Tombstone building permits

Building department

Address

611 E. Allen Street, Tombstone, AZ 85638 (City Hall: 613 E. Allen Street, Tombstone, AZ 85638)

Phone

520-457-3415

Email

buildingofficial@cityoftombstoneaz.gov

Office hours

Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (City of Tombstone Building Inspector page and Building Permit Application, Rev. 1/2024). Building Official/Inspector: Robert Hendrickson. Applications are submitted in person or by mail to the Building Department (P.O. Box 339, Tombstone, AZ 85638); the City does not appear to offer an online e-permitting portal as of the last verification — all forms found are static PDFs requiring paper/email submittal. Inspections are scheduled by calling 520-457-3415. Projects within the Schieffelin Historic District require Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) approval BEFORE building permit submission/approval, per the Building Permit Application's own header notice.

Website

Official site

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Tombstone — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.

Codes adopted

Arizona has no statewide building code for non-state buildings; codes are adopted locally. According to the International Code Council, codes are adopted locally in Arizona and are predominantly the I-codes, with different cities and counties choosing their own editions and local amendments. The Arizona State Fire Code (adopting the 2018 IFC) applies only to state and county buildings, public and private schools, and non-residential occupancies in areas without a locally adopted fire code — it does not establish a statewide residential or commercial building code floor. Each city and county adopts its own code editions independently, resulting in different I-Code years and amendment sets across jurisdictions. There is no state-mandated minimum edition; enforcement is entirely local. Always confirm the adopted edition and any local amendments with the specific jurisdiction before submitting plans.

• 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. Show full textShow less

  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 Tombstone is a home-rule city that independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its own Building Department; it does not defer building permitting to Cochise County despite its small size (2020 Census population 1,307). Source: Tombstone City Code, Title 3 (Building Regulations), Chapter 1 (Building Code), codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tombstoneaz (current through Ord. 2025-06, passed 10-14-2025).

• 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) and 2006 International Building Code (IBC), adopted by reference as 'the Uniform Building Code' of the City, per Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-1 (Adoption of Building Codes). Show full textShow less

  2006 International Residential Code (IRC) and 2006 International Building Code (IBC), adopted by reference as 'the Uniform Building Code' of the City, per Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-1 (Adoption of Building Codes). NOTE: this is a genuinely old code cycle (2006, not a current ICC edition), corroborated by two independent sources: (1) the codified City Code text itself (codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tombstoneaz/latest/tombstone_az/0-0-0-1834), and (2) the Arizona Building Officials (AZBO) statewide directories, whose most recent editions (2018/2021) list Tombstone's adopted codes as 2006 IBC/IRC/IMC/IPC and 2005 NEC. The current Building Permit Application (Rev. 1/2024) also cites 'Tombstone City Code, 3-1-1: Adoption of the Uniform Building Code' and references 'Uniform Building Code Permit Requirements' by name, consistent with the 2006-cycle adoption never having been updated to a current ICC edition. Source: Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-1; AZBO Directory (2018, 2021 editions); City of Tombstone Building Permit Application (Rev. 1/2024).

• National Electrical Code of 1988, as copyrighted by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted by reference (Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-4, Electrical Code). Show full textShow less

  National Electrical Code of 1988, as copyrighted by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted by reference (Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-4, Electrical Code). This is a very old NEC edition (1988) relative to current AZ municipal practice (most Cochise County peers are on 2017 or 2020 NEC) — confirmed via direct code-section fetch; no more recent NEC adoption ordinance was located despite a search for 'building code' + ordinance amendments through the current Ord. 2025-06 code-currency marker. Source: Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-4.

• Uniform Plumbing Code, 1988 edition, as copyrighted by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, adopted by reference (Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-5, Plumbing Code) — notably NOT an ICC/IPC adoption but the IAPMO's competing UPC model code, at its 1988 edition. Source: Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-5.
• Uniform Mechanical Code, 1988 edition, as copyrighted by the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), adopted by reference (Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-14, Adoption of Mechanical Code). Show full textShow less

  Uniform Mechanical Code, 1988 edition, as copyrighted by the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), adopted by reference (Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-14, Adoption of Mechanical Code). Like the City's 1988 NEC and 1988 Uniform Plumbing Code adoptions, this is a pre-ICC model code and is not an International Mechanical Code edition. Source: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tombstoneaz/latest/tombstone_az/0-0-0-1869.

