Bolthole Index

Tooele County, Utah

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Town of Stockton, Utah

The Town of Stockton, Utah requires a written building permit from the Town's Building Inspector for construction, alteration, repair, removal or occupancy of a structure, with minor work excepted1. Stockton sets its own zoning through its Development Code2. Septic permits for every address in Tooele County, towns included, come from the Tooele County Health Department3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside Stockton; minor work excepted1
Zoning
Town zoning districts A-4, A-2, A-1, R, R-4, R-C and LI4
Septic
Tooele County Health Department permit and inspections35
Minimum lot size
R Residential: 12,000 sq ft; A-4: 4 acres67
Mobile homes
Only replacement of an existing single-wide, with a building permit8
Owner-builder
Utah licensure exemption for a sole owner; permits still apply9

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Stockton (Town Hall, Building Inspector and Planning Commission)

Town Hall contact for Stockton building permits and zoning questions

435-882-3877

townclerk@stocktontown.org

18 North Johnson Street, Stockton, Utah 84071

Septic permits

Tooele County Health Department, Environmental Health

Septic (onsite wastewater) system permitting and inspection, and individual well permitting, for Tooele County

435-277-2440

eh@tooeleco.gov

151 N. Main Street, Tooele, UT 84074

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Do you need a building permit in Stockton, Utah?

Yes. Stockton Town Code says construction, alteration, repair, removal or occupancy of a structure may not begin until the Building Inspector issues a written permit, and minor work as the Building Inspector defines it is excepted1. A permit that is not started within 180 days becomes void1.

The Town has adopted the International Building Code as the State adopted it, plus the State-adopted residential, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, energy and natural-gas codes10. The Building Inspector inspects buildings while they are under construction or repair11.

Utah's owner-builder rule exempts a sole owner from contractor licensure, up to one residential structure per year and three per five years, but it does not waive building permits or inspections9. We could not confirm a separate owner-builder rule or a certificate-of-occupancy rule in Stockton's code; ask Town Hall.

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

Inside Stockton town limits, the Town issues building permits through its Building Inspector, not Tooele County1. Town Hall is at 18 North Johnson Street, Stockton, Utah 84071, phone 435-882-3877, email townclerk@stocktontown.org12. We could not confirm a separate building department phone line or online permit portal, so start with the town clerk.

Tooele County's Community Development Department handles building permits and zoning only for unincorporated land, so it is the wrong counter for a lot inside Stockton13. Septic permits are the exception and do go to the county health department (below).

Does Stockton have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and mobile homes?

Stockton has its own zoning. The Town Code divides the town into zones2, and the published districts are A-4, A-2, A-1, R, R-4, R-C and LI4. The Stockton Planning and Zoning Commission meets on the first Tuesday of each month at Town Hall12.

Lot size depends on the district. A parcel in the R Residential Zone needs at least 12,000 square feet6, and a parcel in the A-4 Agricultural 4 Acre Zone needs at least 4 acres7.

For mobile homes, the Town Code allows replacing an existing nonconforming single-wide, returned within one year of removal, with a building permit8. We could not confirm Stockton's setbacks, minimum dwelling size, accessory dwelling rules or tiny-home rules; the Town clerk can point you to the district schedule for a specific parcel.

How do septic permits work inside Stockton?

Tooele County Health Department regulation applies in Tooele County and its municipalities, so septic permits for Stockton addresses come from the health department, not the Town3. A scale preliminary plan goes to the health department first, and final design and construction need its approval14.

A new on-site system must be designed by a Utah State-Level II certified on-site wastewater designer, and Stockton may not issue a building permit until it has evidence of septic service that complies with the health department5. Order matters: septic approval comes before the building permit.

Wastewater must connect to public sewer when sewer is within proximity and has capacity; a connection within 300 feet of the property line counts as in proximity15. The installer must request an inspection at least 24 hours ahead, after trench excavation and again before backfill16. The septic permit is valid for 24 months, and the Tooele County Board of Health sets the fee17. Contact Environmental Health at 435-277-244018.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Stockton?

We could not confirm an operative rule on long-term RV living, temporary camping on private land or tiny homes inside Stockton town limits. Call Town Hall at 435-882-3877 before you park or place a dwelling12.

Tooele County's RV rule does not answer the question for Stockton, because it applies to unincorporated land19. For land outside town limits, see the Tooele County page.

