The Lehi permit, step by step

Lehi City requires a building permit for a basement finish. Its Residential Basement Finish checklist asks for:

1. A complete set of plans, including a floor plan with dimensions and window locations and sizes, plus electrical, plumbing and mechanical plans
2. An engineering packet, if the work needs one (for example, cutting a new window opening in the foundation)
3. A gas piping diagram, if gas work is involved
4. A completed building permit application, with the contractor's license number and signature

Everything is submitted through Lehi's online Building Permit Submittal Portal. We prepare the plans, submit the permit and schedule the inspections, so you don't have to learn the process yourself.

The code rules that shape a Lehi basement layout

Utah adopted the 2021 International Residential Code statewide, effective July 1, 2023. Three parts of it decide what your basement can become.

Bedrooms need an egress window. Every basement bedroom needs an emergency escape opening:

• at least 5.7 square feet of clear opening
• at least 24 inches high and 20 inches wide
• a window well at least 9 square feet, extending at least 36 inches out from the wall
• a permanent ladder or steps if the well is deeper than 44 inches

If your basement doesn't already have a window that meets these, the plan needs a new opening cut into the foundation and a new well. That's one of the biggest single items in a bid, so we check it on the first walkthrough.

Ceiling height. Living space needs a ceiling of at least 7 feet. In basements, beams, ducts and pipes may hang lower, down to 6 feet 4 inches. In many newer homes the main duct runs down the middle of the basement, so how we box in (soffit) around it decides where rooms and hallways can go.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Finished space and new bedrooms need alarms that meet current code, and the inspector checks them before final approval.

Test for radon before you finish

Radon is a natural radioactive gas that comes up from the soil, and basements are where it collects. The Utah Radon Program reports that about 1 in 3 Utah homes has elevated radon: 37% of 60,000 tests came back above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L. On the state's county map, Utah County is shaded in the highest category.

Test before you finish, not after. Low-cost test kits are available through the state at radon.utah.gov. If the result is high, mitigation piping is far easier to run while the walls are still open. In Utah, whoever installs a radon mitigation system must be a licensed contractor with national radon certification.

What drives the cost of a Lehi basement finish

Every basement is different, so we bid from a walkthrough, not a price per square foot. These are the things that move the number most:

• A bathroom, and whether the plumbing was roughed in when the house was built
• Egress windows: using what's there, or cutting a new opening and well
• A kitchen or kitchenette, especially for a rental apartment or mother-in-law suite
• Ductwork and the ceiling: how much boxing-in the layout needs
• Finish level: flooring, trim, cabinets, lighting and fixtures
• Square footage and how many rooms are walled off

Your bid is itemized, so you can see where the money goes and decide what to keep, change or save for later. Financing is available if you'd rather spread the cost over time.