Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Flagstaff, Arizona

Flagstaff requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Building permit required for new single-family and two-family dwelling construction; Plans must comply with the 2018 IRC and 2018 IECC as adopted by City of Flagstaff Resolution 2019-26 / Ordinance 2019-16; Plans must show compliance with City of Flagstaff Building Design Criteria: 60 psf ground snow load, 115 mph wind design speed, Seismic Design Category C, 30-inch frost line depth, required ice barrier underlayment; New one- and two-family dwelling garages must include one dedicated 208/240-volt, 50-amp-minimum EV charging branch circuit; Solar-Ready Zone (2018 IRC Appendix T) provisions apply to new construction of detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses; All applications must be administratively complete at time of submittal or resubmittal per Arizona SB 1598; additional/revised documents uploaded mid-review-cycle are treated as a formal resubmittal, resetting the full review timeline; Application submitted online via the Citizen Access Portal (citizenaccess.flagstaffaz.gov); large residential attachments may be emailed to BuildingPermits@flagstaffaz.gov. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Flagstaff Building Safety Section (Planning & Development Services, Community Development Division) at 928-213-2000 before starting work.

In Flagstaff, the published Building Permit Fee (valuation-based, ICC February 2017 Building Valuation Data methodology) is: Gross Area (sq ft) x Square Foot Construction Cost (by occupancy/construction type, e.g., R-3 one/two-family = $145.23-$113.85/sq ft depending on construction type) x 0.01 permit fee multiplier. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee — 65% of the total calculated Building Permit Fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per ARS 9-835/9-836 and the City's published timeframes: Administrative Completeness Review takes 10 working days, and Substantive Review takes 35 working days for a new single-family or two-family (duplex) dwelling, for an overall timeframe of 45 working days. Source: City of Flagstaff Residential Building Permits Plan Review Process and Timeframes (PDF).

You'll need: Residential Building Permit Application (PDF); Residential Plan Review Administrative Completeness Checklist (PDF); Construction Drawings. Depending on your project, Flagstaff may also ask for: Owner Authorization Form (PDF). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Flagstaff requires 4 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Foundation/Footing, Framing, Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Rough-In, Residential Final. Schedule each through City of Flagstaff Building Safety Section (Planning & Development Services, Community Development Division) (928-213-2000).

Apply through City of Flagstaff Building Safety Section (Planning & Development Services, Community Development Division) at 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.. Official information: https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/494/Building-Safety.

Flagstaff, Arizona has adopted: 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). Local amendments apply — see the Flagstaff overview page for the full list.

Fees use the February 2017 ICC Building Valuation Data methodology: Gross Area x Square Foot Construction Cost (by occupancy/construction type) x a 0.01 permit fee multiplier, with the plan review fee set at 65% of the calculated building permit fee, per City Council Resolution 2017-21 (effective August 1, 2017).