Building a home in Stockton: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel is inside Stockton town limits and find its zoning district with Town Hall12.
  2. Check district lot size: 12,000 square feet in R, 4 acres in A-467.
  3. If public sewer is not within proximity, hire a Utah State-Level II certified designer and apply to the Tooele County Health Department5.
  4. Get septic evidence, then apply to the Town for a building permit5.
  5. Build under the Building Inspector's inspections, and request septic inspections 24 hours ahead1116.

What stays with Tooele County, and what to check before you buy in Stockton?

Septic permits and inspections stay with the Tooele County Health Department3. Private wells are also a county health matter, but we could not confirm the rule for a Stockton well, so ask Environmental Health18. For a county-level well, a permit must be obtained before drilling20.

Tooele County's farmland is valued at about $3,447 per acre21 and its effective property tax rate is 0.6%22. Annual precipitation across the county is about 10.5 inches23, and severe drought occurs in about 41% of years24. Federal land covers about 79% of the county25. Land outside Stockton falls under unincorporated county rules on the Tooele County page.

Watch-outs

  • Stockton's building permits and zoning come from the Town, but septic permits come from the Tooele County Health Department, so plan two separate applications3.
  • Stockton may not issue a building permit until septic compliance is shown, so septic approval comes first5.
  • We could not confirm Stockton's rules on setbacks, minimum dwelling size, RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, driveways or floodplain development; ask Town Hall at 435-882-387712.

Sources

  1. Stockton Town Code § 9-1-2, Codes Adopted (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  2. Stockton Town Code § 10-5-1, Zones Established (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  3. Tooele County Health Department Regulation #12, Regulations for Wastewater Disposal (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  4. Stockton Town Code § 10-5-1, Zones Established (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  5. Tooele County Health Department, On-Site Wastewater Permit Applicants (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  6. Stockton Town Code § 10-5-1, Zones Established (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  7. Stockton Town Code § 10-5-1, Zones Established (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  8. Stockton Town Code § 10-10-21-1, Existing Single-Wide Mobile Homes (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  9. Utah Code, Section 58-55-305, Exemptions from licensure, quoted and re-checked
  10. Stockton Town Code § 9-1-2, Codes Adopted (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  11. Stockton Town Code § 9-1-2, Codes Adopted (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  12. Town of Stockton (Town Hall, Building Inspector and Planning Commission) (stockton.utah.gov)
  13. Building Permits, quoted and re-checked
  14. Tooele County Health Department Regulation #12, Regulations for Wastewater Disposal (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  15. Tooele County Health Department Regulation #12, Regulations for Wastewater Disposal (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  16. Tooele County Health Department Regulation #12, Regulations for Wastewater Disposal (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  17. Tooele County Health Department Regulation #12, Regulations for Wastewater Disposal (Town of Stockton), quoted and re-checked
  18. Tooele County Health Department, Environmental Health (tooelehealth.org)
  19. Tooele County Land Use Ordinance Chapter 11: Recreational Uses and Recreational Coach Parks, quoted and re-checked
  20. Wells- Individual Water Systems: permitting, testing and re-certifications, quoted and re-checked
  21. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
  24. Share of years in severe drought: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Federal land share: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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 Town of Stockton

Town of Stockton’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, alteration, repair, removal, or occupancy of structures in Stockton town limits.

    • Minor work as defined by or determined by the Building Inspector is excepted.
    • Temporary-use permits are limited to construction duration and ordinarily no more than one year.
    • The permit expires if work is not started within 180 days or is suspended or abandoned for 180 days.

    permit commencement period: 180 days (Permit becomes null and void if work is not commenced.)

    “The construction, alteration, repair, removal or occupancy of any structure, or part thereof, as provided or as restricted in this title, shall not be commenced or proceeded with except after the issuance of a written permit for the same by the Building Inspector;”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction within Stockton town limits.

    • The IBC is subject to § 9-1-3.
    • The Town also adopts the State-adopted residential, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, energy, and natural-gas codes and amendments.
    “The International Building Code (IBC), as adopted by the State, is hereby adopted as the official Building Code for the Town, subject to section 9-1-3 of this chapter.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Buildings under construction or repair inside Stockton town limits.

    • Inspection is performed or caused to be performed by the Building Inspector.
    “It shall be the duty of the Building Inspector to inspect or cause to be inspected all buildings in the course of construction or repair.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Stockton town limits.

    • Development is subject to Stockton Town's Development Code zoning districts.
    “In order to carry out the purpose of this title, the Town is hereby divided into zones as follows:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts within Stockton town limits.

