Building permits in Tucson, Arizona
Of the 13 common home projects we have verified in Tucson, 8 need a permit outright and 5 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 13
- in Tucson
City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD)
- Tucson Development Center, 201 N. Stone Avenue, 1st Floor, Tucson, AZ 85701
- Phone: (520) 791-5550
- Email: pdsdinquiries@tucsonaz.gov
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Tucson
Tucson permit records are public, and you can check a property's permit history by address or address range online.
What needs a permit in Tucson
Of the 13 common home projects we have verified in Tucson, 8 need a permit outright and 5 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | finish-only work and same-location toilet swaps versus work on plumbing piping, wiring or structure | Fixture and piping work is a "4-02.9.1 Trade Permits" item at $150.00 (listed item "H... |
| Deck Permit | It depends | height of the deck above ground or floor level | ...Addition/Alteration permit, priced by valuation (building permit fee from $89.45... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | "4-02.9.1 Trade Permits": $150.00, listed items include "C. Replace Electric Service... |
| EV Charger Permit | Permit required | Any size | Electrical work is a "4-02.9.1 Trade Permits" item at $150.00 |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Any size | "4-02.10.12 Wood and Metal Fences": $28.08 + $5.62 per 100 linear feet + plan review fee... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | "4-02.9.1 Trade Permits": $150.00, listed item "F. Air Conditioner/Heater Repair/Replace... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | area of uncovered paving on private property; any patio cover or enclosure always requires a permit | a patio cover or enclosure as a Residential Addition/Alteration permit priced by valuation |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | "4-02.9.1 Trade Permits": $150.00, listed items include "H. Plumbing Fixture... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | above-ground pools, spas and prefabricated ponds; also triggered above 5,000 gallons; every in-ground pool, spa, hot tub or pond requires a permit | "4-02.10.7 Private Swimming Pool": $730.28 + plan review fee at standard hourly rate... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | replacement with the same type of roofing material, no structural work, outside a Historic Preservation Zone | Structural roof work is filed as a Residential Addition/Alteration permit priced by... |
| Shed Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...at 5%, 15% or 30% of standard valuation, building permit fee from $89.45 for $1 to... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Solar Permits - Photovoltaic Electrical Systems - 1 to 30 PV panels": $122.46... |
| Water Heater Permit | Permit required | Any size | "4-02.9.1 Trade Permits": $150.00, listed items "J. Water Heater Installation (like for... |
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Schedule an inspection in Tucson
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. Inspections are scheduled through TDC Online. Most residential work can be inspected by Remote Video Inspection; on-site inspections requested before 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday are done the next business day. Inspection hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. October 1 to March 31 and 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 1 to September 30.
Schedule or request a Tucson inspection
When the portal will not take the date you need, the office still books by phone: (520) 791-5550.
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Tucson permit fees compared with nearby Arizona localities
| Arizona locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson | ...priced by valuation (building permit fee from $89.45... | "4-02.9.1 Trade Permits": $150.00, listed item "F. Air... | "4-02.9.1 Trade Permits": $150.00, listed items include... |
| Chandler | ...building permit by construction valuation with a $50... | ...as a standard building permit by valuation with a $50... | Fee schedule sets a flat $100 fee only for electrical... |
| Gilbert | ...valuation-based building permit fee, minimum... | Individual Mechanical Permit, residential: $150 (fee... | Individual Electrical Permit, residential: $150 (fee... |
| Maricopa County | ...building permit fee under Table 1-A with a $23.50... | 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.
Tucson permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Tucson?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 13 permit types we have verified for Tucson, 8 always require a permit (for example an electrical permit), 5 depend on size or scope (a bathroom remodel permit, for instance). Each Tucson permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Tucson?
- Tucson publishes a fee for 13 of the 13 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 City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD); we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Tucson?
- City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) issues permits in Tucson, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at (520) 791-5550. The Tucson official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Tucson pages were verified. 13 permit types, 2 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Tucson is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.
Permitting activity in Tucson
In 2025, Tucson authorized permits for 1,505 new residential housing units (805 single-family, 700 in multi-family buildings), valued at $309M , up from 1,505 the year before. That works out to about 2.7 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual data · population 553,571.