Skip to main content
PermitBase

Commercial Building Permit in Bisbee, Arizona

Required for new commercial building construction and for additions, alterations, and remodels of existing commercial structures in Bisbee, reviewed against the 2018 IBC (and IEBC for qualifying existing-building change-of-occupancy work) as adopted and amended by the City of Bisbee. Tenant-improvement-type work is NOT a separate permit product — City Code Section 7.1.3(d) folds new commercial construction and additions/alterations/remodels of existing commercial structures into a single valuation category, distinct from residential's per-square-foot method. Larger commercial projects (over a half acre) additionally require Site Plan approval from the City's Site Planning Committee before a building permit may be issued, and projects within the Old Bisbee Historic District require Design Review Board approval.

Verified 2026-07-29 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Building permit required for new commercial building construction and for additions, alterations, and remodels of existing commercial structures within Bisbee city limits, using the City's unified Building/Sign/Solar Permit Application ('USE OF PROPERTY: COMMERCIAL' checkbox)
  • Valuation methodology differs from residential: per City Code Article 7.1, Section 7.1.3(d), 'New commercial structures and additions, alterations, and remodels of existing commercial structures shall be valued based on the contract documents for this work. If there are no contract documents for such work these valuations shall be based on the most current "Building Valuation Data" available, as provided by the International Code Council' — NOT the flat per-square-foot rate used for new residential structures ($160.00/sq ft per the City Fee Schedule)
  • If the applicant cannot provide a commercially reasonable Total Valuation, the Building Official may independently determine one using the ICC's current Building Valuation Data (City Code Section 7.1.3(e))
  • Site Plan approval (City Zoning Code, Article 3, Section 3.4.1) is required for all commercial and multi-family projects over a half acre (21,788 square feet) in size, unless otherwise specified, BEFORE a building permit may be issued; the application goes to the Site Planning Committee, not the Building Inspector, and a non-refundable fee applies per the City Fee Schedule. Site Plan approval becomes void if a building permit is not issued within one year, absent an approved extension
  • No separate Site Plan application is required when a site plan is filed together with a Special Use Permit (Zoning Code Section 3.4.1)
  • No building permit shall be issued for new structure construction unless the structure and proposed use comply with the City of Bisbee Zoning Code (City Code Section 7.1.2)
  • No building permit shall be issued prior to obtaining a flood plain permit for any work in Flood Zones A and AE (City Code Section 7.1.1.B(5))
  • Existing commercial buildings undergoing repair, alteration, addition, or a change of occupancy may elect to comply with the 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) in lieu of full 2018 IBC compliance (City Code Article 7.1, Sections 7.1.1.B(1) and 7.1.1.C)
  • Arizonans with Disabilities Act standards (A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 9, Article 8) and the 'Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities' (Resolution R-96-46) are adopted as applying to public accommodations and commercial facilities — not just public entities — for new construction and alterations commenced after September 3, 1996 (City Code Section 7.1.4, second paragraph)
  • City amendment at IBC Section 708.1 adds a sixth fire-partition category: 'Walls separating tenant spaces' — relevant to multi-tenant commercial buildings (City Code Section 7.1.1.B(9))
  • City amendment at IBC Section 903.2.1.3(2) changes the Group A-2 occupant-load sprinkler threshold from '300' to '100 or more' (City Code Section 7.1.1.B(10))
  • Properties within the Old Bisbee Historic District (HP Overlay Zone) require Design Review Board approval before a building permit will be issued for new construction, exterior alteration, or enlargement; for commercial buildings located within the portion of the District listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the property owner must separately obtain specific DRB approval before painting, re-surfacing, or altering any existing unpainted brick structure or existing painted sign (Zoning Code Section 3.5.2.A)
  • Owner/Builder projects must comply with A.R.S. Title 32 licensing-exemption requirements if not using a licensed ROC contractor; the City's Building Permit Application separately provides for a 'legally designated Architect or Engineer' as the plan preparer, though no City-of-Bisbee-specific ordinance mandating an architect/engineer stamp above a size or occupant-load threshold was found in the City Code (unlike the county-level requirement documented for unincorporated Cochise County, which does not govern the City of Bisbee's independent permitting authority) Owner-builderContractor

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet — 0 of 2 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29 →

Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — Valuation-BasedCity of Bisbee Fee Schedule (Effective 05/07/2020, Updated 06/15/2026). The same tiered dollar-to-fee table used for every Bisbee building permit type; what differs for commercial projects is how the underlying Total Valuation is determined (contract documents / ICC Building Valuation Data per City Code Section 7.1.3(d), not the Fee Schedule's flat $160.00/sq ft new-residential-structure rate).
$78.00 ($1-$2,000 valuation); $98 for first $2,000 plus $15.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction ($2,001-$40,000); $570 for first $40,000 plus $13 per additional $1,000 ($40,001-$100,000); $1,181 for first $100,000 plus $11 per additional $1,000 ($100,001-$500,000); $4,345 for first $500,000 plus $9 per additional $1,000 ($500,001-$1,000,000); $7,170 for first $1,000,000 plus $6.50 per additional $1,000 ($1,000,001-$5,000,000); $20,730 for first $5,000,000 plus $4.50 per additional $1,000,000 ($5,000,001 and over)
Required Plan Review FeeCity of Bisbee City Code, Article 7.1, Section 7.1.3; charged for all permits requiring plan review under the adopted Code.
65% of the Building Permit Fee
Site Plan Review Application (Site Planning Committee)City of Bisbee Fee Schedule, 'Other Applications/Permits' section; required only where Zoning Code Section 3.4.1 applies (commercial/multi-family projects over a half acre / 21,788 sq ft) and is separate from, and a prerequisite to, the Building Permit Fee above.
$550.00 plus professional fees
Commercial Building Advisory Board of AppealCity of Bisbee Fee Schedule; a distinct, higher fee than the $200.00 Residential Building Advisory Board of Appeal fee — applies only if a commercial building permit decision is appealed to the Building Advisory Board.
$300.00
Fire Marshal New Construction Plan Review (where applicable)City of Bisbee Fee Schedule, Fire Department section; commercial new-construction projects commonly also route through Fire Marshal plan review — see this file's Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System Permit entry for the full fire-side fee detail.
$50.00 per hour, 2-hour minimum; Expedited Review (Additional): $100.00 per hour, 2-hour minimum

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Building Permit permit actually take in Bisbee?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation/Footing

    Before concrete pour

  2. 2

    Framing

    Structural framing and connections per 2018 IBC and City of Bisbee amendments, including the added 'walls separating tenant spaces' fire-partition category (Section 708.1) for multi-tenant commercial buildings

  3. 3

    Final

    All work complete per approved plans (and, where applicable, per approved Site Plan and/or Design Review Board conditions); permit includes one initial inspection and up to two re-inspections per stage at no extra charge (additional re-inspections billed at $47.00 per City Code Section 7.1.3)

See the full Bisbee inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Unlike residential new construction (valued at a flat $160.00/sq ft per the City Fee Schedule), new commercial buildings in Bisbee are valued using the actual contract documents for the work, or the ICC's 'Building Valuation Data' if no contract documents exist (City Code Section 7.1.3(d)) — get a clear, itemized contract in hand before applying so the Total Valuation (and resulting fee) isn't left to the Building Official's ICC-data estimate.
  • Site Plan Review is a genuinely separate, distinct prerequisite step for commercial (or multi-family) projects over a half acre (21,788 sq ft) — it goes to the City's Site Planning Committee, not the Building Inspector, costs $550 plus professional fees, and expires (voiding the path to a building permit) if a building permit hasn't been issued within one year of Site Plan approval. Don't confuse this with the Design Review Board process, which is a separate, Historic-District-only review.
  • There is no standalone Bisbee 'tenant improvement permit' — remodels, additions, and alterations of existing commercial structures are valued and permitted under the same City Code Section 7.1.3(d) category as new commercial construction, just against the existing building's contract-documented scope of work rather than ground-up construction.
  • Appealing a commercial building permit decision to the Building Advisory Board costs $300, versus $200 for the equivalent residential appeal — confirm this before assuming the residential figure applies.
  • As of July 2026, the City of Bisbee does not appear to publish permit-specific plan review turnaround times for commercial building permits on its public website, in its codified City Code, or in its Building Permit Application/instructions. Call the Building Inspector's office directly at 520-432-6000 for a current estimate.

Frequently asked questions

Only if the project exceeds a half acre (21,788 square feet), per Zoning Code Section 3.4.1. If it applies, Site Plan approval from the Site Planning Committee ($550 plus professional fees) must be obtained BEFORE a building permit will be issued, and a building permit must then be issued within one year of Site Plan approval or the approval becomes void.

Unlike new residential construction (valued at a flat $160.00 per square foot), a new commercial building's Total Valuation is based on the actual contract documents for the work, or the International Code Council's 'Building Valuation Data' if no contract documents exist (City Code Section 7.1.3(d)). That Total Valuation is then run through the same citywide tiered fee table used for every Bisbee building permit, plus the 65% Plan Review Fee.

Bisbee does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Bisbee Community Development Department — Building Safety / Building Inspector at 520-432-6000 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Bisbee, Fillable); Construction Plans / Contract Documents. Depending on your project, Bisbee may also ask for: Site Plan Review Application (to the Site Planning Committee); Design Review Board Application Packet. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Bisbee requires 3 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit, in order: Foundation/Footing, Framing, Final. Schedule each through City of Bisbee Community Development Department — Building Safety / Building Inspector (520-432-6000).

