Bolthole Index

Davis County, Utah

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Clearfield, Utah

Clearfield, Utah requires a building permit for any excavation, grading, fill or construction inside city limits1. The city sets its own zoning2 and issues its own building permits3. Septic permits in Davis County, city or not, come from the Davis County Health Department4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for excavation, grading, fill or construction in Clearfield1
Who issues building permits
Clearfield City Community Development3
Zoning
Clearfield adopts its own zoning, separate from Davis County's2
Building code
State-adopted codes (IBC, IRC, NEC and others) adopted by the city5
Septic
Davis County Health Department permits; septic tanks barred near city sewer46
Accessory dwellings
Internal ADUs limited to a single family7

Who to call

Building permits

Clearfield City Community Development (building permits)

Building permits and plan review inside Clearfield city limits

801-525-2701

55 S State Street, Clearfield, UT 84015

Septic permits

Davis County Health Department — Environmental Health Division

Septic (onsite wastewater) permits and inspections countywide, including inside Clearfield

(801) 525-5000

Clearfield Main Campus, 22 South State Street, Clearfield, Utah 84015

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 25, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Clearfield, Utah?

Yes. Clearfield City Code requires a permit for any excavation, grading, fill or construction in the city1. The city's permit page says permits are issued for new construction as well as for additions to and remodeling of existing buildings and structures, and that most repairs or alterations require a permit3. Clearfield has adopted the state-adopted building, residential, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire codes as its construction standards5.

The building official reviews each application for site and mudslide safety, and sites with potential mudslide hazards need review by a qualified geologist and soils engineer1. Fees follow the city's most recent consolidated fee schedule8.

Who issues building permits in Clearfield, and how do you reach them?

Clearfield City Community Development handles building permits inside city limits; call 801-525-2701 or visit City Hall at 55 S State Street3. Applications must use city forms, and an incomplete application that is not corrected within 30 days of written notice is deemed withdrawn and its fees returned9.

The Davis County building permit office in Farmington serves only unincorporated land, not addresses inside Clearfield. For land outside city limits, see the Davis County page.

Does Clearfield, Utah have zoning?

Yes. Clearfield adopts its own zoning, and subdivision applications must comply with the development standards of the underlying zone and Title 11 of the city code2. Davis County's zoning map covers only unincorporated areas, and each city maintains zoning information for its own jurisdiction10.

Internal accessory dwelling units are limited to a single family as defined in the city code7. We could not confirm Clearfield's rules on long-term RV living, tiny homes, minimum dwelling size or height limits; ask Clearfield City Community Development at 801-525-27013.

How do septic permits work in Clearfield, Utah?

Septic permits for Davis County, in cities and unincorporated areas alike, come from the Davis County Health Department, whose Environmental Health Division is at 22 South State Street in Clearfield411. The health inspector must give final approval before an excavation is back-filled11.

Inside Clearfield, a septic tank, privy vault or cesspool is unlawful within 300 feet of the city sewer system, and plumbing must connect within 60 days after the sewer is ready for connections612. In practice most city lots will connect to sewer rather than install a septic system. We could not confirm a city rule on septic permits beyond that, so call the Environmental Health Division before planning a septic system11.

Building a home in Clearfield: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning for your lot with Clearfield City Community Development23.
  2. Check whether the city sewer reaches your lot, since septic tanks are barred within 300 feet of it6.
  3. Submit a building permit application on city forms9.
  4. If your site has mudslide potential, expect a geology and soils-engineering review1.
  5. Pay fees under the consolidated fee schedule8.
  6. Get required approvals before work starts9.

What stays with Davis County, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits and wells stay outside the city's building office: septic goes to the Davis County Health Department4, and Utah regulates water wells of all depths through the State Engineer13. Davis County's effective property tax rate is 0.5%14. For rules on land outside Clearfield, use the Davis County page.

Watch-outs

  • Davis County's building permit and zoning offices do not cover addresses inside Clearfield city limits10.
  • We could not confirm Clearfield's owner-builder rules, certificate of occupancy requirements or short-term rental rules; ask Clearfield City Community Development at 801-525-27013.
  • Utah's State Construction Code editions change on a schedule, so confirm the current edition with the city before you design5.

