Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit in Huachuca City, Arizona

Huachuca City requires a change of use / change of occupancy permit for: A building permit -- not a separately named 'change of use' permit -- is required whenever a building or space's occupancy classification changes, per Municipal Code § 15.60.010A, which lists 'change of occupancy' as an independent trigger alongside construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, and demolition; this applies even where no construction work is otherwise proposed, since the section does not condition the 'change of occupancy' trigger on accompanying construction; The substantive standards a use/occupancy change must meet come from the adopted 2018 IBC (§ 15.05.010) and 2018 IEBC (§ 15.20.010, adopted 'for all buildings and structures not covered under the International Building Code'); Huachuca City's own local amendments to those codes (§ 15.05.020, § 15.20.020) do not add or modify any change-of-occupancy-specific provision -- the unamended IBC/IEBC change-of-occupancy and Certificate of Occupancy provisions apply as adopted; Must conform to the Huachuca City zoning ordinance in addition to the adopted building code (§ 15.05.030) -- a use change may also require verification that the new use is permitted in the applicable zoning district under Title 18; Applications are made on the same Town-provided building permit forms used for all permit types; the online Forms & Applications page states forms are 'temporarily unavailable online' as of the last verification (contact hcgovforms@huachucacityaz.gov or 520-456-1354); Building permits, including a change-of-occupancy permit, are valid for 180 days and may be renewed once for an additional 180 days at no charge; the project must be completed within one year of issuance (§ 15.60.010C). If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Huachuca City Building, Zoning & Floodplain Department at 520-456-1354 before starting work.

Not published. The Town's Municipal Code and its proposed 2025/2026 Building Department fee table contain no Change-of-Occupancy-specific fee line, unlike some other Arizona jurisdictions that charge a flat no-work change-of-occupancy fee. Confirm the applicable fee with the Building Official, Dr. Jim Johnson, at 520-456-1354 or jjohnson@huachucacityaz.gov.

Huachuca City does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Huachuca City Building, Zoning & Floodplain Department at 520-456-1354 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Change of Occupancy); Plans/Documentation Demonstrating Code Compliance for New Occupancy. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Huachuca City requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use / change of occupancy permit, in order: Final Occupancy Inspection. Schedule each through Town of Huachuca City Building, Zoning & Floodplain Department (520-456-1354).

Apply through Town of Huachuca City Building, Zoning & Floodplain Department at 500 N. Gonzales Blvd, Huachuca City, AZ 85616. Phone: 520-456-1354, email: jjohnson@huachucacityaz.gov. Office hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Town of Huachuca City Building, Zoning & Floodplain Department page). Building, Zoning & Floodplain Administrator: Dr. Jim Johnson, PhD, CBO, CCI (jjohnson@huachucacityaz.gov, fax 520-456-2230). Huachuca City is a small home-rule town (population ~1,624 per U.S. Census) near Fort Huachuca that runs its OWN independent Building, Zoning & Floodplain Department and does NOT defer building permitting to Cochise County. Huachuca City Municipal Code Title 15, Buildings and Construction (on eCode360, custId HU4810) shows the Town has adopted and locally amended its own building, residential, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, existing building, and energy conservation codes since at least 1996-97, most recently via Ordinance 22-01 through 22-08 (2022), and the Town's own Building Official — not a County inspector — administers permits. The Town's online Forms & Applications page currently states all forms are 'temporarily unavailable online as the Town reviews and updates their content', so email hcgovforms@huachucacityaz.gov or call 520-456-1354 to obtain the current building permit application form.. Official information: https://huachucacityaz.gov/town-departments/building-zoning-floodplain/.

