Do You Need a Building Permit in the Uintah Basin?

Most projects that add space, change the structure, or touch wiring, plumbing or gas need a building permit; a small detached shed or a same-size window swap often doesn't. Inside city or town limits, the city or town issues permits, and outside them the county does. Find your office in the table below, and call before you build, since each office has the final say.

The short answer: who to call for your address#

Not sure if you're inside city limits? Check your property tax notice, or call the city first. If the address isn't theirs, they'll tell you, and then you call the county. Take Lapoint: it isn't its own city, so a Lapoint property goes through Uintah County.

Projects that almost always need a building permit#

Vernal City publishes one of the clearest lists in the Basin, so start there. Vernal's When do I need a permit sheet says you need a permit for:

• Adding a room
• Building, demolishing or moving a carport, garage or shed over 200 square feet
• Finishing living space in an attic, garage or basement
• Cutting a new window or door opening, or widening an existing one
• Moving or removing walls
• Re-roofing (Vernal allows only one recover layer)
• Stairways
• Retaining walls or block walls over 2 feet
• Decks more than 30 inches above grade
• Building or enclosing a patio
• Electrical, plumbing or mechanical work beyond routine maintenance

If you're planning an addition, remodel or garage, or decks, retaining walls and footings, figure a permit is part of the job until your office tells you otherwise.

Every office sets its own list. Use Vernal's as a guide and check with yours.

New homes and manufactured homes#

A new home needs a building permit everywhere in the Basin, and so does setting a manufactured or mobile home. Vernal lists manufactured home set-up on its residential permit page. Roosevelt has a mobile home inspection permit. Daggett County's permit covers mobile home set-up.

Electrical, plumbing and gas work#

Don't assume trade work is too small to count. Vernal requires a permit for mechanical, electrical and plumbing work beyond routine maintenance. Duchesne City's checklist calls out electrical changes and new water heaters or furnaces. Colorado handles electrical differently. Rio Blanco County says electrical permits go through the State of Colorado, and Rangely handles electrical under state statute through the State Electrical Board.

What's usually exempt (and the catches)#

The most common exemption is a small shed. Here's what the offices have published:

• Vernal: a one-story, non-habitable detached accessory building of 200 square feet or less with no electrical, plumbing or mechanical work. Replacing doors and windows with no structural change is also exempt, and so is playground equipment.
• Uintah County: a one-story detached accessory structure of 200 square feet or less, under IRC R105.2.
• Daggett County: agricultural buildings and detached accessory buildings under 200 square feet.
• Duchesne County: a one-story shed of 200 square feet or less, plus detached decks of 200 square feet or less, 30 inches or less above grade, that don't serve the required exit.

Now the catches.

Duchesne County's shed exemption depends on what's already on the lot. It only applies if there's a house there already. On vacant land, any building needs a permit no matter how small (unless it's used only for agriculture), per the county's What Buildings Need a Building Permit sheet. Garages and carports always need one. So does any building meant for people to occupy, whatever its size.

Colorado sets its own limits. In Rangely, call the building inspector at (970) 878-9450 to confirm what's exempt. Out in Rio Blanco County, some buildings, like detached garages and shops, can get a Rural Building Exemption instead of a permit. Call the county to see if yours qualifies.

Naples, Roosevelt and Dinosaur haven't published a general exemption list. Call the office before you skip a permit.

Exempt doesn't mean anything goes. Zoning setbacks still apply to buildings that don't need a permit.

Farm and ranch buildings#

Under Utah law, a structure used only for agriculture, and not for people to occupy, is exempt from the state construction code permit requirement. You'll usually still need to let the office know. Uintah County has an Agricultural Use Exemption application, and Roosevelt has an Ag Exemption Acknowledgement form. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work inside an exempt building may still need permits.

Moved and portable buildings#

In Uintah County, a portable or moved structure that stays on site more than 180 days is treated as permanent. Ask the county before you move one in.

Get it in writing#

Uintah County's own advice: describe the whole project to the office, and if they say no permit is needed, get that in writing. Do the same with any office.

City by city and county by county#

Vernal City#

Vernal's list of what needs a permit is above. Vernal says the first review of a residential permit typically takes 2 to 3 weeks. Plan for that before you schedule excavation or concrete. You can apply online through the Vernal permit portal.

