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Building Inspections

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1. Must plans be stamped?

Yes & No The following plans do need to be stamped:

New Commercial Buildings that are over 2000 sq. feet
Commercial Additions that are over 2000 sq. feet
Commercial Remodels that are over 2000 sq. feet
Unusual construction such as mixing building systems wood/masonry/steel as structural elements or buildings of unusual shape

*Commercial shall include non-residential*

The following plans generally do not need to be stamped:

New Residential (Single family dwellings and duplexes)
Residential Additions
Residential Remodels
Residential Garages or Sheds (unless they meet criteria for unusual construction).

2. Who may stamp plans?

Plans may be stamped by:

Architectural plans may be stamped by architect or engineer
Structural sheets (commercial) must be stamped by Engineer
Structural Calculations must be stamped by Engineer
Plumbing, mechanical and electrical plans may require a stamp depending on the complexity.

3. How many sets of plans must be submitted?

Two complete sets must be submitted. Also, we may require 2 sets of electrical, mechanical and/or plumbing plans depending on the complexity of the project.

Commercial:
Architectural sets
Structural sets (generally w/architectural)
Sets of structural calculations
Sets of specifications
Energy compliance forms
Site plans

Residential:
Architectural plans
Site plans
Sets of structural calculations if required by the Plans Examiner
MEC compliance forms, completed

4. What contractors are required?

Generally only the licensed general contractor is required to pull a building permit. The other subcontractors that we regulate will be on our contractor verification form (electrical, plumbing, mechanical). Note: If people contract to work on your house you should make sure they are licensed.

License Requirements:

Almost all contractors must be licensed with the State of Utah. The State of Utah requires that we confirm that the General Contractor/Builder, Electrical Contractor, Plumbing Contractor and the Mechanical Contractor are licensed. If you hire a General Contractor or Construction Company to build your home, it is their responsibility to assure West Valley City through the Contractor Verification Form that the sub-contractors are licensed.

If you are the owner and builder you are not required to have a license and you may do all the work yourself.

5. Can I perform "Sweat Equity"?

If you do not own the lot, but only are the party in a pending home sale, certain types of sweat equity are not allowed by State Law. You may not perform electrical, mechanical (heating and air conditioning) or plumbing, in the home you hope to buy. You can perform most other items in the construction of the new home, including rough framing, concrete and drywall.

6. What is the policy for moved buildings?

Whenever a building is moved from a lot/site/town/county to another parcel of property, the moved building (house) must conform to ALL current codes as if it was a new building.

7. What is the policy on Manufactured Move-on Homes?

Manufactured homes must be set on permanent foundations. The foundation must be designed and stamped by an engineer. Some other things that are required are: Flood Elevation Certificate if in a flood plain and a Garage Plan. The fees due for Move-on Homes are $232.00 plus garage permit cost & impact fees.

8. What signatures are needed on permit applications, and who should take out the permit?

See permit application attached and see * by required signature. Building Permit Application

9. If I construct an addition or remodel, will I need to bring my existing building into compliance with current building codes?

Generally no as long as the existing construction is in compliance with the codes that were in effect at the time your building was built. This is almost never a problem unless a real life safety threat is apparent (like dilapidated equipment or missing guardrails).

10. Is a building permit required to re-roof your home? Either re-shingle; re-tar or tar & gravel?

Yes. Reroofing requires a building permit and must comply with section R907 of the International Residential Code. We need to make sure the right building materials are used in the reroofing process. Also we need to make sure your roofing contractor has a current State contractor license. The cost of a reroofing permit for a single family dwelling is $112.00

11. Is a building permit required to do a roof conversion?

Yes, a permit is required. Comments: A truss diagram and truss detail is also required. The permit fee is at present a flat fee of $ 111.30

12. What are simple joist, rafter and beam rules?

Charts can be found in the 2006 International Building Code (available in the West Valley City Recorder's Office), or come in to West Valley's Building Inspection Department and visit with an Inspector.

13. Should I shovel the snow off my roof?

No, trusses are built to withstand a buildup of approximately 36" of snow. The risk of back and limb injuries from falling off a roof outweigh the necessity of removing the snow. However if the buildup of snow starts to exceed the 30" level, we would suggest you call in a professional roofer to remove the snow.

14. Are weekend inspections available?

Weekend inspections are only available if authorized by the Chief Building Official. There must be a real need as this is the exception to the rule. There is an extra charge for weekend inspections in addition to the Building Permit Fee. The inspector is paid overtime for these inspections by West Valley City. Fees must be paid directly to the city, never to an inspector.

