Building permits in unincorporated Tooele County are issued by Community Development (Building Services). The county covers a very large area west of the Oquirrh Mountains, much of it rural and much of it without public utilities.
This guide covers the site plan the county actually wants and why wells and septic have to be on it, the licensed architect requirement on commercial work, the fire protection criteria to read before applying, the recently adopted impact fees, and how the statewide codes apply.
This guide covers unincorporated Tooele County. Tooele City and Grantsville run their own arrangements.
Your site plan has to show the wells and septic systems, with distances. The county requires a site plan showing property size, the location and distances of existing buildings, wells and septic systems, and the proposed structure — because zoning officers verify setbacks from property lines and from wells and septic, while the building department checks required separation of buildings on the lot.
What requires a permit in Tooele County?
Tooele County Community Development (Building Services) issues building permits for the unincorporated county, including Stansbury Park and Lake Point. The office, listed as Building Inspection and Code Compliance, is at 47 South Main Street, Room 208, Tooele, UT 84074 ((435) 843-4737, building@tooeleco.gov), and applications go through the county’s online permit portal. Tooele City and Grantsville run their own building departments; for the county’s smaller incorporated towns, such as Stockton, Rush Valley, Vernon and Wendover, ask the town who handles permits. The county covers a very large area west of the Oquirrh Mountains, much of it rural and much of it without public utilities.
The permit trigger is stated broadly and the county attributes it to both levels of government: state and county laws require that anyone who wants to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the use of any building or structure must first get a permit, and that includes work on electrical, plumbing, gas or mechanical systems. There are exceptions, and the county asks that you call the inspectors to confirm rather than assume.
Permit required
- Constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building
- Changing the use of any building or structure
- Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical system work
- New residential and commercial construction and additions
- Work on parcels served by wells and septic systems
- Solar photovoltaic systems and battery storage
- Projects triggering the county's impact fees
- Commercial projects, which require a licensed architect
Typically exempt
- Work the county identifies as exempt — call the inspectors to confirm
- 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
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
Tooele County building department: who handles permitting
The county publishes a permit application together with a general instructions document, and asks something specific of applicants: review the fire protection criteria at the end of the general instructions before applying. That is an unusual and helpful instruction — fire protection requirements on a rural parcel can turn on water supply and access, and discovering them after design is fixed is expensive.
The submittal expectations are set out plainly. Alongside the completed application and site plan, the county wants proof of ownership or permission to build on the property, and construction documents described as a complete set of plans with enough information to show the structural and physical elements of the project. Any commercial project will need to be prepared by a licensed architect, and some elements of residential construction may need to be engineered — the county says the inspectors can help identify which.
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Get a free quote →Impact fees changed recently. The county adopted an impact fee ordinance in 2024 creating new impact fees effective from December of that year. On a new dwelling or a commercial project those are a material budget line separate from the permit fee, so confirm the current schedule rather than working from an older figure.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Community Development (Building Services), unincorporated Tooele County |
| Office | 47 South Main Street, Room 208, Tooele, UT 84074 · (435) 843-4737 · building@tooeleco.gov |
| Portal | Online permit application through the county’s iWorQ portal |
| Permit trigger | Construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change use |
| Also captured | Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical system work |
| Site plan | Property size, existing buildings, wells, septic, and the new structure |
| Why | Setbacks from property lines, wells and septic; separation of buildings |
| Ownership | Proof of ownership or permission to build required |
| Commercial design | Must be prepared by a licensed architect |
| Fire criteria | Published at the end of the general instructions; read before applying |
| Impact fees | New fees adopted in 2024, effective that December |
| Governing code | Utah Title 15A statewide adopted editions |
Read the fire protection criteria before you apply, not after. The county publishes them at the end of its general instructions document and specifically asks applicants to review them to ensure compliance prior to applying for a building permit. On rural parcels fire protection turns on water supply, access and separation — all of which are site design decisions, not details you can add to a finished drawing set.
Tooele County is not Tooele City. The county and its largest city share a name, and the county serves the unincorporated remainder while Tooele City and Grantsville run their own arrangements. The county also contains substantial federal land — including major military installations — which sits outside county building jurisdiction entirely. Confirm the land status as well as the jurisdiction.
