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Commercial / Industrial Building Permit in Pima, Arizona

Required for new commercial/industrial building construction and for additions, renovations, and alterations to existing commercial or industrial buildings within Town of Pima limits. The Town of Pima's own Planning & Zoning Department / Building Division issues and inspects this permit — NOT Graham County — confirmed by: (1) the Town's own Building & Sub-Contractors Information form, which lists 'Commercial/Industrial' as one of five permit categories (alongside Single-Family Residential, Multi-Family Residential, Garage, and Other) using the same building-inspector/Certificate-of-Occupancy process as residential work; (2) the Town's own live Schedule of Fees and Charges, which prices a distinct 'Commercial/ Industrial Permit' line at $0.75 per square foot; and (3) Town Code Article 7-1, which adopts the 2009 International Building Code as 'the Building Code of the Town of Pima' (the 2009 International Residential Code, Article 7-8, governs residential work instead) with no separate commercial administering body referenced anywhere in Chapter 7. There is no standalone Tenant Improvement permit type, application, or fee schedule: Town Code Section 7-1-3's building-permit-requirements list treats 'Renovations' as one general category (not split by occupancy type), the Town's iWorq Citizen Portal has no commercial-specific or tenant-improvement-specific application category (only 'Building / Addition / Remodel,' 'Solar, Electrical, and Gas Only,' and 'Sign / Fence'), and the Town's live fee schedule has only the single Commercial/Industrial Permit line with no separate TI figure — alterations to an existing commercial building are filed as a renovation under the same Commercial/Industrial category, billed at the identical $0.75/sq ft rate.

Verified 2026-08-01 · Source

When you need this permit

  • 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 (checked directly, 2026-08-01) 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 applied to other permit types in this file
  • 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

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Administrative FeeAdded to all permits except the Fence Permit. Town of Pima Schedule of Fees and Charges (New Fee Schedule.pdf, header 'Updated 07/01/2025'), Planning and Zoning table — independently re-confirmed 2026-08-01 by direct visual read of the live PDF.
$100.00
Commercial/Industrial PermitTown of Pima Schedule of Fees and Charges, Planning and Zoning table ('Commercial/ Industrial Permit .75 per Sq Ft') — independently re-confirmed 2026-08-01 by direct visual read of the live PDF. The $100.00 Administrative Fee is added on top of this amount. No separate percentage-based plan-review fee (unlike some larger Arizona jurisdictions) was found on this schedule.
$0.75 per square foot
Tenant Improvement (verified-negative — no distinct fee line item)Chased 2026-08-01 against the Town's live Schedule of Fees and Charges, which itemizes a single 'Commercial/ Industrial Permit' line with no separate 'Tenant Improvement,' 'TI,' or 'Alteration' line item, and against Town Code Section 7-1-3's building-permit-requirements list, which groups 'Renovations' as one general category rather than a commercial-specific one. A tenant-improvement/alteration project in an existing commercial building is billed at the same $0.75/sq ft Commercial/Industrial rate.
Not separately itemized; billed as Commercial/Industrial Permit, $0.75 per square foot
Re-inspection FeeTown of Pima Schedule of Fees and Charges, Planning and Zoning table.
$50.00 per failed inspection
Building Without an Approved Permit / Late FeeTown of Pima Schedule of Fees and Charges, Planning and Zoning table (printed 'Building with a permit / Late Fee'), reproduced alongside Town Code Section 7-1-2's separate, differently worded doubling provision; both derive from live Town sources and are not identical, consistent with how this same discrepancy is documented in this file's residential-building-permit entry.
Up to 5X permit fees (Fee Schedule); permit fee doubled if construction begins before the permit is approved and paid for (Town Code Section 7-1-2)
Certificate of Occupancy fee (verified-negative — no distinct fee line item)No Certificate of Occupancy fee line item was found on the Town's live Schedule of Fees and Charges, in Town Code Article 7-13 (Certificate of Occupancy Requirements), or on the iWorq portal's application description for this category, after an exhaustive chase on 2026-08-01. Confirm directly with the Building Division (928-322-4860, building@pimatown.az.gov) whether a fee applies.
Not separately itemized

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial / Industrial Building Permit permit actually take in Pima?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Site Plan Review

    Per Town Code Article 7-13 (Certificate of Occupancy Requirements): review of the property line and proper setbacks; one full set of plans is required and will be retained for documentation at Town Hall

  2. 2

    Rough Plumbing

    Must pass an air or water test before the trench may be covered

  3. 3

    Pre-Concrete

    All rebar, fiber bar, mesh, etc. must be in place before concrete pour

  4. 4

    Framing/Roofing

    Structural framing and roofing inspection; catwalk in attic for all appliances must be in place

  5. 5

    Electrical/Mechanical

    Must be completed before drywall installation

  6. 6

    Drywall

    Inspected for nail-off before tape and texture

  7. 7

    Final

    Must be move-in ready: GFCIs correctly located and operational, all flooring installed, smoke detectors operational, garage doors installed and operational, all appliances installed and operational, all receptacle cover plates installed

  8. 8

    Certificate of Occupancy

    Issued only once all inspections have been completed and passed; occupancy of any space before CO issuance is expressly prohibited. Applicants must call Town Hall during business hours with a minimum of 24-hour notice for each inspection.

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

Tips

  • The Town of Pima runs ONE building-permit process, application, and inspection track for both commercial and residential work — the only commercial-specific differentiators found anywhere in the Town's own documents are the $0.75/sq ft Commercial/Industrial fee-schedule line (vs. $0.50/sq ft residential) and the 6-inch minimum commercial sewer tap size (Article 7-12, Table 7-12-1, vs. 4-inch residential).
  • There is no standalone Tenant Improvement permit in the Town of Pima — checked directly against the live iWorq portal, the live Schedule of Fees and Charges, and Town Code Section 7-1-3 on 2026-08-01, all three confirm alterations to an existing commercial building are filed as a 'Renovation' under the same Commercial/Industrial category and billed at the same $0.75/sq ft rate as new commercial construction.
  • Per Town Code Section 7-1-2, a full set of plans must be emailed to building@pimatown.az.gov and will be kept on file at Town Hall for at least 3 years — this applies to commercial submittals the same as residential.
  • A Town of Pima Business License (Chapter 8, Article 8-1) is a separate annual requirement for operating any business in town, distinct from and in addition to the construction building permit — do not confuse the two when budgeting or scheduling a commercial project.
  • As with the residential-building-permit entry in this file, the Town's Fee Schedule ('up to 5X permit fees' for building without an approved permit) and Town Code Section 7-1-2 (permit fee doubled if construction starts before approval/payment) are two differently worded live provisions covering the same scenario — both are reproduced here rather than silently resolved.

Frequently asked questions

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 (checked directly, 2026-08-01) 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 applied to other permit types in this file; 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 was found 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 this review — 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. Checked directly against the Town's iWorq Citizen Portal, live Schedule of Fees and Charges, and Town Code Section 7-1-3 on 2026-08-01 — none of them distinguish 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.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-01.

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

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