Roy City regulates the division of land under Title 11 of the Roy City Municipal Code, which may be cited as the “Roy City Subdivision Ordinance” (11-1-1). The code host publishes it as a separate book, RSUB (Subdivisions). The current procedures were amended by Ordinance 23-15 on December 19, 2023. This page is a plain-language civic summary; the ordinance text controls.

In 2023 the Utah Legislature passed S.B. 174, Local Land Use and Development Revisions. Its subdivision rules are now in Utah Code Title 10, Chapter 20, Part 8. For subdivisions of single-family homes, two-family homes and townhomes, Section 10-20-805 requires a city’s subdivision ordinance to name a single administrative land use authority for preliminary applications. That can be city staff or the planning commission, but not the city council or a council member. The authority may hold no more than one public hearing on a preliminary application, and a city’s review of the final plat may not require planning commission or city council approval. Section 10-20-806 limits review of subdivision improvement plans to four review cycles.

Who decides

Under Title 11, subdivision decisions are administrative and are made by staff. Section 11-3-1 states that a preliminary subdivision decision is “a administrative action by the CD Director, acting as a Land Use Authority,” and Section 11-4-8 identifies the CD Director as the land use authority for final subdivision applications. Each decision must be accompanied by findings of fact.

Before the CD Director decides, a Development Review Committee (DRC) reviews the application. Section 11-2-2 describes the DRC as members chosen by the City Manager, including the Zoning Administrator, City Engineer, Fire Marshal and Public Works Director. The Zoning Administrator decides whether an application is complete (11-3-5, 11-4-6). Appeals of a preliminary decision go to the Hearing Officer (11-3-9), and disputes over subdivision improvement plans can be appealed under state law (11-3-3).

The steps

  1. Pre-application and concept plan (Chapter 11-2). A pre-application meeting may be scheduled with the Zoning Administrator (11-2-1). An owner may then file a Concept Plan Application, which the DRC reviews at a meeting; no application fee is required for it (11-2-2, 11-2-3). A concept plan “shall not constitute an application for subdivision approval” (11-2-7).
  2. Preliminary subdivision application (Chapter 11-3). The application includes the city form signed by the owners, the fee, a preliminary plat prepared by a licensed surveyor or engineer, site information, evidence of water, sewer, street, storm drainage and fire services, and a geotechnical report (11-3-2). After the Zoning Administrator finds it complete, the DRC reviews it and the CD Director approves, approves with requirements or denies it (11-3-7).
  3. Final subdivision application (Chapter 11-4). After a completeness check and DRC review, the CD Director considers the final application along with written approvals and recommendations from the City Engineer and Fire Marshal and any required outside permits (11-4-8).
  4. Recording. Once the final application is approved, improvement guarantees are in place and the plat is signed, the plat is presented to the Weber County Recorder for recording, at the applicant’s expense (11-4-8). A preconstruction meeting with the City Engineer comes before any grading or improvements.
  5. Amending a recorded plat (Chapter 11-7). Vacations and amendments of recorded plats, and vacating or altering a street or alley, follow Chapter 11-7, and appeals of those decisions go to the Hearing Officer (11-7-3).

Where to find the agenda and how to comment

Because Title 11 makes subdivision decisions administrative, a standard subdivision may not appear on a Planning Commission agenda. The Planning Commission holds regular meetings on the second Tuesday of each month and work sessions on the fourth Tuesday, both at 6 p.m. at the Roy Municipal Building, 5051 S 1900 W, according to the city’s Planning Commission page. Agendas, minutes and packets are posted on the city’s Planning Commission agendas and minutes page and on the Utah Public Notice Website page for the Roy Planning Commission.

Roy’s agendas list legislative items, such as rezones and General Plan amendments with public hearings, separately from administrative items. Posted agendas list a Planning Commission agenda information line at (801) 774-1027. Questions about a specific subdivision application can go to the city’s Community and Economic Development staff through the Roy Municipal Center at 801-774-1000.

What preliminary approval does and does not mean

Section 11-3-8 states that preliminary approval “shall not constitute final approval of the subdivision by the City or authorize the division or development of land,” but lets the applicant prepare the final application. It is effective for one year; a final application must be submitted within that time unless the approval is extended. No grading or improvements may begin until a preconstruction meeting is held and plans are approved (11-3-10). Building permits can be sought only after the final plat is recorded (11-4-9), and selling land in a subdivision before the final plat is approved and recorded is a violation (11-1-8).

Timelines and fees

Section 11-1-13 states that the city shall render a decision on preliminary subdivision plats within 15 business days and on final subdivision plats within 20 business days. A final plat must be recorded within one year of final approval or the approval is void (11-4-9). Fees are set by City Council resolution (11-1-9), and applicants also pay the city’s engineering review costs (11-3-4). Roy’s Master Consolidated Fee Schedule, adopted by Ordinance No. 26-7, lists these planning application fees:

ApplicationFee
Subdivision, preliminary$250 + $25 per lot
Subdivision, final$200 + $50 per lot
Re-submittal after the second submittal (preliminary or final)$50 + $15 per lot
Subdivision, small$100 + $25 per lot
Subdivision amendment or plat vacation$200
Engineering feesBilled to applicant

Confirm current amounts with the city before filing.

Frequently asked questions

Who approves a subdivision in Roy?

Under Title 11 of the Roy City Municipal Code, the CD Director is the land use authority for both preliminary and final subdivision applications (Sections 11-3-1 and 11-4-8), after review by the city’s Development Review Committee.

How long is a preliminary subdivision approval valid in Roy?

One year. Section 11-3-8 requires a final subdivision application to be submitted within one year of preliminary approval unless the approval is extended.

When can building permits be issued in a new Roy subdivision?

After the final plat is recorded with the Weber County Recorder. Section 11-4-9 states that the applicant may apply for building permits after the final plat has been recorded.

Sources

Last reviewed October 2026.