In 2025, building permits issued in unincorporated Tooele County authorized 74 new privately owned housing units, all of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Tooele County permits: record types and what each covers
The record catalog is the rural Utah set, with the site plan and the wells and septic picture doing more work here than the building permit itself on many parcels.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →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 |
| Site plan with wells and septic | Any rural parcel with on-site systems | Locations and distances required; setbacks are measured from them | Part of the submittal |
| Proof of ownership | Every application | Ownership or permission to build on the property | Part of the submittal |
Rather talk it over?
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 |
| Architect-prepared plans | Any commercial project | The county requires plans prepared by a licensed architect | A design cost |
| Impact fees | New dwellings and commercial projects | New fees adopted in 2024, effective that December | Confirm the schedule |
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
Rather not deal with the Tooele County building department?
Get a free quote →Records you will actually see in Tooele County
| Record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Construction, alteration, moving, demolition or change of use |
| Trade permit | Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical by the licensed contractor |
| Commercial permit | Requiring plans prepared by a licensed architect |
| Septic and well siting | Reflected on the required site plan with distances |
| Impact fee assessment | Under the ordinance adopted in 2024 |
| Fire protection compliance | Per the criteria in the general instructions |
| Solar photovoltaic permit | Arrays, inverters and battery storage |
| Third-party inspection | Where the county cannot inspect within three business days |
| Certificate of occupancy | Once every required inspection is clear |
Solar permits in Tooele County
Solar in unincorporated Tooele County is permitted and inspected by the county under Utah's statewide adopted editions. 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. On a rural parcel the site plan requirements bite here too: the county wants existing buildings, wells and septic located with distances, and a ground-mounted array is a structure whose position interacts with all of them. Tooele Valley snow load is a genuine structural input.
Roofing permits in Tooele County
A roof covering replacement is permitted work — the county's trigger language captures repair and alteration explicitly, not just new construction. Tooele Valley carries real winter weather, so roofing is designed against snow load and freeze-thaw. Distance is the scheduling constraint: the county is geographically enormous, so give generous notice and make access easy.
Solar and roofing work follow the statewide code, and utilities run interconnection on their own timeline. Utah rules
Tooele County permit cost
Permit fees follow the county's adopted schedule, with building fees valuation-driven and plan review assessed alongside, and trade permits charged per discipline.
Impact fees are the line most likely to move a Tooele County budget. The county adopted a new impact fee ordinance in 2024 with fees effective from that December, so any figure from before then is stale. On a rural parcel add the design costs the county's own requirements imply: an architect on any commercial project, engineering on some residential elements, and well and septic siting work. 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 | Valuation-based under the county's adopted schedule |
| Plan review | Assessed alongside the building permit |
| Impact fees | New fees adopted in 2024; confirm the current schedule |
| Architect | Required on any commercial project; a design cost |
| Residential engineering | Where the inspectors identify elements needing it |
| Septic and well work | Separate scopes on parcels without utility service |
| Trade permits | Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas per discipline |
Want a precise number for a specific Tooele County project? Send us the scope and we will price the permit path before you file.
Tooele County trade permits
The trades are permitted and inspected by the county under Utah's statewide adopted editions, and the county states explicitly that electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical work is captured by the permit requirement.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Electrical permits
Required for service changes, panel work, new circuits, solar and EV charging. Utah's adopted electrical code did not move in the 2026 transition, so confirm the edition rather than inferring it from the building code year.
Plumbing and gas permits
Required for new piping, repipes, fixtures, water heaters and gas piping. On the county's rural parcels the plumbing scope connects to a septic system and often a private well, both of which have to appear on the site plan with distances.
Mechanical permits
Required for furnaces, boilers, air conditioning, heat pumps and ductwork. Tooele Valley carries a real heating load, and parcels in the higher country west and south of the valley more so again.
Site design and fire protection
Not a trade, but the discipline that shapes a rural Tooele County project. Well and septic separation distances constrain where a building can sit, and the county's fire protection criteria — published at the end of its general instructions — turn on water supply and access.
Contractors are licensed by the state Division of Professional Licensing, and a business licence must name a qualifier. Utah rules
Tooele County permit application: how to apply step by step
Here is how to get a building permit in Tooele County, from confirming the requirement through to close-out. Each step below corresponds to a real decision point where projects commonly stall.
Tooele City and Grantsville run their own arrangements, and substantial federal land in the county sits outside county building jurisdiction entirely.
