Commercial Building Permit in Safford, Arizona

Safford requires a commercial building permit for: Building permit required for new commercial construction and for commercial alterations/interior work, checked as 'Commercial' plus 'New' or 'Alteration' (as applicable) on the Building Permit Application, with Building/Mechanical/Plumbing/Electrical trade boxes checked as needed; Plans reviewed against the 2015 IBC as recognized by the City of Safford, plus the City's Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria (115 mph wind, Exposure C; Seismic Design Category C; 32°F winter design temperature); Accessibility reviewed against the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, as cross-referenced on the City's Building/Development Permits & Codes page — Safford has not separately adopted ICC A117.1; Tax Parcel Number and valuation of work required on the Building Permit Application; New commercial site development (grading, parking, landscaping, drainage) requires a separate Site Development Permit ($25 application fee) BEFORE or alongside the Building Permit — the Site Development Permit application states explicitly: 'This permit does not grant allowance of vertical construction or vertical construction prep work of any kind. Building plans must be approved before commencement of work,' confirming it is a distinct prerequisite step, not a substitute for the Building Permit. Interior-only alteration/tenant-improvement work that does not change the site generally would not trigger this separate permit; A new or upsized water or sewer meter connection for a new commercial building is billed a separate, meter-size-based Water/Wastewater Capacity Fee under Resolution No. 14-017; An inspection must occur at least once every 180 days from permit issuance to keep the permit active; A denied permit may be appealed to the City of Safford Board of Adjustments under Section 17.88.030 of the Municipal Code. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Safford Planning & Community Development Department — Building Division at 928-432-4140 before starting work.

In Safford, the published Commercial Building Permit Fee — Based on Total Valuation is: $15 (valuation $1-$500); $15 + $2 per additional $100 to $2,000; $45 + $9 per additional $1,000 to $25,000; $252 + $6.50 per additional $1,000 to $50,000; $414.50 + $4.50 per additional $1,000 to $100,000; $639.50 + $3.50 per additional $1,000 to $500,000; $2,039.50 + $3 per additional $1,000 to $1,000,000; $3,539.50 + $2 per additional $1,000 above $1,000,000. Additional published fees: Per-Utility/Trade Add-On (Mechanical, Electrical, Sewer, Plumbing) — +$5.00 per utility/trade; Site Development Permit Fee — $25.00 flat application fee; Water Utility Capacity Fee (new/upsized meter connection) — $3,822 (5/8"-3/4" meter); $6,383 (1"-1.25"); $12,728 (1.5"); $20,373 (2.0"); $40,784 (3.0"); $63,718 (4.0"); Wastewater Utility Capacity Fee (new/upsized meter connection) — $2,183 (5/8"-3/4" meter); $3,646 (1"-1.25"); $7,271 (1.5"); $11,638 (2.0"); $23,299 (3.0"); $36,401 (4.0") — plus an additional East Valley Service Area layer of $713-$11,886 by the same meter sizes for parcels in that service area. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per the City's own Building Permit Application, review 'may take up to two to four weeks' (approximately 10-20 business days) — the same single published review-timeframe figure the City applies to Residential and Commercial applications on the same form, and echoed verbatim in the companion Site Development Permit Application.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Residential or Commercial); Site Development Plan Submittal Set (10 copies); Building Drawings; Landscape Plan. Depending on your project, Safford may also ask for: Site Development Permit Application; Geotechnical Engineering Report (3 copies); Site Drainage Report (3 copies). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Safford requires 5 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit, in order: Foundation, Concrete Slab or Under-Floor, Frame / Rough-In (Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing), Fire/Life-Safety, Final / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through City of Safford Planning & Community Development Department — Building Division (928-432-4140).

Apply through City of Safford Planning & Community Development Department — Building Division at 808 S. 8th Avenue, PO Box 272, Safford, AZ 85546. Phone: 928-432-4140, email: jholguin@saffordaz.gov. Office hours: Monday - Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; closed Fridays (City Hall 4/10 schedule). Building Permit Applications (Residential or Commercial) are submitted in person or by mail to the Planning & Community Development Department; a complete set of adopted building code books is available to view in the Building Inspector's office by appointment (call 928-432-4140 to schedule).. Official information: https://www.cityofsafford.us/148/Building-Development-Permits-Codes.

No. Tenant-improvement and other interior-alteration work to an existing commercial building is filed as 'Commercial' + 'Alteration' on the same unified Building Permit Application used for new commercial construction, and is priced from the identical Total-Valuation Building Permit Fee Schedule. Neither the City's Building Permit Application (rev. 06/17/2021) nor its Building Permit Fee Schedule contains a distinct tenant-improvement checkbox, section, or fee line.

Yes, for new site development. A $25.00 Site Development Permit (submitted with 10 copies of a detailed site plan covering grading, drainage, parking, landscaping, lighting, and signage per Zoning Ordinance §17.76.030 and related sections) is required before vertical construction begins, separate from and in addition to the Building Permit itself.