Apply through City of Bisbee Community Development Department — Building Safety / Building Inspector at 118 Arizona Street, Bisbee, AZ 85603. Phone: 520-432-6000, email: jward@bisbeeaz.gov. Office hours: Monday - Friday. Applications are submitted using the City's own single-page Building Permit application (covering building, sign, and solar permits alike) either in person at 118 Arizona Street or through the City's CloudPermit online e-permitting portal; permits within the Old Bisbee Historic District (HP Overlay Zone) additionally require Design Review Board approval before a building permit may be issued.. Official information: https://web.archive.org/web/20251028012416/https://www.bisbeeaz.gov/2545/30202/Building-Permits-Code-Enforcement.

Bisbee, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has no statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (A.R.S. Title 9). The City of Bisbee is a home-rule city that independently codifies and administers its own construction codes through its Community Development Department / Building Inspector (Building Codes page, bisbeeaz.gov/2449/Building-Codes; City of Bisbee City Code, Chapter 7, Updated 05/22/2024).; 2018 International Building Code (IBC), including all tables and appendices (Appendices C, E, F, G adopted; A, B, D, H, I, J, K, L, M not adopted), adopted by reference with City of Bisbee amendments (City Code Article 7.1, Section 7.1.1, Updated 05/22/2024).; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted by reference with City amendments; existing buildings undergoing repair, alteration, addition, or change of occupancy are permitted to comply with the IEBC in lieu of full IBC compliance (City Code Article 7.1, Section 7.1.1.B(1) and 7.1.1.C).; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), adopted by reference with City of Bisbee amendments (City Code Article 7.1, Section 7.1.1.D).; 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted by reference with City amendments, including Appendix B (adopted at a 3 inch/hour rainfall rate) and Appendices C, D, F as informational resources; Appendix A not adopted (City Code Article 7.2).; 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted by reference with City of Bisbee amendments (City Code Article 7.3, Section 7.3.1) — one edition behind the 2018 ICC set, consistent with typical AZ municipal practice.; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted by reference with City amendments; administered with references to the Bisbee Fire Department (City Code Article 7.4).; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted by reference with City amendments; Appendix A adopted, Appendix B not adopted (City Code Article 7.5).; 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), adopted by reference with City amendments, including a fence/barrier height amendment raising all referenced heights from 48 inches to 60 inches (City Code Article 7.6).; 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) and 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted by reference with City amendments; City of Bisbee is designated Climate Zone 2 or stricter for all IECC purposes (City Code Article 7.7, Sections 7.7.1-7.7.3).; Arizonans with Disabilities Act standards (A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 9, Article 8) and implementing rules, including the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (Resolution R-96-46), adopted as an amendment applying to new construction and alterations of public entities (City Code Article 7.1, Section 7.1.4).; Manufactured home installation is permitted via a dedicated Manufactured Home Installation Permit (flat fee $350.00 per the City Fee Schedule); construction/installation standards for the home itself are regulated by the State of Arizona Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety / Office of Manufactured Housing, consistent with statewide practice (A.R.S. Title 41-4001 et seq.).. Local amendments apply — see the Bisbee overview page for the full list.

No. City Code Section 7.1.3(d) folds new commercial construction together with additions, alterations, and remodels of existing commercial structures into one valuation category (based on contract documents, or ICC Building Valuation Data if none exist) — there is no standalone 'TI permit' product distinct from the general Commercial Building Permit.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-29.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Bisbee building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

This one’s complicated · Get an expediter

Tell us about your project and we’ll connect you with a permit expediter who works in Bisbee.

PermitBase may receive a referral fee from the expediter. This is a service introduction, not verified permit data or legal advice.

Other permits in Bisbee

Residential Building Permit (New Construction)Residential Addition / Remodel PermitElectrical PermitEV Charger / EVSE Installation PermitPlumbing PermitMechanical / HVAC PermitResidential/Commercial Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and Solar Water Heater PermitDemolition PermitManufactured Home Installation PermitSign PermitFire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System PermitCertificate of Occupancy / Change of Use

Commercial Building Permit in other cities

Ak-Chin Indian Community, ArizonaApache Junction, ArizonaAvondale, ArizonaBenson, ArizonaBuckeye, ArizonaBullhead City, ArizonaCamp Verde, ArizonaCarefree, Arizona

Compare commercial building permit fees across Arizona →

Look up this fee in a different city →

Embed this data card →

Now live

Build your Bisbee project checklist

Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Bisbee — in one checklist. Sign up and pay once to generate it, or go unlimited with Pro.

Get started →