Utah’s Push for ADUs: Where Cities Stand in 2025

key ordinance changes that make ADUs easier in SLC and surrounding areas.

Salt Lake City (SLC) — Key Developments

Major ADU Ordinance Changes (2023, with ongoing refinements)

Salt Lake City passed a significant ADU ordinance in 2023 that makes it easier to build ADUs in single-family residential neighborhoods. Key points include:

• Eliminates conditional use permits previously required for detached ADUs in many neighborhoods.
• Expands areas where both internal and detached ADUs are allowed without special hearings.

Intended to increase housing stock and help with affordability.

Ongoing Code Updates & Zoning Amendments

SLC planning staff continues to update related zoning code language, ADU handbook, and align regulations with city housing goals, including follow-ups to the 2023 ordinance.

Incentive & Loan Programs

Salt Lake City (through programs like Backyard Keys) offers low-interest loans to help homeowners build ADUs — particularly on the Westside — with options such as:

• Up to $200,000 at ~3% fixed interest
• Incentives tied to rent restrictions or affordability

This program, funded and rolled out in 2025, aims to lower the financial barrier to construction.

Why This Matters

SLC’s steps build on the 2023 reforms, where relaxed ADU rules led to more permit requests than before — showing homeowner interest — though actual construction still lags behind needs due to costs.

Salt Lake County (Unincorporated Areas)

Salt Lake County adopted an ADU ordinance in 2024 that reduces restrictions and makes it easier to build both internal and detached ADUs in many residential zones. The county rules lay out setbacks, parking, owner-occupancy, and other standards.

This means that even outside city limits, homeowners can now pursue ADUs more readily, though specific requirements (lot size, parking, utility connections) still apply.

Other Cities in the Region

South Salt Lake allows both internal and external ADUs in key residential districts (like R1 and RM). This gives more homeowners options to build ADUs if they meet local requirements.

Provo (Utah County)

In late 2024, Provo repealed a special-use permit pathway that had made it easier to get permits for ADUs like basement or mother-in-law apartments. That step reduced the ease with which homeowners could add these units, and only about 30 permits were issued under the old system. The city is exploring alternatives, such as economic-hardship options.

Woodland Hills (Utah County)

Planning commission updates in 2025 clarified ADU terminology and standards, as part of ongoing refinement of how accessory units are regulated.

Other Suburbs

Communities like Sunset City and others are discussing or formalizing ADU regulations — showing that many smaller cities are now focusing on this as a housing tool.

State Legislature Context (2025)

There was a 2025 attempt at statewide legislation (HB88) that would have required urban cities to allow ADUs in residential zones. That bill did not pass, in part because of concerns about local land-use control. However, cities such as Farmington have already adopted permissive ADU policies on their own.

Summary — Key Trends in Utah (Late 2025)

• Cities like SLC and South Salt Lake continue to liberalize ADU zoning and reduce barriers, building on earlier reforms.
• Loan and incentive programs (like Backyard Keys) are active in 2025 to support construction.
• Some areas (e.g., Provo) have rolled back easier pathways, showing mixed political views.
• State lawmakers debated making ADU allowances mandatory in 2025, but local control prevailed.

Interested in learning how to take advantage of these changes or start a small home project? Build-Small.com provides practical insights on ADUs, small homes, and related local zoning updates.