CCA
Created:
Modified: 11 June 2026
Approved: 14 October 2026
Procurement of Construction:
School Construction Requirements
Scope—
The requirements of this policy apply to “public school construction,” which means construction work on a new public school facility or major alteration of an existing public school facility with a total project cost exceeding the thresholds for a capital development project or capital improvement project set forth in Utah Code § 63A-5b-401.
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1201(2)(c) (2026)
School Construction Standards—
The District will comply with the school construction standards and requirements established by the Division of Facilities Construction and Management. Before beginning any school construction project, the District will review the Division’s rules and policies.
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1202(1), (5) (2026)
School District Building Official—
The Board shall appoint a School District Building Official (SDBO) who has direct administrative and operational control of all construction, renovation, and inspection of the District’s facilities and shall provide in writing the name of the SDBO to the State Superintendent. The SBDO will coordinate District compliance with the school construction standards and requirements established by the Division of Facilities Construction and Management.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-471-2(11) (October 8, 2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-471-5 (October 8, 2025)
School Construction Planning—
In planning school construction, the District will consider:
- educational program requirements for different grade levels;
- year-round use requirements;
- specific needs of various student populations; and
- coordination between facility design and educational delivery.
The plans for school construction will be prepared by a licensed architect.
Utah Code § 53E-3-703(1), (2) (2026)
In selecting a school site, the District will comply with the Division’s requirements regarding coordination with municipalities and counties regarding school siting, traffic impacts, and site safety considerations.
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1202(1)(r) (2026)
In selecting a school site, and before developing plans and specifications for a new school or expansion of an existing school, the District will coordinate with the local health department regarding environmental health and safety issues to avoid unreasonable risks to the health and safety of students and staff. The site will be located to minimize the negative influence of railroads, freeways, highways, heavy traffic roads, industrial areas, airports and aircraft flight patterns, fugitive dust, odors, or other areas where auditory problems, malodorous conditions, or safety and health hazards exist. Upon request of the local health officer, the District will submit plans and specifications to the local health department.
Utah Admin. Rules R392-200-5 (October 21, 2025)
Before beginning a school construction project, the District will obtain Division approval of a pre-construction application that includes detailed project scope and specifications; preliminary cost estimates; a proposed project timeline; and funding sources and financial capacity documentation.
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1205(6)(a) (2026)
Safety and Security Standards—
In designing and constructing new school facilities and in remodeling school facilities, the District shall meet the safety and security standards established by the state security chief.
Utah Code § 53-22-102(3)(a) (2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-12(2) (November 7, 2025)
In designing and constructing new school buildings, the District shall comply with the incident response method established by the state security chief, which requires marking interior rooms and hallways with an assigned quadrant designation so as to be visible to building occupants and emergency responders.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-5(1)(b) (November 7, 2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-12(1)(a) (November 7, 2025)
For existing school buildings, the District shall by school year 2034-2035 comply with the incident response method established by the state security chief, which requires marking interior rooms and hallways with an assigned quadrant designation so as to be visible to building occupants and emergency responders.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-5(1)(b) (November 7, 2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-12(1)(b) (November 7, 2025)
In constructing new school buildings or for major remodeling of a school building, the District shall coordinate with the state security chief and the school safety and security director to ensure accessible and strategically placed installation of Automated External Defibrillators (AED). One AED shall be located at or near the school’s main office and additional AEDs shall be within 500 feet of gymnasiums, auditoriums, any portable or temporary outbuildings, and centralized locations of buildings.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-471-4(5) (October 8, 2025)
Construction of Privacy Spaces—
In constructing new facilities, the District shall ensure that the new facility has sufficient sex-designated privacy spaces. The District shall also ensure that the new facility includes, as applicable to the type of facility, an appropriate number of single occupant restrooms or changing rooms.
Utah Code § 63G-31-304(2)(b), (3) (2025)
Utah Code § 63G-31-101(1), (2), (9), (11) (2025)
With respect to restrooms and changing rooms in existing facilities, the District shall consider the feasibility of retrofitting or remodeling to include floor-to-ceiling walls and doors or similar privacy protections, curtains, or other comparable methods of improving privacy.
