General building work permit checklist — Salt Lake City, Utah
Assembled from Salt Lake City’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
Salt Lake City requires a permit for general building work.
Salt Lake City exempts a set of small-scale projects. Surface finishes such as paint, wallpaper and flooring are on the list, along with cosmetic work generally. Sheds and playhouses qualify below 200 square feet at a residence and below 120 square feet at a commercial property. Free-standing cases, counters and partitions are exempt while they stop at five feet or lower. A retaining wall qualifies at four feet or less, sized from the footing base to the wall's highest point, provided nothing loads it from behind and it holds back no flammable liquid. Grade-supported water tanks are exempt up to 5,000 gallons where the height is no more than twice the width. Temporary sets and scenery for film, television and theater are exempt, and so is a window awning on a Group R-3 or Group M building that reaches out 54 inches or less.
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Sources
- building — fee schedule ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Salt Lake City publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with Salt Lake City before you build.