Ramps in Utah: State Construction Code, permits and renters

When a family in Utah starts planning a ramp, the permit question comes first: does the city need to sign off, or is a ramp at a house too small to matter? Utah's answer starts at the state level, because the Legislature adopts one construction code for the whole state, and then moves to the local office that issues permits. Renters have a separate question, and Utah's fair housing law speaks to it directly.

One construction code for the whole state

Utah does not leave each city to pick its own building code. Utah Code 15A-1-204 says "The State Construction Code is the construction codes adopted with any modifications in accordance with this section that the state and each political subdivision of the state shall follow." Section 15A-2-103 names the codes, including "the 2021 edition of the International Residential Code," and makes them, with Utah's statewide and local amendments, "the construction standards to be applied to building construction, alteration, remodeling, and repair" in the state.

Enforcement happens close to home. Section 15A-1-202 defines a "Compliance agency" as, among others, "an agency of the state or any of its political subdivisions that issues permits for construction regulated under the codes." In practice that is usually your city or county building office.

What Utah's permit exemptions say, and do not say

Utah rewrites part of the residential code's list of work that needs no permit. In Utah Code 15A-3-202, item 10 of IRC section R105.2 becomes: "Decks that are not more than 30 inches (762mm) above grade at any point and not requiring guardrails, that do not serve exit door required by Section R311.4." Ramps are not named in that list as we read it. A ramp is not a deck, and the deck exemption itself stops at a structure that serves a required exit door, and a ramp at the main entry usually serves one.

So we cannot tell you a Utah home ramp is exempt. Ask the building office in your city or county before you build, and bring the rise at the door and the planned length.

Renters: modifications at your own expense

Utah's Fair Housing Act, Utah Code 57-21-5(4)(a), says a discriminatory housing practice includes "a refusal to permit, at the expense of the individual with a disability, reasonable modifications of existing premises occupied or to be occupied by the individual if the modifications are necessary to afford that individual full enjoyment of the premises." For rentals, the landlord, "where it is reasonable to do so, may condition permission for a modification on the renter agreeing to restore the interior of the premises, when reasonable, to the condition that existed before the modification, reasonable wear and tear excepted." A portable threshold ramp or a door opener is often easier to agree on than permanent construction.

Snow load, monsoon rain and summer surfaces

Utah takes snow seriously enough to write its own snow-load section into the residential code: the same statute replaces IRC R301.6 with "R301.6 Utah Snow Loads." NOAA's Utah climate summary backs that up, with mountain areas receiving more than 400 inches of snow a year and lake-effect bands near the Great Salt Lake. In the east and south, summer moisture arrives as monsoon thunderstorms, and lower elevations in the south "frequently experience days over 100°F."

For a ramp, that means a surface with grip in rain and snow, a plan for clearing the slope before use, and attention to how hot the surface gets in direct summer sun. Covered landings help on all three counts.

Products for Utah doorways

• Harmar Rubber Threshold Ramp. Handles a raised threshold up to 4 in, with a 36 in usable width and an 850 lb capacity. Sections lock together without tools, which suits renters who need to restore the entry later.
• Open Sesame Residential Automatic Door Opener. Works with any door that swings freely, opens up to 120 degrees, stops if it meets an obstruction, and keeps running on an internal battery in a power failure.
• Open Sesame Proximity Sensor Tag Set. A reader with 3 ft, 6 ft and 9 ft settings that works from both sides of the wall, so the door responds to a tag carried by the user rather than a button press.
• Open Sesame Spec Switch with the E.C.U. Transmitter (B). A light-touch switch for people with very limited hand use; it plugs into the transmitter, which signals the opener.

Utah help with home access equipment

The AT3 Center lists the Utah Assistive Technology Program for device loans, demonstrations, reutilization and financial loans. UATP says its reduced-interest loans and small grants "can be applied for online and over the phone, and are offered to Utahns statewide," and that clients can "compare devices and borrow them" through its lending libraries in Logan and the Uintah Basin.

Ordering and delivery to Utah

We ship to your state. Installation isn't available here yet; email us and we'll help you find a local installer. We ship to the lower 48 states and DC, with free shipping on orders over $500 ($15 under $500), and we cover the sales tax on every order. Most products are processed in 2-5 business days; some brands differ. Visit the Utah shipping page, and size your entry with the ramp fit check.

Questions about ramps in Utah

Which building code covers a home ramp in Utah?

Utah Code 15A-2-103 incorporates the 2021 International Residential Code, with Utah's amendments, as part of the State Construction Code, which section 15A-1-204 says the state and each political subdivision shall follow. Permits are issued by the city or county compliance agency.

Is a small ramp exempt from a building permit in Utah?

We could not confirm that. Utah's amended permit exemptions list low decks that do not serve a required exit door, but ramps are not named in the list as we read it. Ask your city or county building office before building, with the height at the door and the planned ramp length.

Can a Utah landlord refuse a renter's ramp?

Utah Code 57-21-5(4)(a) treats refusing reasonable modifications, made at the expense of the person with a disability and necessary for full enjoyment of the premises, as a discriminatory housing practice. For rentals, the landlord may reasonably condition permission on restoring the interior afterward, reasonable wear and tear excepted.

Can Utahns get a loan for a door opener or ramp?

The Utah Assistive Technology Program says it offers reduced-interest loans and small grants to help Utahns afford equipment that supports independence, applied for online or over the phone. The AT3 Center lists a financial loan program there. Contact UATP about terms before ordering.

Browse ramps and door openers, try the ramp fit check, or take the full assessment for the whole home. Questions? Email us at info@faithmobility.com.

Sources

• Utah Code 15A-1-204, adoption of State Construction Code
• Utah Code 15A-2-103, specific editions adopted
• Utah Code 15A-1-202, definitions
• Utah Code 15A-3-202, amendments to the International Residential Code
• Utah Code 57-21-5, Utah Fair Housing Act
• NOAA NCEI State Climate Summaries: Utah (2022)
• AT3 Center: Utah
• Utah Assistive Technology Program: About UATP
• Harmar Rubber Threshold Ramp product page, Open Sesame Residential product page, Open Sesame Proximity Sensor Tag Set product page, Open Sesame Spec Switch product page, Open Sesame E.C.U. Transmitter (B) product page