Utah Home Buyer's Research Checklist

When a buyer works with an agent, much of this research happens in the background. Without one, it is yours to do — and the public records infrastructure to do it is available to anyone with a browser and a parcel number.

This checklist covers two phases: what to research before making an offer, and what to act on during the due diligence period after the offer is accepted. Within each phase, items run roughly from fastest to obtain (public address lookups) to most effort required (parcel searches and seller requests).

Not every item applies to every property. Rural land with water rights and severed mineral estates needs different research than an urban condo. A property with a solar installation needs checks a property without one does not. Read through the full list and apply what is relevant to the specific property.

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Before you make an offer

Flood zone designation

Source: FEMA Flood Map Service Center — msc.fema.gov — address lookup, free.

Enter the address and read the flood zone code. Zone X places the parcel outside the high-risk flood area. Zones A and AE are within it — federally backed loans require flood insurance for those designations, and the cost depends on elevation, proximity to the flood source, and coverage level. Get an insurance quote from the National Flood Insurance Program at floodsmart.gov before writing a number on an offer for an A or AE property.

Zoning and adjacent parcel zoning

Source: City or county GIS or planning portal. Navigate to the city's official website and look for the GIS, Planning, or Community Development department.

Look up the parcel's zoning designation and the designations of adjacent parcels, particularly vacant ones. Each zone determines what can be built there under the current code. A vacant lot zoned commercial or multifamily is buildable as such. This is public information and most Utah municipalities publish interactive zoning maps.

Natural hazard zones

Source: Utah Geological Survey hazard maps at geology.utah.gov — free, searchable by address or parcel.

The UGS maps landslide susceptibility, proximity to active and inactive fault traces, and wildfire hazard areas statewide. Check the parcel against each layer. Some hazard designations affect insurance availability; some affect what lenders will finance on a given property.

Radon potential

Source: Utah DEQ radon program at deq.utah.gov/dwmrc/radon (ZIP code lookup); EPA national radon map at epa.gov/radon.

The DEQ page offers a ZIP code search for median radon levels by area. Certain parts of the state — including areas along the Wasatch Front — have elevated radon potential. For a property in an elevated area, a radon test during the inspection period gives you the specific reading for that structure.

Meth contamination

Source: Utah Code § 57-27-201 (seller disclosure obligation); county health department for the county where the property is located.

Utah sellers are required to disclose known meth contamination. There is no statewide public database where buyers can look up a specific address. For a property where contamination history is a concern, contact the county health department directly — some counties maintain records of properties that completed formal remediation under state oversight.

Environmental sites and Superfund listings

Source: EPA ECHO (Enforcement and Compliance History Online) — echo.epa.gov — free address or geographic search. Utah DEQ environmental site database at deq.utah.gov.

Search for EPA-listed facilities, Superfund sites, and contamination records near the address. ECHO aggregates federal records; the DEQ database covers state-tracked sites. Proximity to a contaminated site can affect air, soil, and groundwater.

School district and attendance boundaries

Source: The district serving the address — find the district at schools.utah.gov, then go to the district's own website for its boundary lookup tool.

School attendance boundaries are set by the district and do not follow city or ZIP code lines. The assigned school for a specific address is the one on the district's official boundary map. Confirm the assignment for the address itself, not for the nearest school building or the ZIP code.

Sex offender registry

Source: National Sex Offender Public Website — nsopw.gov — includes Utah, address-based search, free.

The NSOPW aggregates state sex offender registries nationwide. Utah's registry is included. Each person evaluates this information according to their own priorities.

Crime incident data

Source: The law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the address. Salt Lake City PD publishes crime data at police.slc.gov (navigate to Information → Open Data). Other Utah agencies publish their own data through their department websites. FBI Crime Data Explorer at cde.ucr.cjis.gov aggregates reported-crime data by jurisdiction.

Each agency's records cover only crimes reported within its jurisdiction. Data shows reported incident types and counts for a geographic area over a defined period — raw data, not a neighborhood assessment. We describe what the source contains; we do not characterize or rate any area.

