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Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy Permit in Williams, Arizona

A change of use in Williams runs on two tracks that must both close. On the building-code side, Code of Ordinances § 150.20 adopts the International Building Code, 2024 Edition (including Appendices C, F, I, J and K) as the Building Code for the City, amending only Section 111.3 of the certificate-of-occupancy article (by adding Section 111.3.1 on temporary occupancy) — so IBC Section 111's requirement that a building not be used or occupied and that its occupancy classification not be changed until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy applies as adopted. Section 150.27 separately adopts the International Existing Building Code, 2024 Edition 'as the code for regulating and governing the repair, alteration, change of occupancy, addition and relocation of existing buildings, including historic buildings.' On the zoning side, § 158.126 requires a building permit and an approved plot plan, applied for under Chapter 154, and the City's own Procedure to Obtain Building Permit states that all building permits are subject to Planning & Zoning review for compliance with the Zoning and Development Procedure Ordinance, with Planning & Zoning determining whether a public hearing (variance, zoning change, conditional use permit) is needed. The City publishes no dedicated change-of-use application form.

Reviewed 2026-07-07 · Source

When you need this permit

  • § 150.20(A) adopts the International Building Code, 2024 Edition, including Appendices C, F, I, J and K, as the Building Code for the City of Williams, 'providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefore' (Ord. 1007, passed 9-12-2024). Within the certificate-of-occupancy article the City amends only Section 111.3, adding Section 111.3.1: if required work is not completed on or before the expiration date of the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, the Building Official may request the utility companies to de-energize the building and the building may not be occupied, with neither the City nor the utility companies liable for damages or delays
  • § 150.27(A) adopts the International Existing Building Code, 2024 Edition, including Appendix B, as the code regulating and governing the repair, alteration, change of occupancy, addition and relocation of existing buildings, including historic buildings; § 150.27(B)(2) makes the Chief Building Inspector or their designee the 'code official' under that code, and § 150.27(B)(3) routes IEBC fees to IBC Section 109.2 as amended
  • § 158.126(A): prior to the construction, remodeling or placement of any building or accessory building, a building permit and an approved plot plan are required; § 158.126(B) directs that the application be made in accordance with Chapter 154 of the code of ordinances
  • All building permits are subject to review by the Planning & Zoning Department for compliance with the Zoning and Development Procedure Ordinance; Planning & Zoning also determines the need for a public hearing, and public hearing issues include variance, zoning changes and conditional use permits (City of Williams Procedure to Obtain Building Permit, section 2)
  • All work within the Historic District must have approval from the Historic Commission prior to permitting; work within the Main Street District is forwarded to the Main Street Design Committee under § 154.018
  • Where the new use is a motel or restaurant, a copy of Coconino County Health Department approval to construct must be received before the City will issue a permit (928-679-7120)
  • Where the change of use involves commercial construction or alteration of 3,000 square feet or more, major electrical, mechanical or plumbing improvements or replacements, housing of more than 4 units, or public improvements, plans must bear the seal of an Arizona-licensed architect and/or engineer (A.R.S. § 32-144)
  • Cover sheet requirements for the plan set include the occupancy and occupancy load along with type of construction, design codes, design criteria, floor area, site address, legal description (APN), flood zone, deferred submittals, design professionals, number of employees and special inspections
  • Filed on the City's standard paper Building Permit Application — the form's 'TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT' checkboxes (Alteration, Remodel, Repair, Addition) and its 'PROPOSED USE' block (Single Family, Multi-Family with unit count, Garage attached/detached, Commercial, Restaurant, Motel with unit count, Other/Non-Residential specify) are where the use change is declared; there is no separate change-of-use form
  • Permit term (§ 150.20 amendments): all construction permits for new, remodels, additions and alterations are valid for a maximum period of 365 days, with one written-request extension of up to an additional 365 days; after that extension a further 180-day extension requires payment of one-half the permit fee, and permits not passing final inspection after 1,000 days expire and require a new permit and all associated fees