Utah Code § 63G-31-304(2)(c) (2025)
Utah Code § 63G-31-101(1), (2), (9), (11) (2025)
Pre-construction Requirements—
Before school construction begins, the District will obtain written approval from the Division of the construction documents and a permit for the construction. The District will also, as required by the Division, demonstrate compliance with Division rules and policies and will provide the Division with evidence that it has arranged for qualified plan review and project inspection as required by the Division. Materials will be submitted to the Division through the Division’s online system.
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1205(1), (4) (2026)
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1207(2) (2026)
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1208(2) (2026)
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1218 (2026)
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1220 (2026)
Prior to developing plans and specifications for a new public school, or the expansion of an existing school, the District shall coordinate with local health departments and the State Fire Marshal. The plans and specifications shall satisfy Utah Department of Health requirements relating to siting, building construction, grounds, food service facilities, sanitary facilities, and health and safety facilities.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-471-8(3) (October 8, 2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R392-200-4 (October 21, 2025)
If otherwise permitted under Utah Code § 10-20-304(3)(b) or Utah Code § 17-79-305(3)(b), a local governmental entity may require the District to provide a traffic study from a qualified independent third party if the local government entity determines that traffic flow, congestion, or other traffic concerns may require the study. However, the only construction permit required to proceed with the project is the permit from the Division of Facilities Construction and Management.
Utah Code § 10-20-304(3)(b) (2026)
Utah Code § 17-79-305(3)(b) (2026)
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1218 (2026)
Contractor Selection—
For projects exceeding $500,000, the District will select a contractor from the qualified contractor registry established by the Division while also complying with competitive procurement requirements.
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1203(6) (2026)
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1216 (2026)
Construction Requirements—
During construction, the District will:
- use qualified, certified inspectors approved by Division for all required inspections;
- submit inspection reports to the Division through the Division’s online system;
- notify the Division of any significant changes or issues;
- maintain detailed inspection records;
- coordinate with local building officials;
- as required, provide special inspection reports for all International Building Code, Chapter 17, requirements;
- submit structural observation reports for buildings with an occupancy greater than 250; and
- document correction of all deficiencies before proceeding.
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1207(2) (2026)
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1208(3) (2026)
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1220 (2026)
Construction Inspection—
Building inspectors used by the District for school construction must be approved by the Division of Facilities Construction and management. Detailed inspection records will be maintained, and inspection reports will be submitted to the Division as required by the Division.
Utah Code § 10-20-304(6) (2026)
Utah Code § 17-79-305(6) (2026)
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1202(5)(c) (2026)
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1206(3) (2026)
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1208(2)(e), (3) (2026)
Occupancy Certificate—
The District will obtain a certificate of permanent occupancy from the Division of Facilities Construction and Management. This certificate is the exclusive certificate required for public school facilities subject to this policy, satisfies all municipal and county occupancy requirements, and authorizes the District to occupy and use the facility for educational purposes. The District will notify the Division within 10 days of beginning occupancy of a facility for which the Division has issued an occupancy certificate.
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1208(5), (7), (9) (2026)
For temporary or partial occupancy of a school facility during construction, the District may request a temporary certificate of occupancy from the Division.
Utah Code § 63A-5b-1208(10) (2026)
Municipality and County Requirements—
A municipality or county may, at its discretion, request a walk-through of school construction at no cost and at a time convenient to the school district or charter school, and may provide recommendations based on the walk-through to the District and to the Division of Facilities Construction and Management.
A municipality or county may not:
- require the District to landscape, fence, make aesthetic improvements, use specific construction methods or materials, impose requirements for buildings used only for educational purposes, or place limitations prohibiting the use of temporary classroom facilities on school property;
- require the District to participate in the cost of any roadway or sidewalk, or a study of the impact of a school on a roadway or sidewalk, that is not reasonably necessary for the safety of school children and not located on or contiguous to school property, unless the roadway or sidewalk is required to connect an otherwise isolated public school or an existing roadway;
- require the District to pay fees not authorized under 10-20-304 or 17-79-305;
- require inspection of school construction or assess a fee or other charges for inspection;
- require the District to pay any impact fee for an improvement project unless the impact fee is imposed pursuant to the Impact Fees Act;
- impose regulations upon the location of an educational facility except as necessary to avoid unreasonable risks to health or safety; or
- for a use or structure that is a support facility rather than an educational facility, impose a regulation that is not imposed on similar uses or structures in the same zone, or a regulation that uses the tax exempt status of the District as a criterion for regulating the use or the location of the structure.
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