Commercial Building Permit in Douglas, Arizona

Douglas requires a commercial building permit for: Commercial Building Permit Application (Form cml-rev_2403) required for all commercial site and building development and mechanical/utility service-related work; select the applicable Commercial Building Permit Type checkbox: New Construction (CNP), Addition (CAD), Remodel (CRM), Mechanical-Electrical (CME), Plumbing-Gas (CPL), Re-Roof, Swimming Pool/Hot Tub/Jacuzzi (CSW), Parking Structure/Garage (CAG), Carport (CACP), Accessory Building (CAB), Awning (CAP), Sign (CSGN), Fence/Wall, or Other; There is no separate tenant-improvement (TI) permit type on the application form — interior build-out/remodel work for a commercial tenant space is filed under the 'Remodel (CRM)' checkbox on this same Commercial Building Permit Application; Per the City of Douglas Development Services FAQ (Bilingual): 'A commercial building permit application and the architect's plan (three plan sets) must be submitted by the contractor for new development and construction. All licensed contractors and subcontractors need to be listed. Other requirements can/will be applied according to the City Planner and/or Building Inspector.'; Site Plan required for ALL commercial building permit applications per the City's Commercial Building Permit Application Checklist: site address/legal description/parcel number, north arrow, engineering scale (1 in. = 10 ft. or 20 ft.), all property lines with dimensions, locations/uses/dimensions of proposed and existing structures (including distances from property lines and other buildings), easements for access/utilities, names of adjoining streets, existing/proposed driveway-curbing-sidewalk with surface materials, and location/height/material of walls and fences; Grading & Drainage Plan required where applicable: Drainage Facilities Plan showing direction of drainage and location/depth/width of drainage ways or washes, floodplain/drainage requirements, and a Retention/Detention Basin Plan; Landscaping & Lighting Plan required where applicable: landscaping materials (location, size, common name, scientific name), irrigation system, noise/light-pollution buffer zones, site screening, open space/recreational space, and outdoor lighting fixture location/type/shielding; Construction Plan required: Floor Plan, Foundation-Plumbing Plan, Roof Plan, Elevations Plan, Section Details (foundation/footing, wall/attic insulation), and Electrical-Mechanical Plan (outlets by type/voltage, lights/fans by type, HVAC controls, security and smoke alarm systems); Contractor Affidavit required for all permit applications: either an actively-licensed Arizona ROC contractor's information (name, business name, ROC license number, license class, City business license #), or — per A.R.S. § 32-1121A.6 — an owner/developer exemption listing the General, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing contractors to be used on the project, each with ROC license number and class; Application must disclose whether the site is served by sewer or an on-site septic system, and whether the building has fire sprinklers throughout; FEMA floodplain designation must be disclosed on the application; if the site is within a FEMA-designated floodplain zone, a flood elevation certificate or flood insurance policy must be included, with flood-elevation documentation for existing/proposed structures prepared by a State-registered civil engineer or registered surveyor for review by the City Engineer; If the site is within an Overlay Zoning District, the owner may elect on the application to adopt that Overlay's regulations (Overlay codes listed on the form: MUI, IC-R, IC-C, IC-MU, RUM, R-CI, C-CI, UM-CI); For commercial projects specifically, the City applies the most recent Fire Code edition adopted by the Arizona State Fire Marshal (Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management), rather than the City's own older 2006 International Fire Code used for other permit types; New commercial space permits are valid for 18 months from issuance (vs. the standard 6 months/180 days for other permit types); an extension may be requested in writing to Development Services, and permits cannot be extended more than once; Notice required by A.R.S. § 9-495 (as amended by SB 1382): any written City communication demanding fee payment, denying the permit application, or requesting corrections/additional information must identify a named, authorized employee who will reply within five (5) business days. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Douglas Development Services Department (Building Safety / Planning and Zoning Divisions) at 520-417-7329 before starting work.

In Douglas, the published Plan Review and Inspection Fee — Based on Valuation (same schedule used for all permit types) is: $1-$500: $23.50 + $10 filing fee; $501-$2,000: $23.50 + $3.05 per additional $100 (or fraction) + $10 filing fee; $2,001-$25,000: $69.25 + $14 per additional $1,000 (or fraction) + $15 filing fee; $25,001-$50,000: $391.25 + $10.10 per additional $1,000 (or fraction) + $15 filing fee; $50,001-$100,000: $643.75 + $57.00 per additional $1,000 (or fraction); $100,001-$500,000: $993.75 + $5.60 per additional $1,000 (or fraction) + $30 filing fee; $500,001-$1,000,000: $3,233.75 + $4.75 per additional $1,000 (or fraction) + $40 filing fee; $1,000,001 and up: $5,608.75 + $3.65 per additional $1,000 (or fraction). Additional published fees: Plan Review (fixed fee) — 65% of Project Valuation; Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial — $50.00; Zoning Compliance Review Fee — $20.00; Work Begun Without a Permit — $125.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per the City of Douglas Development Services FAQ (Bilingual), new commercial construction applications require approximately a four-week review period, compared to about one week for new residential construction.

