, against the issued permit. Book only when the work is ready: each re-inspection is charged at $182.

Who permits Copperton?

The Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, not a city department of its own. Several communities in the valley are served that way, which is why a nearby address can go to an entirely different organisation.

What do I need before demolishing a building in South Jordan?

Pre-demolition approval certificates from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and the Salt Lake County Health Department, uploaded with the application; the applicant also arranges the utility shut-offs. The demolition permit itself is $49.

What happens if I build without a permit?

South Jordan’s fee schedule says anyone who starts work on a building, structure, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system before obtaining the permits pays a double permit fee.

Does Salt Lake County permit South Jordan?

No. The county's unincorporated areas and several member communities are served by the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District; South Jordan permits its own work through its Building Department.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in South Jordan?

Yes. An owner building for personal, non-commercial use files the Owner/Builder Certification posted on the Building Department page, which the department forwards to the state Division of Professional Licensing. Otherwise a licensed contractor does the work, and for a detached accessory building the city’s requirement sheet asks for the contractor’s state licence with the application.

Simplify South Jordan permitting with Alliance Permitting

South Jordan is a well-run suburban department in a corner of the valley where five cities and a service district meet — so the first question is always which desk. Alliance Permitting prepares, files and tracks South Jordan permits through issuance.

Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21+ years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.

Contractors and builders choose Alliance for South Jordan because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:

• We separate South Jordan from West Jordan at the outset, since the names collide.
• We take the snow load from ASCE 7 Chapter 7, as the city’s design criteria require.
• We identify health and environmental referrals before they become a late surprise.
• We keep the residential and electrical code split straight against the newer families.

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.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about South Jordan permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.