Pima County building department

Pima County Development Services handles building permits, site development, addressing, planning, and zoning and building code compliance for unincorporated Pima County. Tucson, South Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, and other incorporated towns issue their own permits. A Tucson mailing address doesn’t mean the city has jurisdiction, so check the county’s “What’s my Zoning / Jurisdiction?” map first.

The Building and Site Development lobby is on the first floor of the Public Works Building, 201 N. Stone Ave., open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. The City of Tucson’s development center is in the same building, but it is a separate office.

Exemptions and permit triggers

A building permit is needed for new buildings, remodels, and placing or moving a manufactured building, unless the work is exempt. Exempt work can still need county approval under the Native Plant Preservation Ordinance or a Buffer Overlay Zone, or if the site is in a floodplain. The Regional Flood Control District answers floodplain questions at (520) 724-4600.

Work	Permit?
Deck more than 30 in. above grade	Yes
Deck or flatwork 30 in. or less above grade, not over a story below, not on an accessible route	No
Non-retaining walls and fences up to 7 ft	No
Re-roof with like materials	No
Structural roof work	Yes
Window or door replacement	No
New siding, skylights, porch enclosures	Yes
Drywall	No, unless shear or fire walls are affected
Paint, tile, carpet, cabinets, counters (no plumbing or electrical)	No
Driveway (not in a Hillside Development Zone or the right-of-way)	No
Window awnings projecting 54 in. or less, wall-supported	No
Fireplace or wood stove	Yes
Water heater, new or replacement	Yes
Dishwasher, water softener	Yes
Water tank on grade up to 5,000 gal (height-to-diameter ratio 2:1 or less)	No
Central A/C or furnace, mini-split, ductwork changes	Yes
Like-for-like evaporative cooler swap	No
New outlets or fixtures	Yes
Like-for-like outlet or fixture replacement	No
Solar PV or generator	Yes
Pool, including above-ground pools over 18 in. deep or 5,000 gal	Yes
Agricultural buildings	Yes
Playground equipment at a one- or two-family home	No

Grading permits

You need a grading permit for:

• A single home with 14,000 sq ft or more of graded area
• Grading on slopes of 15% or more
• Cut or fill slopes over 5 ft high and steeper than 3:1
• More than 3,000 sq ft of new paving

You don’t need one for clearing less than 14,000 sq ft on a non-hillside lot, or for less than 3,000 sq ft of new paving.

Applying

Building permits and site development plans must be submitted electronically. Permit Gateway (permits.pima.gov) asks a series of questions to point you to the right permit, and it also handles parcel research, fee payment, and address changes. Applications, fees, permit status, and inspection results run on the county’s Accela Citizen Access site. Septic submittals are no longer accepted by email to Building Safety Admin.

Since January 1, 2026, the county has reviewed applications for accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The ADU guidelines memo is on the Building Permits Resources page. The county also publishes a guide to its rules for off-grid living in unincorporated areas.

Fees

Building permit costs include three parts:

• Building fees
• Sewer connection fees
• Transportation impact fees

The county posts its Review and Processing Fees schedule (PDF) plus downloadable fee calculators for residential and commercial projects. A separate spreadsheet covers site development fees. Right-of-way use permits have their own fee schedule.

Adopted codes

Since January 1, 2019, the county has enforced the 2018 International Codes and the 2017 National Electrical Code. The county posted draft local amendments to the 2024 IECC and said that, pending approval, it would start enforcing them on July 1, 2026.

Inspections

The county’s inspections run on Vuspex. You can book field or remote inspections online or in the Vuspex Go app.

• Field inspections: Book before 4 p.m. for the next business day. Post the site address clearly. You can add gate codes or directions when you book.
• Remote inspections: Available any time during normal inspection hours. Site-off-model permits qualify if the county has an electronic copy of the model plan. The remote inspector may partially approve and send someone to the site.
• Outlying areas: On-site inspections happen one day a week: Ajo, Why, and Lukeville on Tuesdays; Arivaca and Sasabe on Wednesdays; Mt. Lemmon on Thursdays. Remote inspections aren’t limited this way.
• Custom or same-day inspections: For weekends, a set time, or same-day service, call (520) 419-2355 or (520) 235-4600. Extra charges may apply.
• Rooftop solar: Residential rooftop solar uses Vuspex Offline Field Reports, which the county aims to review within 24 hours.
• Trusses: Deferred truss calculations must be approved before the roof and wall bracing inspection (0130) can be scheduled.

The Inspector Tracking site shows an estimated arrival window. For a single-family home, final inspection approval is the certificate of occupancy, and no separate certificate is issued. Other permit types list their own pre-final (P2F) and pre-certificate (P2C) conditions.

Records

Online tools cover:

• Permit, project, and inspection history through Accela
• Septic records from 2007 on
• Sewer connection records, including historical connection cards
• Approved development drawings
• Custom data reports

Building records you can’t find online can be requested through the Residential/Commercial Building Records request.