Iron County, UT Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit requirement
- Required before any construction, alteration, or demolition
- Exemption threshold
- Repairs/improvements under $500 need no permit
- Permit expiration
- Void if work not started within 6 months
- Frontage rule
- Lot needs 20 feet of street/easement frontage
- Fee basis
- Uniform Building Code Fee Schedule
- Infraction fine
- Up to $750 under Section 1.08.010(C)
Summary
Iron County makes it unlawful to construct, alter, repair, remove, or demolish any building or structure in the unincorporated area without first filing a written application with the county building inspector and getting a formal permit. The only exemption in the ordinance covers repairs or improvements valued under five hundred dollars, and the lot itself needs at least twenty feet of street or easement frontage before a permit can issue.
A.Any person violating any of the provisions or failing to comply with any of the mandatory requirements of the ordinances of the county shall be guilty of an infraction unless the violation is made a misdemeanor by ordinance. ... C.Any person convicted of an infraction for violation of an ordinance of the county is punishable by a penalty of a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars. ... It is unlawful to construct, alter, repair or improve, remove or demolish, or to commence the construction, alteration, removal or demolition of a building or structure without first filing with the building inspector an application in writing and obtaining a formal permit, except that such permit shall not be required for repairs or improvements of a value of less than five hundred dollars. ... D.A building permit under which no work is commenced within six months after issuance shall expire by limitation. ... F.A building permit shall not be issued for any building or structure on any lot or parcel of land unless that lot or parcel adjoins for a minimum distance of twenty feet directly upon a street or upon a permanent easement not less than twenty feet in width.
Full Breakdown
Section 15.04.010 requires anyone who wants to construct, alter, repair, improve, remove, or demolish a building or structure in unincorporated Iron County to file a written application with the county building inspector and obtain a formal permit before starting work; the code exempts only repairs or improvements worth less than five hundred dollars. Section 15.04.020 requires the application to come from the owner, a lessee, or an authorized agent, architect, engineer, or builder, and Section 15.04.030 requires a duplicate plot plan showing the lot's dimensions, the improvement's dimensions, and its distance from the front, side, and rear lot lines, along with the location of water, sewer, and any private disposal system.
The building inspector examines the application within a reasonable time and either approves it or rejects it with written findings delivered to the applicant, per Section 15.04.060, and may issue a permit for part of a project before the full plans are approved under Section 15.04.070. Under Section 15.04.080(D), a permit expires by limitation if no work is commenced within six months of issuance, and under Section 15.04.080(F), the county will not issue a permit at all unless the lot adjoins a dedicated street, or a permanent easement, for a minimum of twenty feet.
Fees follow the Uniform Building Code Fee Schedule under Section 15.04.130, and the building inspector or zoning administrator can revoke a permit for a false statement or misrepresentation in the application under Section 15.04.110. This chapter governs only the unincorporated area; Cedar City, Enoch, Parowan, Brian Head, Kanarraville, and Paragonah each administer their own building permits.
Violations & Fines
Constructing, altering, or demolishing a building or structure without the required permit violates Section 15.04.010. Under Section 1.08.010(A) that violation is an infraction unless another ordinance makes it a misdemeanor, and Section 1.08.010(C) sets the infraction fine at not more than seven hundred fifty dollars. The building inspector can revoke a permit obtained through a false statement under Section 15.04.110, and issuing a permit on a lot without the required twenty feet of frontage also breaches Section 15.04.080(F).
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Iron County require a building permit?
What has to be included in a building permit application?
How long does a building permit last before it expires?
What is the penalty for building without a permit in Iron County?
Does my lot need direct street frontage to get a building permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Iron County
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