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee and Plan Review FeeQuoted from § 150.20's amendment of IBC Section 109.2 (Schedule of Permit Fees), read this pass. No adopted fee-schedule resolution is published on williamsaz.gov; the Building Department FAQ lists the fee categories (Permit Application Deposit, Building Plan Review Fee, Building Permit Fee, Plumbing Permit Fee, Electrical Permit Fee, Mechanical Permit Fee, Water and Sewer Connection Fees, Grading Permit Fee) and states 'Because fees are subject to change, actual amounts are not listed.' No change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy fee category appears in that list. On the planning side § 154.057 likewise provides only that 'A fee schedule for planning and zoning fees shall be adopted by Council resolution at a duly constituted meeting.' Recorded as a documented absence rather than an estimate.
Not published — 'Fee schedule as established by the City of Williams and passed by resolution of the City Council'
Application Submittal Deposit (non-refundable)The City's one published permit-fee figure, charged at intake. City of Williams Procedure to Obtain Building Permit (PDF), section 9. Once the application is accepted the applicant has 90 days to resolve all application and plan issues and pay for and pick up the permit, or the deposit is forfeited and a new application and deposit must be submitted (Building Department FAQ).
Residential Remodel $100.00; New Residential $500.00; Commercial $500.00
Permit Fee Refund (if the change of use is abandoned)§ 150.20's amendment of the IBC refund provision: the building official may authorize refunding not more than 80 percent of the permit fee paid if no work has been done under the permit, and not more than 80 percent of the plan review fee assuming no review has been performed; no refund may be authorized except on written application filed by the original permittee not later than 180 days after the date of fee payment.
Up to 80% of the permit fee, and up to 80% of the plan review fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy Permit permit actually take in Williams?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Alteration Inspections (if construction is performed)

    Rough-in and progress inspections on building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work performed to serve the new occupancy; the number of inspections varies with the complexity of the job (Building Department FAQ)

  2. 2

    Final / Certificate of Occupancy

    Completed work verified against the approved plans, closing with the building official's certificate of occupancy; a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy carries an expiration date after which, under § 150.20's added Section 111.3.1, the Building Official may request that utilities de-energize the building and the building may not be occupied

See the full Williams inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • There is no change-of-use form in Williams. The use change is declared on the standard Building Permit Application via the Type of Improvement checkboxes and the PROPOSED USE block (which distinguishes Single Family, Multi-Family, Commercial, Restaurant, Motel and Other/Non-Residential), and the plan set's cover sheet must state the occupancy and occupancy load.
  • The City adopts the 2024 International Existing Building Code specifically to govern change of occupancy in existing buildings — expect the work to be evaluated under IEBC compliance methods rather than as new construction.
  • Do not skip the plot plan. § 158.126(A) requires an approved plot plan alongside the building permit, and § 154.018 routes it through every reviewing city department, plus the Main Street Design Committee for Main Street and Historic Preservation District work.
  • Restaurant and motel conversions have an external gate: the City will not issue the permit until it receives Coconino County Health Department approval to construct (928-679-7120). Build that lead time into the schedule.
  • A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy in Williams has teeth — under the City's added Section 111.3.1, missing the TCO expiration date can result in the Building Official asking utilities to de-energize the building.
  • If the new use is not permitted outright in the district, Planning & Zoning will determine that a public hearing is required (variance, zoning change or conditional use permit) and route the file to the Planning & Zoning Commission — a separate, longer track than the building permit itself.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. The City adopts the 2024 International Building Code as its Building Code, and the certificate-of-occupancy article applies as adopted — a building's occupancy classification may not be changed until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy. The City also adopts the 2024 International Existing Building Code specifically to govern change of occupancy in existing buildings. There is no separate change-of-use form; the change is filed on the standard Building Permit Application.

