Pool Permit in Salt Lake City, Utah
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
Before installing a residential pool or spa deeper than 24 inches, above ground or in ground.
Issued bySalt Lake City Building Services (Building Services & Civil Enforcement), Department of Community and Neighborhoods
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
Salt Lake City requires a permit for residential swimming pools and spas deeper than 24 inches, above ground (temporary) or in ground (permanent), under the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code as amended by Utah. The single Residential Pool permit covers the pool deck, electrical, plumbing and gas work, and the plans must show the required barrier even if the pool contractor is not building it; the permit is not closed until the barrier requirements are met.
Typical threshold: Water depth of a residential swimming pool or spa, above ground or in ground.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
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When a permit is usually needed
Before installing a residential pool or spa deeper than 24 inches, above ground or in ground.
What a pool permit costs in Salt Lake City
How to apply in Salt Lake City
In Salt Lake City, a residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect.
What most pool permit applications include:
- Pool and spa design and construction fall under the residential code chapter that folds in the swimming pool and spa code, and permit review checks plans against that chapter (IRC R326).
- For Salt Lake City, the site plan must show pool equipment such as pumps, filters, and heaters set back at least 36 inches from the outside of the required barrier (ISPSC 305.2.9).
- For an in-ground pool, engineered structural plans covering the shell and reinforcing steel, with the responsible structural engineer's license information, are a standard part of the submittal (per official pool submittal checklists).
- For Salt Lake City, a barrier plan identifying the fence, pool structure, or dwelling wall that will enclose the pool must be submitted and must comply with the code's barrier chapter (ISPSC 305).
- Electrical plans must show the pool's equipotential bonding design, since the shell, perimeter surfaces, and metal fittings within 5 feet of the water must all tie into a common bonding grid (NEC 680.26).
- For Salt Lake City, the electrical plan must also show a disconnecting means for the pool equipment that is readily accessible and within sight of the equipment (NEC 680.13).
General submittal guidance from 2021 IRC R326 (adopting the ISPSC), ISPSC 2021 Section 305, and NEC 2020 Article 680. Source. Salt Lake City Building Services (Building Services & Civil Enforcement), Department of Community and Neighborhoods sets the exact checklist for Salt Lake City.
Where to apply in Salt Lake City:
Salt Lake City Building Services (Building Services & Civil Enforcement), Department of Community and Neighborhoods
- City Hall, 451 South State Street, Room 215, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
- Phone: (801) 535-7968
- Email: slcpermits@slc.gov
Inspections and closing out your permit
In Salt Lake City, pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
- In Salt Lake City: before gunite or shotcrete is sprayed, the inspector checks the rebar against the engineered plans and confirms the equipotential bonding wire is stubbed out and tied into the steel, since it will be buried in concrete afterward (NEC 680.26).
- In Salt Lake City: a bonding inspection separately confirms coping, decking, ladders, handrail cups, and any other metal within 5 feet of the water are tied to the bonding grid, and it must pass before coping is installed (NEC 680.26).
- In Salt Lake City: a temporary barrier at least 4 feet high must enclose the site from the moment excavation starts until the permanent barrier is finished, and inspectors check for it throughout construction (ISPSC 305.1.1).
- In Salt Lake City: a pre-plaster inspection confirms the circulation equipment's electrical work is installed and all bonding is complete before the pool's interior finish goes on (NEC 680.26).
- In Salt Lake City: at final inspection the permanent barrier is checked against the code's requirements and the equipment and cover-mechanism bonding must be complete before the pool can be filled and used (ISPSC 305, NEC 680.26).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Salt Lake City permit portal or by phone at (801) 535-7968.
Inspection sequence from NEC 2020 Article 680.26 (equipotential bonding) and ISPSC 2021 Section 305 (barriers). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Pool Permit checklist for Salt Lake City
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Typical threshold: Water depth of a residential swimming pool or spa, above ground or in ground. Usually needed: Before installing a residential pool or spa deeper than 24 inches, above ground or in ground.
- Budget the fee. Pools use the building permit valuation table (the City's Permit Fee Estimate page lists Pool among the application types billed as building permit fees): building permit fee from the valuation table in the Salt Lake City Consolidated Fee Schedule (FY2027, "Amended 06/16/2026 by Ord. 2026 - 29"), for example "$0.01 - $500.00" $55.97 and "$2,000.01 - $25,000.00" "$115.97 for the first $2,000 plus $20 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $25,000", plus a plan review fee of "65% of building permit fee" (18.20.020.B). The checklist says pool fees are based on the total cost of construction for all trades, and the pool permit is "all-encompasing"; Public Utilities may assess additional fees. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. In Salt Lake City, a residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect. Start at the Salt Lake City permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. Salt Lake City Building Services (Building Services & Civil Enforcement), Department of Community and Neighborhoods. Phone: (801) 535-7968. Address: City Hall, 451 South State Street, Room 215, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.
