The first question almost everyone asks us is the simplest one: can I build one on my lot? Under Utah's new detached ADU law the answer starts with two facts, which city you're in and how big your lot is, and both are public record. So we built a tool that looks them up for you.
How it works
Type your street address into the lot checker, which is also on our homepage. In a few seconds it:
- Finds your parcel. It matches the address to your county's tax parcel through the state's public parcel data from UGRC, the Utah Geospatial Resource Center.
- Draws it. The parcel boundary appears on a map, with an aerial view if you want to see the house, the driveway and the trees.
- Checks the rule. It works out whether your city is covered by the state law, and whether your lot meets the size rule for that city: 11,000 sq ft under the state law, or less where the city allows smaller lots.
- Puts a building on it. A backyard home footprint drops onto your lot. Drag it into place and rotate it freely. It snaps to your lot's own lines when it gets close.
The result reads as one of a few answers: your lot looks eligible, it looks eligible but your city's ordinance is still pending, it's under the minimum (and by how much), your city isn't covered by the state law, or the county record isn't clear enough to say.
How many lots qualify
Across the 82 cities the law covers, 217,277 residential tax parcels are 11,000 sq ft or larger. That count comes from the same county parcel data, and the checker shows the number for your city with your result.
It's a count of lots that pass on city and size, not of lots confirmed buildable. Zoning, an existing ADU, HOA covenants, easements and the slope of your yard all matter too, and none of them is in the parcel record.
What it can't tell you
The checker uses public tax-year data. A recent lot split or merge might not be there yet, and the county's land use code for your parcel is sometimes blank. When it is, we say so instead of guessing. It's a first answer, not a legal determination. Before you design or apply, confirm with your city's planning office.
Try it
Check your lot. If it qualifies, you can take the lot straight into the design studio and start on the building.