Construction Equipment Rental in Salt Lake City, UT

About Construction Projects in Salt Lake City, UT

Salt Lake City offers a great quality of life. You’ll find spectacular scenery, good schools, plenty of jobs, and highways with easy traffic flow. This could be why the city is growing fast with many keen to buy or build a home here. As a contractor working on these homes, here’s what you need to know to build in Salt Lake City.

Building Permits

Most building and remodeling work in Salt Lake City requires a permit. This includes electrical, plumbing and HVAC work. There are exceptions:

• painting or laying flooring
• playhouses
• minor cosmetic work
• retaining walls under four feet that don’t support a surcharge

If the building is in a historic district, check with the Planning Division for what changes you may make.

Contractors are responsible for ensuring they have the correct permits and are liable for big fines if they fail to. At any time during a construction, a building inspector has the power to ask for the permit of any contractor, and may then shut down the project or hand out hefty fines if no valid permit is produced.

Building Inspections

The State of Utah requires an inspection of all building work. Inspections ensure that work complies with the city building codes and is safe. You will need to book inspections at different stages of the project. These include:

• footing and foundations before pouring concrete
• plumbing
• electrical work
• insulation before hanging the sheet rock

You can book an inspection online or use the automated telephone service. You’ll need your permit number and the code for the type of inspection.

Compulsory Insurance

Contractors in Utah must have the following insurance:

• general liability coverage of at least $100,000 per incident and $300,000 aggregate
• workers compensation insurance

Both must name The Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing as a certificate holder.

Contractor Licensing

Utah expects all contractors to be state licensed. The main requirements to get a license are:

• two to four years experience as a W-2 employee of a licensed contractor
• general contractors must have at least half of their experience in a supervisory position
• taking a 20-hour pre-licensure course
• passing two exams: business law and, in most cases, also a trade exam
• proof of general liability insurance and workers’ compensation

Submit your application form and all supporting documents to the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. Fees cost $405.

Building Equipment for the Terrain

Most of Utah’s urban areas lies within an earthquake belt. In Salt Lake Valley, the soil is often soft, made up of clay and sand. Earthquakes easily cause liquefaction in this type of soil. All commercial buildings and some residential buildings require a soil report before building can start. Once approved, you’ll need to rent the right type of equipment to suit the job. You can find excavation equipment as well boom lifts, scissor lifts, forklifts, man lifts from equipment rental companies.

No one likes dealing with red tape and you might wish there was a way to avoid it. But trying to skirt around it can come back to bite you later on. Instead of dealing with the hassle of compliance or the risks connected to skirting obligations, it might make more sense to hire a professional contractor. Professional contractors know about all the building regulations, codes, and laws. They can handle all the paperwork, meet the city’s obligations and get the building work done correctly.