Unincorporated Daggett County, Utah requires a building permit before most construction, alteration, repair, demolition or mobile-home setup begins.1 Daggett County also administers zoning, while TriCounty Health Department permits onsite wastewater systems.23 Start with the county Planning & Zoning office for land-use and building applications.4
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required for most work in unincorporated Daggett County1
- Zoning
- County zoning applies; dimensional rules vary by district25
- Septic
- TriCounty Health Department reviews plans and issues construction permits36
- RV living
- Private-land occupancy was not confirmed; ask Planning & Zoning2
- Tiny home
- Local zoning and dwelling classification control outside RV parks78
- Owner-builder
- A limited contractor-license exemption is available, but permits still apply9
- Minimum home size
- District-specific; many dwellings have an 800-square-foot minimum8
Who to call
Planning & zoning
Daggett County Planning & Zoning
Building-permit applications and county planning and zoning
95 N 1st W, PO Box 387, Manila, UT 84046
Septic permits
TriCounty Health Department Environmental Health
Wastewater and septic system plan review, construction permits and inspections
133 South 500 East, Vernal, UT, 84078
Roads & driveways
Daggett County Road Department
County road maintenance questions
Airport Road, PO Box 219, Manila, UT 84046
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 27, 2026.
Do you need a building permit 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 building or structure, or setting up a mobile home.1 The same rule exempts detached accessory buildings smaller than 200 square feet, while agricultural buildings follow separate exemptions.1
A permit expires if work has not begun within 180 days, and a parcel must adjoin a street or permanent easement for at least 20 feet.1 Daggett County cannot issue a permit in an unrecorded subdivision until that subdivision is approved and recorded.1 Utah's construction code also applies statewide, subject to its amendments and exceptions.10
Who issues building permits in Daggett County?
Daggett County Planning & Zoning makes building-permit applications available through its office at the county courthouse.4 The office also supports the Planning Commission, which administers the county's land-use framework.2 Call the office before drawing final plans to confirm the parcel's zoning, required application set and current submission procedure.4
An owner-builder exemption concerns contractor licensing, not the county permit requirement.9 A qualifying sole owner may build no more than one residential structure per year and three in five years on the owner's property for noncommercial, nonpublic use.9 Other people doing regulated work generally must be licensed unless they fit the stated volunteer conditions.9
Does Daggett County have zoning?
Yes. Daggett County administers a zoning ordinance and general plan through its Planning & Zoning Commission.2 Minimum lot area depends heavily on district: agricultural and multiple-use districts range from 20 to 160 acres, rural-residential districts from 0.5 to 10 acres, and residential districts from 6,000 to 40,000 square feet.5 Planned-unit and cluster projects can modify applicable requirements.5
Single-family homes outside agricultural and multiple-use zones generally need at least 800 square feet, and multifamily units also have an 800-square-foot minimum.8 Building height and lot coverage also vary by zoning district.1112 Ask Planning & Zoning to identify the exact district before relying on a listing's description.4
How do septic permits work in Daggett County?
TriCounty Health Department is the onsite-wastewater authority serving Daggett County.3 The department reviews system plans, issues construction permits and inspects installations for state and local compliance.3 Separate applications may apply to a new wastewater system, drainfield work or septic-tank replacement.6
Utah requires connection to public sewer when connection is available and practicable; otherwise, wastewater must go to an adequate onsite system or another acceptable system.13 Only 30% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, so make the site evaluation an early contingency rather than assuming a conventional layout will work.14 TriCounty Health also offers inspection requests for existing wastewater systems and wells.15
Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Daggett County?
We could not confirm a countywide rule allowing someone to live in an RV on private land, so ask Daggett County Planning & Zoning about the parcel, duration, utilities and whether a conditional use is required.2 Utah's RV-park sanitation rule covers qualifying RV parks and does not itself authorize residential RV use on a private parcel.16
Outside an RV park, tiny-home permission depends on local land-use rules and whether the unit is treated as a primary dwelling, accessory dwelling, modular unit or manufactured home.7 Daggett County's 800-square-foot minimum applies to single-family homes outside agricultural and multiple-use zones, so a smaller design needs a district-specific answer before purchase.8 Current accessory-dwelling-unit rules also remain unconfirmed; ask Planning & Zoning directly.4
Building a home in Daggett County: what are the steps?
- Ask Daggett County Planning & Zoning to confirm the parcel's jurisdiction, zoning district, lot standards and application package.42
- Confirm legal access because a parcel needs at least 20 feet adjoining a street or permanent easement.1
- If public sewer is unavailable or impracticable, obtain TriCounty Health's approval for an adequate onsite wastewater system.136
- File the written building application and obtain the formal permit before work begins.1
- Coordinate required septic inspections with TriCounty Health and construction inspections through the county process.154
- If the driveway connects to a state highway, complete UDOT's conditional-access process.17
- Begin permitted work before the 180-day expiration point.1
What should you check before buying land in Daggett County?
Start with the zoning map and written confirmation of the parcel's district because Daggett County's lot size, coverage, height and dwelling-size rules vary by district.251211 Confirm that the parcel has qualifying street or easement frontage and that any subdivision is recorded.1
Make septic feasibility a contract contingency because only 30% of mapped soils avoid a severe conventional-drain-field limitation.14 For conditional-use development on flood-prone land, the Planning Commission may require elevations and grading plans to limit flood damage.18 Daggett County is 84.1% federal land and has a population density of 1.4 people per square mile, so verify private ownership boundaries, year-round access and service logistics rather than assuming nearby open land is developable.1920
Watch-outs
- A small accessory building may be permit-exempt, but plumbing, electrical or mechanical work in an agricultural structure can still require permits.121
- A driveway connection to a Utah state highway requires a conditional access permit, including when land use or access intensity changes.17
- Accessory-dwelling-unit rules were not confirmed; ask Daggett County Planning & Zoning for the current adopted standard before designing one.4
Sources
- Daggett County Code § 8-3-4: Building Permits, quoted and re-checked
- Daggett County Planning & Zoning Commission (2026 county census)
- Wastewater & Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
- Daggett County Planning & Zoning (daggettcounty.gov)
- Daggett County Title 8 Land Use Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Wastewater & Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
- OPRO Accessory Dwellings (ADU's) and other dwelling types (Utah statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Daggett County Title 8 Land Use Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Utah Code § 58-55-305: Exemptions from licensure, quoted and re-checked
- Utah Code § 15A-1-204, Adoption of State Construction Code (Utah statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Daggett County Title 8 Land Use Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Daggett County Title 8 Land Use Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- DAR File No. 37575, Rule R317-4, Onsite Wastewater Systems (Utah statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Wastewater & Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
- Utah Administrative Code Rule R392-301, Recreational Vehicle Parks (Utah statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Conditional Access Permit (Utah statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Uniform Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
- Federal land share: Bolthole Index county data
- Population density: Bolthole Index county data
- Daggett County Title 8 Land Use Regulations, quoted and re-checked
Written September 27, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.