SLHBA News

Utah's New Energy Code Is Coming July 1 — Here's What Every Builder Needs to Know

The new code rewards builders who are detail-oriented with their air sealing and insulation practices. Start reviewing your standard specs now, train your crews on the checklist alternative to blower door testing, and work with your inspectors early. July 1 will be here before you know it — and great homes really do start with good code.

Caroline Merrill

Advocacy in Action: Real Savings from Sewer Rate Reform

Over the past year, many Salt Lake HBA members felt the strain of Salt Lake City’s usage-based sewer rates, with summer 2025 costs spiking to unsustainable levels for multifamily properties. In some cases, per-unit sewer bills jumped from around $20 in the winter to nearly $194 in the summer—making projects harder to budget and plan. After months of engagement with city leaders, a major improvement is now moving forward. Salt Lake City is proposing a flat sewer rate of $48.94 per unit for multifamily

Caroline Merrill

80th Anniversary of the Salt Lake Parade of Homes!

Eden Nelson

Save More, Stress Less: Unlock Exclusive Health Insurance Savings with Your SLHBA Membership

Discover how your HBA membership can help you save money and support your team with new, exclusive group health insurance options. Learn how pre-negotiated rates, locked-in pricing, and flexible plans designed for the construction industry can help you attract and retain skilled employees—without the usual hassles or rising costs.

Caroline Merrill

SB 284 Delivers Major Changes to Planning, Water Policy, and ADUs

SB 284 is one of the most significant planning‑related reforms in years, created through extensive collaboration among builders, cities, counties, and industry partners. The bill increases transparency by requiring cities to publish all fees and land‑use rules by 2026, streamlines approvals when commissions fail to act, and mandates water allocation decisions based on real usage data. It also reforms the appeals process to ensure fairness and expands ADU opportunities on larger lots while limiting

Caroline Merrill

HB 582 Reduces Unnecessary Asbestos Testing for Remodels

Utah’s HB 582 updates outdated asbestos‑testing rules that have long burdened remodelers with unnecessary costs and delays. The bill removes testing requirements entirely for homes built after 1991 and narrows them for homes built between 1981 and 1991, requiring testing only when certain materials—like spray‑on ceiling textures, asbestos‑cement products, vinyl flooring, vermiculite insulation, or insulated duct tape—are present. This modernized approach reflects decades of strict asbestos regulation and

Caroline Merrill

HB 215 Protects Homeowners’ Rights to Fire-Safe Landscaping

Utah’s HB 215 strengthens homeowner rights in wildfire‑prone areas by allowing residents within official WUI zones to remove hazardous vegetation—even when cities, counties, or HOAs would otherwise prohibit it. Although initially proposed as a broad property‑rights measure, the bill faced pushback from local governments concerned about losing control over landscaping regulations. The final version applies only to designated WUI areas, giving homeowners in recognized high‑risk zones the ability to fire‑proof

Caroline Merrill

HB 41 Brings Balance to Utah’s WUI Designations

Utah’s HB 41 brings long‑awaited clarity to Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) requirements by ensuring fire‑risk designations are based on actual conditions—not overly broad boundaries. The bill limits WUI standards to properties with a risk score of 5 or higher, establishes a formal appeals board for disputed designations, mandates annual updates, and prevents cities from extending WUI maps too far into urban areas. This balanced approach protects public safety while preventing unnecessary construction costs,

Caroline Merrill

HB 65: What it Means for Builders and Remodelers in 2026

HB 65 introduces major improvements to Utah’s building codes by simplifying remodel requirements and streamlining the energy code. Remodelers now only need to update the areas they work on, removing costly whole‑home upgrades. The energy code has been reduced from 65 pages to a simple four‑page prescriptive standard, with updated insulation values and basic mechanical testing requirements. Overall, HB 65 provides clearer rules, reduces project burdens, and makes compliance more predictable for builders and

Caroline Merrill

Safeguarding Your Small Business: A Guide to Preventing and Recovering from Data Breaches

Small businesses are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, making strong cybersecurity practices essential for preventing and recovering from data breaches. Owners should focus on employee training, strong passwords with MFA, restricted data access, updated security software, and safe document sharing using protected PDFs. Common threats include phishing, invoice fraud, malware, and insider misuse, all of which can be mitigated through verification processes, backups, and regular audits. If a breach

Ellen Sartin, Adobe Acrabat