Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Garden City, Utah

Town of Garden City’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, repair, removal or occupancy of structures inside Garden City town limits

  • Nonstructural repair and maintenance does not require a permit.
  • Permit applications are not reviewed until a review deposit (set by resolution) is paid.

  “shall not be commenced, or proceeded with except after the issuance of a written permit for the same by the building official. nonstructural repair and maintenance of a structure will not require a permit.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Garden City town limits

  • Town adopts the current building codes adopted by the State of Utah, plus state amendments under Utah Code 58-56-4.
  • Code section approved January 11, 2024.

  “the town council of garden city shall adopt the current building codes adopted by the state of utah.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings erected, structurally altered or changed in use inside Garden City town limits

  • Certificate issued within ten days after completion in conformity with the ordinance.
  • Building deposit forfeited and project red-tagged and fined if occupied before a certificate is issued.

  “no land shall be used or occupied and no building hereafter structurally altered or erected shall be used or changed in use, until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the building inspector”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Garden City town limits

  • Town code Title 11c adopts zoning chapters including R-1 single family residential zone.

  “to provide appropriate locations where low density residential neighborhood may be established, maintained and protected”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Garden City town limits

  • Zone chapters appear in the code table of contents; the zoning map is hosted separately on the town site.

  “zones re/ag residential estates/agricultural zone r-1 single family residential zone mfr multiple family residence zone rr recreational residential zone he hillside estates zone”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 single family residential zone (sub-districts R-1-8, R-1-9, R-1-10, R-1-12) inside Garden City town limits

  • Two-family dwelling is a conditional use and needs an additional 1,000 square feet of lot.
  • Lots of 7,500 sq ft or less cannot be split.
  • RE/AG zone dimensions not read.

  minimum lot area R-1-8/9/10/12: 8,000 / 9,000 / 10,000 / 12,000 sq ft

  “minimum setbacks (in feet) district r-1-8 r-1-9 r-1-10 r-1-12 area in square feet 8,000 9,000 10,000 12,000”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 single family residential zone inside Garden City town limits

  • The setback table in the text is garbled; front and side/rear columns by sub-district need confirmation from the PDF.
  • Accessory building setbacks are under ordinance 11c-906.

  side setback, street side of corner lot: >= 20 feet

  “all structures shall have a minimum side setback of 20 feet on the street side of a corner lot.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 single family residential zone inside Garden City town limits

  • RE/AG zone height not read.

  main building maximum height: <= 35 feet · detached garage maximum height: <= 25 feet

  “no main building shall be erected to a height greater than 35 feet or detached garage greater than 25 feet.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Subdivisions inside Garden City town limits

  • Applies to subdivision sewer systems when public sewer service is available.
  • Septic is allowed on health district approval.
  • Separate drinking-water source-protection rules restrict septic tanks within 300 feet of city sewer lines in protection zones 2, 3 and 4.

  “all subdivision sewer systems within the town area of impact shall be connected to a public sewer system provided that such service is available.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions inside Garden City town limits

  • Plans must be approved by the town engineer, council, Bear Lake special service district and the Utah health department before final plat approval.

  “construction plans and specifications for central sanitary sewer extension shall be prepared by the subdivider and approved by the town b. engineer, council, the bear lake special service district, and utah health department prior to final plat approval.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Garden City

Town of Garden City does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems in subdivisions inside Garden City town limits; the Bear River District Health Department approves them

  • The source is the town subdivision code and covers subdivisions only.
  • The health district serves several counties; classed county for the vocabulary.

  “septic sewer systems will be allowed upon approval by the bear river district health department.”

• Septic permitLimited

  Septic systems in subdivisions inside Garden City town limits

  • Subdivision sewer systems must connect to public sewer where service is available.
  • Septic is allowed only upon health district approval.

  “all subdivision sewer systems within the town area of impact shall be connected to a public sewer system provided that such service is available. septic sewer systems will be allowed upon approval by the bear river district health department.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Garden City or Rich County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Garden City town limits
• Inspections — Inspections of construction inside Garden City town limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Garden City town limits
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Garden City town limits
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Garden City town limits

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.