Bolthole Index

Wayne County, Utah

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Torrey, Utah

The Town of Torrey in Wayne County, Utah has its own zoning code, and the town adopts the state building code for buildings inside town limits12. Living in an RV is allowed for up to one year from the building-permit date while you build a permanent home3. Septic permits are a separate office: the Central Utah Public Health Department handles onsite wastewater permits in Wayne County4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: Torrey adopts its own land-use code (Title 10)1
Building code
State building code adopted by the town2
Building permit
Town form exists; the general residential permit rule is unconfirmed5
Septic
Central Utah Public Health Department, Wayne office4
RV while building
Up to 1 year from permit issuance, 6-month extensions possible3
Manufactured home
Allowed on a permanent foundation on at least 0.5 acre6
Accessory building
Up to 26 feet tall, no dwelling use7
Wells
State permit through the Utah Division of Water Rights8

Who to call

Building permits

Torrey Town Hall

Town building permit form, business licenses, water service and the Planning & Zoning commission for land inside Torrey

(435) 425-3600

100 North 75 East, Torrey, UT 84775

Online permits →

Septic permits

Central Utah Public Health Department — Wayne Office

Onsite wastewater (septic) permits for Wayne County

(435) 836-1317

18 South Main Loa, Utah

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Torrey means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Torrey, Utah have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and manufactured homes?

Yes. The Town of Torrey adopts its own land-use code, Title 10 of the Torrey Town Code, and it applies to property inside town boundaries1. Torrey publishes a zoning map showing its land-use zones and overlays9. We could not confirm the district setbacks or lot-coverage tables, so ask the Torrey Planning & Zoning commission through Town Hall before you rely on a layout5.

Torrey allows a manufactured home if its axles, tongues, running gear and wheels are removed and it sits on a permanent foundation on a parcel of at least 0.5 acre, or in a designated or approved trailer park6. A detached accessory building in Torrey can be up to 2,000 square feet and 26 feet tall, and it cannot be used as a dwelling7. We found no Torrey rule on tiny homes, so ask Town Hall before buying a lot for one.

Do you need a building permit in Torrey, and who issues it?

Torrey adopts the International Building Code as the town's official building code, with the other state-established codes adopted alongside it2. Town Hall posts a building permit form for applicants who want to construct, remodel or add structures5. We could not confirm Torrey's general rule on which residential projects need a permit, so call Town Hall at (435) 425-3600 before you start work5.

Building permit applications that include exterior lighting must carry a lighting plan10. For some properties a nighttime inspection by the building inspector must happen before a certificate of occupancy is issued11. Torrey's Town Council can set an administrative fee by resolution, capped at review costs12.

These are the town's rules. Land outside town limits falls under Wayne County's unincorporated rules.

How do septic permits work in Torrey, Utah?

Septic permits in Wayne County come from the Central Utah Public Health Department, and construction of any part of the wastewater system cannot begin until that office issues a construction permit4. The 2026 application lists fees of $600 for a conventional system, $900 for an alternative system and $200 for repair or replacement4. We could not confirm whether Torrey adds its own septic rules or whether sewer service reaches a given lot, so ask Town Hall and the health department's Wayne office13.

Wayne County's soils matter: about 13.2% of the county's soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system14.

Can you live in an RV while building in Torrey?

Yes, for a limited time. Torrey permits living in a travel trailer or RV during construction of a permanent dwelling for no more than one year from the date a building permit is issued, and the Town Council may grant six-month extensions3. The clock starts at permit issuance, so living in an RV before you hold a permit is not covered by this rule.

We found no Torrey rule on RV camping on a vacant lot. Wayne County's campground rules apply only in unincorporated areas and should not be read as Torrey's15.

Building a home in Torrey: the steps, in order

  1. Call Torrey Town Hall at (435) 425-3600 to confirm the zoning district and which approvals apply to your lot5.
  2. Check the zoning code (Title 10) for your district and the parcel size if you plan a manufactured home6.
  3. Apply for the building permit on the town's form, including a lighting plan for exterior fixtures10.
  4. Apply for a septic construction permit from the Central Utah Public Health Department before any wastewater work begins4.
  5. If you need a well, the state requires a permit from the Utah Division of Water Rights and a licensed driller8.
  6. Finish inspections and get the certificate of occupancy11.

What stays with Wayne County and the state, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits and wells do not move to the town: the Central Utah Public Health Department handles septic for Wayne County, and the Utah Division of Water Rights permits wells48. Utah's owner-builder rule exempts a sole owner from contractor licensing but does not exempt the work from permits or inspections16.

Federal land makes up about 86.5% of Wayne County, and the county's population density is about 1.1 people per square mile1718. Annual precipitation is about 9.4 inches, so water supply deserves a close look19. Wayne County's effective property tax rate is 0.3%20. For land outside town limits, use the Wayne County page.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm what Torrey requires for a residential building permit, so call Town Hall before you break ground5.
  • Wayne County's rules for unincorporated land do not apply inside Torrey, and Torrey's rules do not apply outside it1.
  • Torrey's lighting rules can add a nighttime inspection before a certificate of occupancy11.
  • An owner-builder exemption covers contractor licensing only, not permits or inspections16.

