Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Accessory Structure) in Unincorporated Cochise County, Arizona

Yes. Per state law, any new structure or renovation of an existing structure valued at $1,000 or more requires a building permit, unless it falls under the county's specific list of exempt minor residential improvements. Apply online through the Cochise County Permitting Portal. Source: https://www.cochise.az.gov/816/Permit-Exemptions and https://www.cochise.az.gov/868/Residential-Projects

In Unincorporated Cochise County, the published Residential Building Permit Fee Rate Schedule — valuation-based (graduated) is: $24.00 for $1–$500 of valuation; $30.00+$1.00/$100 over $500 for $501–$5,000; $69.00+$11.00/$1,000 over $2,000 for $5,001–$40,000; $487.00+$9.00/$1,000 over $40,000 for $40,001–$100,000; $1,027+$7.00/$1,000 over $100,000 for $100,001–$500,000; $3,827.00+$5.00/$1,000 over $500,000 for $500,001–$1,000,000; $6,327.00+$3.00/$1,000 over $1,000,000 for $1,000,001–$5,000,000; $18,327+$1.00/$1,000 over $5,000,000 for $5,000,001 and over. Additional published fees: Residential Structures Valuation Rate (new one/two-family homes, additions; includes conditioned Arizona Rooms) — $91.56 per square foot; Garages, Sheds, Outbuildings, and Accessory Structures — Valuation Rate — $39.28 per square foot; Basements, Decks, Patios, Porches, Carports — Valuation Rate — $15.00 per square foot; Residential Plan Review Fee (three submissions, up to and including four-plex) — 65% of the Building Permit Fee; Re-Inspection Fee — $75; Building Permit Renewal Fee — $100; Utility Compliance Fee — $50; Legacy $15 Residential Permit Review Fee / $15 Revision Fee (2009 Fee Ordinance 037-09) — appears discontinued — Verified-negative: not present anywhere in the current (2026-07-23) Chapter 14 fee schedule. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per A.R.S. §11-1605 and the county's Building Permit Review Timelines (effective October 1, 2016), administrative completeness review will not exceed 40 business days total, and substantive review will not exceed 105 business days total (extendable to 165 business days for complex technical review by written agreement). Source: https://www.cochise.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/132

You'll need: Residential Permit Application (Citizenserve portal); Site Plans per Residential Construction Plan Checklist; Residential Plan Requirements Checklist (PDF). Depending on your project, Unincorporated Cochise County may also ask for: Contractor Information Form (PDF); Sierra Vista Sub-Watershed Conservation Attachment (PDF). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Cochise County requires 4 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction, addition, accessory structure), in order: Footing/Foundation, Framing, Insulation, Final. Schedule each through Cochise County Development Services Department — Building Safety Division (520-432-9300).

Apply through Cochise County Development Services Department — Building Safety Division at 1415 Melody Lane, Building F, Bisbee, AZ 85603. Phone: 520-432-9300, email: developmentservices@cochise.az.gov. Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Official information: https://www.cochise.az.gov/202/Development-Services.

Unincorporated Cochise County, Arizona has adopted: 2015 International Building Code (IBC), with Cochise County local amendments — current as of building-safety and FAQ pages accessed 2026-07-07; 2015 International Residential Code (IRC), with Cochise County local amendments, plus Appendix Q (Tiny Houses) of the 2018 IRC adopted separately; 2015 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2015 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2015 International Fire Code (IFC); 2015 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2015 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2015 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — inserted in place of IBC Section 3109 per local amendment; NFPA 70 National Electrical Code (NEC), 2014 Edition; Sound Attenuation Ordinance, as mandated by A.R.S. §§28-8481 and 28-8482; NOTE: Cochise County is actively developing a Building Code update (CP2045 implementation) as of mid-2026, with a Builder's Roundtable held May 28, 2026 and a Building Code Advisory and Appeals Board reviewing proposed amendments; the 2015-edition code set above remains the adopted/in-force code as of this file's lastVerified date — no new edition has been adopted yet.. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Cochise County overview page for the full list.