Flagstaff building permits

Building department

Address

211 W Aspen Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Phone

928-213-2000

Email

BuildingPermits@flagstaffaz.gov

Office hours

City Hall is open 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Commercial permit attachments too large for the portal: Commercial.BuildingPermits@flagstaffaz.gov. Inter-departmental submittals: FrontCounter@flagstaffaz.gov.

Website

Official site

Permit portal

Apply online at Flagstaff's portal

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Flagstaff — 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 mandatory statewide building code edition — cities and counties each adopt and amend their own codes (per Arizona Revised Statutes framework for municipal building regulation; no state building-code-adoption agency parallel to Montana's DLI exists). The City of Flagstaff independently administers its own Building Safety program within city limits, separate from Coconino County's building department, which handles unincorporated county areas. Source: City of Flagstaff Building Safety page (flagstaff.az.gov/494/Building-Safety) and Building Permits page.
• 2018 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by City of Flagstaff Resolution 2019-26 and Ordinance 2019-16 on June 18, 2019, effective July 19, 2019 (the '2018 Suite of Codes'). Source: City of Flagstaff 2019 Adopted Building Codes (PDF)
• 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted per Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16, effective July 19, 2019
• 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — adopted per Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16, effective July 19, 2019
• 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — adopted per Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16, effective July 19, 2019
• 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — adopted per Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16, effective July 19, 2019 (Arizona/Flagstaff uses the IPC, not the Uniform Plumbing Code)
• 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — adopted per Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16, effective July 19, 2019
• 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — adopted per Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16, effective July 19, 2019
• 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — adopted per Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16, effective July 19, 2019
• 2018 International Solar Energy Provisions (ISEP) — adopted per Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16, effective July 19, 2019; a compilation of solar energy provisions from the IBC, IRC, IECC, IMC, IPC, IFC, and ISPSC
• 2017 NFPA 70 / National Electrical Code (NEC) — adopted per Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16, effective July 19, 2019
• ICC A117.1-2017, Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities — adopted per Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16
• 1997 Uniform Housing Code, 1997 Uniform Administrative Code, and 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings (ICBO) — retained as adopted codes per Flagstaff City Code Title 4, Chapter 4-01
• All codes amended locally by Flagstaff City Code Title 4, Building Regulations (Chapters 4-01 through 4-11), on file with the City Clerk. Source: Flagstaff City Code Title 4 Building Regulations amendments document (2019 Amendments to the Adopted Codes, PDF, rev. 05/14/2019)
• Statewide overlay: Arizona Revised Statutes Section 9-468 sets mandatory statewide standards for solar photovoltaic and solar water heating construction permits (limits on required plan documentation, prohibits requiring a PE stamp absent a written justification, and caps solar permit fees at actual cost of issuance) — binding on the City of Flagstaff as a municipality. Source: azleg.gov ARS 9-468
• Arizona Revised Statutes Sections 9-835 and 9-836 set statutory residential building-permit plan-review timeframes (Administrative Completeness Review and Substantive Review stages) that the City of Flagstaff's published review timeframes implement. Source: City of Flagstaff Residential Building Permits Plan Review Process and Timeframes (PDF)

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (New Construction)

  Required for construction of new single-family and two-family dwellings in Flagstaff. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC and 2018 IECC as adopted by the City of Flagstaff (Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16), plus City of Flagstaff Building Design Criteria amendments (60 psf snow load, 115 mph wind, Seismic Category C). Applications are submitted through the Citizen Access Portal.

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• Residential Addition / Remodel / Alteration Permit

  Required for additions, remodels, and structural alterations to existing one- and two-family dwellings in Flagstaff, including decks over 30 inches high or over 200 sq ft, garages, and interior remodels affecting structural or life-safety elements. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC as adopted by the City of Flagstaff. Apply through the Citizen Access Portal.

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• Electrical Permit

  Required for electrical installation, alteration, or repair work in Flagstaff, governed by the 2017 NFPA 70 / National Electrical Code (NEC) as adopted and locally amended by the City of Flagstaff (copper-only conductors; EV-charging circuit requirement for new 1-2 family garages). Minor electrical work (service entrance/subpanel upgrades, circuits) can use the Over-the-Counter permit; larger work requires a full Building Permit.

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• Plumbing Permit

  Required for plumbing installation, alteration, or repair work in Flagstaff, governed by the 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC) as adopted and locally amended by the City of Flagstaff (max 1.3-gallon flush water closets; 12-inch minimum roof vent termination above grade). Minor plumbing work can use the Over-the-Counter permit.

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• Mechanical / HVAC Permit

  Required for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and related mechanical installations in Flagstaff, governed by the 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) as adopted by the City of Flagstaff. Minor mechanical work can use the Over-the-Counter permit; rooftop unit replacements on structures over 50 years old or in historic overlay areas are routed to Current Planning for review.

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• Re-Roofing Permit

  Required for residential and commercial re-roofing in Flagstaff. Governed by IRC R905.2.7.1 / IBC 1507.2.8.2 (ice barrier) as adopted, plus City of Flagstaff amendments requiring Class A/B fire-rated roofing and prohibiting wood shakes/shingles. Uses the Over-the-Counter permit for standard re-roofs.

