County Building Permits
Washington County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Washington County, Utah. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Applies to unincorporated Washington County only, not incorporated cities and towns
- Department
- Washington County Community Development
- Address
- 111 East Tabernacle St., St. George, UT 84770
- Phone
- 435-301-7250
Online Permit Portal
Platform: County online permitting software • Account required: Yes • Submission: Online only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Determine whether the parcel is in unincorporated Washington County and gather all required building permit documents
- Apply electronically through the county's online permitting software system; the department only accepts building permit applications electronically
- Upload required documents, including water verification and septic permit materials where applicable
- Track status through the link automatically sent by the system after application receipt
- Pay permit fees and state surcharge once reviewed
- Request inspections after work is complete and ready; 24-hour notice is required and permit number is required when scheduling
- Complete all inspections and final approval items before occupancy / closeout
Typical processing time: No firm number stated; status tracking is provided after submittal
General Requirements
Building permits required for county-regulated construction in unincorporated areas
Required Documents
- County building permit documents
- Septic permit from Southwest Utah Public Health Department
- Verification of water
- Project-specific building permit documents
- Permit validity
- Default Utah-adopted 180-day code standard likely applies unless locally amended
- Building code
- Utah statewide adopted 2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IEBC and related Utah codes, plus any county amendments
- Contractor requirements
- Utah DOPL licensing applies
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- $23.50 for total valuation $1.00 to $500.00
- Plan check fee
- Additional plan review due to changes, additions, or revisions is $100.00 per hour minimum one-half hour; outside consultant costs billed at actual cost
- Permit fee formula
- Valuation-based permit fee table; state surcharge is 1 percent of building permit
- Reinspection fee
- $100.00 per hour; inspections outside normal business hours are $100.00 per hour minimum two hours
- Payment note
- County bills actual outside consultant, administrative, and overhead costs where applicable
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Washington County Community Development to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- County online permitting system (online)
- Scheduling deadline
- 24-hour notice required after work is complete and ready for inspection
Typical inspection sequence: Project-specific county building inspection sequence after permit issuance
Additional Resources
- Building code: Utah statewide adopted 2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IEBC and related Utah codes, plus any county amendments
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Building Permit Documents
- Community Development Fees
- License lookup guide: Utah Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Utah Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Utah hub: Utah Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Washington County Community Development before applying.
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