Ogden building department

Ogden City Building Inspections issues building and related permits and inspects new construction, remodels, tenant improvements, and other construction inside Ogden city limits. Weber County and nearby cities such as Roy, South Ogden, and North Ogden have their own permit offices. Ogden’s permit applications page tells applicants to confirm the address is in Ogden’s jurisdiction before applying. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except holidays.

When Ogden requires a permit

Ogden’s Permit Requirements page lists the work that needs a permit:

• Systems: any job that alters, changes, extends, installs, repairs, or replaces an electrical, natural gas, mechanical, or plumbing system
• Structures: building, enlarging, altering, or repairing any structure
• Replacements: a roof, furnace, or water heater
• Change of use: for example, turning a house into a business, adding units, or converting an office into a restaurant

The city’s examples include:

• Retaining walls
• Additions, garages, sheds, and carports
• New or widened window and door openings
• Demolitions
• Finished basements, bedrooms, and attics
• Signs
• Moving or building walls

Some work doesn’t need a building permit but still needs a Land Use permit to meet the municipal code. Examples are fences, driveways and accessory parking areas, landscaping, concrete pads, walkways, and detached residential accessory buildings of 200 sq ft or less. Parking slab and fence permits are free. Land Use applications need a site plan, and the city posts a guide called “How to Draw a Simple Site Plan.” Some exterior changes are restricted. For example, painting exterior brick in the East Central community is prohibited. Call Planning at (801) 629-8922 with questions about these projects. Also see the site’s fence permit guide.

Who can pull a permit

Ogden’s FAQ sets out who can apply:

• Commercial work and all residential rentals: only a Utah state-licensed contractor
• Owner-occupied homes: the homeowner or a licensed contractor

Applying through EnerGov Self Service

Apply online through Ogden’s EnerGov Self Service portal. It has separate application categories for:

• Commercial: apartment buildings, industrial, office, retail, restaurants, and fire damage
• Residential: single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and fire damage
• Fire: commercial alarms, sprinklers, and kitchen hoods, plus residential buildings with more than two units, excluding townhouses
• Land Use
• Demolition
• Vacant Building: buildings vacant more than 90 days or cited as a public nuisance
• Engineering

The city says to allow 1–3 days for an application to be processed.

Upload each document type as its own PDF:

• New construction (which also needs Planning approval):
  • Complete plan set, including site, civil, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing
  • Structural calculations
  • Geotechnical report
  • Project specifications
  • ResCheck or ComCheck
• Remodels:
  • Floor plans
  • Structural calculations
  • Specifications
  • Energy compliance
  • Installation manuals and spec sheets, where they apply

Drawings must be sealed, signed, and dated by a Utah-licensed design professional, and digital stamps are accepted. Partial submittals are not reviewed.

Projects in the Business Depot of Ogden need BDO approval, and some sites need Ogden-Hinckley Airport approval. Before a demolition permit is issued, you need these clearances:

• Asbestos: Utah Division of Air Quality
• Power: Rocky Mountain Power
• Gas: Dominion Energy
• Water: Ogden Public Utilities

Review times and fees

When an application is accepted, you pay a $70.50 deposit. That amount is the plan review fee for both commercial and residential projects, and it is credited toward the final permit price. After the deposit is paid, plan review takes 10–15 business days, and re-reviews take 5–7 business days. Simple residential projects can get over-the-counter plan review, such as a basement finish or a remodel of existing space. Most commercial work goes to several departments and needs a full plan submittal.

Building permit fees are set in Ogden Municipal Code Title 4, Chapter 6. Building Inspections also collects the sanitary sewer impact fee on behalf of Central Weber Sewer District when the permit is issued. For impact fee amounts, call the district at (801) 731-3011. Pay permit invoices online through the city’s payment link on the Permit Applications page.

Inspections

To schedule an inspection, call (801) 629-8950. For questions about an inspection, call (801) 629-8985. Ogden’s FAQ lists the inspections a project typically needs:

• Footing and foundation
• Under-slab steel and under-slab piping or ductwork
• Sewer and water laterals
• Plumbing, HVAC, and electrical
• Conduit
• Rough (4-way)
• Framing
• Fire and smoke penetrations
• Rated or shear-wall gypsum board
• Above-ceiling
• Energy code
• Power to panel
• Retaining walls
• Final

At every inspection, the address must be posted, the approved plans must be on site, the work must be open and accessible, and a ladder must be available for attic and roof access. Before the final inspection, any required Fire, Engineering, Water, and Business Licensing approvals must be complete. Monthly reports of issued permits are posted on the city’s Building Permit Records page.

Contact

Building Inspections lists its address as 2549 Washington Boulevard, Suite 240, Ogden, UT 84401. The Permit Applications page gives Suite 220 for the permits office. You can reach the permits office at (801) 629-8950 or [email protected]. The Planning numbers are (801) 629-8930, (801) 629-8920, and (801) 629-8922.