Commercial / Industrial Building Permit in Pima, Arizona

Pima requires a commercial / industrial building permit for: Building permit required for new commercial/industrial building construction and for additions, renovations, and alterations to existing commercial/industrial buildings within Town of Pima limits (Town Code Section 7-1-3, which lists 'New buildings,' 'Additions,' and 'Renovations (garage conversions, basement conversions, reroofing, etc.)' among the permit-requiring work types, without a separate commercial-specific entry); Reviewed against the 2009 International Building Code (Town Code Article 7-1, Section 7-1-1: 'That certain code entitled International Building Code, 2009 edition is hereby adopted as the Building Code of the Town of Pima') — distinct from the 2009 International Residential Code (Article 7-8) used for the Town's residential permit type; Application submitted via the same Town of Pima iWorq Citizen Portal 'Building / Addition / Remodel' application category used for residential building/addition/remodel work — the portal has no separate commercial-specific or tenant-improvement-specific application category; A completed Building & Sub-Contractors Information form is required, with the 'Commercial/Industrial' box checked (one of five checkboxes on the form: Single-Family Residential, Multi-Family Residential, Commercial/Industrial, Garage, Other), listing the owner and all trade contractors/subcontractors (General, Excavating, Concrete, Mason, Framing, Drywall, Painting, HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Roofing) with name, address, phone, and business-license/bond status; Per Town Code Section 7-1-2: a full set of plans must be emailed to building@pimatown.az.gov for review by the building inspector and will be filed at Town Hall for a period of no less than 3 years; plans and the building must conform to the Town's Zoning Ordinance before a building permit is issued or a building inspection performed; A Plot and Drainage Plan (Exhibit A) is required, consistent with the Town's general building-permit submittal requirements for its other permit types; Commercial lot sewer taps must be a minimum 6 inches, versus 4 inches for a residential lot (Town Code Article 7-12, Table 7-12-1 'Minimum Sewer Tap Sizes': Residential Lot 4 in., Commercial Lot 6 in., Multi-family Lot 6 in.) — one of the only provisions in Chapter 7 that explicitly differentiates a commercial requirement from residential; Construction must commence within 6 months and be completed within 1 year of the application date, per the Building & Sub-Contractors Information form (same terms stated for every permit category on the form, including Commercial/Industrial); Occupancy of any space is prohibited until a Certificate of Occupancy is obtained from the Town's building inspector, issued only once all Article 7-13 inspections have been completed and passed; A separate Town of Pima Business License (Town Code Chapter 8, Article 8-1, Section 8-1-1) is required to engage in any trade, calling, profession, occupation, or business within the Town — this is a distinct annual licensing requirement from the building/construction permit itself, not a substitute for it. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Pima Planning & Zoning Department — Building Division at 928-485-2611 before starting work.

Per the Town's own live Schedule of Fees and Charges: $0.75 per square foot for the Commercial/Industrial Permit, plus the Town's flat $100.00 Administrative Fee added to nearly all permit types. A failed inspection costs $50.00 to re-inspect. No separate percentage-based plan review fee or distinct Certificate of Occupancy fee is published for this permit type.

Pima does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Pima Planning & Zoning Department — Building Division at 928-485-2611 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building/Addition/Remodel Permit Application; Building & Sub-Contractors Information Form; Plot Plan (Exhibit A). Depending on your project, Pima may also ask for: Business License Application; Power of Attorney. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through Town of Pima Planning & Zoning Department — Building Division at 110 W. Center St. / PO Box 426, Pima, AZ 85543. Phone: 928-485-2611, email: building@pimatown.az.gov. Office hours: Planning & Zoning Administrator: Joe Carpenter, 928-322-4860, building@pimatown.az.gov. The Planning & Zoning Board meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM. Building, Addition/Remodel, and Solar/Electrical/Gas/Cell-Tower permit applications (plans required as uploads) plus Sign/Fence permits are submitted through the Town's online iWorq Citizen Portal (pimaaz23.portal.iworq.net/portalhome/pimaaz23); a paper Mobile/Manufactured Home Installation Permit application and a Building & Sub-Contractors Information form are also available directly from the Town.. Official information: https://www.pimatown.az.gov/departments/planning_and_zoning.php.

The 2009 International Building Code, adopted by Town Code Article 7-1, Section 7-1-1, as 'the Building Code of the Town of Pima.' Residential (single-family/duplex) work is instead reviewed against the 2009 International Residential Code, Article 7-8. As with the rest of Chapter 7, the Town's Planning & Zoning Commission recommended a newer, unspecified code edition on July 21, 2026 (Ordinance 2026-05), which the Town Council had not yet voted on as of July 2026 — recheck before relying on the 2009 edition for a project spanning late 2026 or beyond.

The Town of Pima's own Planning & Zoning Department / Building Division issues and inspects commercial/industrial building permits, the same as it does for residential permits — it is not administered by Graham County. This is confirmed by the Town's own Building & Sub-Contractors Information form, which lists 'Commercial/Industrial' as one of its permit categories under the same building-inspector process, and by the Town's live fee schedule, which prices a Commercial/Industrial Permit distinctly from (but through the same process as) the Residential Building Permit.

No. Neither the Town's iWorq Citizen Portal, the live Schedule of Fees and Charges, nor Town Code Section 7-1-3 distinguishes tenant improvement/alteration work from new commercial construction. A TI project in an existing commercial building is filed as a 'Renovation' under the same Commercial/Industrial permit category on the iWorq portal and billed at the same $0.75 per square foot rate, plus the Town's usual $100.00 Administrative Fee.