Kitchen and bath remodels in older Salt Lake City homes

A city of older houses

Salt Lake City's median home was built in 1965.¹ About one in four went up in 1939 or earlier, and 65.4% were built before 1980.¹ Many of these kitchens and baths were laid out before dishwashers or walk in showers were normal.

Owners are the smaller group here: 45.8% of households, with a median home value of $539,500.¹ Open the walls in a house this old and you'll often find wiring and pipes from more than one era, so hold part of the budget in reserve. See Salt Lake remodel costs for planning ranges.

Age brings a federal rule too. In homes built before 1978, firms paid to do renovation that disturbs lead based paint must be EPA or state certified.²

What each era of house brings to the job

The Avenues and Capitol Hill

The Avenues shows Utah home styles from the late 1860s on, with more than 100 architect designed houses from Queen Anne to Prairie Style.³ Capitol Hill runs from the mansions of Arsenal Hill to the packed workers' cottages of Reed Street.⁴ Walls and floors in houses this old may not be square or level, so plan for that.

University, Yalecrest and Sugar House

The University district is almost all homes built from 1900 to 1920.⁵ Yalecrest filled in with 22 subdivisions platted from 1910 to 1938, mostly English Tudor and English Cottage styles.⁶ Sugar House has brick bungalows on its west and central streets and period revival cottages to the east.⁷ In a cottage with one small bath, extra room often comes from a pantry, porch or closet.

Rose Park

Rose Park began in 1947 as small brick homes priced for soldiers coming home from World War II.⁸ In a small house, layout beats square footage: a smart cabinet plan or a tub to shower change can make a modest room feel bigger.

Permits through Salt Lake City Building Services

Every application goes through the online Citizen Access Portal.⁹ Paint, flooring and other cosmetic work don't need a permit. Altering plumbing, wiring or heating and cooling does, and so does adding or removing walls or replacing an exterior door or window.¹⁰

If the home is your owner occupied primary residence, you may get the permit yourself. For a rental, the city requires a contractor to obtain the permits and do the work.¹⁰

Kitchen and bath remodels that don't add plumbing fixtures can use the faster Permit by Inspector track.¹¹ A second vanity sink adds one, so that plan takes the regular route.

Historic districts: the inside is yours, the outside needs approval

Local historic districts include the Avenues, Capitol Hill, Central City, City Creek and Memory Grove, Exchange Place, South Temple, the University district, Westmoreland Place and Yalecrest.¹² Good news for kitchens and baths: the city doesn't require a Certificate of Appropriateness for interior work.¹²

The outside is different. Exterior work on a local historic or landmark property, except paint color and minor maintenance, needs approval before a building permit is issued.¹³ A new window over the sink counts, and it also rules out the Permit by Inspector track.¹¹ Unsure? The city asks owners to check with Planning staff first.¹³

Hard water, old brick and earthquakes

City water is hard: Salt Lake City's 2025 report lists about 7 to more than 28 grains per gallon, depending on the source.¹⁴ Factor that into faucets, shower glass and space for a softener.

The magnitude 5.7 Magna earthquake of March 18, 2020 caused damage throughout the valley.¹⁵¹⁶ The city's Fix the Bricks program makes seismic retrofits to unreinforced brick homes built before 1975 for low income residents.¹⁷ In any old brick house, ask what the remodeler sees once plaster comes down. Ready to start? Ask for a free estimate.

Salt Lake City neighborhoods we get requests from

• The Avenues
• Capitol Hill
• Sugar House
• Yalecrest
• University district
• Central City
• South Temple
• Westmoreland Place
• Rose Park