Building permits in Pima County, Arizona
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Pima County, 1 needs a permit outright and 9 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 1 official source
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 10
- in Pima County
Pima County Development Services Department
- 201 N. Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701
- Phone: 520-724-9000
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Pima County
Pima County permit records are public, and you can check a property's permit history online.
What needs a permit in Pima County
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Pima County, 1 needs a permit outright and 9 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | Decks and non-structural flat work not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade, not over any basement or story below, and not part of an accessible route do not require a permit; a deck greater than 30 inches above finished grade or floor level requires a permit. | Assessed as a building permit: base fee $69 plus 1.096% of the ICC square foot... |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | New electric outlet/fixture installations and photovoltaic systems or generators require a permit; wiring/devices operating under 25 volts and not exceeding 50 volt-amps, and like-for-like repair or replacement of switches, controls, overcurrent devices, fixed motors, transformers, or outlets/fixtures in the same location, do not. | Flat fee tiered by scope: minor work such as a service upgrade, reconnect, or up to five... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | Non-retaining walls and fences no more than 7 feet in height do not require a permit; fences taller than 7 feet require a building permit. | Fee is $0.25 per lineal foot plus the standard $69 base permit fee, per the Development... |
| HVAC Permit | It depends | New or replacement central air conditioners/furnaces, mini-split systems, and modifying or replacing duct work require a permit; portable cooling, heating, or ventilation units, and replacing an existing evaporative cooler with a like unit, do not. | Flat fee tiered by scope: minor work such as a residential air conditioner unit is $27... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | An open, ground-level patio slab counts as non-structural flat work not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade and does not require a permit; enclosing a porch or patio (adding walls, screens, or a roof enclosure) requires a permit. | No patio-specific line |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | New pipe work, propane tanks, septic systems, sewer connections, solar water heaters, water heater replacement, and new dishwashers require a permit; clearing stoppages or repairing leaks that do not involve replacing valves, pipes, or fixtures, fixture swaps (sinks, toilets, tubs), and grade-supported water tanks up to 5,000 gallons do not. | Flat fee tiered by scope: minor work such as a water heater or a gas, water, or drain... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | Pre-fabricated residential pools installed entirely above ground require a building permit once they exceed 18 inches in depth and 5,000 gallons; any in-ground or custom-built residential pool or spa requires a building permit through Administrative Review regardless of size. | Not published |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | Re-roofing with like materials (tile, shingles, etc.) does not require a permit; structural roof work requires a permit. | No fee for re-roofing with like materials since no permit is required per the county's... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | One-story detached tool and storage sheds, playhouses, and similar non-habitable accessory structures are the category Pima County's own adopted code amendments refer to as "structures exempted from permits"; the standard exemption size carried in the adopted IRC for this category is 200 sq ft with no electrical, plumbing, or mechanical connections, though Pima's own published guidance pages do not restate that figure directly. | No shed-specific line |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Residential photovoltaic installation is treated as minor electrical work, flat fee $27... |
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Schedule an inspection in Pima County
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. The county has a dedicated Schedule an Inspection page.
Schedule or request a Pima County inspection
When the portal will not take the date you need, the office still books by phone: 520-724-9000.
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Pima County permit fees compared with nearby Arizona localities
| Arizona locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pima County | Assessed as a building permit: base fee $69 plus 1.096% of... | Flat fee tiered by scope: minor work such as a residential... | Flat fee tiered by scope: minor work such as a service... |
| Chandler | No deck-specific line item, billed as a standard building... | No HVAC or mechanical-specific fee line, mechanical... | Fee schedule sets a flat $100 fee only for electrical... |
| Gilbert | If a permit is required, valuation-based building permit... | Individual Mechanical Permit, residential: $150 (fee... | Individual Electrical Permit, residential: $150 (fee... |
| Maricopa County | No deck-specific line item, valuation-based building... | Flat fee of $50 for mechanical work under the Minor Self... | Flat rate by residential service size, $50 for 1-200 amps... |
Each cell is the opening clause of that Arizona jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Pima County permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Pima County?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 10 permit types we have verified for Pima County, 1 always requires a permit (for example a solar permit), 9 depend on size or scope (a deck permit, for instance). Each Pima County permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Pima County?
- Pima County publishes a fee for 9 of the 10 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by Pima County Development Services Department; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Pima County?
- Pima County Development Services Department issues permits in Pima County, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at 520-724-9000. The Pima County official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Pima County pages were verified. 10 permit types, 7 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Pima County Development Services Department or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Pima County is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.