Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Castle Valley, Utah

Town of Castle Valley’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, repair, reconstruction or alteration of buildings inside Castle Valley town: town zoning approval, then a Grand County building permit

  • Town reviews plans for zoning compliance under an interlocal agreement before Grand County can issue the building permit.
  • Required documents may be determined inapplicable by the designated land use authority.
  • Some structures not needing a county permit still need town land use approval.

  “the signed documents and information listed below are required in order to attain town zoning approval for a building permit to construct, repair, reconstruct or alter any building”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Castle Valley town (Grand County), Utah

  • Ordinance 85-3 dated March 19, 2025 supersedes earlier versions.

  “in order to provide for land use regulation within the town of castle valley this land use ordinance of the town of castle valley is enacted to read as follows”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zones inside Castle Valley town: RAR-1 and RG-15

  • Wildland urban interface (WUI) overlay applies to listed parcels and RG-15 lands.

  “4.2 permitted uses for rar-1 zone 4.3 permitted uses for rg-15 zone 4.4 prohibited uses”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  RAR-1 zone (main residential zone) and RG-15 zone (range and grazing) inside Castle Valley town

  • Easements are included in the area.

  minimum lot size RAR-1: 5 acres · minimum lot size RG-15: 15 acres

  “the minimum lot size for the rar-1 zone is five (5) acres, easements included. the minimum lot size for the rg-15 zone is fifteen (15) acres, easements included.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings and listed structures inside Castle Valley town

  • Land use authority may require a topographical drawing by a surveyor or engineer.
  • Wells must be at least 50 feet from the lot line and 100 feet from any existing septic system; septic systems at least 50 feet from the lot line and 100 feet from any existing well.
  • Livestock structures at least 70 feet from lot lines and 100 feet from a neighboring dwelling.

  setback from platted public street easement line: 50 feet · setback from side or back property line: 30 feet (livestock structures, wells and septic systems have separate setbacks)

  “b. the setbacks for solar energy systems and other alternative energy structures, above-ground water cisterns, above-ground metal shipping containers, portable sheds, and all buildings (except for those listed in subsection e below), including municipal buildings, shall be thirty (30) feet from the side property line or back property line.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Combined building area on a legally platted lot inside Castle Valley town (a cap on square footage, not a percentage)

  • Municipal buildings have a separate 9,500 square foot cap.

  combined building square footage per lot: <= 7000 square feet (municipal buildings capped at 9,500 sq ft)

  “b. the combined square footage of all municipal buildings located on a legally platted lot shall not exceed 9500 square feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings and additions inside Castle Valley town

  • Exceptions in subsection h of section 5.3 were not seen in the opened text.

  maximum building height: <= 25 feet (subsection h of section 5.3)

  “no building or addition to an existing building, including municipal buildings, shall exceed twentyfive (25) feet in building height except as provided for in subsection h of this section.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  RVs and other temporary dwellings used as a dwelling inside Castle Valley town

  • A temporary dwelling is considered a dwelling; only one dwelling per legally platted lot.
  • Unit must be self-contained or attached to a septic system approved by the local health department.
  • Ordinance 95-6 lists a temporary dwelling permit where applicable; permit renewal and decommissioning provisions exist (ordinance 85-3 sections 4.11-4.13), not opened in full.

  “a temporary dwelling is considered a dwelling. only one dwelling is permitted on a legally platted lot in the town (except that an unused recreational vehicle may be stored while not in use).”

• Permit processPublished

  Building and land use permit process inside Castle Valley town

  • Town zoning approval is given on the Grand County building permit application; the county then issues the permit.
  • Applicants must submit a building permit information sheet, septic application, plans, one-dwelling and no-short-term-rental acknowledgements, geologic hazards release and land disturbance review, among others where applicable.

  “the town will have a castle valley building permit information sheet and other land use applications which specify the submissions, forms, and agreements which the town requires in order to grant town zoning approval”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Castle Valley or Grand County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Castle Valley town
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Castle Valley town
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Castle Valley town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Castle Valley town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Castle Valley town

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.