Verify the seller is the recorded owner

Source: County recorder — parcel or name search. Salt Lake County: saltlakecounty.gov/recorder. Utah County: recorder.utahcounty.gov. Each Utah county maintains a free public search portal.

Search by address or parcel number and pull the recorded deed. The grantee on the deed is the current recorded owner. If the person you are dealing with has a different name — or if the property is held in a trust or LLC — you need to confirm who has legal authority to sign on behalf of that entity before writing an offer. An agent typically resolves this through the listing process; buyers working directly need to confirm it.

Recorded liens

Source: Same county recorder portal — search for all recorded documents on the parcel, not just the most recent deed.

While reviewing ownership records, look for other recorded documents against the parcel: mechanic's liens, HOA liens, judgment liens, federal tax liens. Liens follow the property, not the seller. Each lien is a claim that must be resolved before title can transfer. The title company surfaces these in the title search; you can see them now.

Tax records and delinquency

Source: County assessor or county treasurer — free parcel search. Each Utah county maintains a public portal.

Check the annual tax amount, the current tax year status, and any prior-year delinquency. Delinquent property taxes become liens. The assessed value shown is the county's figure — useful context, though it may not match the listing price or an appraiser's conclusion.

HOA status

Source: Utah HOA registry search at services.commerce.utah.gov/hoa — searchable by association name.

Confirm whether the property is within a registered homeowners association. The registry is maintained by the Utah Division of Real Estate's HOA Ombudsman office; searching it lets you verify registration before relying on the seller's representation alone. The REPC requires the seller to provide the association's CC&Rs, bylaws, current budget, meeting minutes, and any pending assessments as part of the disclosure process.

Permit history for improvements

Source: City or county building department permit portal. Navigate to the city's official website and look for Building, Permits, or Community Development.

Search by address for permits on record. Additions, finished basements, detached structures, solar installations, and major system replacements should each have a corresponding permit. An improvement without a permit may not meet code, can complicate financing, and can transfer a compliance obligation to the buyer. If the seller discloses improvements but the permit records show nothing corresponding, ask for documentation before making an offer.

Water rights

Source: Utah Division of Water Rights — waterrights.utah.gov — parcel-level public search, free.

In Utah, water is separately owned property. Water rights associated with a parcel may or may not convey with the real estate sale — this is an explicit provision in the REPC, not an assumption. The Division of Water Rights database shows water right certificates by parcel. For a rural property with agricultural use, irrigation, or a private well, confirm what rights are associated with the parcel and what the REPC will say about whether they convey.

Mineral rights

Source: County recorder — deed chain search by parcel.

Utah has severed mineral estates: the mineral rights beneath a parcel may be held by an owner separate from the surface. Review the chain of title in the county recorder's records to determine whether mineral rights have been severed. The REPC addresses whether mineral rights convey — confirm the status before making an offer on rural or range land.

Special assessment and improvement districts

Source: County treasurer — parcel search for recorded assessments. Contact the relevant district directly for pending assessments not yet recorded as liens.

A parcel may sit within a special improvement district, special service district, or community facilities district with assessments attached to the property. Pending assessments are obligations that transfer to the buyer. The REPC includes a section for special assessments — ask the seller and verify with the county treasurer.

Deed restrictions and CC&Rs

Source: County recorder — recorded documents search by parcel.

Deed restrictions and CC&Rs are recorded documents that run with the land and bind subsequent owners regardless of HOA membership. Search the county recorder's document index for the parcel. Look for: conservation easements, historic district requirements, access restrictions, subdivision CC&Rs recorded separately from HOA documents, or any other restrictions on use.

Utility providers and service type

Source: County assessor parcel data, which often lists the hookup type (municipal vs. well/septic); city or county public works or utilities department.

Confirm what entity provides water, sewer, gas, electric, and trash. More importantly, confirm whether the property connects to municipal water and sewer or operates on a private well and septic system. Service type determines maintenance obligations, inspection requirements at purchase, and ongoing costs that don't appear in the listing.

Solar: leased or third-party-owned systems

Source: County recorder — UCC-1 financing statement search by property address; also the solar disclosure provision in the REPC.