You'll need: Commercial Building Permit Application; Commercial Building Permit Application Checklist; Site Plan; Construction Plans; Contractor Affidavit. Depending on your project, Douglas may also ask for: Grading & Drainage Plan; Landscaping & Lighting Plan; Flood Elevation Certificate or Flood Insurance Policy. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through City of Douglas Development Services Department (Building Safety / Planning and Zoning Divisions) at 425 E. 10th Street, Douglas, AZ 85607 (City Hall, 2nd Floor). Phone: 520-417-7329, email: permits@douglasaz.gov. Office hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Building Permit Applications (Residential Building Permit Application, used for all single-family, multifamily, and mobile-home-related projects including electrical/plumbing/mechanical work; and the Commercial Building Permit Application) are submitted in person or by contacting Development Services at permits@douglasaz.gov; current staff contact is William D. Osborne, AICP, City Planner (William.Osborne@douglasaz.gov, 520-417-7314), with a Reception Desk at 520-417-7302 (English or Spanish) and general Permitting line 520-417-7329.. Official information: https://www.douglasaz.gov/593/Building-Permit-Plan-Review.

Douglas, 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 (e.g., A.R.S. Title 9 for municipalities). The City of Douglas independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its Development Services Department (Building Safety and Planning & Zoning Divisions). Source: City of Douglas Building Permit & Plan Review page (douglasaz.gov/593/Building-Permit-Plan-Review) and City of Douglas Development Services FAQ (Bilingual), DocumentCenter View 5479.; 2006 International Building Code (IBC) and 2006 International Residential Code (IRC), as published by the International Code Council, used by the City of Douglas for plan review and inspections. Source: City of Douglas Development Services FAQ (Bilingual) ("What Codes does the City of Douglas use for inspections?" — "2006 International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC)..."), DocumentCenter View 5479; confirmed independently by the earlier Building Safety, Planning and Zoning FAQ (DocumentCenter View 210).; 2006 International Mechanical Code (IMC), used by the City of Douglas for plan review and inspections. Source: City of Douglas Development Services FAQ (Bilingual), DocumentCenter View 5479.; 2005 National Electrical Code (NEC/"NEL"), used by the City of Douglas for electrical plan review and inspections — this is an older edition than most Arizona municipalities in the PermitBase dataset (compare Buckeye's 2023 NEC), and was independently verified as still current via the City's live 'Building Code Update Notice' (posted on the Building Permit & Plan Review page as of this review), which states the City is 'currently reviewing the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Residential Code (IRC) for potential adoption for updated standards' — i.e., as of this review the update has NOT yet been formally adopted, so the 2006/2005 code set remains the officially adopted baseline. Source: City of Douglas Development Services FAQ (Bilingual), DocumentCenter View 5479; City of Douglas Building Permit & Plan Review page, live 'Building Code Update Notice' banner, douglasaz.gov/593/Building-Permit-Plan-Review.; Fire Code: generally the 2006 International Fire Code (IFC) for standard projects, but for commercial projects the City applies the most recent Fire Code edition adopted by the Arizona State Fire Marshal (Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management), rather than the City's own older IFC edition. Source: City of Douglas Development Services FAQ (Bilingual), DocumentCenter View 5479.; Work requiring a licensed contractor: any work requiring a permit (except interior non-structural remodeling under $1,000 in project value) must be performed by an Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) licensed contractor, unless the owner qualifies for the owner/builder/occupant exemption under A.R.S. § 32-1121.A.5 (owner-occupant, no rental/sale within one year) or the owner/developer exemption under A.R.S. § 32-1121.A.6 (contracting with ROC-licensed contractors, listed on the application). Source: City of Douglas Development Services FAQ (Bilingual), DocumentCenter View 5479; City of Douglas Residential Building Permit Application, Contractor Affidavit section, DocumentCenter View 5855.; Manufactured/mobile homes are permitted through the same Residential Building Permit Application used for single-family, multifamily, and mobile-home-related projects; a residential building permit is required for placing a manufactured home where appropriate. Source: City of Douglas Development Services FAQ (Bilingual), DocumentCenter View 5479.. Local amendments apply — see the Douglas overview page for the full list.

No. The City of Douglas's Commercial Building Permit Application has a 'Remodel (CRM)' checkbox that covers tenant-improvement/build-out work — there is no distinct TI permit type, application, or fee line published by the City.

Three plan sets, submitted along with the architect's plan and the Commercial Building Permit Application, per the City's Development Services FAQ (Bilingual).