Sandy, UT Accessory Structures: Garage Conversions (2026)

Sandy City Code Section 21-11-1 permits converting an existing accessory structure, including a shed, garage, or workshop, into a guesthouse, but only if the resulting guesthouse complies with every guesthouse standard in the title along with the adopted Building Code. Critically, the section adds a parking protection: the number of required off-street parking stalls shall not be eliminated with the conversion of an accessory garage, meaning a homeowner cannot convert a garage that supplies the home's mandatory parking without replacing that parking elsewhere on-site. Because the converted space becomes a guesthouse, it must also meet the section's other guesthouse limits: the lot must contain at least 20,000 square feet with an existing owner-occupied single-family home, the guesthouse cannot exceed 400 square feet or have more than one bedroom, it is limited to a single story, and no basement is allowed within it.

If the guesthouse is attached to an existing accessory structure, its living space must sit at least ten feet from the property line, and if it stands alone, the setback is ten feet from side and rear lines and six feet from the primary dwelling. 75 cubic feet and 36 inches tall, six feet of counter length, and a wet bar sink no wider than 12 inches, but no full-size kitchen is allowed. Approval requires an administrative special use permit from the Community Development Department, a site plan and architectural elevations, and recordation with the Salt Lake County Recorder's Office before a building permit issues, and yearly inspections may be required if the Director or Chief Building Official determines it appropriate.