15. Do I need a permit to demolish a structure?

Before you demolish a structure you must secure a demolition permit from our Building Inspection Division. The permit is required by section 106.1 of the Uniform Building Code. The permit process accomplishes four things:

Insures there is no friable asbestos in the building, or that friable asbestos has been removed by appropriate means by a contractor licensed for asbestos removal.
Insures that all utility lines to the building have been terminated at a safe location by the utility companies.
Removes the demolished building from the State tax roles.
Insures that appliances and electrical devices that might contain hazardous materials have been disposed of properly.

16. How long does it take to obtain a Demolition Permit?

It will take at least two weeks, because action by the local utility companies and the City/County Health Department and Utah State Division of Air Quality must be coordinated.

17. How do I obtain a Demolition Permit?

Contact the Asbestos Coordinator at the Division of Environmental Health of the Salt Lake City/County Health Department Phone number (801)944-6713.

Request an Asbestos check and a predemolition inspection. The Asbestos Coordinator will inspect your structure to determine if your structure contains friable asbestos and/or appliances or devices with hazardous materials.

The coordinator will help you obtain an approval from the State Division of Air Quality for your demolition permit. Once the State Division of Air Quality has confirmation that no asbestos or hazardous materials exists, State Division of Air Quality will notify West Valley City.

You Must request termination of utilities as follows:

For termination of natural gas lines call Questar Dispatcher at (801)539-3381
For termination of sewer and water lines call Granger Hunter Improvement District at (801)968-3551.
Utility companies will notify Betty Petersen at West Valley City at (801) 963-3519, when all utility lines have been terminated in preparation for demolition.

Confirm with Betty Petersen of West Valley City at (801)963-3519 that approvals for demolition have been received by the city from:
State Division of Air Quality
Questar Company

Once you have confirmed that West Valley City has received all necessary approvals for demolition, you may submit your application for a demolition permit.

The West Valley City Building Inspections Division is located in room 240 at City Hall, 3600 South Constitution Blvd. Office Hours are from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, excluding holidays.

The permit can be issued immediately if the approvals have been received by the Building Inspections Division.
In order to issue the demolition permit, the legal owner of the building must sign the permit application.

If the owner is using a contractor to perform the demolition, the application must contain the contractor's company name, State license number and signature of the contractor. The cost of the demolition permit is $53.00.

*If you have further questions about demolitions call Betty Petersen at (801)963-3519.

18. What is a Contractor Verification Form and when do I need one?

In accordance with State law, a building permit can only be issued to a licensed contractor. If a permit application is submitted for the construction or alteration of a building, only a general contractor need be listed on the application at the time of permit issuance. At the time of permit issuance, the license number of the general contractor must be verified. Any building inspector that issues a building permit to an unlicensed contractor may be disciplined by the State of Utah. The State expects the municipal inspectors to make a reasonable attempt to keep unlicensed subcontractors from working within the municipality. Our Building Inspection Division does this by requiring a completed subcontractor verification form (available at our permit counter or through this web page). The form shall include the names of the general contractor, mechanical contractor, plumbing contractor, electrical contractor- accurate license numbers and original signatures from each of these four primary contractors. This is how we verify that only licensed contractors work in West Valley City, as required by State law. If you wish to discuss this further, contact Ed Domian, Chief Building Official at (801)963-3276. 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.

Note: State law allows a property owner to build a single family dwelling for their own use (not for sale). No contractor would be required, therefore, no contractor verification form would be required. You must own the property in order to obtain a permit for the construction of a single family dwelling, as an owner/builder.

19. What is a Landscape Agreement and when do I need one?

West Valley City requires all new single family dwellings to have landscaped yards within 12 months of occupancy. The landscape agreement verifies who will be responsible for installing the landscaping. Sometimes the contractor prefers to provide the landscaping as part of the sale. Sometimes the owner is responsible for the installation of the landscaping. In either case, the landscape agreement is required. It was designed by the City Planning & Zoning Division, and provides the city with a guarantee that the landscaping will be installed within one year of occupancy of the single family dwelling, in accordance with the West Valley City Municipal Code. Questions concerning landscaping requirements should be directed to a City Planner at (801)963-3282. The landscape agreement is required at the time of final inspection.

20. What is the penalty for building without a permit?

The cost of the required building permit will double as a penalty.
You could incur daily penalties until the structure is brought into compliance.

You may have to demolish the structure if it is found that the structure is located on your property in violation of existing city ordinances.
Who needs a permit?