The ADU Permit Process in Utah

There is no single Utah ADU permit. State law sets the outer rules, and each city runs its own process inside them, with different forms, portals and review steps. What follows is the general sequence, illustrated with what specific cities in Salt Lake County actually publish. It is informational. Your city's current forms control, and only the city can approve an application.

Step 1: Confirm who has jurisdiction

Start with the address, not the mailing city. Incorporated cities run their own planning and building departments. The Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District (MSD) handles building services for Magna, Kearns, White City, Emigration Canyon, Copperton, Brighton and unincorporated Salt Lake County, and each of those places has its own code. In unincorporated county areas, the ADU rules are in county code chapter 19.15. Our Salt Lake County page explains the split.

Step 2: Check eligibility and talk to the city

Before any drawings, check the zone, the lot size, the ADU type and the owner occupancy rule against the city's code. Several cities invite an early conversation:

• Murray's application suggests meeting informally with Planning "to verify your zoning district, property lines, utility connection requirements, and maximum allowable ADU square footage."
• Cottonwood Heights asks applicants to request a pre-application meeting.
• Salt Lake City's ADU handbook recommends meeting Building Services and scheduling a Development Review Team meeting before applying.

This is also where a property review pays off. See can I build an ADU for the questions to answer first.

Step 3: Design, engineering and utility confirmation

Applications need drawings: typically a scaled site plan, floor plans and, for detached or taller work, elevations. Utility confirmation often comes in at this stage too:

• Millcreek asks applicants adding a new building or square footage to contact the utility companies to confirm that service can be provided.
• Cottonwood Heights requires will-serve letters from the water and sewer providers for ADUs that involve construction.
• South Salt Lake's predevelopment checklist asks for proof of sewer service.
• In unincorporated county areas, a building permit may not issue until the water supplier confirms in writing that the ADU meets its service requirements.

See ADU utility connections and ADU design.

Step 4: Planning or zoning approval

This is where cities differ most.

Millcreek: two stages

"An ADU application must be completed with the Planning & Zoning department before a building permit can be applied for." The application is uploaded through the planning iWorQ portal with a letter of intent, the ADU checklist, a property owner affidavit, a site plan, elevations (attached and detached) and a floor plan. Any new detached ADU also needs a site plan review application. After Planning reviews the application for completeness, it emails next steps, an ADU affidavit and fees. See Millcreek ADU permits for the full walk-through.

South Salt Lake: predevelopment first

"The ADU Predevelopment application must be received and processed by the Planning Department before a building permit may be processed by the Building Department." Materials go to planning@sslc.gov as PDFs or in person, and "Incomplete applications will NOT be accepted." The checklist includes a title report and ALTA survey issued within 30 days when a building permit is needed. If approved, "an ADU predevelopment meeting will be scheduled within 30 days."

Murray: email application

Murray's ADU permit is an administrative decision by the Planning Division. The checklist, plans and fee are emailed to planning@murray.utah.gov. "Approximately three (3) weeks after a completed application is submitted, planning staff will issue a decision to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the ADU Permit."

Cottonwood Heights: a hearing for detached ADUs

Internal ADUs are a permitted use. A detached ADU is currently a conditional use, approved by the Planning Commission after a public hearing, and a complete application must be in by the month before the meeting to make the agenda. Utah Code 10-21-304, in effect since October 1, 2026, says a specified municipality's rules may not require a conditional use permit for a detached ADU in a primarily residential zone. How that changes Cottonwood Heights' process for lots of 11,000 square feet or more is a question to confirm with the city after that date.

Sandy and Salt Lake City

Sandy approves ADUs through an administrative Special Use Permit plus a business license, with a separate building permit for construction. Salt Lake City treats an ADU as a permitted use handled through the building permit, with a zoning certificate issued before the certificate of occupancy.

Step 5: Recorded documents

Most cities record something against the property. Murray requires an owner occupancy covenant recorded with the Salt Lake County Recorder before final land use approval. South Salt Lake's affidavit must be recorded before an ADU building permit or business license is approved. Salt Lake City's restrictive covenant must be attached to the building permit record before final inspection. Millcreek records a notice of compliance. See ADU owner occupancy.

Step 6: Building permit and plan review

The building permit is a separate application to the building department, with its own portal:

These are first-review targets for complete applications, not permit dates. Revisions add rounds. Murray adds that "Physical construction or occupancy cannot begin until the building permit is issued," and it does not allow owner-building of ADUs. Plan review checks the design against the adopted codes; see ADU building code. Impact fees and utility connection fees are often assessed at this stage, and how they apply to an ADU varies.

Step 7: Construction and inspections

Once the permit issues, the building department inspects the work in stages as it is built, through a final inspection. Murray also requires an inspection of the premises for an ADU to verify code compliance. Salt Lake City's code says the certificate of occupancy for an ADU is not issued until a zoning certificate is issued. For how long the phases take and what drives them, see ADU construction timeline.

Step 8: Rental licensing, if you rent

Renting the ADU usually needs its own license, and some cities renew it every year. Cottonwood Heights requires an annual ADU license after inspection. Sandy's business license renews annually while the Special Use Permit is one-time. Salt Lake City requires landlord program enrollment before the zoning certificate. See ADU short-term rental rules for what these cities allow.

Where we fit in

We check the property first, then coordinate design and engineering, prepare the applications and manage the project through construction and inspection. We cannot promise approval or a timeline. What we can do is make sure the city receives a complete, code-aware application. The ADU permitting page explains how we handle it, and the ADU feasibility review is the place to start.

Questions about the ADU permit process