Driveway Permits and Regulations in Utah

Why Utah Driveway Rules Matter Before You Pour

Nothing kills the excitement of a new concrete driveway faster than a red-tag from the city inspector. In Utah, every municipality—from Salt Lake City to St. George—has its own driveway ordinance. Fail to follow it and you can be forced to tear out fresh pavement at your own expense. The good news: the rules are public, free to read, and easy to follow once you know the steps. This guide walks you through the state-level standards, the local twists, and the exact paperwork that keeps your project legal and on schedule.

Utah’s State-Level Driveway Baseline

There is no single “Utah driveway permit.” Instead, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) sets minimum standards for any access that touches a state highway. Cities and counties then layer extra rules on top. Think of it as a two-tier system:

• State highway? You need a UDOT “Highway Access Permit” plus local approval.
• Local road? Only the city or county permit is required (but it must still meet UDOT geometric guidelines).

The 4 UDOT Golden Rules

1. Spacing: 125 ft minimum between driveways on major arterials (can drop to 75 ft on collectors).
2. Radius: 15 ft minimum for commercial, 10 ft for residential, measured at the flow line.
3. Sight-distance: 450 ft on 55 mph roads, 335 ft on 45 mph roads, per AASHTO “Green Book.”
4. Drainage: Water cannot sheet-flow across the highway; you must pipe it or grade it away.

Even if your road is locally maintained, most Utah cities copy these numbers verbatim into their code. If you design to the state minimums, you rarely have to redo plans later.

Quick-Reference Permit Map: Wasatch Front & Beyond

Below are the agencies you actually call. Phone numbers and online portals change, so we link to the exact page you bookmark.

Salt Lake County Cities

• Salt Lake City: Engineering Division, 801-535-7112, slc.gov/engineering/driveway-sidewalk-permits
• West Valley City: Public Works Permits, 801-963-3336, online at wvcpw.permitsite.com
• Sandy: Permit counter inside City Hall, 8775 S Center St, 801-568-7253

Utah County

• Provo: “Right-of-Way” permit, 801-852-6740, plan review 5 business days
• Orem: One-stop counter at City Center, 56 N State St, 801-229-7500

Weber & Davis Counties

• Ogden: Engineering counter, 2549 Washington Blvd, 801-629-8271
• Layton: Online portal “OpenGov,” $35 base fee + $0.45 per sq ft of apron

Washington County (fast-growing!)

• St. George: ROW Permit, 175 E 200 N, 435-627-4120, 10-day review
• Washington City: Uses same form as St. George but charges 50 % less if apron <400 sq ft

Pro tip: Call before you draw. Every city has a “pre-application” meeting—usually free—and the engineer will highlight hidden issues like future curb & gutter projects or 48-inch water mains that nix your radius.

Step-by-Step: Getting Your Permit in 14 Days or Less

The timeline below assumes you already picked your contractor and have a rough site plan. Adjust weekends and holidays as needed.

1. Mark Your Property Lines (Day 1)

Driveway aprons must stop 1 ft inside your property line in most cities. Hire a surveyor ($400–$600) or locate your irons and string-line it yourself. If you’re off by 6 inches, the city will make you move it.

2. Sketch the Plan (Days 2–3)

You don’t need CAD. A hand sketch on 8.5×11 is fine if it shows:

• Existing and proposed curb cut
• Width at property line and at curb
• Radius (label the 10 or 15 ft)
• Sidewalk, utility pole, fire hydrant, and any trees within 15 ft
• North arrow and scale

Take a photo and email it to the city engineer; 90 % will reply within 24 hours with “OK to submit” or “needs tweaking.”

3. Submit Paperwork (Day 4)

Typical packet:

1. ROW or driveway permit application (one-page checkbox)
2. Site plan (above)
3. Contractor’s license & insurance
4. HOA approval letter (if applicable)

Pay the fee with a card online or check in person. Keep the receipt—your contractor needs the permit number to schedule inspections.

4. Wait for Review (Days 5–10)

Most cities promise 5–7 business days. You can speed it up by:

• Answering your phone—engineers call with quick clarifications
• Uploading everything as one PDF (some portals reject multiple files)
• Adding a photo of the existing curb so they don’t have to drive out

5. Receive Permit & Schedule Inspections (Days 11–14)

Your permit will list three mandatory holds:

1. Form & Grade: Inspector checks depth, rebar, and slope before you pour
2. Final: After concrete is placed but while it’s still “green” so they can stamp edges
3. Restoration: Seed, sod, or replace any park-strip concrete they removed

Miss an inspection and you’ll pay a $75 re-inspect fee and lose a day of crew time.

What Utah Cities Charge in 2024

Add $25–$50 if you need a “modification” (wider than 24 ft, second apron, or commercial use). UDOT’s separate permit is $250 for residential and $500 for commercial, but your contractor usually rolls that into the quote.

Width, Slope & Spacing Rules You Can’t Ignore

Maximum Width

Most cities cap residential aprons at 24 ft at the property line (30 ft if you have a three-car garage). Wider requires a variance hearing—plan 3 extra weeks.

Maximum Slope

• Within sidewalk zone: 2 % cross-slope for ADA compliance
• First 10 ft from curb: 12 % longitudinal max (so cars don’t scrape)
• Next 20 ft: 25 % max unless you install a mid-drive retaining wall

Spokane Rule for Double Drives

If you want two separate aprons (tandem parking), cities require 10 ft of undisturbed park-strip between them. Less than 10 ft forces you to join them into one wide apron—and that triggers the variance mentioned above.

Drainage & Snow-Load Clauses Unique to Utah

Utah’s freeze-thaw cycles and occasional mid-winter rain make drainage critical. Inspectors fail more driveways for puddling than for width.

Swale or Gutter?

If your street has no curb & gutter, you must install a 12-in wide rolled gutter across the apron. Water must sheet-flow to the nearest inlet; pond deeper than 0.5 in fails inspection.

Snow Storage

Park City and Summit County require a 3 ft “snow shelf” beyond the edge of pavement so city plows have somewhere to push. That means your driveway cannot flare to the property line; leave a grass strip or pay for a retaining wall.

HOA & Historic District Overlays

Even after the city says yes, your HOA can say no. CC&Rs usually control color (no glaring white concrete), texture (stamped vs broom), and even the hour crews can pour (no earlier than 8 a.m. in some Daybreak blocks). Bring a copy of the stamped city permit to the HOA architectural committee; it short-circuits 90 % of pushback.

Historic districts (e.g., Harvard-Yale in SLC) require a “Certificate of Appropriateness” before the city permit is issued. Add 10 days and a $75 fee.

Penalties for Skipping the Permit

• Stop-work order posted on your door within 24 hours of complaint
• Double fees—you pay the original permit plus a 100 % penalty
• Removal order if the driveway violates sight-distance or drainage rules
• Lien placed on property until compliance; blocks future refinancing

Bottom line: a $75 permit can save you a $5,000 tear-out.

Contractor Checklist: 5 Questions to Ask Before You Sign

1. “Will you pull the permit in your name?” If they say “permits are homeowner responsibility,” keep looking.
2. “Do you carry Utah ROW bond insurance?” Minimum $1 M liability plus city-specific endorsement.
3. “What’s your plan for utility locates?” 811 call is free but takes two business days; pros schedule it before they break ground.
4. “Will you schedule inspections or do I have to?” Reputable crews have the inspector on speed-dial.
5. “What happens if the city demands a design change mid-job?” Get it in writing that contractor absorbs cost if change stems from their plan error.

Frequently Asked Questions