    • The published districts are A-4, A-2, A-1, R, R-4, R-C, and LI.
    “In order to carry out the purpose of this title, the Town is hereby divided into zones as follows:”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Replacement of an existing nonconforming single-wide mobile home inside Stockton town limits.

    • The existing single-wide must have been within Town limits before the provision's effective date.
    • A replacement must be returned within one year after removal.
    • A replacement must comply with federal HUD and state laws.
    • A building permit is required.
    • After the one-year period, a mobile home must meet the Town manufactured-mobile-home ordinance standards.

    replacement deadline: <= 1 year (Measured from removal of the nonconforming single-wide mobile home.)

    “A building permit is required to replace any single-wide mobile home.”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Bona fide division or partition of agricultural land inside Stockton town limits.

    • The division must join one resulting parcel to contiguous unsubdivided agricultural land.
    • Neither the resulting combined parcel nor the remaining parcel may violate an applicable land-use ordinance.
    “A bona fide division or partition of agricultural land for the purpose of joining one (1) of the resulting separate parcels to a contiguous parcel of unsubdivided agricultural land, if neither the resulting combined parcel nor the parcel remaining from the division or partition violates an applicable land use ordinance;”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Stockton

Town of Stockton does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    A-4 Agricultural 4 Acre Zone inside Stockton town limits.

    • Applies where the parcel is zoned A-4.

    minimum lot area: >= 4 acres

    “Agricultural 4 Acre Zone (not less than 4 acres)”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    Individual wastewater disposal systems inside Stockton town limits.

    • The Health Department's regulation applies within Tooele County and its municipalities.
    • A preliminary plan must be submitted to the Tooele County Health Department.
    “All persons desiring to construct or install an individual wastewater disposal system within Tooele County or its municipalities shall submit to the Tooele County Health Department a preliminary plan, drawn to scale, of the disposal system.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New individual on-site wastewater systems inside Stockton town limits.

    • The system must be designed by a Utah State-Level II certified on-site wastewater designer.
    • Design information must be submitted with the on-site wastewater permit application.
    • Stockton may not issue a building permit until requested evidence shows septic service compliant with the Tooele County Health Department.
    “Once the new on-site wastewater system has been designed, this information must be submitted to the Tooele County Health Department with the on-site wastewater permit application.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Septic systems installed inside Stockton town limits.

    • The installer must request inspection at least 24 hours in advance.
    • Inspections occur after trench excavation and again before backfill.

    inspection request notice: >= 24 hours (Requested by the installer.)

    “An on-site inspection of all septic systems shall be requested by the installer, at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance, and performed by a designated agent of the Health Department after excavation of the trenches, and again prior to backfill.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Individual on-site wastewater disposal systems inside Stockton town limits where public-sewer connection is not required.

    • A scale preliminary plan is required.
    • Final design and construction require Tooele County Health Department approval.
    • Public-sewer connection is required when the proximity-and-capacity conditions apply.
    “After receiving and reviewing the results of the preliminary plan items submitted under this section, the final design and construction of the system shall be made only with the approval of the Tooele County Health Department.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Wastewater service for property inside Stockton town limits.

    • Public sewer must be within proximity and have available capacity.
    • A connection within 300 feet of the property line is within proximity; a more distant connection may also be treated as within proximity.
    • For subdivisions, proximity is 150 feet multiplied by proposed lots in all phases.
    • The public sewer provider determines available capacity in writing.

    public-sewer proximity: <= 300 feet (A farther connection may be considered within proximity.)

    “All wastewater shall be connected to public sewer when such sewer is within proximity and has available capacity for use.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Individual septic-system permits serving property inside Stockton town limits.

    • The applicable fee is established by the Tooele County Board of Health.
    • The individual septic permit is valid for 24 months.

    individual septic permit validity: 24 months

    “All persons applying for an individual septic system permit shall pay to the Health Department a fee as established by the Tooele County Board of Health. The permit is valid for twenty-four (24) months.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Individual wastewater disposal-system approval inside Stockton town limits.

    • A preliminary scale plan must be submitted.
    • The plan must show listed site, system, water-supply, soil, and percolation-test information.
    • Final design and construction require Health Department approval.
    “All persons desiring to construct or install an individual wastewater disposal system within Tooele County or its municipalities shall submit to the Tooele County Health Department a preliminary plan, drawn to scale, of the disposal system.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Stockton or Tooele County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built structures inside Stockton town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Stockton town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential and agricultural residential zones inside Stockton town limits.
  • Setbacks — Zoning districts inside Stockton town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Zoning districts inside Stockton town limits.
9 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Town of Stockton publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Tooele County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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