Quick answer: A whole-home remodel of an older Northern Utah house goes best when you find out what is inside the walls before you design anything. In a pre-1978 home that means testing for lead paint, and in a pre-1992 home it means an asbestos inspection. If the house is solid brick, find out whether it is unreinforced masonry. From there, plan the work in a sequence that puts structural, mechanical and electrical upgrades ahead of finishes, and line up permits and inspections with your city. You also need to decide early whether to live in the house during construction, and whether financing such as an FHA 203(k) loan fits the project.
Key takeaways
- Utah’s Division of Air Quality says single-family homes built on or after January 1, 1992 no longer need an asbestos inspection before renovation or demolition. For older homes, plan on an inspection by a Utah-certified asbestos inspector before demolition.
- The EPA lead RRP rule applies to paid work that disturbs paint in homes built before 1978, and window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces are always covered.
- Utah’s earthquake information site cites a 57% chance of at least one magnitude 6.0 or larger earthquake along the Wasatch Front within 50 years. Most of the state’s unreinforced brick and block buildings were built before 1975.
- HUD’s Limited 203(k) loan finances up to $75,000 in repairs. The Standard 203(k) covers major rehabilitation, requires at least $5,000 in work and uses a HUD-approved consultant.
- The right order of work is assess, test, design, permit, abate, demolish, fix structure, rough-in mechanical, electrical and plumbing, pass inspections, insulate, then finish. Changing the order is what drives up cost.
Start with the house: what its age tells you
Northern Utah’s housing ranges from early brick bungalows in Ogden and Salt Lake City, to post-war ramblers and split-levels across Davis and Weber counties, to newer subdivisions in the west and north. The year a house was built is the fastest way to predict which regulations and hidden conditions a whole-home remodel will run into.
| If the home was built… | Check for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1978 | Lead-based paint | The EPA RRP rule governs paid work that disturbs painted surfaces |
| Before 1992 | Asbestos-containing materials, such as spray-on textured ceilings | Utah DAQ only exempts homes built on or after January 1, 1992 from the asbestos inspection requirement |
| Before about 1975, with solid brick, block or stone walls | Unreinforced masonry | Unreinforced masonry walls can be badly damaged or collapse in moderate to large earthquakes |
| Any age | Electrical service capacity, gas piping, ventilation, insulation levels, foundation drainage | These systems set the scope, and upgrading them happens before the walls close |
A careful pre-construction walkthrough, plus testing where it is needed, often changes the budget more than any finish selection. It is much better to learn those numbers before you commit to a design.
Hazardous materials before demolition
Asbestos: Utah’s inspection and notification rules
Utah’s Division of Air Quality explains its requirements before demolition as follows:
- The demolition contractor is responsible for making sure the structure is inspected for asbestos-containing materials by a Utah-certified asbestos inspector working for a Utah-certified company.
- If the inspection finds friable asbestos, a Utah-certified asbestos contractor has to remove it before demolition.
- Residential buildings with four or fewer units built on or after January 1, 1992 no longer require an asbestos inspection before renovation or demolition. They are still subject to demolition notification.
- Projects that involve wrecking, salvaging or removing load-bearing structural members require a demolition notification form. DAQ states a minimum waiting period of ten working days, about two weeks, and says you may not start without an accepted notification.
For a whole-home remodel of a pre-1992 house, the practical step is to order the asbestos inspection early, before the demolition schedule is set. If the remodel removes bearing walls, build the notification waiting period into the timeline as well. These are general summaries, so call DAQ for how the rules apply to your specific scope.
Lead paint: the EPA RRP rule
The EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting program requires firms that are paid to disturb paint in pre-1978 homes to be lead-safe certified, sole proprietors included. Under the rule, work that disturbs more than 6 square feet of paint per room inside, or more than 20 square feet outside, is covered. Window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces are covered at any size. Homeowners working on their own home are generally exempt, but the rule does apply if part of the home is rented or if you buy, renovate and sell homes for profit. In Utah, the Division of Air Quality administers the state’s lead-based paint program.
