Zoning, building permits and septic rules in West Valley City, Utah

West Valley City’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Single-family dwelling work inside West Valley City city limits.

  • The city identifies listed installation and construction activities as requiring a permit and inspection approval.
  • A detached accessory structure of 200 square feet or less and one story, and a deck or platform less than 30 inches above adjoining ground, are listed as permit-exempt; planning and zoning location approval remains required for those examples.

  detached accessory structure exemption threshold: <= 200 square feet (Only one story in height.) · deck/platform exemption threshold: < 30 inches (Measured above adjoining ground.)

  “A building permit must be purchased from the West Valley City Building Inspection Division. Inspections for installation approval will be required for the following activities that relate to single family dwellings:”

• InspectionsRequired

  Listed single-family dwelling installation and construction activities inside West Valley City city limits.

  • The requirement is tied to activities for which the city requires a building permit.

  “Inspections for installation approval will be required for the following activities that relate to single family dwellings:”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Construction or alteration permits requiring the city's subcontractor verification form inside West Valley City city limits.

  • The completed subcontractor form and license numbers must be verified before power clearance and Certificate of Occupancy issuance.

  “The subcontractor form and its license numbers will be verified by Building Inspection staff. This form must be submitted prior to power clearance and issuance of any Certificate of Occupancy.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  A-1 agricultural zone inside West Valley City city limits.

  • Specific-zone requirements or exceptions may also apply.

  minimum lot size: 43560 square feet

  “Residential Standards | R-1-8, RS | R-1-10 | R-1-12 | RE | R-1-20 | A | A-1 | A-2 Minimum Lot size (square feet) | 8,000 | 10,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 | 20,000 | 21,780 | 43,560 | 87,120”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-1-6 residential zone inside West Valley City city limits.

    “Residential Standards | RM | SH | RB | R-4 | RMH | R-2-6.5 | R-2-8 | R-1-4 | R-1-6 | R-1-7 Minimum Lot size (square feet) | 20,000 | 20,000 | 8,000 | 9,000 | 217,800 | 6,500 | 8,000 | 4,000 | 6,000 | 7,000”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  A-1 agricultural zone inside West Valley City city limits.

  • Specific-zone requirements or exceptions may also apply.

  front setback: 30 feet · side setback: 10 feet · rear setback: 30 feet

  “Front setback (feet) | 25 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 [...] Side setback (feet) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 [...] Rear setback (feet) | 20 | 20 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-1-6 residential zone inside West Valley City city limits.

    “Front setback (feet) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 [...] Side setback (feet) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 8 [...] Rear setback (feet) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Rear-yard accessory buildings in the R-1-6 residential zone inside West Valley City city limits.

  • This is a rear-yard accessory-building coverage standard, not a total-lot coverage standard.
  • Specific-zone requirements or exceptions may also apply.

  maximum rear yard building coverage: 25 percent (Accessory buildings in rear yards.)

  “Standards for Accessory Buildings in Rear Yards | RM | SH | RB | R-4 | RMH | R-2-6.5 | R-2-8 | R-1-4 | R-1-6 | R-1-7 [...] Maximum Rear Yard Building Coverage (percentage) | N/A | N/A | 25 | N/A | N/A | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  A-1 agricultural zone inside West Valley City city limits.

  • Specific-zone requirements or exceptions may also apply.

  maximum building height: 30 feet (All buildings except accessory buildings.) · maximum building height: 2.5 stories (All buildings except accessory buildings.)

  “Maximum Building Height for all Buildings except Accessory Buildings (feet) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 Maximum Building Height for all Buildings except Accessory Buildings (Stories) | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-1-6 residential zone inside West Valley City city limits.

    “Maximum Building Height for all Buildings except Accessory Buildings (feet) | 75 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 35 | 35 | 30 | 30 | 30 Maximum Building Height for all Buildings except Accessory Buildings (Stories) | 6 | 3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveway approaches and work affecting public sidewalk, curb, or gutter inside West Valley City city limits.

  • Unroofed driveways and patios are building-permit exempt.
  • Altering a driveway approach or public sidewalk, curb, or gutter requires a Public Works permit before construction or demolition.

  “Driveways and patios without roof coverings are exempt from permit requirements [...] Altering the public sidewalk, curb and gutter, or the driveway approach requires a permit from the Public Works Department prior to construction or demolition at 801-963-3318.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits issued by West Valley City.

  • Fees vary by permit type and may include plan/zoning, state, technology, fire-review, garage/carport/basement, and impact-fee components.

  mobile home permit base and listed add-ons: 232 USD (Plus garage/carport or basement cost and impact fees.) · permit renewal: per 50 USD (Per inspection plus state and technology fees.)

  “Mobile Home (not in mobile home park): $200 + 20 P/Z + 2 + 10 = $232 + cost of garage/carport or basement + impact fees [...] Permit renewals: $50 per inspection plus state and tech fees”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask West Valley City or Salt Lake County directly.

• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside West Valley City city limits.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside West Valley City city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary recreational camping on private land inside West Valley City city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside West Valley City city limits.
• Who permits septic — Onsite wastewater systems inside West Valley City city 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in West Valley City means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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