They are published at the end of the county's general instructions document, and the county asks that you review them to ensure compliance before applying.
Property size, existing buildings, wells and septic systems with distances, and the location of the proposed structure — because setbacks are measured from all of them.
Any commercial project must be prepared by a licensed architect, and some residential elements may need engineering. The inspectors can help identify which.
The county adopted a new impact fee ordinance in 2024 with fees effective that December. Older figures are stale.
Submit the completed application with the site plan, proof of ownership or permission to build, and the construction documents, then work the inspection sequence to close-out.
Inspections in Tooele County
Inspections are requested through the county's process against the issued permit. The county invites applicants to call the inspectors to confirm whether a permit is needed at all, which is a sensible offer in a jurisdiction where the exemptions are real but not exhaustively published — use it rather than guessing.
Distance is the practical constraint here. Tooele County is geographically enormous, running west from the Oquirrh Mountains across the valley and out toward the desert, so inspector travel to a remote parcel consumes a large part of a working day. Give generous notice, make sure the work is genuinely ready, and make access straightforward.
Close-out follows the ordinary sequence to occupancy once every required inspection has passed. On a rural parcel expect the septic approval and any fire protection conditions to be part of getting there rather than separate errands.
Utah law lets you use a third-party inspection firm when the building department cannot inspect within three business days. Utah rules
Tooele County permit search and official resources
These are the primary Tooele County and Utah sources behind this guide. Impact fees changed recently, so confirm the current schedule.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →- Tooele County building permits
- Tooele County development applications
- Utah Code Title 15A, State Construction and Fire Codes Act
- Utah Code Section 15A-2-103, adopted code editions
- Utah DOPL contracting
- Utah Division of Water Rights
- Utah State Construction Registry
Frequently asked questions
When do I need a permit in Tooele County?
The county states that state and county laws require a permit before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving, demolishing or changing the use of any building or structure, including work on electrical, plumbing, gas or mechanical systems. There are exceptions, and the county asks you to call the inspectors to confirm.
What has to be on my site plan?
The size of the property, the location and distances of any existing buildings, wells and septic systems, and the location of the structure you intend to build. Zoning officers use it to verify setbacks from property lines, wells and septic systems, and the building department uses it to check required separation of buildings on the lot.
Do I need an architect?
On any commercial project, yes — the county states it must be prepared by a licensed architect. Some elements of residential construction may also need to be engineered, and the county says the inspectors can help identify which.
What are the fire protection criteria?
Requirements published at the end of the county's building permit application and general instructions document. The county asks specifically that you review them to ensure compliance prior to applying for a building permit — on rural parcels they turn on water supply and access.
Have impact fees changed?
Yes. The county adopted an impact fee ordinance in 2024 creating new impact fees effective from December of that year. Any figure from before then is stale, so confirm the current schedule.
What else do I need to submit?
A completed permit application, the site plan, proof of ownership or permission to build on the property, and construction documents described as a complete set of plans with enough information to show the structural and physical elements of the project.
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; the residential code remains 2021 and the electrical code 2023.
Is Tooele County the same as Tooele City?
No. They share a name, and the county serves the unincorporated remainder while Tooele City and Grantsville run their own arrangements. The county also contains substantial federal land that sits outside county building jurisdiction entirely.
What if the county cannot inspect in time?
Utah law lets you use a third-party inspection firm when the city or county cannot inspect within three business days of your request. Pick a firm from the building department's approved list and tell the building department which firm you will use before you hire it.
Does distance affect inspections?
In practice, yes. Tooele County is geographically enormous, so inspector travel to a remote parcel consumes a large part of a working day. Give generous notice, be genuinely ready, and make access straightforward.
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. The county's own fire protection criteria are a separate matter and do apply.
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.
Simplify Tooele County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Tooele County tells you exactly what it wants — a site plan with wells and septic on it, fire criteria read before you apply, an architect on commercial work — and most incomplete applications here ignore one of those. Alliance Permitting prepares, files and tracks Tooele County 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 Tooele County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We draw the site plan with wells, septic and distances, because setbacks are measured from them.
- We read the fire protection criteria before design is fixed, as the county asks.
- We confirm the current impact fee schedule rather than working from a pre-2024 figure.
- We put a licensed architect on commercial work from the outset, since the county requires it.
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 Tooele County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.