Seismic considerations for older brick homes
A whole-home remodel is the most practical time to address earthquake risk, because walls, ceilings and sometimes the roof are already open. Utah’s statewide earthquake information site cites the 2016 Working Group on Utah Earthquake Probabilities. That group estimated a 57% chance of at least one magnitude 6.0 or larger earthquake, and a 43% chance of at least one magnitude 6.75 or larger, along the Wasatch Front in the next 50 years. The site also notes that standard homeowner’s policies typically do not cover earthquake damage.
The biggest concern is unreinforced masonry (URM). According to the state’s unreinforced masonry page, Utah building codes were updated in the 1970s to ban new URM construction, and these brittle buildings often lack proper wall-to-roof attachment. Possible signs of URM, none of which is conclusive on its own, include:
- A row of bricks turned endways every five or six courses
- Deeply recessed windows
- Rows of bolt heads or rosettes on the exterior walls
If your home may be URM, involve a structural engineer during design. The state’s page points to the Utah Guide for the Seismic Improvement of Unreinforced Masonry Dwellings. In Salt Lake City, the Fix the Bricks program offers federally funded grants of up to 75% of seismic retrofit cost to eligible residents, using a waitlist and open grant periods. Outside Salt Lake City, the state page mentions State Historic Preservation Office tax credits and grants for historic buildings, and loans and grants from Preservation Utah.
Even in wood-frame homes, a remodel is a good time to strap the water heater, check for flexible gas connections and confirm the house is anchored to its foundation where walls are open.
Sequencing, phasing and whether to move out
Most budget overruns on whole-home projects come from work done out of order, such as finished drywall that has to be cut open for a late electrical change. A dependable sequence looks like this:
- Assessment and testing: Lead, asbestos, structure, foundation and moisture, electrical service and gas piping.
- Design and engineering: Floor plan, structural changes, seismic work, mechanical design and selections that affect rough-in, such as a range type or a curbless shower.
- Permits: Building, plus any separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits your city requires.
- Abatement: Asbestos removal or lead-safe containment before general demolition.
- Demolition and structural work: Beams, wall removals, foundation repairs, seismic connections.
- Rough-in: Plumbing, gas, HVAC ducts, electrical and low-voltage wiring.
- Rough inspections: Nothing gets covered until it passes.
- Insulation and air sealing, then drywall.
- Finishes: Cabinets, tile, flooring, trim, paint, fixtures and final inspection.
Phasing means splitting this sequence by area of the house, such as finishing the main floor while the basement waits. Phasing can keep a household in the home and spread out the cost. The trade-off is that shared systems like the electrical panel, the furnace and the main drain often have to be upgraded in the first phase anyway.
| Factor | Living in during the remodel | Moving out |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | Longer. Work has to be phased around a working kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms | Shorter. Crews can work on the whole house at once |
| Cost | No temporary housing, but extra cost for phasing, temporary walls and daily cleanup | Rent or short-term housing, but less phasing overhead |
| Dust and hazards | Hard to manage during demolition, abatement and lead-safe work, especially with young children | Easiest way to keep the household away from containment areas |
| Utilities | Water, power and gas shutoffs disrupt daily life | Shutoffs can be scheduled freely |
| Best fit | Remodels that leave one kitchen and one bathroom usable | Projects that replace the kitchen and all bathrooms, or that involve abatement or major structural work |
If you are also replacing the kitchen and bathrooms, see our pages on kitchen remodels and bathroom remodels for how those spaces are planned within a larger project.
Permits, inspections and adding space
Every Northern Utah city issues its own permits and runs its own inspections. Building codes are adopted by the State of Utah. Salt Lake City, for example, reviews plans under the codes in effect on the date the plan submission is accepted. On a whole-home project, expect a plan review that covers structural changes and every trade, followed by rough and final inspections. Ask your city early whether electrical, plumbing and mechanical work fall under the main building permit or need permits of their own.
If the plan grows the footprint with a bump-out, a second story or a garage conversion, zoning setbacks and lot coverage come into play as well. Any excavation for footings, a sewer line or new utilities requires a locate request through Blue Stakes of Utah 811 at least three business days before digging. Our home additions page explains how additions fit alongside a remodel.
