How Lehi Handles Accessory Structures: A Practical Guide

Lehi maintains 115 local ordinances across all categories, and 5 of those deal specifically with accessory structures. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Lehi falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

ADU Rental Restrictions

Lehi requires an active ADU license for as long as an accessory dwelling unit is rented, and Section 26.030(H) forces a choice: a property may hold both an ADU permit and a Short-Term Rental permit, but only one of the two uses may be active at a time on the lot.

Key details: License required: Active ADU license while unit is rented. ADU vs Short-Term Rental: Only one active at a time. ADUs per lot: One in service at any given time. Governing section: Development Code Section 26.030(H).

Renting an ADU without a current ADU license, or running an ADU tenancy alongside an active Short-Term Rental permit on the same lot, violates Section 26.030(H) and can be enforced under Chapter 34 through citation, fines, and suspension of the rental use until the property is brought back to a single active licensed use.

ADU Impact Fees

Before a Lehi accessory dwelling unit can be built, the owner must clear a separate Building Division review beyond Planning Division approval, and Section 26.030(G) requires paying every applicable fee, including impact fees, before construction of the ADU begins.

Key details: Fees due: Before construction begins, not at completion. Fee type: Building permit fees plus impact fees. Approvals needed: Planning Division and Building Division separately. Applies to: Internal and detached ADUs alike.

Starting construction on an ADU before obtaining a Building Division permit and paying applicable impact fees violates Section 26.030(G). The City can issue a stop-work order, require payment of the unpaid fees before work resumes, and withhold final approval, which also blocks the ADU license needed to legally rent the unit.

ADU Rules

Lehi allows one accessory dwelling unit in an owner-occupied single-family detached home, but only after Planning Division permits and approvals are obtained. The lot must be at least 6,000 square feet, and Section 26.030(D) bars ADUs entirely from any parcel identified on the city's ADU Restricted Area Map.

Key details: Minimum lot size, internal ADU: 6,000 square feet. Minimum lot size, detached ADU: 11,000 square feet. Parking stall size: 9 by 20 feet, separate stall. Permits required: Planning Division permit and approval. ADUs per lot: One only, internal or detached.

An ADU built or occupied without Planning Division permits is unpermitted construction under Section 26.030, enforceable through the City's Chapter 34 process, which can include stop-work orders, fines, and a bar on rental use until the unit is brought into compliance. Building on a lot under 6,000 square feet, or on a parcel shown on the ADU Restricted Area Map, is not correctable by permit and forces removal or conversion of the space back to non-dwelling use.

ADU Owner Occupancy

Lehi will not license an accessory dwelling unit unless the owner of the primary home actually lives there. Section 26.030(A) requires the owner to sign and record an affidavit against the property confirming owner occupancy, binding every future owner who wants to keep operating the ADU.

Key details: Owner occupancy: Required for ADU license. Affidavit: Signed and recorded against the property. Binds: All future owners who operate the ADU. Applies to: Both internal and detached ADUs.

An ADU operating under an owner who does not occupy the primary residence violates the recorded affidavit required by Section 26.030(A). The Planning Division can revoke the ADU license and require the rental to stop under Chapter 34 enforcement until the title holder resumes occupancy or the accessory unit is converted back to non-dwelling use.

Shed & Carport Rules

Lehi bars accessory buildings and sheds from any required front yard and from utility easements, caps rear-yard coverage at 30 percent of the lot, and scales side and rear setbacks to the structure's height under Development Code Sections 26.050, 26.060 and 26.070.

Key details: Front yard placement: Accessory buildings prohibited entirely. Rear yard coverage cap: 30% of the rear yard. Minimum setback, under 16 ft: 2 feet side and rear. Setback, 16-24 ft structures: 5 feet side and rear. Setback, over 24 ft: 8 feet side and rear.

Placing a shed or accessory building in a required front yard, inside a utility easement, or closer to the property line than the height-based setback in Section 26.050 allows is a zoning violation subject to Chapter 34 enforcement, which can require relocation or removal of the structure and impose fines for continued noncompliance. Exceeding 30 percent rear-yard coverage under Section 26.060 draws the same enforcement.

The Bottom Line

Lehi's accessory structures rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Lehi is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Lehi's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.