Building permits, zoning and land rules in Daggett County, Utah

Yes. In unincorporated Daggett County, a written application and formal permit are required before constructing, altering, repairing, improving, removing or demolishing a structure, or setting up a mobile home¹. Detached accessory buildings smaller than 200 square feet are exempt, while agricultural buildings used only for agriculture and not for human occupancy follow a separate exemption^5,8. Plumbing, electrical or mechanical work in an otherwise exempt agricultural building can still require permits⁵.

Daggett County has adopted building, plumbing, electrical and energy codes for its unincorporated area². Permit fees vary with the current International Building Code fee basis, and the county requires a nonrefundable deposit of $600 for a dwelling or $200 for an accessory-building application^4,8.

Daggett County Planning & Zoning provides building-permit applications through its courthouse office⁴. The county can mail the application and related forms to applicants who contact that office; Manila town requirements go through the Manila Town Office¹. For unincorporated land, submit a written application with duplicate scaled plans showing enough property, use, dimensional, utility and wastewater information for review⁸.

The building inspector approves a compliant application or rejects it with the finding attached⁸. A permit expires if work does not begin within 180 days, and the applicant must give at least 24 hours' written or electronic notice before starting⁸. Residential structures and additions are inspected during construction: the permit holder contacts the building inspector with at least 24 hours' notice, an approved inspection is needed every 180 days or the permit expires, and a final inspection comes before occupancy⁹. Owner-builders attach a notarized Owner Builder Certification to the building permit application; Utah's limited owner-builder license exemption does not replace the county permit^7,9.

Yes. Daggett County divides unincorporated land into zoning districts and applies land-development standards². The published code contains 25 district designations, so identify the exact district before judging a proposed use¹⁰. Minimum lot area ranges from 20 to 160 acres in agricultural and multiple-use districts, from 0.5 to 10 acres in rural-residential districts, and from 6,000 to 40,000 square feet in residential districts⁵.

Single-family homes outside agricultural and multiple-use zones generally need at least 800 square feet⁵. In the agricultural and multiple-use districts, main buildings need a 60-foot front yard and a 60-foot rear yard, and a dwelling needs a 60-foot side yard; the rural-residential districts use smaller setbacks². Height and lot coverage also vary by district⁵. In the Dutch John town site, a certificate of occupancy is required before a new or altered structure or premises may be occupied¹¹.

TriCounty Health Department is the onsite-wastewater authority serving Daggett County³. The department reviews system plans, issues construction permits and inspects installations³. Separate applications may apply to a new wastewater system, drainfield work or septic-tank replacement³.

Utah requires connection to public sewer when connection is available and practicable; otherwise, wastewater must go to an adequate onsite or other acceptable system¹². Only 30% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, so make site approval an early purchase contingency¹³. TriCounty Health also accepts inspection requests for existing wastewater systems and wells³.

Daggett County generally prohibits using an RV, camping trailer, truck camper or motor home for permanent living, sleeping or housekeeping outside authorized parks or another zoning-code allowance⁶. Ask Planning & Zoning how that rule applies to a construction stay or proposed temporary use⁴.

A manufactured home built under the federal HUD Code on or after June 15, 1976, with its data plate and HUD label, may be placed in any residential zone, and still needs a building permit⁵.

A permanent tiny home treated as a single-family dwelling needs a residential building permit, zoning and setback approval, approved water and wastewater documentation, and a final inspection before occupancy⁶. Outside agricultural and multiple-use zones, that dwelling must have at least 800 square feet and measure at least 20 feet on every side⁶. A tiny home on wheels is not affirmatively authorized as a dwelling, so ask Planning & Zoning to classify it before buying or building⁶. We could not confirm Daggett County's currently operative accessory-dwelling rules; ask Planning & Zoning before designing an internal or detached unit⁴.

1. Ask Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel's jurisdiction, district and allowed use^2,4.
2. Confirm at least 20 feet of street or permanent-easement frontage⁸.
3. If access affects a county-road right-of-way, apply for the $50 county driveway permit¹⁴.
4. If public sewer is unavailable or impracticable, obtain TriCounty Health's onsite-wastewater approval^3,12.
5. Submit the written application, duplicate scaled plans and applicable deposit^4,8.
6. Obtain the permit, then give at least 24 hours' notice before starting work^1,8.
7. Call the building inspector for each inspection stage, including the final inspection before occupancy, and obtain a certificate of occupancy if the property is in Dutch John^9,11.

Confirm the zoning district because lot size, coverage, height and dwelling-size rules vary across unincorporated Daggett County^2,5. Confirm the parcel was lawfully subdivided and recorded, because a division recorded without the required approvals is void for building-permit purposes⁵. Check frontage and whether a driveway will affect a county right-of-way or connect to a state highway^8,14,15.

Make septic feasibility a contract contingency because only 30% of mapped soils avoid a severe conventional-drain-field limitation¹³. For flood-prone property, the county may require elevations and grading plans that reduce flood damage². A short-term rental needs a conditional-use permit application, business-license information, inspections and health approvals when applicable¹⁶. If its site plan does not show direct access to a public street, notarized temporary access easements are required from affected owners¹⁷. Daggett County is 84.1% federal land, so verify private boundaries and legal access¹³.