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Why Building Permits are Required
Building permits are required by Utah state law and Riverton City ordinance to protect life safety. Failure to obtain a permit is a class B misdemeanor and punishable by law.
Any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by this code, or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit. Please note the document is a fillable PDF and can be filled in by saving the document and typing in the information OR by printing and writing in the information. For best results please download the file and fill in the document using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.
An Owner Builder Certificate and/or Land Disturbance Permit may also be required, see below for details.
A Building Permit is not required for the following:
1. One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, provided the floor area does not exceed 200 square feet and the height does not exceed 16 feet.
NOTE: Any accessory structure under 200 square feet shall still meet all setback requirements for accessory structures as per Riverton City ordinance.
2. Retaining walls that are not over 4 feet (1219 mm) in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge.
3. Fences up to 6 feet high.
3. Fences up to 6 feet high.
Owner / Builder Certification
When you declare yourself as owner-builder on your permit for any type of construction, you are acting as your own general contractor and are taking liability for all work done. That means you can:
- Do all the work yourself.
- Utilize the help of family, friends and neighbors, as long as they are not paid a wage or a salary and you take all liability for their work.
- Utilize employees of yours for whom you have worker’s compensation coverage and are withholding payroll taxes for.
- Hire licensed sub-contractors to do all of the work, or any part of the work.
Note: It is illegal to declare owner-builder on any commercial project.
The Owner / Builder Certification form is available in a fillable PDF format. The document can be filled in by saving the document and typing in the information OR by printing and writing in the information.Land Disturbance Permit
In order to comply with the Utah Clean Water Act and the requirements of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit, the City must require that construction sites incorporate stormwater controls that are effective in reducing construction pollutants carried by wind and runoff.
Riverton ordinance states that the approval of new construction Building Permits require a Land Disturbance Permit be issued by the Stormwater Division, this includes accessory structures, additions, in ground pools/spas, and walkouts.
Submit all Land Disturbance Permit Applications to stormwater@rivertonutah.gov.
Inspections Required
Click on the button below to view inspections required as applicable.
Questions? Contact the Building Department at 801-208-3138.