Naples#

Naples is its own city and issues its own permits, per its where do I get a building permit page. One Basic Building Permit application covers building, remodeling, additions, demolition, moving a building, signs, solar and repairs. Apply in person or by email. A Naples permit is void if work doesn't start within 180 days, or if work stops for 180 days. The city hasn't published an exemption list or a typical review time, so call.

Unincorporated Uintah County (including Lapoint)#

The Uintah County Building Division handles permits and inspections for all construction outside city and town limits. For a house, the county wants a plot plan and plans designed to the International Residential Code. The plot plan has to show setbacks, easements, canals and ditches, wells or septic, and any FEMA floodplain.

Duchesne County and Duchesne City#

Outside city limits, Duchesne County's Department of Building Safety issues permits. The county won't issue any permit until the property has been evaluated for on-site wastewater (septic). Inside Duchesne City, the city's building checklist asks for a plot plan, contractor license numbers or an owner-builder form, and plans for code review. A planning and zoning member measures setbacks, so have your survey markers in place. Road crossing permits are separate. Duchesne City has its own building department and inspector, so the county doesn't issue permits inside city limits, per the county's permit packet.

Roosevelt#

Roosevelt City issues residential and duplex, commercial, mobile home inspection, demolition, sign, and right-of-way encroachment permits. Two local rules to know: every home needs a sewer backwater device, and water meter cans can't go in driveways. The city posts its fee table on the Building Department page. Roosevelt hasn't published a general exemption list, so call before you skip a permit.

Manila and Daggett County#

Inside town limits, the Town of Manila handles residential and commercial permits, plan review, inspections and Certificates of Occupancy. The town's permit package says every home and addition needs a permit, and so does any accessory building over 200 square feet and any structural change, roofing included. Turn the application in at least 8 days before the Planning and Zoning Board meeting, which is the first Monday of each month. Inspections are on Mondays, with 24 hours' notice. Outside town, Daggett County Planning & Zoning requires a permit to build, alter, repair, improve, remove or demolish any building or structure, and for mobile home set-up. The county asks for a non-refundable deposit with the application.

Rangely and Rio Blanco County, Colorado#

In Rangely, step one is a Notice of Activity application for anything that needs town approval, including building, zoning, floodplain and signs. The town says it reviews that notice in about 5 business days. After that, you apply for the permit online. Outside town limits, the Rio Blanco County Building Division in Meeker issues permits for new buildings, additions, alterations and repairs, and for new or repaired septic systems. Electrical goes through the State of Colorado.

Dinosaur, Colorado#

Dinosaur issues its own building permits through Town Hall. Call Town Hall at (970) 374-2286 to find out what needs a permit and what's exempt. It's open Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4pm.

How the permit process usually works#

Most residential permits in the Basin follow the same basic steps. These come from the Uintah County single-family home permit packet and Vernal's residential permit page.

1. Confirm your zone and setbacks.
2. Draw a plot plan. Show setbacks, easements, canals and ditches, wells or septic, and any floodplain. This is also where site prep gets planned.
3. Get plans drawn to code. Plans have to meet the code your office has adopted, like the International Residential Code for a house. Ask the office which local design requirements, such as frost depth and snow load, your plans need to meet.
4. Sort out septic first if you're not on sewer. Duchesne County won't issue any permit until the property has been evaluated for septic, and Uintah County wants wells and septic on the plot plan.
5. Submit the application. Vernal takes applications online. Naples takes them in person or by email. Rangely starts with its Notice of Activity form.
6. Wait for review. Vernal's typical first review time is listed above. Most other offices haven't published one, so ask when you submit.
7. Schedule inspections. Don't cover any work before it's inspected.
8. Final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy. For a new home or new living space, this is the sign-off that it's ready to use.

Commercial projects have a higher bar. In Uintah County, they need plans wet-stamped by an architect and engineer, plus a Fire Marshal stamp.

Doing it yourself vs. hiring a contractor#

In several Basin offices, a homeowner can pull their own permit as an owner-builder. Vernal has an Owner Builder Form. Roosevelt has an Owner Builder Contract. Duchesne City asks for either contractor license numbers or an owner-builder form. The work still has to pass inspection, and as the owner-builder, you're the one who keeps the job on track with the office.

If you hire a contractor, check the license first. You can look up a Utah contractor's license on the state's DOPL license lookup.

Planning a project?#

Not sure whether your project needs a permit? Call your office first. If you'd like Flat Rock to look at the project, call Tobin at (435) 790-4883, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.