Before You Build in Orem, UT: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Orem caps any fence, wall, hedge or enclosing structure at 36 inches above finished grade within a front setback or clear view area, and limits general fencing to about 8 feet elsewhere; sport-court, pool, tennis and backstop enclosures may reach 12 feet under Orem City Code 22-14-19.

Orem follows Utah general property law for shared fences. Utah Code §17-15-3 provides county fence viewers for disputes. No Orem-specific cost-sharing ordinance exists. Fences must not create vision hazards near driveways.

Orem requires a written fence permit for new fences and a building permit for masonry or concrete fences, pools and retaining walls four feet or more high; standard wood or vinyl fences need the fence permit but not a building permit, and simple fence repairs need no permit.

All residential pools in Orem require a building permit. Safety standards follow the IRC and Utah Admin Code R392-302. Pool drains must comply with the Virginia Graeme Baker Act. Commercial pools require Utah County Health Department approval.

Orem City Code Section 22-6-9(J) requires every in-ground pool, and every above-ground pool with a wall height of 36 inches or more, to be completely surrounded by a fence or wall at least five feet high, set back five feet from property lines, with self-closing, self-latching gates and no opening that passes a four-inch sphere.

The City of Orem requires a building permit for swimming pools, hot tubs and spas, with the only exception being prefabricated swimming pools less than 24 inches deep; permits are applied for through Orem's online building permit portal and reviewed against the 2021 IBC, IMC, IPC, ISPSC and related codes.

Above-ground pools in Orem require a building permit and must meet the same fence/barrier requirements as in-ground pools. Associated decking may require an additional permit. Self-closing, self-latching gate access points are required.

Orem City Code 22-6-10(J) allows enclosing a pre-March-2000 attached carport into a garage if it sits at least 5 feet from the side and 25 feet from the front property line, the existing footprint is not enlarged in a nonconforming way, and a building permit is issued. If you convert a garage into living space and create an internal ADU, Utah Code 10-9a-530(4)(c) lets the city require replacement of the lost parking.

Orem requires the property owner to live in either the main residence or the accessory apartment, and detached accessory buildings may not be used as a separate apartment (Orem City Code 22-6-8(D)(7)). Internal ADUs created within an owner-occupied single-family home are a permitted use statewide under Utah Code 10-9a-530.

Carports in Orem are accessory structures counted toward the 8%/12% accessory footprint cap under 22-6-8(D), and any accessory building over 500 square feet or 50% of the main home's footprint must use residential styling with a matching roof pitch and similar exterior materials (22-6-8(D)(5)). Multifamily carports may have flat roofs.

Orem allows only one single-family dwelling per residential lot (22-6-8(F)), prohibits using a detached accessory building as a separate apartment or guest house (22-6-8(D)(7)), and bans shipping containers, semi-trailers, boxcars, and PODS as residential structures (22-6-8(D)(9)) - which together restrict standalone tiny homes. Tiny dwellings within the main house may qualify as internal ADUs under Utah Code 10-9a-530.

Orem City Code 22-6-8(D) caps the combined footprint of all accessory buildings at 8% of a single-family parcel (12% for multifamily), requires a 6-foot gap from the main house for any permitted structure, limits rear-yard accessory buildings to 18 feet in height, and bans shipping containers and PODS as permanent structures. A building permit is not required for a shed of 200 square feet or smaller on single/two-family lots.

Orem's Fire Division allows backyard recreational fire pits year-round, but the fire pit diameter should not exceed 3 feet and the fire must be kept at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material, attended by an adult, with a means of extinguishment on hand. The adopted 2021 IFC supplies the same clearance baseline.

Open burning in Orem requires a burn permit from the Orem Fire Division and is only allowed during Utah's residential burn windows - roughly March 30-May 30 and Sept. 15-Oct. 30 - and only when the clearing index is 500 or higher. Burning anything related to property development, including trees and brush from clearing, is prohibited.

Orem City Code Section 11-1-3 declares dead, decayed, diseased, or hazardous trees, weeds, hedges, and overgrown or uncultivated vegetation a public nuisance when they are in a hazardous condition, obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or are likely to harbor pests, requiring property owners to trim or remove them.

Orem has no fixed year-round watering-day or watering-hour ordinance for residents; mandatory odd-even watering days (by street address) are imposed only when the City Manager declares a Severe Stage water shortage under the City's Water Shortage Management Plan, while everyday outdoor irrigation is governed by efficiency expectations and Utah's water-wise landscaping statute.

Tree removal on private property in Orem is generally permitted without a city permit for most trees. Heritage trees under the Utah Heritage Tree Act require a permit. Street or right-of-way trees require city approval.