Huachuca City, 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 Town of Huachuca City is a home-rule town that independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its Building, Zoning & Floodplain Department; it does NOT defer building permitting to Cochise County despite its small size (~1,624 population). Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code, Title 15 (Buildings and Construction), eCode360 (custId HU4810), legislation current through 07-24-2025.; International Building Code (IBC), 2018 Edition, as copyrighted by the International Code Council, Inc., adopted by reference as the 'Building Code of Huachuca City' with Town amendments (Huachuca City Municipal Code § 15.05.010, Ord. 22-01 § 1, 2022). Amendments (§ 15.05.020, Ord. 22-01 § 2, 2022) include: garage/dwelling separation upgraded from 1/2-inch to two layers of 5/8-inch Type X gypsum board with no windows permitted in the separation wall (§ 406.3.2.1, § 711.10); automatic fire sprinklers required in all new commercial buildings of all sizes (with exceptions for Group U occupancies, buildings in use before January 8, 2009, and Building-Official/Fire-Chief discretionary exemptions for small/temporary/self-storage structures) (§ 903.2); appeals in the absence of an appointed board of appeals go to the Town Board of Adjustment (§ 113.1); Appendices J and K specifically adopted. Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code § 15.05.010 and § 15.05.020, eCode360.; International Residential Code (IRC) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, 2018 Edition, adopted by reference as the 'Residential Building Code of Huachuca City' with Town amendments (§ 15.10.010; Prior Code § 8-1-1-B; Ord. 03-003 (2002); Ord. 06-01 (2006); Ord. 08-14 (2009); Ord. 16-03 § 2 (2016); Ord. 22-07 § 1, 2022). Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code § 15.10.010, eCode360.; National Electrical Code (NEC), 2020 Edition, as copyrighted by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted by reference as the 'Electrical Code of Huachuca City' with Town amendments (§ 15.15.010; Ord. 22-08 § 1, 2022). Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code § 15.15.010, eCode360.; International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2018 Edition, adopted by reference as the 'Existing Building Code of Huachuca City' for all buildings/structures not covered under the IBC, with Town amendments (§ 15.20.010; Ord. 22-03 § 1, 2022). Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code § 15.20.010, eCode360.; International Plumbing Code (IPC), 2018 Edition, adopted by reference as the 'Plumbing Code of Huachuca City' with Town amendments (§ 15.25.010; Ord. 22-06 § 1, 2022). Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code § 15.25.010, eCode360.; International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2018 Edition, adopted by reference as the 'Mechanical Code of Huachuca City' with Town amendments (§ 15.35.010; Ord. 22-05 § 1, 2022), including an exception permitting mechanical systems in existing buildings undergoing repair/alteration/addition/change of occupancy to comply with the IEBC instead. Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code § 15.35.010 and § 15.35.020, eCode360.; International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), 2018 Edition, adopted by reference as the 'Energy Conservation Code of Huachuca City' with Town amendments (§ 15.40.010; Ord. 22-02 § 1, 2022). Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code § 15.40.010, eCode360.; Uniform Housing Code, 1997 Edition, as copyrighted by the International Conference of Building Officials, adopted as the 'housing code of Huachuca City' for all buildings and structures not covered under the International Building Code (§ 15.45.010). Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code § 15.45.010, eCode360.; Dangerous Buildings Code (Chapter 15.30) and Property Maintenance Standards (Chapter 16.15) are separately adopted by the Town for unsafe/substandard structure enforcement, distinct from the new-construction permit codes above. Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code, Title 15/16, eCode360.; 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 (declared a public record by Resolution No. 96-015), adopted as an amendment to the Building Code applying to new construction and alterations of both public entities and public accommodations/commercial facilities commenced after September 3, 1996 (§ 15.05.040; Prior Code § 8-1-3; Ord. 96-11, 1996). Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code § 15.05.040, eCode360.; Floodplain management: the Mayor and Council have transferred floodplain management within Huachuca City's jurisdiction to the Flood Control District of Cochise County; the Town has adopted the most current Cochise County floodplain regulations as its own, kept on file with the Town Clerk. The Town Building Official is designated as the NFIP floodplain administrator for the Town and serves as the point of contact with the Flood Control District of Cochise County and state/federal NFIP officials (§ 15.75.010; Prior Code § 13-3; Ord. 87-03 (1987); Ord. 01-015 § 10 (2001); Ord. 06-02, 06-06, 06-12 (2006); Res. 07-13 (2007); Ord. 16-13 § 4, 2016). Source: Huachuca City Municipal Code § 15.75.010, eCode360.; Manufactured homes, mobile homes, and factory-built buildings: construction/installation standards are regulated directly by the State of Arizona (Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety / Office of Manufactured Housing, A.R.S. § 41-4001 et seq.); the Town's 2025/2026 proposed fee table separately itemizes a Town-level 'Manufactured Home Anchoring and Skirting' fee ($350.00) charged 'in addition to State Mandated Installation Fee,' confirming the Town issues its own local placement/anchoring permit layered on top of the state's own installation permit. Source: Huachuca City proposed Building Department fee table, 2025 (effective January 1, 2026 if adopted).. Local amendments apply — see the Huachuca City overview page for the full list.

No. Municipal Code § 15.60.010A folds 'change of occupancy' into the same single building-permit requirement that covers new construction, alterations, repairs, and demolition -- there is no separately named change-of-use permit, application, or fee schedule.