- Plan for inspections. In Salt Lake City, pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a pool permit in Salt Lake City?
- Salt Lake City requires a permit for residential swimming pools and spas deeper than 24 inches, above ground (temporary) or in ground (permanent), under the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code as amended by Utah. The single Residential Pool permit covers the pool deck, electrical, plumbing and gas work, and the plans must show the required barrier even if the pool contractor is not building it; the permit is not closed until the barrier requirements are met. Water depth of a residential swimming pool or spa, above ground or in ground. Always confirm with the office before starting.
- How much does a pool permit cost in Salt Lake City?
- Pools use the building permit valuation table (the City's Permit Fee Estimate page lists Pool among the application types billed as building permit fees): building permit fee from the valuation table in the Salt Lake City Consolidated Fee Schedule (FY2027, "Amended 06/16/2026 by Ord. 2026 - 29"), for example "$0.01 - $500.00" $55.97 and "$2,000.01 - $25,000.00" "$115.97 for the first $2,000 plus $20 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $25,000", plus a plan review fee of "65% of building permit fee" (18.20.020.B). The checklist says pool fees are based on the total cost of construction for all trades, and the pool permit is "all-encompasing"; Public Utilities may assess additional fees. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a pool permit in Salt Lake City?
- You can apply through the Salt Lake City permit portal or contact the Salt Lake City Building Services (Building Services & Civil Enforcement), Department of Community and Neighborhoods directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a pool permit themselves in Salt Lake City?
- Under Utah law (Utah Code 58-55-305(1)(d), (e), (j), (2); 15A-1-209(3)(b)(vi)): Yes, within limits. A sole owner of property may build without a contractor license no more than one residential structure per year, and no more than three per five years, on their own property for their own noncommercial, nonpublic use, plus incidental structures such as a shed, carport, or detached garage (58-55-305(1)(d)). Unpaid helpers working under the owner's direction for token compensation are also exempt, but anyone else who builds the home must be licensed if the work requires it (58-55-305(1)(d)(i), (1)(e)). Owners and lessees, and their regular employees, are exempt when maintaining the property (58-55-305(1)(j)). The state's standardized permit form records whether the applicant is an original contractor or an owner-builder (15A-1-209(3)(b)(vi)), and a building department that issues a permit to an owner under this exemption must notify DOPL (58-55-305(2)). No state owner-builder disclosure form or resale restriction was found. Confirm how Salt Lake City applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Salt Lake City
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | Before replacing or relocating plumbing fixtures, adding or altering circuits, or moving... | ...Fee Schedule (FY2027, "Amended 06/16/2026 by Ord. 2026 - 29"), for example "$0.01 -... |
| Deck Permit | It depends | Deck height above grade at any point; an exempt deck must also not require guardrails and must not serve a required exit door | ...Fee Schedule (FY2027, "Amended 06/16/2026 by Ord. 2026 - 29"), for example "$0.01 -... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | Residential electrical: "Base Fee" $59 |
| EV Charger Permit | Permit required | Any size | Electrical permit: "Base Fee" $59 plus "Minor remodel and additional circuits" $40 for a... |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Any size | "Fencing Permit" $47, a flat fee in the Salt Lake City Consolidated Fee Schedule... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | Mechanical permit: "Base Fee" $59 plus item fees, for example "Installation or... |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | Plumbing permit: "Base fee" $59 plus item fees, for example "Plumbing fixture or trap... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Fee Schedule (FY2027, "Amended 06/16/2026 by Ord. 2026 - 29"), for example "$0.01 -... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | Floor area of a residential shed, playhouse or similar one-story detached accessory building | ...Fee Schedule (FY2027, "Amended 06/16/2026 by Ord. 2026 - 29"), for example "$0.01 -... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | "Solar Panel Permit Fee", by "System Size in kW": "0 - 5 kW" $264 |
| Water Heater Permit | Permit required | Any size | "Water heater" $16 each under Plumbing Permits, plus the plumbing "Base fee" $59 (Salt... |
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Salt Lake City documents; the office above sets the local rules.
How this pool permit page for Salt Lake City was verified. 2 official sources: slc.gov, slc.gov; fee schedule: official document. Last checked by Mario Bailey, not confirmed with Salt Lake City Building Services (Building Services & Civil Enforcement), Department of Community and Neighborhoods. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
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