Mechanical and electrical upgrades worth doing now
Once the walls are open, upgrading a building’s systems costs a fraction of what it would cost later. The upgrades that come up most often in older Northern Utah homes are:
- Electrical service and panel: Older services often cannot support a modern kitchen, heat pumps, EV charging or added living space. Have a licensed electrician do a load calculation during design.
- Gas piping: Moving a range, dryer or furnace means new piping on the customer side of the meter, plus a pressure test before the walls close. Enbridge Gas recommends having a licensed electrician confirm that any CSST gas tubing is properly bonded.
- Heating, cooling and ventilation: Right-sized equipment, sealed ducts and bathroom and kitchen exhaust that vents outdoors. Rocky Mountain Power’s Utah wattsmart program currently lists rebates of up to $1,600 for air-source heat pumps and up to $1,700 for ductless heat pumps when installed by a participating contractor.
- Insulation and windows: Enbridge Gas’s ThermWise weatherization rebates list $0.32 per square foot for attic insulation that adds at least R-19 and reaches a final R-49 to R-60, $0.30 per square foot for wall insulation, and $2.50 per square foot for windows with a U-value of 0.22 or lower. Check the program terms before you buy.
- Plumbing: Replacing old galvanized or deteriorated drain lines is far easier during a whole-home remodel than later.
Financing a whole-home remodel
Common ways to pay for a large remodel include cash, a home equity loan or line of credit, a cash-out refinance, or a renovation mortgage. Talk with a lender or a licensed financial professional about which fits your situation. One federal option was built specifically for older homes. HUD’s FHA 203(k) program rolls the cost of repairs into a mortgage:
- Limited 203(k): Finances up to $75,000 for minor remodeling and non-structural repairs. A HUD consultant is optional.
- Standard 203(k): For major rehabilitation, including structural work and additions. The rehabilitation must cost at least $5,000, the total must stay within the FHA mortgage limit for the area, and a HUD-approved consultant prepares the work write-up and inspects completed work before draws are released.
Draw-based loans like these require a detailed, well-sequenced scope from the start, which is one more reason to finish testing and design before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an asbestos inspection before remodeling my Utah home?
Utah’s Division of Air Quality says homes with four or fewer units built on or after January 1, 1992 no longer require an asbestos inspection before renovation or demolition. For older homes, plan on an inspection by a Utah-certified asbestos inspector before demolition, and contact DAQ about how the rules apply to your project.
How long is Utah’s waiting period for demolition notification?
Utah DAQ states a minimum waiting period of ten working days, about two weeks, after filing a demolition notification, and says work may not start without an accepted form. Projects that remove load-bearing structural members require a notification.
How likely is a major earthquake on the Wasatch Front?
Utah’s earthquake information site cites a 2016 forecast that found a 57% chance of at least one magnitude 6.0 or larger earthquake along the Wasatch Front in the next 50 years, and a 43% chance of a magnitude 6.75 or larger earthquake.
How can I tell if my Utah home is unreinforced masonry?
Possible signs include a row of bricks turned endways every five to six rows, deeply recessed windows, and bolt heads or rosettes on the exterior walls. No single feature confirms it, so have a structural engineer evaluate the home before you remodel.
Is there help paying for a seismic retrofit in Salt Lake City?
Salt Lake City’s Fix the Bricks program offers grants of up to 75% of seismic retrofit costs for unreinforced masonry homes, funded by a federal pre-disaster mitigation grant. Residents join a waitlist and are evaluated during open grant periods.
Can I finance a whole-home remodel with an FHA 203(k) loan in Utah?
FHA 203(k) is a federal HUD program, so it is available to Utah homeowners and buyers through participating lenders. The Limited 203(k) finances up to $75,000 in repairs. The Standard 203(k) covers major rehabilitation of at least $5,000, within the area FHA loan limit, and uses a HUD-approved consultant.
Plan your whole-home remodel with Lift Construction
Lift Construction is a Syracuse-based general contractor serving Davis, Weber and Salt Lake counties. We plan whole-home remodels and renovations in the order described above, starting with what is behind the walls. For an example, see our Payson full home remodel. To talk about your house, contact us or call 801-683-6803.
Written by the Lift Construction team, led by owner and general contractor David Carter. Code and program details were checked against the official sources linked above as of October 2026 — always confirm current requirements with your city before you build.