West Jordan, UT Accessory Structures: Garage Conversions (2026)
Garage conversion rules in West Jordan, UT, sometimes called garage-to-ADU or accessory living unit conversions, govern permits, ceiling height, egress, and parking replacement.
Key Facts
- Garage replacement required
- Two-car garage before conversion
- Standard applies to
- Required, approved attached garages
- ADU parking add-on
- 9' x 18' paved space, no tandem
- Citation
- City Code § 13-5A-2, note 3.A.6
Summary
An attached garage that was required to meet a home's parking standards cannot become living space in West Jordan unless a replacement two-car garage goes in first. Note 3.A.6 to section 13-5A-2 ties any garage conversion to an accessory dwelling unit to full replacement of the required parking, not just a reduction.
6. The primary dwelling is required to maintain the minimum parking standards for the primary dwelling including the two (2) car garage parking requirement where applicable. Attached garages required and approved as part of the primary dwelling unit may not be converted to an accessory dwelling unit unless the required two (2) car garage is replaced on the property meeting all requirements of 2009 City Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-38: Code current through: Ord. 26-33, passed 6-23-2026).
Full Breakdown
West Jordan's accessory dwelling unit rules for the Agricultural Zones treat a required garage as protected parking, not spare square footage. Every primary dwelling must keep the minimum parking required for it, including the two-car garage where the zoning requires one. If a homeowner wants to convert an attached, required garage into an accessory dwelling unit, the code does not allow a straight conversion: the required two-car garage must first be replaced elsewhere on the property, built to meet all current City Code requirements, before the original garage space can become an ADU.
This prevents a property from losing its required off-street parking simply because the space was repurposed into living area. The rule sits alongside a separate ADU parking condition in the same note: any accessory dwelling unit, once created, needs its own additional off-street parking space at least nine feet by eighteen feet, paved in asphalt or concrete, that cannot be tandem with or block the primary dwelling's required parking. Read together, the two provisions mean a garage conversion effectively requires building a new two-car garage plus a separate 9-by-18 pad for the ADU itself, not simply repurposing the existing garage bay. 6, so the replacement requirement is not unique to agricultural-zoned property.
Violations & Fines
Converting a required garage into an ADU without replacing the two-car garage is a zoning violation the development services department can enforce under sections 13-4-1 and 13-4-4, including a stop-work order or permit revocation. Section 13-4-11 treats the violation as a Class C misdemeanor, with each day the property remains out of compliance charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I convert my attached garage into an ADU in West Jordan?
Does the ADU still need its own parking after a garage conversion?
Does this garage-conversion rule apply outside the agricultural zones?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Jordan
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Garage Conversions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle garage conversions.