Orem, UT Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Orem City Code § 7-3-1
- Prerequisite
- Fees, utility charges, bonds paid/posted first
- Sewer/water rule
- Lines installed & grade set (waivable)
- Subdivision rule
- Plat must be recorded before permit
- Bond range
- $1,000 residential; $4,000-$10,000 nonresidential
Summary
Before Orem's Building Safety Division will issue a building permit, every fee has to be paid and every required bond posted: permit fees, City utility fees like sewer and water connection charges, and proof the sewer and water lines already reach the lot with the final grade set.
Building permits shall not be issued until all permit fees and City utility fees are paid, all required bonds are posted and all required documents are submitted. City utility fees may include, but are not limited to, sewer connection fee, sewer inspection fee, water meter fee, water connection fee and asphalt patching fee. No building permit shall be issued until the sewer and water lines have been installed to the lot and the final grade has been determined; provided, however, that the Director of Public Works may waive this requirement by written authorization. No building permit shall be issued for a lot within a subdivision until the subdivision plat has been recorded.
Full Breakdown
Section 7-3-1, Payment of Fees, blocks permit issuance on multiple fronts at once: building permits shall not be issued until all permit fees and City utility fees are paid, all required bonds are posted, and all required documents are submitted, and City utility fees expressly include sewer connection, sewer inspection, water meter, water connection, and asphalt patching fees. The section adds two hard prerequisites: no building permit may issue until sewer and water lines are installed to the lot and the final grade is determined, though the Director of Public Works may waive that requirement in writing, and no permit may issue for a lot inside a subdivision until the subdivision plat is recorded.
Section 7-3-2 layers on a public improvement and repair bond, due before the permit issues, with a $1,000 minimum for freestanding single-family residential construction and a frontage-based scale for everything else: $4,000 up to 100 feet of street frontage, $6,000 up to 200 feet, $8,000 up to 300 feet, and $10,000 beyond that, covering curb, gutter, sidewalk, drainage, paving, fire hydrants, fencing, and landscaping tied to the permit.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 7, including issuing or accepting work under a permit obtained without the required fees, bonds, or recorded plat, is a Class B misdemeanor under Section 7-3-9: up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must be paid before Orem issues a building permit?
Can I get a building permit before my subdivision plat is recorded?
Is a bond required to get a building permit in Orem?
Can the sewer and water line requirement be waived?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orem
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Building Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Utah County handle building permits.