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12 permits · verified 2026-09-09

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Salt Lake City?

In short

A contractor or trade in Salt Lake City, UT has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Salt Lake City Finance Department, Business Licensing Division charges $34 annual, in addition to the base license and employee fees for the business license add-on — construction business. 3 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Salt Lake City

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Business License Add-On — Construction BusinessCity of Salt Lake City Finance Department, Business Licensing Division$34 annual, in addition to the base license and employee feesannual (renewal cycle not stated in the published fee schedule)2026-09-09
Electrical Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to youUtah Division of Professional Licensing$175 to apply; renewal is $128biennial — expires 30 November of even-numbered years2026-09-04
Plumbing Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to youUtah Division of Professional Licensing$175 to apply; renewal is $128biennial — expires 30 November of even-numbered years2026-09-04
General Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to youUtah Division of Professional Licensing$175 to apply; renewal is $128biennial — expires 30 November of even-numbered years2026-09-04
HVAC Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to youUtah Division of Professional Licensing$175 to apply; renewal is $128biennial — expires 30 November of even-numbered years2026-09-04

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Salt Lake City

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business LicenseCity of Salt Lake City Finance Department, Business Licensing DivisionVaries — formula on the Salt Lake City pageannual (renewal cycle not stated in the published fee schedule)2026-09-09
Zoning Verification Letteronly if it applies to youCity of Salt Lake City, Planning DivisionVaries — formula on the Salt Lake City pageone-time, no stated expiration2026-09-09
Building Permit (Commercial)City of Salt Lake City, Department of Community and Neighborhoods, Building Services DivisionVaries — formula on the Salt Lake City pageone-time, per project2026-09-09

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

UT registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youUtah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code$59 one-time filingperpetual, but a renewal is due every year2026-09-04
Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youUtah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code$59 one-time filingperpetual, but a renewal is due every year2026-09-04
General Business License — Utah State Position (Entity Registration)only if it applies to youUtah Division of Corporations and Commercial CodeNo feeset by the city or county2026-09-04
Annual Renewalonly if it applies to youUtah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code$18 a year; a late renewal adds $10annual — due in the calendar month tied to the entity's own formation anniversary2026-09-04

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Salt Lake City?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a contractor or trade in Salt Lake City, UT, 3 apply to every business of this type and 9 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

Of the 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $34.00. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 12 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all.

The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Salt Lake City permits page and the UT state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Salt Lake City?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Salt Lake City, UT come from 5 separate offices: City of Salt Lake City Finance Department, Business Licensing Division, City of Salt Lake City, Planning Division, City of Salt Lake City, Department of Community and Neighborhoods, Building Services Division, Utah Division of Professional Licensing, Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a contractor or trade need in Salt Lake City that other businesses do not?

5 of the 5 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Salt Lake City: Business License Add-On — Construction Business, Electrical Contractor License, Plumbing Contractor License and 2 more.

Business License Add-On — Construction Business

Risen from $32 before September 2025 — a flat annual add-on, not a gross-receipts-based schedule (a claim to that effect circulates on third-party contractor-licensing sites but does not match the city's own published fee). This is the only Salt Lake City-specific licensing touchpoint for contractors beyond the base business license: the City publishes no separate local contractor exam, registration card or bond. A permit applicant must show proof of an active Utah DOPL contractor license (recorded at the state layer) at business-license and building-permit application.

Electrical Contractor License

Priced identically to general contracting, $175 to apply and $128 to renew on the same shared 30 November even-year date, in either a general or a residential-only classification. The one requirement specific to this trade is that whoever qualifies the license must already hold an active Utah Master Electrician license — the contractor license cannot be obtained on the strength of the business alone.

Plumbing Contractor License

The same $175-and-$128 structure as electrical contracting, in a general or residential-only classification, and the same design: the license's qualifier must already hold an active Utah Master Plumber license rather than the business qualifying on its own.

General Contractor License

Utah licenses contractors by classification rather than by one general category, and every classification shares the identical $175-to-apply, $128-to-renew price — general engineering, general building, residential and small commercial, electrical, plumbing and HVAC all cost the same. What differs by classification is the path to qualify: a general classification needs two years or four thousand hours of paid construction experience, a twenty-five hour pre-licensure course with an extra five hours of business and law for the general classifications, a passing score on the state's business and law exam, and general liability insurance of at least a million dollars per occurrence and three million aggregate. Every license renews on the same shared date, 30 November of even-numbered years, regardless of when it was first issued.

HVAC Contractor License

The same $175-and-$128 price as Utah's other licensed trades, on the same shared renewal date. Qualifying is more flexible here than for electrical or plumbing: a candidate can pass the state's HVAC trade exam and hold a Certified Natural Gas Technician credential, show four thousand hours of qualified HVAC employment, or qualify through a qualifier who already holds an active Utah journeyman, master or residential plumber license.

The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Salt Lake City, UT; what each one involves is set out on the Salt Lake City permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across UT and are covered on the UT state page.

How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Salt Lake City?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Business License Add-On — Construction Business, Electrical Contractor License, Plumbing Contractor License and 2 more. A auto repair shop needs Hazardous Materials Permit — Body Shop/Garage, Sign Permit, Business License Add-On — Auto/Truck & Mechanic Related Services and 2 more, which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Salt Lake City, UT, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops5055
Childcare centres3053
Coffee shops6056
Fitness studios2052
Food trucks4054
Restaurants6056
Retail stores3053
Salons and barbers3053
Veterinary clinics3053

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Salt Lake City permits page and the UT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Salt Lake City Consolidated Fee Schedule, Amended 06/16/2026 by Ordinance 2026-29 (business license columns 'Effective Sept '26') — business licensing, building/electrical/plumbing/sign permit, zoning and fire fee tablesCity of Salt Lake City · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
  2. Utah Division of Professional Licensing — fiscal year 2026 fee schedule, covering cosmetology, contracting and veterinary licensingUtah Division of Professional Licensing · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
  3. Utah Division of Professional Licensing — contractor classification listUtah Division of Professional Licensing · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.