Sources

  1. Clearfield City Code § 10-1-3, Building Permit (Clearfield), quoted and re-checked
  2. Clearfield City Code § 12-1-7, Zoning (Clearfield), quoted and re-checked
  3. Clearfield City Community Development (building permits) (clearfield.city)
  4. Onsite Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  5. Clearfield City Code § 10-1-1, Codes Adopted (Clearfield), quoted and re-checked
  6. Clearfield City Code § 9-1-12, Private Systems; Discontinuance (Clearfield), quoted and re-checked
  7. Clearfield City Code § 11-19-4, Dwelling Unit Occupancy (Clearfield), quoted and re-checked
  8. Clearfield City Code § 10-1-2, Administrative Code (Clearfield), quoted and re-checked
  9. Clearfield City Code § 11-1-15, Development Applications and Procedures (Clearfield), quoted and re-checked
  10. Planning, quoted and re-checked
  11. Davis County Health Department — Environmental Health Division (daviscountyutah.gov)
  12. Clearfield City Code § 9-1-12, Private Systems; Discontinuance (Clearfield), quoted and re-checked
  13. Water Well Drilling Information, quoted and re-checked
  14. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 25, 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 Clearfield

Clearfield’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Excavation, grading, fill, or construction in Clearfield city.

    • The building official reviews each permit application for site and mudslide safety; sites with potential mudslide hazards require qualified geology and soils-engineering review.
    “Required: The building official shall require the issuance of a permit for any excavation, grading, fill or construction in the community.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Structures and buildings inside Clearfield city limits.

    • The adopted code list includes state-adopted IBC, IRC, NEC, IMC, IPC, IPMC, IFC, IEBC, and state-rule amendments.
    “The following codes are hereby adopted as the rules, regulations and standards for the construction, occupancy, alteration, repair, remodeling and maintenance of all structures and buildings”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Clearfield city limits.

    • Subdivision applications must comply with the development standards of the underlying zone and Title 11.
    “All subdivision applications shall comply with the development standards of the underlying zone and all applicable development standards of Title 11.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Internal accessory dwelling units inside Clearfield city limits.

    • An ADU unit's occupants are limited to one family as defined in Clearfield City Code § 11-3-3.
    “The occupants of an ADU unit shall be limited to a single family as defined in section 11-3-3 of Clearfield City Code.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private privy vaults, septic tanks, and cesspools on property inside Clearfield city within 300 feet of the city sewer system.

    • The prohibition applies within 300 feet of the sewer system.
    • Plumbing must connect within 60 days after the sewer system is ready to receive connections.

    distance from city sewer system: <= 300 feet

    “Within Three Hundred Feet Of City System: It shall be unlawful for the owner or his agent, or any other person having charge of or occupying any property located upon any street, alley, court, passageway or area in the city and within three hundred feet (300') of the sewer system to maintain or use or cause or permit to exist any privy vault, septic tank or cesspool on such property.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Property inside Clearfield city within 300 feet of the city sewer system.

    • Private privy vaults, septic tanks, and cesspools are unlawful within 300 feet of the sewer system.
    • Plumbing must be connected within 60 days after the sewer system is ready to receive connections.
    • Failure after served notice and 30 days to comply is a class B misdemeanor under the cited section.

    distance from city sewer system: <= 300 feet · connection deadline after sewer ready: <= 60 days

    “Time Limit For Connection: It shall be unlawful for the plumbing on any premises within the area above described to remain unconnected to the sewer system for more than sixty (60) days after such sewer system is ready to receive connections therewith.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Driveways in Clearfield city residential zones.

    • A clear-vision triangle is measured from the point where the driveway edge and curb meet.
    • Measurements extend 10 feet into the property along the driveway edge and 10 feet along the curb; where there is no curb, use the pavement or concrete edge.

    clear vision triangle legs: 10 feet (Measured from the driveway-edge/curb meeting point.)

    “At this point, measurements shall be made ten feet (10') into the property along the driveway edge and ten feet (10') along the curb. Where there is no curb, the measurements shall be taken from the edge of the pavement or concrete.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Building and other applicable City fees inside Clearfield city limits.

    • Fees are assessed under the most recent consolidated fee schedule.
    “Fees: All building and other applicable fees shall be assessed as adopted in the most recent consolidated fee schedule for Clearfield City.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Development and building-permit applications inside Clearfield city limits.

    • Applications must use City forms.
    • Incomplete applications receive written deficiency notice; if deficiencies are not corrected within 30 days, the application is deemed withdrawn and applicable fees returned.
    • Required development approvals, permits, and licenses must issue before use or development activity commences.

    incomplete application correction period: <= 30 days

    “If the applicant fails to correct the specified deficiencies within thirty (30) days from the date of notification by the planning and zoning administrator, the application shall be deemed withdrawn and the applicable application fees will be returned to the applicant.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Clearfield or Davis County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Clearfield city limits.
  • Inspections — Residential building work inside Clearfield city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Residential buildings inside Clearfield city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings inside Clearfield city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Residential lots inside Clearfield city limits.
11 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Short-term rentals

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 Clearfield publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Davis County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Davis County: county rules, score and offices