Areas we serve: North Salt Lake
Home Additions in North Salt Lake
At the south end of Davis County, North Salt Lake mixes established streets with homes on the hillside. What an addition involves here often starts with where the lot sits.
Adding on in North Salt Lake
North Salt Lake borders Salt Lake City to the south and Bountiful and Woods Cross to the north, with neighborhoods reaching up the foothills. For homeowners who like their location and their views, adding on can make more sense than moving. The questions change with the lot: a flat lot is mostly about setbacks and layout, while a hillside lot brings geology, drainage and retaining walls into the conversation.
Who reviews your addition
North Salt Lake issues its own building permits. The Building Department states that all new construction, additions, basement finishes, remodeling, siding, re-roofs, window replacement, and water heater and furnace replacements require a building permit and inspection.
- How to apply
- CityInspect online portal, which is also used to check status and schedule inspections
- Helpful documents
- Remodel permit checklist, plan review instructions and a permitting process quick facts sheet
- Street access
- Published drive approach design requirements
- Hillside lots
- Geologic Hazard Investigation Application required first in the Sensitive Lands Overlay Zone
The Sensitive Lands Overlay
This is the North Salt Lake detail most worth checking early. The city notes that new permits within its Sensitive Lands Overlay Zone require a Geologic Hazard Investigation Application before a building permit application, and it refers questions to the City Engineer. If your property is in the overlay, geologic review becomes part of the schedule before permits, and potentially part of the design. Whether a particular addition triggers it is confirmed with the city for the parcel.
Other work that needs a permit
North Salt Lake's list of permitted work is broad: siding, re-roofs and window replacement are on it alongside additions. That matters when an addition project also updates the rest of the house so old and new match, for example new siding or windows across the whole home. Those changes belong in the same planning conversation, and possibly the same permit.
Hillside additions
On sloped lots, the most practical addition is often not the one that seems obvious. Building out may require retaining walls, stepped foundations and careful drainage. Building up keeps the footprint but raises height questions. Space over a garage, or an addition on the flatter side of the lot, may be simpler. See build up versus build out, addition foundations and when you need an engineer.
Views and design
Many homeowners on the hillside value their views, and so do their neighbors. An addition that respects view lines, uses a roof form that relates to the house and fits the slope rather than fighting it tends to be easier to live with, and easier to get through any HOA review. See addition rooflines and HOA approval.
Additions that suit North Salt Lake homes
- Second stories or rooms over garages where the lot has little flat yard
- Main-floor primary suites for owners planning to stay long term
- Family rooms that open to a view or yard
- Home offices with a quiet spot away from main living areas
Questions to ask before you design
- Is the property in the Sensitive Lands Overlay Zone?
- What are the zone's setbacks, height and coverage limits?
- How steep is the lot where the addition would go, and will retaining walls be needed?
- Will the driveway or drive approach change?
- Is there an HOA with design review?
Nearby, see Bountiful and Woods Cross, or all of Davis County.
North Salt Lake questions
How do I apply for an addition permit in North Salt Lake?
The city takes building permit applications through its CityInspect online portal, where you can also check status and schedule inspections. The Building Department publishes a remodel permit checklist and plan review instructions to help prepare a complete submittal.
What is the Sensitive Lands Overlay Zone?
It is an overlay the city applies to certain properties. The Building Department notes that new permits within it require a Geologic Hazard Investigation Application before applying for a building permit, and directs questions to the City Engineer. Check whether your lot is in it before design.
Does changing the driveway need approval?
North Salt Lake publishes drive approach design requirements. If an addition or garage changes the driveway where it meets the street, plan for those requirements.
See what your North Salt Lake home can become
Tell us about the house, the lot and what you need.