Sources

  1. Torrey Town Code § 10-1-2, Authority and Applicability (Town of Torrey), quoted and re-checked
  2. Torrey Town Code § 9-1-2, Codes Adopted (Town of Torrey), quoted and re-checked
  3. Torrey Town Code Appendix C, Definitions (Town of Torrey), quoted and re-checked
  4. Onsite Wastewater Permit Instructions, quoted and re-checked
  5. Torrey Town Hall (torreyutah.gov)
  6. Torrey Town Code Appendix C, Definitions (Town of Torrey), quoted and re-checked
  7. Torrey Town Code Appendix C, Definitions (Town of Torrey), quoted and re-checked
  8. R655-4. Water Wells, quoted and re-checked
  9. Torrey Town Code Appendix C, Definitions (Town of Torrey), quoted and re-checked
  10. Torrey Town Code § 9-4-4, Application and Review Procedure (Town of Torrey), quoted and re-checked
  11. Torrey Town Code § 9-4-4, Application and Review Procedure (Town of Torrey), quoted and re-checked
  12. Torrey Town Code § 10-1-9, Fees (Town of Torrey), quoted and re-checked
  13. Central Utah Public Health Department — Wayne Office (centralutahhealth.gov)
  14. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  15. Wayne County Zoning Ordinance – A Land Use Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  16. Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 55, Section 305 — Exemptions from licensure, quoted and re-checked
  17. Federal land share: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Torrey

Town of Torrey’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings inside Torrey town limits.

    • The adopted IBC and IFC are subject to § 9-1-3.
    • Other state-established building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, property-maintenance, energy, and natural-gas codes, including amendments, are adopted subject to § 9-1-3.
    “The international building code (IBC), as adopted by the state, is hereby adopted as the official building code for the town”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Properties seeking a certificate of occupancy where Torrey's outdoor-lighting review applies.

    • A postinstallation nighttime inspection by the building inspector is required before the certificate of occupancy is issued.
    “postinstallation nighttime inspection by the building inspector.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Certificate-of-occupancy issuance for property subject to Torrey's outdoor-lighting regulation.

    • The property must be subject to a postinstallation nighttime inspection by the building inspector before issuance.
    “A certificate of occupancy shall not be issued”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    All property located within Torrey town boundaries.

    • Title 10 is adopted as a land-use ordinance; its regulations qualify or supplement zone regulations elsewhere in Title 10.
    “This title is adopted as a land use ordinance, as authorized and defined by the Act.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts and the zoning map for land inside Torrey town limits.

    • The Appendix C definition describes the zoning map as depicting land-use zones and overlays within town boundaries.
    “ZONING MAP: The Torrey Zoning Map, adopted as the Torrey Zoning Map (appendix G) in this title, that depicts land use zones and overlays within the Town's boundaries.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Manufactured homes outside a designated or approved trailer park inside Torrey town limits.

    • The manufactured home must also have axles, tongues, running gear, and wheels removed and sit on a permanent foundation.

    minimum parcel area: >= 0.5 acre (Alternative location is a designated or approved trailer park.)

    “Manufactured homes will be permitted as long as axles, tongues, running gear and wheels are removed and they are sitting on a permanent foundation on-a on at least one-half (.5) acre parcel both single and double wide, or in a designated or approved trailer park.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Accessory buildings inside Torrey town limits.

    • The accessory building must be detached, on the same lot as the principal use, and incidental and accessory to that use.

    maximum accessory-building height: <= 26 feet

    “An accessory building shall be no larger than two thousand (2,000) square feet and no taller than twenty six feet (26'). It shall contain no living or cooking facilities and shall not be used as a dwelling unit.”
  • Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

    Living in a travel trailer or RV during construction of a permanent dwelling inside Torrey town limits.

    • Allowed for no more than one year from the building-permit issuance date.
    • The Town Council may grant six-month extensions.

    initial occupancy period: <= 1 year (Measured from the date of issuance of a building permit.) · extension period: 6 months (May be granted by the Town Council.)

    “However, living in a travel trailer or RV is permitted during the construction of a permanent dwelling for a period no more than one year from the date of issuance of a building permit, though six (6) month extensions may be granted by the Town Council.”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured homes used as dwellings inside Torrey town limits.

    • Axles, tongues, running gear, and wheels must be removed.
    • The home must sit on a permanent foundation on at least a one-half-acre parcel, unless in a designated or approved trailer park.
    • It must comply with other zoning and applicable building, plumbing, electrical, fire-prevention, and other codes.
    • An affidavit must be filed with the State Tax Commission under Utah Code § 59-2-1501 et seq.

    minimum parcel area: >= 0.5 acre (Not applicable in a designated or approved trailer park.)

    “Manufactured homes will be permitted as long as axles, tongues, running gear and wheels are removed and they are sitting on a permanent foundation on-a on at least one-half (.5) acre parcel both single and double wide, or in a designated or approved trailer park.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Development approval, appeal, and variance applications inside Torrey town limits.

    • The Town Council may establish the administrative fee by resolution.
    • The fee cannot exceed actual or anticipated review costs.
    • Service providers may adopt their own review fees.
    • All review fees must be paid before development-permit approval.
    “The Town Council may establish, by resolution, an administrative fee”
  • Permit processPartial

    Sign-permit, building-permit, and design-development-review applications with exterior lighting inside Torrey town limits.

    • Applications must include a lighting plan showing compliance.
    • The plan must identify fixture location and height, illumination devices, lamps, supports, shielding, reflectors, and installation and electrical details.
    • Commercial uses must provide photometric diagrams when available; otherwise sufficient information about fixture, bulb wattage, and shielding mechanisms.
    • The lighting plan for new development is submitted concurrently with the associated application process.
    “All sign permit applications, building permit applications and design development review applications shall include a lighting plan that shows evidence that the proposed lighting fixtures and light sources will comply with this chapter and shall include the following:”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Residential construction inside Torrey town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Torrey town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Principal dwellings inside Torrey town limits.
  • Setbacks — Development inside Torrey town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Development inside Torrey town limits.
11 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Torrey publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Wayne County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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