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• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

  Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mount solar photovoltaic systems in Flagstaff. The City has no separate solar-specific permit type or fee schedule: a PV system is permitted and billed as a standard Building Permit (plus Electrical Permit for wiring) under the City's valuation-based fee methodology (Resolution 2017-21), and mounting-system structural design is governed by the City's general Building Design Criteria (60 psf ground snow load, 115 mph wind, Seismic Design Category C). Process/documentation limits and timeline protections are set by the statewide overlay, Arizona Revised Statutes Section 9-468, which caps required documentation, limits professional-engineer stamp requirements, and caps solar permit fees at the actual cost of issuance. The 2018 International Solar Energy Provisions (ISEP) are adopted as part of the City's 2018 code suite.

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• Demolition Permit

  Required for demolition of a building within Flagstaff. Uses the standard Residential or Commercial Building Permit Application with a completed Demolition Questionnaire covering asbestos/NESHAP screening.

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• Fence and Retaining Wall Permit (Minor Improvement Permit)

  Fences and retaining walls in Flagstaff are regulated by height, with most fences and shorter retaining walls handled via a Zoning-issued Minor Improvement Permit ($80 flat fee) rather than a full Building Permit.

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• EV Charger / Electric Vehicle Charging Circuit Permit

  Flagstaff has no standalone EV charger permit or fee line — installing an EV charger circuit is electrical work processed through the same Over-the-Counter (OTC) or full Electrical Permit pathway documented in the electrical-permit entry, billed under the generic 'Circuits (each)' or service/subpanel line items (no work item is itemized specifically as 'EV charger' on the OTC fee schedule). Separately, Flagstaff's 2019 local amendment to the 2018 IRC (Chapter 4-03) REQUIRES new one- and two-family dwelling construction to include at least one dedicated 208/240-volt, 50-amp-minimum garage branch circuit for EV charging (2018 IRC E3901.9 as amended) — this requirement is verified directly in codesAdopted/residential-building-permit, but it is a new-construction code mandate, not a separate retrofit permit type. Re-chased 2026-07-20: directly downloaded and text-extracted the live OTC Permit Application PDF, confirming the exact same fee figures verbatim ($29.90 base, $6.05/circuit, $38.85/$79.15 subpanel tiers) are still current.

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• Sign Permit (Permanent Sign)

  Required for erecting, placing, altering, repairing, or relocating a permanent commercial/business sign in Flagstaff. This is a Zoning-issued permit (Community Development Director / Current Planning) governed by Flagstaff Zoning Code Division 10-50.100 (Sign Standards) and Section 10-20.40.120 (Sign Permit – Permanent Signs), separate from the Building Safety Section's Building Permit process, though illuminated signs also require an electrical permit/inspection. No sign permit is required for a single-family residence or duplex.

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• Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System Permit

  Required for the installation, tenant-improvement modification, or alteration of fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, fire pumps, and standpipes in Flagstaff. Unlike some Arizona jurisdictions, the Flagstaff Fire Department (FFD) directly administers its own plan review, inspections, and fee schedule for these systems as a Fire Prevention Permit — separate from, and in addition to, the Building Safety Section's Building Permit for the underlying construction. Governed by the International Fire Code and NFPA standards as locally amended. Flagstaff also enforces a citywide Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Code overlay (City Code Section 13-13-001-0001) reflecting its forested surroundings, though that WUI permitting (an outdoor-fire/written Fire Department permit) is a distinct process from indoor fire-sprinkler/alarm system permitting.

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• Change of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy

  Flagstaff's real local equivalent of a generic 'change of use' permit is its Change of Occupancy process: whenever a building's occupancy classification changes — regardless of whether any physical alterations are made — a Building Permit is required to assess compliance with the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) for the new occupancy, per IBC/IEBC Section 105.1, culminating in a new Certificate of Occupancy. No building or structure may be occupied or used until the Building Official issues that Certificate of Occupancy, confirming compliance with the Zoning Code and all on- and off-site improvements. This is administered by the Building Safety & Code Compliance Section using the standard Residential or Commercial Building Permit Application — there is no separate 'change of use' permit type or application form.

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• Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration)

  Required for new construction, additions, and structural alterations to commercial buildings in Flagstaff, reviewed against the 2018 Suite of Codes (IBC, IEBC, IMC, IPC, IFGC, NEC) as adopted by the City of Flagstaff (Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16). This entry covers the building shell/structure track — 'Commercial Building /Civil Plan Review' — which the City's own Commercial Plan Review document distinguishes from a separate, faster 'Commercial Tenant Improvement Plans' review track for interior build-outs of existing tenant space (see the commercial-tenant-improvement-permit entry). Fire sprinkler/alarm system work is a further separate Fire Prevention Permit administered directly by the Flagstaff Fire Department (see fire-sprinkler-alarm-permit), in addition to this Building Permit.

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• Commercial Tenant Improvement (TI) Permit

  Flagstaff's Commercial Plan Review document explicitly defines 'Commercial Tenant Improvement Plans' as a genuinely distinct review track from full new commercial construction ('Commercial Building /Civil Plan Review') — with its own, faster Administrative Completeness Review (10 working days vs. 15) and Substantive Review (25 working days vs. 50) timeframes, for an overall 35 working days vs. 65, and its own dedicated submittal checklist (existing + proposed floor plans, a vicinity map at minimum, and only the framing/structural plans relevant to the scope of interior work). It is billed under the same general valuation-based Building Permit Fee methodology (Resolution 2017-21) as other Building Permits, since Flagstaff publishes no separate flat TI fee schedule — though the underlying ICC Building Valuation Data itself notes it is 'not intended to apply to alterations or repairs to existing buildings,' the same caveat that applies to the City's residential-addition-remodel permit type.

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