Washington

ADU Pass helps homeowners in Washington, Washington County, Utah navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 1 ZIP code.

1 ZIP code

ADU details

ADU legality: allowed-with-restrictions

Statewith-restrictions (Utah accessory-dwelling framework) — Comprehensive for INTERNAL ADUs (IADUs) inside owner-occupied detached single-family primary dwellings. Limited and lot-size-gated for DETACHED ADUs as of SB 284 (11,000+ sqft lots). No statewide preemption for attached/junior ADUs separate from the IADU framework. Municipalities retain a 25%/67% opt-out for IADUs and full local control of detached ADUs on lots under 11,000 sqft.
Countyallowed (Washington County unincorporated zoning) — Washington County permits ADUs in unincorporated areas under state-law-aligned standards. Within Washington city limits the city ordinance plus state law govern.
Cityallowed (City of Washington Municipal / Zoning Code — Accessory Dwelling Units) — City of Washington permits ADUs under the local ordinance aligned with Utah statewide framework where applicable.

Utah partially preempts local ADU restrictions; cities retain authority over design and setbacks. Washington permits ADUs subject to local conditions per its zoning ordinance.

Cost scenarios

ScenarioSq ft PermitBuildTotal
minimum 150 $2,200 $39,750 $41,950
600 600 $2,200 $159,000 $161,200
midpoint 575 $2,200 $152,375 $154,575
maximum 1,000 $2,200 $265,000 $267,200
Fee breakdown
Plan review$660
Building permit$1,210
Impact fees$330
Total$2,200

Viability (permitted uses)

  • Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU generally permitted; landlord-tenant law and any city rental-registration ordinance apply.
  • Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Washington regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check local STR ordinance and HOA covenants.
  • Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home occupation permit or rezoning.
  • Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
  • Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
  • Agriculture: with-restrictions Limited urban agriculture permitted in residential zones; livestock varies by district.
  • Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted in single-family zones.

Utilities

  • Water: Washington Water Utility · 30d connect · $4,500
  • Sewer: Washington Sewer / Wastewater · 30d connect · $5,500
  • Electric: Washington Electric Utility · 21d connect · $1,800
  • Gas: Washington Gas Utility · 30d connect · $1,500

Property values & taxes

Median value$350,000
Median tax$3,500/yr
Effective rate1%

Construction timeline

Detached build22 weeks
Conversion12 weeks
Contractor lead4 months

Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 11mo · worst 16mo

Financing

Insurance impact

Annual premium delta$420
Landlord policyrecommended
Umbrella threshold$1M umbrella when renting

HOA prevalence & preemption

State HOA preemptionno

Utah's HOA preemption is narrower than California's AB 3182. It targets only IADUs and splits the analysis: rental restrictions are fully voided (rules and CC&Rs alike); construction restrictions are voided only at the rule level, leaving CC&Rs enforceable. Detached ADUs are entirely outside the preemption — an HOA can ban detached ADUs by rule or CC&R without conflict with state law.

Regulatory overlays (1)

  • seismic-zone
    Seismic Design Category D1 per ASCE 7; soft-story and unreinforced-masonry seismic considerations may apply.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)

Climate & energy code

IECC climate zone5B
Heating degree days6,200
Cooling degree days700
Frost depth30"
Design snow load30 psf
Wind design speed100 mph
Seismic design cat.D1
Annual rainfall17"
Wildfire exposurelow
Energy codeIECC
Version / adopted2021 / 2023

Building code

Base codeIRC
Version year2,021
Adopted2023
Fire sprinklernone
Egress window5.7 sqft min
Min ceiling7 ft
Attic R-valueR-49 min
Wall R-valueR-20 min

Amendments:

  • Amendment
  • Amendment
Utah state — ADU law and programs

State ADU law

Utah preempts municipal and county zoning for INTERNAL accessory dwelling units (IADUs) — ADUs created within the footprint of an owner-occupied primary single-family dwelling for long-term (30+ day) rental. Under HB 82 (2021), IADUs are a PERMITTED use by right in any area zoned primarily for residential use, codified at Utah Code §§ 10-9a-530 (municipalities) and 17-27a-526 (counties). Local governments may opt out of the requirement in zones covering up to 25% of the area zoned primarily for residential use (or 67% in cities with a university and a student population of 10,000+). Internal ADUs are also exempted from impact fees by Utah Code § 11-36a-202. The state has NOT yet preempted DETACHED (external) ADU regulation — those remain a local-zoning question. Multiple 2025 bills (Rep. Ray Ward's HB 88 / HB 90) that would have extended preemption to detached ADUs and small-lot single-family units stalled in the House Political Subdivisions Committee. SB 284 (2026) advanced a narrower detached-ADU allowance limited to lots 11,000 sqft or larger.

State HOA preemption

Utah's HOA preemption is narrower than California's AB 3182. It targets only IADUs and splits the analysis: rental restrictions are fully voided (rules and CC&Rs alike); construction restrictions are voided only at the rule level, leaving CC&Rs enforceable. Detached ADUs are entirely outside the preemption — an HOA can ban detached ADUs by rule or CC&R without conflict with state law.

State financing programs

Utah's primary state housing finance vehicle is the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund (OWHLF), administered by the Department of Workforce Services Housing & Community Development Division under Utah Code Title 35A Chapter 8 Part 5. OWHLF historically funds gap financing for affordable multifamily projects and preservation of affordable units; it is not consumer-facing for individual ADU construction loans. HB 82 (2021) directed the creation of an IADU-specific incentive/loan program but the vehicle has not been heavily capitalized as a standalone consumer loan; in practice, IADU financing is delivered through conventional renovation/cash-out-refinance products from Utah Housing Corporation (the state's housing finance agency) and from credit unions and banks. UHC offers FirstHome and HomeAgain loan programs that can be combined with rehab financing for IADU work as part of a primary-residence purchase or refinance, but UHC has no dedicated 'ADU loan' product.

State housing programs

Utah has NO statewide pre-approved ADU plan library (some individual cities — notably Salt Lake City — publish a city-level pre-approved plan set). The state's main ADU-relevant statewide program is the IMPACT-FEE EXEMPTION for internal ADUs under Utah Code § 11-36a-202 (added by HB 82, 2021) — every municipality and county is barred from charging impact fees for an IADU. The second statewide framework is the MODERATE INCOME HOUSING PLAN (MIHP) requirement under HB 462 (2022) and follow-on bills, which forces every Utah city and county to adopt a MIHP from a menu of housing-supply strategies; allowing/encouraging ADUs is one of the menu items, so MIHP indirectly nudges local ADU policy without directly preempting it. There is no statewide ADU rebate or grant program comparable to CalHFA's. Streamlined-review timelines for IADUs are implicit in the HB 82 permitted-use classification — IADUs cannot require conditional-use review and must move on the standard ministerial-permit timeline.

  • Statewide IADU Impact-Fee Exemption — By statute, no Utah municipality or county may charge impact fees for an internal accessory dwelling unit. This is a hard statewide preemption of impact fees in the IADU context, not a discretionary local waiver.
  • Statewide Permitted-Use Classification for IADUs (de facto streamlined-review mandate) — By making IADUs a permitted use rather than a conditional use, HB 82 removed the discretionary public-hearing review pathway. IADU permits are processed ministerially against the limited list of statutorily-allowed restrictions. Effectively eliminates the 60–120-day conditional-use overlay that pre-2021 IADU permits typically carried.
  • Moderate Income Housing Plan (MIHP) Statute — Every Utah city and county must adopt and implement a Moderate Income Housing Plan from a menu of housing-supply strategies; allowing/encouraging ADUs is one menu item. DWS Housing administers the reporting framework. Non-compliance can affect transportation funding eligibility under follow-on legislation.
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs

Federal ADU law

The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.

Federal financing programs

Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.

Federal tax credits

There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.

Federal housing programs

HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.

ZIP Code

  • 84780

Post Office

  • 25 W Telegraph St, 84780