Orem, UT Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Orem City Code Section 22-6-8(A) sets a uniform structure height ceiling for every residential zone: R20, R12, R8, R7.5, R6.5, R6 and R5. The baseline maximum is 35 feet above grade for all seven zones except R12 and R20. In those two larger-lot zones only, up to 20% of the total roof area (measured in plan view) may rise to 45 feet, but only if every part of the building above 35 feet sits at least 50 feet from every property line. The code also sets a minimum: every dwelling must reach at least 8 feet above ground level or one full story, whichever is greater, so a structure can't be built artificially low to dodge other standards.

A separate carve-out lets certain features exceed the 35-foot cap without triggering the R12/R20 roof-area rule. Cupolas, non-occupied domes, chimneys, ventilators, skylights, cornices, antennas and properly screened mechanical equipment are excluded from the height limitation entirely, but even they cannot exceed 45 feet measured from the average finished grade of the yard where they sit, and the portion above 35 feet cannot cover more than 50% of the gross floor area of the building's top floor. Orem's Development Services Department reviews height compliance during building permit review for any new residential construction or addition; plans showing a roof feature or rooftop equipment above these limits are rejected until redesigned or until the applicant secures the 50-foot setback needed for the R12/R20 exception. The standard was enacted in 1990 and has been amended several times since, most recently in 2007.