A solar system leased from a third party or financed through a third-party ownership arrangement often results in a UCC-1 financing statement filed against the property. Search the county recorder's UCC records by address. If a filing exists, the sale requires review by the solar provider, may require their approval to transfer the agreement, and may affect how a lender underwrites the loan. The REPC asks the seller to disclose whether the system is owned, financed, or leased — verify that disclosure against the UCC records.

Tenanted property

Source: Request the current lease agreement from the seller; verify the terms against what the seller discloses.

If someone is living in the property under a lease, the buyer takes the property subject to that lease. Utah Code § 57-17 governs security deposits in residential leases, including obligations that transfer to a new owner. Before writing an offer on an occupied rental, ask for the lease: the term, monthly rent, deposit amount held, and whether the tenancy is month-to-month or fixed-term. These facts belong in your offer and in your timeline planning.

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During due diligence

The due diligence period starts at acceptance and runs until the deadline negotiated in the REPC. Before that deadline, you can inspect, investigate, and cancel for any reason related to the property's condition — and recover your earnest money. After the deadline, that protection expires.

For the complete timeline of steps between acceptance and closing, see what happens after an offer is accepted in Utah.

Hire a licensed inspector

Source: Utah Division of Real Estate license lookup at realestate.utah.gov — verify the inspector holds a current license before booking.

A home inspector examines the structure, systems, and components: foundation, roof, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and site drainage. The written report is the deliverable. Specialty inspections — radon testing, sewer scope, structural engineering — are separate engagements. Confirm current fees with each specialist directly before scheduling.

Cross-reference the disclosure form against the inspection report

Source: The Seller's Property Condition Disclosure form, provided by the seller within the number of days specified in the REPC.

Every defect or unknown condition the seller disclosed should appear in the inspection report as examined. Any item the seller disclosed that the inspector did not examine is a gap. For a gap that matters, request a specialist inspection before the due diligence deadline.

Verify permits for improvements found during inspection

Source: Same city or county building department permit portal as the pre-offer step.

If the inspector identifies an addition, conversion, or modification that should have been permitted, check the permit records. Work done without a permit, work done under a permit that was never finaled, and work inherited from a prior owner each carry different obligations. Confirm the status before the due diligence deadline.

Review the title commitment — Schedule B exceptions

Source: The title company provides the title commitment, typically within one to two weeks of opening escrow. Each listed exception is a recorded document the title company can provide a copy of.

Schedule B lists every recorded document that survives closing and remains attached to the title: easements, CC&Rs, recorded restrictions, deed limitations. Each one is binding on the buyer. Read them. An easement granting utility access across the rear of the lot, or a restriction prohibiting short-term rentals, applies to you as the new owner.

HOA document review

Source: Seller provides per the REPC. Confirm the association's registration status at services.commerce.utah.gov/hoa.

Review the CC&Rs, bylaws, current operating budget, reserve study if available, and the last 12 months of meeting minutes. Look for: pending special assessments, active or threatened litigation, and how well the reserve fund is funded. Each of these affects cost of ownership and, for financed purchases, the lender's willingness to approve the loan on the property.

Insurance quotes

Source: At least two homeowners insurance carriers. For a Zone A or AE flood zone property, the National Flood Insurance Program at floodsmart.gov.

Get homeowners insurance quotes before the due diligence deadline, not after. A property that is difficult to insure or carries a high premium because of fire exposure, roof age, or prior claims changes the financial picture of the purchase. For a flood zone A or AE designation, get an NFIP quote at floodsmart.gov before the deadline expires.

Final walkthrough

Source: The REPC specifies when the buyer may conduct a final walkthrough — review your signed contract for the exact timing and terms.

The walkthrough is a confirmation, not a second inspection. Verify that the property is in the same condition as when the offer was made, agreed repairs are complete, items included in the sale are present, and the seller has vacated per the possession date. If agreed repairs were not completed, raise that before signing the closing documents — not after.

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This checklist is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or real estate advice. Public portal URLs and database availability are subject to change — verify current access with each source. Confirm specifics with your title company and, where needed, a licensed real estate attorney.