The City does not publish permit fee amounts. Code of Ordinances § 150.20 amends IBC Section 109.2 to read 'Fee schedule as established by the City of Williams and passed by resolution of the City Council', no such resolution is posted, and the Building Department states that because fees are subject to change actual amounts are not listed. The one published figure is the non-refundable Application Submittal Deposit: $100.00 for a residential remodel and $500.00 for new residential or commercial.

Williams does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Williams Building Department at 928-635-4451 ext. 205 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Approved Plot Plan; Construction Plans. Depending on your project, Williams may also ask for: Coconino County Health Department approval to construct; Historic Preservation District - Approval to Permit; Planning & Zoning Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Williams requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of use / certificate of occupancy permit, in order: Alteration Inspections (if construction is performed), Final / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through City of Williams Building Department (928-635-4451 ext. 205).

Apply through City of Williams Building Department at 113 South 1st Street, Williams, AZ 86046-2549. Phone: 928-635-4451 ext. 205, email: tmartinez@williamsaz.gov. Office hours: Phone 928-635-4451, fax 928-635-4495. Chief Building Inspector / Building Official: Tim Martinez (928-295-5478, tmartinez@williamsaz.gov) handles building permit review and issuance; Building Official Raul Hatch (928-635-4451 / 928-295-5478, rhatch@williamsaz.gov) is listed as the signing official on the Fence and Demolition permit application forms — the department appears to operate with more than one Building Official-titled staff member across different permit forms as of 2025. Applications are submitted in person or by mail using the City's paper Building Permit Application (no online portal was found); permits are picked up and fees paid at the City Hall front desk. Two sets of construction documents/plans required for submittal.. Official information: https://www.williamsaz.gov/departments_and_services/building_department.

