Provo, UT Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required for
- Any work in a public way
- Issuing authority
- Provo City Engineer
- No-permit penalty
- 4x permit fee + stop order
- Exempt
- Hand-dug sprinkler/landscaping repairs
Summary
Private use of a Provo public way, sidewalk, street, or right-of-way easement requires a permit from the City Engineer, who evaluates capacity, potential damage, and disruption before issuing it.
Any Person desiring to perform work of any kind in a public way within the City, shall make application for a permit. The decision by the City to issue a permit shall include, among other factors determined by the City, the following:
(1) The capacity of the public way to accommodate the facilities or structures proposed to be installed in the public way;
(2) The capacity of the public way to accommodate multiple wires in addition to cables, conduits, pipes or other facilities or structures of other users of the public way, such as electrical power, telephone, gas, sewer and water;
(3) The damage or disruption, if any of public or private facilities, improvements, or landscaping previously existing in the public way; and
(4) The public interest in minimizing the cost and disruption of construction from numerous excavations of the public way.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-17, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
020 requires any person desiring to perform work of any kind in a public way to apply for a permit before starting. The City Engineer decides whether to issue it based on the public way's capacity to accommodate the proposed facility or structure, its capacity to accommodate other users' wires, cables, conduits, and pipes, the potential damage or disruption to existing public or private improvements and landscaping, and the public interest in minimizing the cost and disruption from repeated excavations of the same public way.
030 limits who may even apply: licensed general contractors, utility providers, property owners installing or maintaining less than 500 square feet or 100 linear feet of sidewalk, curb, gutter, or driveway approach adjacent to their residence, and persons whose service requires occupying the public way. 050 lets the City Engineer waive fees for low-income housing rehabilitation or beautification projects like decorative lighting or planter boxes. 030(9). 11 violation a class B misdemeanor, with each day counted as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Working in a Provo public way without first obtaining a permit under Section 15.11.020 triggers a stop order and a penalty fee equal to four times the total permit fee (15.11.160), and constitutes a class B misdemeanor under Section 15.11.220, with each day of continued violation charged separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need city approval to build something in the Provo right-of-way?
Who is allowed to apply for a Provo right-of-way work permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Provo
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Encroachment Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Utah County handle encroachment permits.