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Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit in Unincorporated Gila County, Arizona

Required when the occupancy of an existing building or structure changes in unincorporated Gila County. The County's own Building Code Handbook republishes the adopted code's permit trigger, which names 'change the occupancy of a building or structure' explicitly. The technical requirements come from the 2012 International Existing Building Code, adopted with only three administrative amendments. Gila County publishes no dedicated change-of-use fee line or application form.

Reviewed 2026-08-15 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Gila County Building Code Handbook (January 6, 2023), page 8, 'PERMITS REQUIRED: (R105.1)': 'Any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by the 2012 IRC, or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit.'
  • Gila County Building Code Ordinance No. 2017-02, Section 104(C), adopts the International Existing Building Code, 2012 edition, with only three amendments — Section 101.1 Title (jurisdiction name), deletion of Section 112 Board of Appeals, and Section 1401.2 Applicability (date inserted as 'October 1, 1986'). The IEBC's change-of-occupancy provisions are otherwise adopted unamended.
  • Zoning check: Gila County Zoning Ordinance Section 103.3.4 ('CHANGE OF USE') provides that a nonconforming business use 'may not be changed to another business use unless the use is in conformance with the zoning district in which same is located' — a change of use cannot be used to carry a nonconformity forward
  • Related zoning trap: Section 103.3.2 treats a consecutive 540-day (approximately 18 month) discontinuance of a nonconforming business use as expiration of its nonconforming status, after which any further use must conform to the district
  • Application for construction permits must be made in person at the Globe or Payson Building Safety office; applications and plans cannot be accepted by fax or mail
  • Where the property lies in the Hellsgate, Pine/Strawberry or Tri-City Fire District, fire department approval is required as part of the building permit application

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Change of occupancy — building permit feeThe Gila County Community Development Fee Schedule (rev. 12-2019) contains NO change-of-use or change-of-occupancy line item. Table 1-A (page 5, read from a 170 dpi rendered image) runs: $1.00-$500.00 = $23.50; $501.00-$2,000.00 = $23.50 for the first $500.00 plus $3.05 for each additional $100.00; $2,001.00-$25,000.00 = $69.25 for the first $2,000.00 plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000.00; $25,001.00-$50,000.00 = $391.75 for the first $25,000.00 plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000.00; $50,001.00-$100,000.00 = $643.75 for the first $50,000.00 plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000.00; $100,001.00-$500,000.00 = $993.75 for the first $100,000.00 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000.00; $500,001.00-$1,000,000.00 = $3,233.75 for the first $500,000.00 plus $4.75 for each additional $1,000.00; $1,000,001.00 and up = $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000.00 plus $3.65 for each additional $1,000.00.
Valuation-based: Building Valuation Data plus Table 1-A, with a plan review fee of 65% of the building permit fee charged in addition
Unzoned-area flat alternative (where the property qualifies)Gila County Community Development Fee Schedule, page 11, 'PERMIT FEES FOR UNZONED AREAS OF GILA COUNTY' — read from a 170 dpi rendered image. The page's own footnote explains that fewer regulations apply in unzoned areas, less review time and fewer inspections are required, and these flat fees include plan review and the cost of the building permit; complete plan review and inspections to full Building Code requirements are available on request at the zoned-area fee schedule instead.
$250.00 Commercial Modifications/Additions; $250.00 Other Commercial Structures; $175.00 Residential Modifications/Additions; $175.00 Other Residential Structures
Additional plan review required by changes, additions or revisions to approved plansGila County Community Development Fee Schedule, Table 1-A page 5, 'Other Inspections and Fees' item 4 — read from a 170 dpi render. The schedule's footnote adds 'Or the total hourly cost to the jurisdiction, whichever is the greatest,' including supervision, overhead, equipment, hourly wages and fringe benefits.
$50.00 per hour

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Gila County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Plan review / code compliance evaluation

    The proposed new occupancy is evaluated against the adopted 2012 International Existing Building Code before permit issuance

  2. 2

    Final

    Building inspections are performed by County staff; call the Globe or Payson office to schedule

See the full Unincorporated Gila County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • The permit trigger is stated in Gila County's own Building Code Handbook, not just in a code book — page 8 names 'change the occupancy of a building or structure' as work requiring an application to the building official.
  • Gila County adopted the 2012 IEBC essentially unamended (only a jurisdiction-name change, deletion of the Board of Appeals section, and an applicability date of October 1, 1986), so the IEBC's standard change-of-occupancy compliance methods govern.
  • A change of use will NOT rescue a nonconforming business use. Zoning Ordinance Section 103.3.4 bars changing a nonconforming business use to another business use unless the new use conforms to the zoning district — and Section 103.3.2 treats an 18-month discontinuance as ending nonconforming status entirely.
  • If the property is in an UNZONED area of the county, a flat-fee alternative may apply ($250 for commercial modifications/additions, $175 residential) instead of the valuation formula, with less review time and fewer inspections — but you can request full Building Code review at the zoned-area fees instead.
  • Gila County adopts no fire code; if the property is in the Hellsgate, Pine/Strawberry or Tri-City Fire District, the district's approval is a separate, required step and the district — not the County — is the fire authority for the new occupancy.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. The County's Building Code Handbook (January 6, 2023), page 8, republishes the adopted code's permit trigger: anyone intending to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure must first apply to the building official and obtain the required permit. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/Docs/docs/BUILDING%20CODE%20HANDBOOK%20%201-6-2023-1.pdf