Williams, 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 City of Williams runs its own independent Building Department and adopts and administers its own construction codes; it does not defer building permitting to Coconino County. Source: City of Williams Building Department page (williamsaz.gov/departments_and_services/building_department); City of Williams Code of Ordinances Title 7, Chapter 7-1.; The City's currently codified adoption (Ordinance No. 956 / referenced in the code index as 'Ordinance No. 1007', adopted 10-27-2016, effective 1-1-2017) sets the 2015 editions of the International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), International Mechanical Code (IMC), International Plumbing Code (IPC), International Fire Code (IFC), International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), and International Existing Building Code (IEBC), plus the 2014 National Electrical Code (NEC), each with City of Williams amendments layered on by article (e.g., Art. 1.02 amends the IBC, Art. 1.12 amends the IRC, etc.). Source: City of Williams Ordinance No. 956 (PDF, 'Adopted Building Codes Ordinance and Amendments'), Title 7, Chapter 7-1.; IMPORTANT CODE-CYCLE UPDATE FOUND: a separate, more recent 'Building and Design Criteria Submittal Requirements' document published directly on the City's Building Department page lists the DESIGN CODES as the 2024 editions of the IBC, IRC, IMC, IPC, IFC, IFGC, IPMC, and IEBC, plus the 2023 NEC and the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines — this is a full code-cycle jump from the 2015/2014 cycle codified in Ordinance No. 956/1007. No corresponding new numbered ordinance repealing/replacing Ordinance No. 956 was found published in the American Legal Publishing code library or via Wayback Machine as of July 2026, but the City's own current-facing submittal-requirements document (undated but filename '2024 Design Criteria.pdf', hosted directly under the Building Department page alongside a 2024-cycle Solar Policy and 2025-dated fillable permit application forms) is the most current, most directly-published statement of which code edition the City is actually enforcing for new submittals as of this writing. Both the 2015-cycle codified ordinance and the 2024-cycle submittal-requirements sheet are cited throughout this record; where they conflict, the 2024 Design Criteria document is treated as controlling for current practice, with the codified Ordinance No. 956 amendments (administrative sections, fee/refund cross-references, permit expiration rules) still applicable since no repeal was found. Source: City of Williams 'Building and Design Criteria Submittal Requirements' (2024 Design Criteria.pdf); City of Williams Ordinance No. 956; Williams, AZ Code of Ordinances current through 2025 S-7 supplement (no Title 7 building-code ordinance number newer than 956/1007 appears in the codified index).; Chief Building Inspector / Building Official authority (Ordinance No. 956, Section 103.1 amendments to IBC/IRC/IMC/IPC/IEBC): the Department of Building Safety is created, headed by the Chief Building Inspector, and the terms 'Chief Building Inspector' and 'Building Official' are treated as one and the same throughout the adopted codes. Source: City of Williams Ordinance No. 956.; All buildings constructed or placed within city limits must meet the required Uniform Building Code (as locally adopted), except mobile homes and modular homes when specifically allowed by the Zoning Code. Source: Williams, AZ Code of Ordinances § 158.126 Building Permit and Plot Plan Required (Prior Code § 12-7.02; Ord. 747, passed 1995).; Building permit and plot-plan application procedure is governed by Code of Ordinances Chapter 154 (Development Procedures), § 154.018 Plot Plan and Building Permit: a plot plan and required fees are submitted to the City Planner; work within the Main Street District (including the Historic Preservation District) is forwarded to the Main Street Design Committee for review; each reviewing city department reviews plot plan applications on Monday and/or Tuesday of each week, ensuring staff review within six working days; the applicant then meets with the Chief Building Official, makes final changes, and submits four copies of the approved plot plan; a memorandum of agreement for public improvements (where applicable) must be signed before permit issuance; the applicant then submits a Building Permit Application and two sets of building plans to the Chief Building Official, which are reviewed by city staff or a referred architecture/engineering consultant, with the permit issued upon approval and fee payment. Source: Williams, AZ Code of Ordinances § 154.018 Plot Plan and Building Permit.; Commercial plans (new construction/alterations of 3,000 sq ft or more, major electrical/mechanical/plumbing improvements or replacements, housing of more than 4 units, or public improvements) must be sealed by a qualified Arizona-licensed architect and/or engineer per A.R.S. § 32-144; motels and restaurants additionally require a copy of approval-to-construct from the Coconino County Health Department (928-679-7120) before a City permit is issued. Source: City of Williams 'Procedure to Obtain Building Permit'.; Residential single-family detached structures are exempt from the Arizona Design Professional (architect/engineer stamp) requirement under A.R.S. § 32-121 et seq. unless circumstances dictate otherwise; duplexes/triplexes under 3,000 sq ft, two stories, or 20 total occupant load, with a single owner, may also be designed by a non-registrant. Sub-assemblies (roof trusses, manufactured floor beams) with imposed loading indicated may be submitted without a design-professional stamp. Retaining walls with unbalanced loading exceeding 4 feet must be designed by an Arizona-certified/registered design professional. Source: City of Williams Ordinance No. 956, IBC § 107.1 / IRC § R106.1.1 amendments.; Manufactured homes and mobile homes are permitted under Arizona's statewide Office of Manufactured Housing licensing/installation-permit structure (Arizona Department of Housing) for factory-built construction standards, layered with City of Williams local zoning/site/plot-plan compliance review — the City's own Zoning Code (§ 158.126) explicitly carves mobile homes and modular homes out of the standard Uniform Building Code requirement 'when specifically allowed by this chapter,' i.e., subject to zoning-specific provisions rather than the general IBC/IRC track. Source: Williams, AZ Code of Ordinances § 158.126; Arizona Department of Housing, Office of Manufactured Housing, Installation Permits page.. Local amendments apply — see the Williams overview page for the full list.

It is reviewed for it. The City's Procedure to Obtain Building Permit states that all building permits are subject to review by the Planning & Zoning Department for compliance with the Zoning and Development Procedure Ordinance, and that Planning & Zoning determines the need for a public hearing — public hearing issues include variances, zoning changes and conditional use permits. Code of Ordinances § 158.126 also requires an approved plot plan alongside the building permit.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-07.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Williams building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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