Kitchen and bath remodels for Sandy homes

Sandy grew up in the 1970s, and so did its kitchens

Sandy's homes come mostly from one long growth spurt. The 1970s alone produced 11,256 of the city's 34,790 housing units, roughly one in three and more than any other decade¹. All told, 42.0% of Sandy homes were built before 1980, and the median home dates to 1985¹.

That timing lines up with the town's story. Sandy incorporated in 1893 and was still a rural town when a second boom hit in the late 1960s; during the 1970s it filled in as a string of pocket communities².

So about a third of Sandy homes are now roughly 45 to 55 years old¹. Some have been updated; others may still have the original layout and electrical panel. Either way, the age of the house shapes the plan more than the style you pick.

What to plan for in a Sandy home from the boom years

• Behind the walls. Pipes, venting and wiring in a house this age may not suit a new layout, and some of it only shows once walls are open. Keep a cushion in the budget.
• Paint from before 1978. Utah's air quality division says homes built before 1978 likely contain lead based paint, and Utah runs its own program for paid renovation work³. Firms paid to disturb that paint must be EPA or state certified and use certified renovators⁴.
• Layout or finish? If the footprint works, new cabinets and countertops can change the room without moving pipes. If not, a full kitchen remodel opens up more choices, and more cost.
• The hall bath. A bathroom that has served a family for decades may need more than new tile; see bathroom remodeling for options like a tub to shower conversion.

Historic Sandy and the city's overlay zone

Sandy's code defines the Historic Sandy Neighborhood as the area bounded by 9000 South, State Street, 8400 South and 700 East⁵. The same chapter sets up a Historic Resources Overlay Zone and a Historic Sandy Registry for areas, sites and buildings the city has designated as having significant character, interest or value⁵.

That chapter says nothing we could find about reviewing interior kitchen or bath work. If your house is on the registry or your plan changes the outside, like a bigger window over the sink, ask the city first.

Permits: start with Sandy City

Sandy runs its own permit office. Building permits for homes inside the city come from Sandy City's Building and Safety division⁶, and the city keeps a Paperless Permits & Plans page on its website⁷. Sandy isn't on the list of places served by the county's Municipal Services District, which covers Magna, Kearns and unincorporated Salt Lake County, among others⁸.

That matters because offices around the valley disagree on finish work. The MSD requires a permit to change or lower kitchen cabinets and countertops⁸. Millcreek puts cabinets and countertops on its list of work that doesn't need one⁹. Neither rule speaks for Sandy.

Sandy address, Sandy permit?

Sandy spreads across four main ZIP codes: 84092, 84070, 84094 and 84093¹⁰. A Sandy mailing address doesn't always put you inside Sandy city, though. Granite, east of Sandy, is a separate Census place that shares ZIP 84092¹⁰. The office that reviews your remodel depends on where your lot sits, not the city printed on your mail, so include your street address when you request a free estimate.

Most Sandy homes, 75.2%, are owner occupied, and the median value is $614,100¹. If you plan to stay, design around daily use and start with Salt Lake remodel costs, which are planning ranges, not quotes.

Sandy neighborhoods we get requests from

• Historic Sandy
• Pepperwood
• Willow Creek Estates
• Willow Creek Heights
• Ridge at Little Cottonwood
• Dimple Dell
• Bell Canyon
• Alta Canyon