Bolthole Index

Washington County, Utah

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in St. George, Utah

St. George, Utah, in Washington County, adopts the Utah state construction codes and runs its own building department and planning and zoning office, so city-limits projects do not go to the county. Septic permits in Washington County come from the Southwest Utah Public Health Department.1234

At a glance

Building codes
City adopts the most recent Utah-adopted construction codes1
Building permits
Issued by the City of St. George building department; apply through its CityInspect portal2
Zoning
City zoning code with agricultural, single-family residential, mobile-home, commercial and manufacturing districts5
Certificate of occupancy
Required after final inspection before a new building is occupied6
Accessory dwellings
Permitted with required standards in the single-family residential zones7
Septic
Southwest Utah Public Health Department for Washington County; city-limits rules not confirmed4
RV or tiny-home living
Not confirmed; ask the city planning office3

Who to call

Building permits

City of St. George Building Department

Building permits and inspections inside St. George city limits; permit requests go through the CityInspect portal

435-627-4100

61 S Main St, St. George, UT 84770

Planning & zoning

City of St. George Planning and Zoning

Zoning, plats, site plans and development review inside St. George city limits

435-627-4206

61 S Main St, St. George, UT 84770

Septic permits

Southwest Utah Public Health Department — Washington County

Septic (onsite wastewater) plan review, permits and inspections for Washington County

(435) 673-3528

620 South 400 East, St. George, UT 84770

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 St. George means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in St. George, Utah?

St. George adopts the most recent construction codes Utah has adopted, along with the state's amendments1. Under state law a local compliance agency issues construction permits, and the state division that administers the codes does not issue permits itself8. Inside St. George, that local agency is the city's building department, which takes permit requests through its CityInspect portal2.

The city's permit ordinance spells out that business, commercial and industrial buildings need a permit before work starts, secured from the city council or its appointed agent9. We could not confirm a separate written rule for single-family homes, so ask the building department before you assume any residential project is exempt.

After the work, a certificate of occupancy is required before a new or altered building is occupied, and it issues only after final inspection6.

Who issues building permits in St. George, and how do you reach them?

The City of St. George Building Department issues building permits and handles inspections inside city limits. It is at 61 S Main St, St. George, UT 84770, phone 435-627-41002. Permit requests are made online through the city's CityInspect portal2.

Fees are paid in advance, and the amount is set by resolution of the city council rather than in the code itself10. Ask the building department for the current fee schedule for your project.

Washington County's Community Development department handles building permits only for unincorporated land. See the Washington County page if your parcel lies outside city limits.

Does St. George have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. St. George publishes its own zoning code, which sets agricultural zones, single-family residential zones, mobile-home zones, commercial and manufacturing zones, airport-vicinity zones, open-space zones and overlay zones5. The Planning and Zoning office at 435-627-4206 is where development starts: the city asks applicants to book a development staff review before beginning3.

Accessory dwelling units are permitted with required standards in the city's single-family residential zones, so check the standards for your zone before planning a casita or guest unit7. Short-term residential rentals carry the same permitted-with-standards status in those zones11.

We could not confirm the city's rules on RV living, tiny homes, minimum lot size, setbacks or building height, because they vary by district. Ask Planning and Zoning for your parcel's district before you buy.

How do septic permits work in St. George?

Septic permits in Washington County are handled by the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, which reviews plans, issues permits, inspects systems and keeps septic records within its district4. The department sits at 620 South 400 East, St. George, UT 84770, phone (435) 673-352812.

Utah law requires wastewater to go to either a public sewer connection or an onsite septic system13. Before installing, replacing or modifying a septic system, a permit and approved design are required14.

We could not confirm whether a given lot inside St. George city limits can connect to city sewer or may use septic at all. Ask the building department and the health department together before you buy.

Soils matter too: USDA rates only about 11% of Washington County's soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation, and possibly an engineered system, on septic lots15.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in St. George?

We could not confirm a general rule for living in an RV or a tiny home on private land inside St. George. The city's mobile-home zone refers to an existing recreational-vehicle subdivision, but that does not amount to a citywide RV-occupancy rule5.

Before you move any RV or tiny home onto a St. George lot, call Planning and Zoning at 435-627-4206 and ask what the lot's zoning district allows3. Occupancy also depends on the certificate of occupancy, which the city requires before a building is used6.

Building a home in St. George: the steps, in order

  1. Ask Planning and Zoning which zoning district your parcel is in and what it allows, and book a development staff review if your project needs one3.
  2. Confirm how the lot handles wastewater. Utah law requires a public sewer connection or an onsite system13. If septic is possible, the Southwest Utah Public Health Department reviews plans and issues the permit4.
  3. If you plan a private well, a shallow water well owner must hold a valid water right before the well is built16.
  4. Apply for a building permit through the CityInspect portal and pay the fee set by city council resolution210.
  5. Build to the adopted Utah construction codes and pass inspections1.
  6. Get the certificate of occupancy after final inspection before anyone moves in6.

Owner-builders: Utah lets a sole owner build one residential structure per year and up to three per five years on their own property without a contractor license, but that exemption does not remove permit and inspection requirements17.

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

Washington County's rules for unincorporated land do not apply inside St. George. Outside city limits, a building permit is required from the county18, and the county administers its own zoning19. See the Washington County page for that side.

Septic and wells are not city decisions: septic runs through the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, and wells are regulated by the State Engineer regardless of depth416.

