West Valley City building department

West Valley City’s Building Inspection Division, part of Community and Economic Development at City Hall (3600 South Constitution Boulevard), handles plan review, permits, and inspections inside the city. The office is open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Field inspections run on the same days, with the first at 8 a.m. and the last at 4:30 p.m. Taylorsville, Kearns, Magna, and West Jordan border the city and use other building offices, so check your parcel before you apply. For commercial projects, the division says the project routing packet matters, because several departments and agencies have to sign off before a permit is issued.

What needs a permit

The city’s permit-requirements list for single-family homes includes these projects:

• Fixed electrical appliances that don’t replace similar ones
• Any change to gas lines, ductwork, circuits, the electrical service, or panels
• Plumbing changes that add or remove fixtures
• Moving or adding interior walls, finishing a basement or other unfinished area, or changing a room’s use
• Roof conversions, and reroofing (re-shingle, re-tar, or tar and gravel)
• Detached structures over 200 sq ft
• Decks or platforms more than 30 inches above grade
• Changing or lowering kitchen cabinets and countertops
• Retaining walls holding more than 4 feet of earth
• Awnings projecting more than 54 inches
• Additions, garages, and carports
• In-ground pools, hot tubs, and spas
• Fireplaces and woodstoves
• Replacing or repairing a furnace, water heater, boiler, AC unit, evaporative cooler, or heat pump
• Replacing or adding exterior windows

No building permit is needed for:

• Decks or platforms under 30 inches
• One-story detached structures of 200 sq ft or less
• Driveways and patios without roofs
• Fences 6 feet or shorter, whether concrete, masonry, plastic, or wood
• Like-for-like plumbing fixture, light, or receptacle swaps
• Small like-for-like siding repairs

Even without a building permit, Planning & Zoning must approve where an exempt deck or shed goes; call (801) 963-3312. Work on the public sidewalk, curb and gutter, or driveway approach needs a Public Works permit first; call (801) 963-3318. See the site’s deck guide for more on deck permits.

Applying and plan review

Apply through the city’s online permit portal. For digital plan review, upload one PDF for each of these, as they apply:

• A complete plan set covering civil/site, architectural, structural, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical work, with trades kept in the same set
• Structural calculations
• Energy compliance documents (REScheck, COMcheck, or prescriptive)
• Specifications
• A geotechnical report
• Any other project documents

Stamped plans are required for new houses and duplexes and for commercial new buildings, additions, or remodels over 2,000 sq ft. Residential additions, remodels, garages, and sheds generally don’t need stamps unless the construction is unusual. The division’s published review times are:

Project	Typical review
Residential remodel, garage, shed	3–5 days
New house	10 days
Commercial	3–4 weeks

Usually the licensed general contractor pulls the permit and lists the electrical, plumbing, and mechanical subcontractors on a contractor verification form. Owner-builders don’t need a license and may do all the work themselves. Under state law, a buyer in a pending home purchase who doesn’t own the lot can’t do electrical, mechanical, or plumbing work on the home.

Fees

West Valley City lists flat permit fees, which are a base amount plus small state and technology surcharges. Examples:

Work	Published total
Re-shingle a roof	$53
Roof conversion	$111.30
Deck (covered or uncovered)	$73
Furnace and AC (residential)	$56.18
Electrical upgrade, 200–400 amps	$79.50
Rooftop solar	$106 (S200-licensed electrical contractor only)
Swimming pool	$205.50
Wood stove	$21.20
Demolition	$53 per building
Re-inspection	$53

Basement remodels are priced by square footage, with a $53 minimum. Fire-repair permits are priced by valuation.

Codes and design criteria

The division’s design criteria took effect April 18, 2026, and list these codes:

• 2024 IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, and IFC
• 2021 IRC, including Chapter 11 as amended by the state
• 2023 NEC
• ASHRAE 90.1-2016
• ICC A117.1-2009

Its local design values are:

• Wind speed: 103 mph
• Seismic design category: D
• Frost line: 30 inches
• Winter design temperature: 8°F
• Ice-shield underlayment: required

New structures in the city’s southwest corner may fall under the Overpressure Zone ordinance (Municipal Code 7-10); call (801) 963-3519 to confirm.

Inspections

Inspection requests can usually be handled within 24 hours. Major projects get a primary and a secondary inspector. Weekend inspections need approval from the Chief Building Official and cost extra. The Residential Video Inspection Program lets you have some inspections done over FaceTime or Google Duo, including rooftop solar, furnace, water heater, water softener, re-pipe, gas line extension, AC change-out, water main repair, service change, and swamp cooler work. To use it, call (801) 963-3283 at least an hour ahead with the permit number, the app you’ll use, and the installer’s name and phone number. Results are posted in the city portal. Under a state-law mutual aid agreement, Sandy, West Jordan, and the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District can perform inspections if West Valley City can’t meet a request made with 3 or more days’ notice.

Contacts

• Building Inspection Division: (801) 963-3283. The commercial plans examiner for digital submittals is at (801) 963-3316.
• Planning & Zoning: Suite 220, (801) 963-3282, also open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.