There is no dedicated change-of-use fee. It is billed as an ordinary building permit from the Building Valuation Data plus Table 1-A, with a plan review fee of 65% of the building permit fee charged in addition. Properties in unzoned areas of the county may instead qualify for a flat fee of $250.00 for commercial modifications or additions, or $175.00 residential. Source: https://cms3.revize.com/revize/gilacounty/government/community_development/Docs/Docs/FEESCHEDULE%2012-2019.pdf

Unincorporated Gila County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Gila County Community Development Division — Building Safety at Globe: 928-402-4224 (press option for permitting); Payson: 928-474-7110 (press option for permitting) for current turnaround.

You'll need: In-person permit application; Two sets of plans and two copies of the site plan. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Gila County may also ask for: Fire District approval. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Gila County requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of use / change of occupancy permit, in order: Plan review / code compliance evaluation, Final. Schedule each through Gila County Community Development Division — Building Safety (Globe: 928-402-4224 (press option for permitting); Payson: 928-474-7110 (press option for permitting)).

Apply through Gila County Community Development Division — Building Safety at Globe Office: 745 N. Rose Mofford Way, Globe, AZ 85501; Payson Office: 608 E. Hwy 260, Payson, AZ 85541. Phone: Globe: 928-402-4224 (press option for permitting); Payson: 928-474-7110 (press option for permitting), email: Contact via Globe or Payson office phone lines listed above; the county's Building Safety page lists an obfuscated contact-form email rather than a plain address. Office hours: County offices generally Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm (per county-wide footer hours at gilacountyaz.gov). Building applications must be made IN PERSON at either the Globe or Payson Building Safety office — applications and plans cannot be accepted by fax or mail. Plan review payments accepted by credit/debit card by phone (3% service fee added), cash, or check payable to Gila County. Chief Building Official: Randy Pluimer.. Official information: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/index.php.

Unincorporated Gila County, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code for general construction — code adoption is a per-jurisdiction (city/town/county) authority under state enabling statutes (A.R.S. § 11-861 for county adoption by reference). Gila County's Community Development Division / Building Safety Department independently adopts and administers construction codes for all unincorporated areas of the county; incorporated cities and towns within Gila County (Globe, Payson, Winkelman, Miami, Hayden, Star Valley) adopt and enforce their own codes separately and are not covered by this county program. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/index.php; Building Code of the County of Gila, effective October 2, 2014, adopted by the Gila County Board of Supervisors via Building Code Ordinance No. 2017-02 ('Building Ordinance for Unincorporated Areas in Gila County'), which superseded the prior Building Code Ordinance effective July 28, 2011. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/adopted_building_code.php and ordinance PDF at https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/Docs/Docs/Building%20Ordinance%20for%20Unincorporated%20Areas%20in%20Gila%20County%20-%20Ordinance%20No.%202017-02%20-%20Approved.pdf; 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, adopted by reference with Gila County amendments (per Building Code Ordinance No. 2017-02). Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/adopted_building_code.php; 2012 International Building Code (IBC), adopted by reference with Gila County amendments. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/adopted_building_code.php; 2012 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted by reference with Gila County amendments. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/adopted_building_code.php; 2012 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted by reference with Gila County amendments. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/adopted_building_code.php; 2012 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted by reference with Gila County amendments. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/adopted_building_code.php; 2012 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted by reference with Gila County amendments. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/adopted_building_code.php; 2012 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa & Hot Tub Code, adopted by reference with Gila County amendments. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/adopted_building_code.php; 2011 National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted by reference with Gila County amendments. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/adopted_building_code.php; ICC A117.1-2009 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities (ADA accessibility standard), adopted by reference. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/adopted_building_code.php; Manufactured homes and factory-built buildings: installed per the latest Arizona Office of Manufactured Housing (Arizona Department of Housing Manufactured Housing Division) publication standards; Gila County holds a direct contract with the state to perform manufactured-home and factory-built-building permitting/inspection in the unincorporated county. Only HUD-approved manufactured homes have been permitted in unincorporated Gila County since March 22, 2007. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/building_safety/manufactured_home_permits.php. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Gila County overview page for the full list.

The 2012 International Existing Building Code, adopted by Building Code Ordinance No. 2017-02, Section 104(C), with only three amendments: the jurisdiction name in Section 101.1, deletion of Section 112 Board of Appeals, and an applicability date of October 1, 1986 in Section 1401.2. Source: https://www.gilacountyaz.gov/government/community_development/Docs/Docs/Building%20Ordinance%20for%20Unincorporated%20Areas%20in%20Gila%20County%20-%20Ordinance%20No.%202017-02%20-%20Approved.pdf

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-15.

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 Unincorporated Gila County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Other permits in Unincorporated Gila County

Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Remodel, Accessory Structure)Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Tenant Improvement, Remodel)Electrical PermitPlumbing PermitMechanical / HVAC PermitPool / Spa / Hot Tub PermitManufactured Home / Factory Built Building PermitSolar PV PermitEV Charger / EVSE PermitSign Permit

Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit in other cities

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