Service area · Utah
Metal buildings in Utah.
We supply shops, RV garages, barns, commercial buildings and more across Utah. Our work reaches from the Wasatch Front to Cache Valley and down to St. George, and anywhere else you’re building.
Building code
2024 IBC & 2021 IRC
Snow loads
Set by Utah amendments
Farm buildings
Permit-exempt
Size, height & placement
Set city by city
From the Utah State Construction Code, Utah Code Title 15A. Every city sets its own zoning, and we confirm yours before drawings are produced.
What matters when building in Utah?
Two buildings with identical dimensions can need different engineering depending on where they sit and how they’re used.
Snow & elevation
Utah sets its own snow loads, and they change sharply with elevation, even within one city.
Wind & heat
Canyon and valley wind shape the bracing, and southern Utah’s heat shapes insulation and ventilation.
How it’s used
Farm storage, a personal shop and occupied space fall under different engineering standards.
Which city
The building code is the same statewide. Size, height, roof pitch and setbacks change at every city line.
Where you build changes the rules
Utah writes one building code for the whole state and leaves zoning to each city. Here’s how that usually breaks down.
One statewide code
- Utah adopts the 2024 International Building Code and 2021 International Residential Code statewide, with Utah amendments.
- Those amendments include Utah’s own snow load requirements, which vary sharply with elevation.
Farm buildings
- A structure used only for agriculture, and not for people to live or work in, is exempt from building permits, with some location limits.
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work inside it can still need permits, and it can’t later be converted without one.
Local zoning
- Each city sets its own size, height and setback limits for accessory buildings.
- Many also require roof pitch, materials or colors that match the house.
In Utah, the code is statewide but the rules are local. Every building follows the same state code, but a shop that’s fine in Lehi can be too tall in Ogden. We check your city’s limits and engineer for the snow load at your exact elevation.
What usually fits which project
We start with what you’re building and work back to the structural system. Here’s where that usually lands.
Barns & storage
Tubular steel fits up to sixty feet wide. Past eighty, or with big doors and heavy loads, red iron takes over.
Heated shop or RV garage
It’s still tubular under sixty feet. Tall RV doors run into city height limits, so we design around them from the start.
Drywalled shop or studio
Steel truss is the fit here. Drywall screws straight to the frame, and siding and colors can match the house.
Commercial & wide spans
Cold-formed suits permitted commercial work with a finished eave. Red iron takes over past eighty feet.
On the benches and in the mountains, where snow loads climb, the math can shift. See what a steel building costs for real per-square-foot ranges.
Local guides for Utah
We deliver and install anywhere in Utah. These guides cover the accessory building rules in the state’s busiest cities, and we check the rules for every other address the same way.
Salt Lake Valley
Utah County
Ogden & northern Utah
Southern Utah
Building somewhere that isn’t listed? Tell us the address and we’ll confirm who permits it and what applies. See our whole service area.
Common questions about building in Utah
Do I need a permit for a metal building in Utah?
Usually, yes. Utah enforces the 2024 IBC and 2021 IRC statewide, with Utah amendments, and cities add their own zoning review. In South Jordan, for example, buildings over 200 sq ft need a building permit, and smaller ones still need a minor accessory building permit. Give us the address and we’ll tell you what applies.
Are farm buildings exempt?
From the building permit, yes, if the structure is used only for agriculture and not for people to live or work in, with some location limits. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work can still need permits, and converting the building later takes one.
What snow loads does a Utah building have to be designed for?
Utah sets its own snow loads through state amendments, and they climb quickly with elevation, so two lots in the same city can differ. Wind matters too near canyon mouths.
We look up the load for your exact address and elevation and design to whichever load governs.
How big can an accessory building be?
It depends on the city. South Jordan allows up to 25 feet with stepped setbacks and a footprint under 60% of the house’s. North Salt Lake caps buildings at 14-foot walls and a 20-foot peak, and on lots of half an acre or less, 50% of the house’s footprint. West Point requires a conditional use permit for anything over 1,500 sq ft.
What sizes are most common in Utah?
Sizes of 30×40 and 30×50 cover most residential and small farm projects. Larger operations run 40×60 through 60×80 and wider. See what a steel building costs, or call 417-218-8348 for an actual number.
Start with a conversation
Let’s talk about your Utah project.
Tell us what you’re planning and where you’re building. We’ll help you work out the next steps.
- Tell us what and whereSend us the size, how you’ll use the building and the address.
- We check the siteWe confirm who permits the address and which code and loads apply.
- You get a clear recommendationWe recommend the frame that fits and price it against the alternatives.
Or call
417-218-8348