County-level numbers to weigh: Washington County's effective property tax rate is about 0.4%20, and farmland sells for about $8,684 per acre21. A typical home is valued around $531,49622, and annual precipitation is about 15.2 inches23.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the city's setbacks, minimum lot sizes, height limits or flood-zone requirements; ask Planning and Zoning for your parcel's district before closing3.
  • A lot inside city limits may or may not be able to use septic; confirm sewer availability with the city and septic eligibility with the Southwest Utah Public Health Department13.
  • Utah's owner-builder exemption covers contractor licensing only and does not waive permits or inspections17.

Sources

  1. § 9-1-1 Building Code Adopted (St. George), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of St. George Building Department (sgcityutah.gov)
  3. City of St. George Planning and Zoning (sgcityutah.gov)
  4. Septic Systems - Southwest Utah Public Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  5. Title 10 Zoning Regulations (St. George), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 9-1-3 Certificates Of Occupancy (St. George), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article B. Single-Family Residential Zones (St. George), quoted and re-checked
  8. Utah Code Title 15A, State Construction and Fire Codes Act (Utah statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. § 9-1-2 Building Permit; Fee (St. George), quoted and re-checked
  10. § 9-1-2 Building Permit; Fee (St. George), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article B. Single-Family Residential Zones (St. George), quoted and re-checked
  12. Southwest Utah Public Health Department — Washington County (swuhealth.gov)
  13. Septic Systems - Southwest Utah Public Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  14. Septic Systems - Southwest Utah Public Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  15. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  16. Water Well Drilling Information - Utah Division of Water Rights, quoted and re-checked
  17. Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 55, Construction Trades Licensing Act exemptions (Utah statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. 10-1-6: Building Permit Required (2026 county census)
  19. Zoning Info (2026 county census)
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
  22. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  23. Annual precipitation: 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 St. George

St. George’s own rules

  • Building permitLimited

    Business, commercial, and industrial buildings or structures inside St. George city limits; the opened provision does not establish the residential-new-home rule.

    • Permit must be secured from the city council or its duly appointed and legal agent before the covered work.
    • A permit is also required before industrial use of land or existing structures.
    “It shall be unlawful to erect, construct, alter or reconstruct any building or structure for business, commercial and industrial purposes within the city without first securing a permit from the city council or their duly appointed and legal agent.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction regulated inside St. George city limits.

    • The city adopts the most recent Utah-adopted construction codes, their appendices, Utah amendments, subsequent state-required amendments, and amendments specifically adopted in the chapter.
    • Administrative appeals follow Title 1, Chapter 15 of City Code.
    “The most recent version of construction codes adopted by the state of Utah and appendices and the state’s amendments thereto are incorporated by reference and hereby adopted”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Buildings or premises requiring a St. George certificate of occupancy.

    • Certificate is issued only after final inspection and a conformity determination.
    • A conditional certificate may be issued for all or part of a building at the chief building official's discretion under city rules and regulations.
    “The certificate of occupancy provided for herein shall be issued only after final inspection by the office of the chief building official and determination that the extent and kind of use to be made of the building or premises conforms to the provisions of this chapter and any codes adopted hereunder”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Vacant land and buildings or structures erected, altered, or moved inside St. George city limits.

    • No covered land, building, or structure may be occupied or used until the certificate is issued.
    • Water or electric service may not be supplied to a permanent user when contractor/builder service is transferred unless the certificate has issued.
    • The provision covers a building under construction when the ordinance was passed if it had not had final inspection.
    “No vacant land shall be occupied or used and no building or structure hereafter erected, altered or moved shall be occupied until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the chief building official or an inspector from his office.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside St. George city limits.

    • Published code identifies agricultural zones, single-family residential zones, mobile-home zones, commercial/manufacturing zones, airport-vicinity zones, open-space zones, and overlay zones.
    “5 Agricultural Zones (A-0.5, A-1, A-5, A-10, A-20) 6 Gravel And Grazing Zone (G-G) 7 Residential Zones [...] 8 Administrative Professional (AP), Commercial (C), And Manufacturing Zones (M), And Planned Development Zones (PD-AP, PD-C, PD-M And PD-MU)”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwelling units in St. George R-1, R-1-6, R-1-7, R-1-8, R-1-10, R-1-12, R-1-20, and R-1-40 single-family residential zones.

    • PS means permitted uses with required standards; the use must comply with Chapter 17 standards and evaluation criteria.
    “Accessory dwelling unit | PS | PS | PS | PS | PS | PS | PS | PS”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and development within St. George city limits.

    • Title 10 includes a Development Regulations chapter with plats and plans and infrastructure improvements; detailed procedures were not opened.
    “25 Development Regulations 25A General Provisions 25B Administration And Enforcement 25C Plats And Plans 25D Infrastructure Improvements”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Short-term residential rentals in St. George R-1, R-1-6, R-1-7, R-1-8, R-1-10, R-1-12, R-1-20, and R-1-40 single-family residential zones.

    • PS means permitted uses with required standards; the use must comply with Chapter 17 standards and evaluation criteria.
    “Short-term residential rental | PS | PS | PS | PS | PS | PS | PS | PS”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    City building permits covered by § 9-1-2.

    • Applicant must furnish information required by the designated building official.
    • Fee must be paid in advance and is established by city-council resolution.
    “Any person may apply to the city council for a building permit by furnishing information required by the designated building official and paying in advance a permit fee in such amount as established by resolution of the city council.”
  • Permit processPartial

    City building permits covered by § 9-1-2.

    • Applicant furnishes information required by the designated building official.
    • Applicant pays the fee in advance.
    • The opened provision does not provide a complete residential permit workflow.
    “Any person may apply to the city council for a building permit by furnishing information required by the designated building official and paying in advance a permit fee in such amount as established by resolution of the city council.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask St. George or Washington County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside St. George city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside St. George city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside St. George city limits.
  • Setbacks — Development inside St. George city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Development inside St. George city limits.
13 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain

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

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