• Section 3-1-14 "ADOPTION OF MECHANICAL CODE" adopts "the certain code entitled uniform mechanical code, 1988 edition, copyrighted by the International Conference Of Building Officials, 1988"… Show full textShow less

  Section 3-1-14 "ADOPTION OF MECHANICAL CODE" adopts "the certain code entitled uniform mechanical code, 1988 edition, copyrighted by the International Conference Of Building Officials, 1988" (codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tombstoneaz/latest/tombstone_az/0-0-0-1869). No IFGC (fuel gas), IFC (fire) or IEBC (existing building) adoption is located in Title 3, and Title 6 "Fire Regulations" contains exactly one section (6-1-1) defining the geographic fire limits under the 1972 Code. Note the mechanical code adopted is the UNIFORM Mechanical Code (ICBO, 1988), not an ICC/IMC edition - consistent with this City's other pre-ICC adoptions (1988 NEC, 1988 Uniform Plumbing Code). Source: Tombstone City Code Sections 3-1-14, 3-1-4, 3-1-5, Title 6.

• Terminology construction: wherever 'a municipality' appears in the adopted building code, it is held to mean the City of Tombstone; 'corporation counsel' means the city attorney/legal advisor (Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-2, Construction of Terms). Source: Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-2.
• Building Official / administrative authority is vested in the office of the City Clerk under the codified ordinance structure, with authority to designate deputies for inspections and other required duties (Tombstone… Show full textShow less

  Building Official / administrative authority is vested in the office of the City Clerk under the codified ordinance structure, with authority to designate deputies for inspections and other required duties (Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-6); in current practice, the City separately staffs a dedicated Building Official/Inspector position (Robert Hendrickson) rather than routing this through the Clerk's office day-to-day. Source: Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-6 (codified structure); City of Tombstone Building Inspector page (current practice).

• Manufactured homes, mobile homes, and factory-built buildings: construction/installation standards for the home itself are regulated directly by the State of Arizona (Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety / Office of Manufactured Housing, A.R.S. Show full textShow less

  Manufactured homes, mobile homes, and factory-built buildings: construction/installation standards for the home itself are regulated directly by the State of Arizona (Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety / Office of Manufactured Housing, A.R.S. Title 41-4001 et seq.), consistent with statewide practice; the City separately issues its own Manufactured Building Permit (flat fee $300.00, including 2 inspections, per the City's November 14, 2025 Fee Schedule) for local placement/site compliance, using its own dedicated Manufactured Building Permit Application form. Source: City of Tombstone Fee Schedule (effective 11/14/2025); Manufactured Building Permit Application (City of Tombstone).

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (New Construction)

  Required for new single-family residential construction within Tombstone city limits. Reviewed against the City's own 2006 IRC/IBC adoption (Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-1). Applications use the City's single unified Building Permit Application (covering residential and commercial work alike) and are submitted in person or by mail to the Building Department. Properties within the Schieffelin Historic District require Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) Certificate of Appropriateness approval BEFORE the building permit may be submitted/approved.

  From$0valuation-based→

• Residential Addition / Remodel Permit

  Required for room additions, remodels, and alterations to existing residential structures in Tombstone, using the City's same unified Building Permit Application ('Repair/Replace' class of work) and valuation-based fee table. Properties within the Schieffelin Historic District require HPC Certificate of Appropriateness approval for exterior alterations before a permit is issued.

  From$0valuation-based→

• Electrical Permit

  Required for electrical installation, alteration, or repair work in Tombstone, governed by the National Electrical Code of 1988 as adopted by the City (Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-4) — a notably old NEC edition relative to Cochise County peers.

  From$0valuation-based→

• Plumbing Permit

  Required for plumbing installation, alteration, or repair work in Tombstone, governed by the 1988 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) as adopted by the City (Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-5) — notably an IAPMO UPC adoption rather than an ICC/IPC adoption, at a very old edition.

  From$0valuation-based→

• Mechanical / HVAC Permit

  Required for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning installations in Tombstone. The City has no standalone locally-adopted IMC — mechanical work is reviewed under the mechanical provisions built into the City's adopted 2006 IBC/IRC, using the application's own 'Mechanical Plan' submittal category.

  From$0valuation-based→

• Manufactured Building / Manufactured Home Installation Permit

  Required for placement of manufactured/mobile homes within Tombstone city limits, using the City's own dedicated Manufactured Building Permit Application separate from the general Building Permit Application. Billed as a flat fee including two inspections.

  $300.00→

• Demolition Permit

  Required for demolition of any structure in Tombstone. Demolition within the Schieffelin Historic District is subject to Historic Preservation Commission Certificate of Appropriateness review, since 'removal, or demolition of a landmark structure' is an explicitly enumerated COA trigger.

  See fee schedule→

• Schieffelin Historic District Certificate of Appropriateness (HPC Review)

  A distinct, mandatory overlay-review process for any exterior alteration, restoration, reconstruction, removal, demolition, new construction, or material exterior change within the Schieffelin Historic Preservation District (or to any individually designated landmark), administered by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and required BEFORE a building permit may be issued for covered work. This is the one Tombstone permit type with a genuinely published, governing review timeline.

  See fee schedule→

• Sign Permit

  Required for every sign and advertising structure in the City of Tombstone. Tombstone City Code Section 10-14-6 states plainly that 'a building permit shall be required for every sign and advertising structure regulated by this chapter' (Title 10, Chapter 14, Billboards and Signs). Tombstone runs a two-track process: the ordinary sign permit issued by the Building Department, and — because essentially the whole commercial core lies inside the Schieffelin Historic Preservation District — a Certificate of Appropriateness reviewed and approved by the Historic Preservation Commission before the sign may be erected. Code Section 10-19-8 is explicit that 'building permits for signs visible within the Schieffelin Historic Preservation District shall be subject to review and approval by the Historic Preservation Commission' and that 'no sign shall be erected within Schieffelin Historic Preservation District boundaries which has not received an approved Standard Application Form from the City through the Historic Preservation Commission.' The City's own HPC form is titled the Historic District Sign and Construction Application and carries a dedicated Section 8 for signs.

  From$100.00→

• Residential/Commercial Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

  Required for installation of a rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system in Tombstone. The City has no dedicated solar application, checklist, or fee line published anywhere in its current November 14, 2025 Fee Schedule, its Building Permit Application (Rev. 1/2024), or its codified Title 3 Building Code chapter — a PV system is billed under the same general Building Permit valuation-based fee table already documented in the Electrical Permit entry. Arizona statute A.R.S. § 9-468 independently caps whatever fee is actually charged at the City's actual cost of issuing the permit, and properties within the Schieffelin Historic District require Historic Preservation Commission Certificate of Appropriateness approval before the permit may be submitted, since a visible rooftop array constitutes a material change in exterior appearance.

  From$0valuation-based→

• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger / Charging Station Permit

  The City of Tombstone's Fee Schedule (effective 11/14/2025) has no dedicated EV charger/EVSE line item. Installing an EV charging station is electrical work, governed by the 1988 National Electrical Code as adopted by the City (Tombstone City Code Section 3-1-4) and billed on the same general valuation-based Building Permit fee chart documented in the Electrical Permit entry, using the same 'Electrical (Includes 1st and 2nd review)' plan-review line (65% of the Building Permit Fee).

  From$0valuation-based→

• Commercial Building Permit

  Required for commercial construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, improvement, moving, conversion, or demolition within Tombstone city limits. Tombstone has NO separate commercial permit track: commercial work uses the exact same unified Building Permit Application as residential work — the form's Permit Information section is simply 'Permit Type: ☐Residential ☐Commercial' — with the same valuation-based fee table, the same 11-stage inspection sequence, and the same Certificate of Occupancy requirement. The one commercial-specific submittal requirement printed on the form itself is: 'Commercial Projects may require a Professional Architect and/or Engineer.' Because Tombstone's downtown commercial core (the Allen Street National Historic Landmark District area) sits almost entirely within the Schieffelin Historic Preservation District, most real-world commercial projects must first obtain a Historic Preservation Commission Certificate of Appropriateness (see the historic-district-certificate-of-appropriateness entry) before the building permit may even be submitted/approved.

  From$0valuation-based→

• Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy

  Tombstone regulates a change of use through its Certificate of Occupancy requirement rather than through a separately named 'change of use permit.' Tombstone City Code Section 10-17-3(A) provides that 'no land or building shall be occupied or used, and no building shall be constructed, reconstructed, altered, repaired, used, located or changed in use until a temporary certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the building inspector,' and that the certificate must state that the building or premises and the proposed use conform to the zoning title. The building inspector then issues a final certificate of occupancy after the construction, alteration, repair, use or change in use has been completed. Section 10-17-3(C) also lets an owner or tenant request, in writing, a certificate for an existing building certifying after inspection the extent and kind of use and whether that use conforms. Where the new use is not permitted outright in the zone, the change also runs through the City's Conditional Use Permit or Variance process.

  See fee schedule→

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