Thatcher building permits

Building department

Address

3700 W. Main St., PO Box 670, Thatcher, AZ 85552

Phone

928-428-2290

Email

mpayne@thatcher.az.gov

Office hours

Monday - Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Town Hall 4/10 schedule, closed Fridays). Building Inspector: Mike Payne. All residential and commercial building, addition, remodel, outbuilding, pool, solar, electrical, gas, plumbing, sign, infrastructure, and underground-work permit applications are submitted online through the Town's iWorq Citizen Portal (thatcherpermitting.portal.iworq.net), which requires uploaded PDF plans and contractor licensing documentation; a Site Plan Review Checklist (2 copies, D-size 24"x36") must accompany building plans and the permit application to the Building Inspector.

Website

Official site

Permit portal

Apply online at Thatcher's portal

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Thatcher — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.

Codes adopted

Arizona has no statewide building code for non-state buildings; codes are adopted locally. According to the International Code Council, codes are adopted locally in Arizona and are predominantly the I-codes, with different cities and counties choosing their own editions and local amendments. The Arizona State Fire Code (adopting the 2018 IFC) applies only to state and county buildings, public and private schools, and non-residential occupancies in areas without a locally adopted fire code — it does not establish a statewide residential or commercial building code floor. Each city and county adopts its own code editions independently, resulting in different I-Code years and amendment sets across jurisdictions. There is no state-mandated minimum edition; enforcement is entirely local. Always confirm the adopted edition and any local amendments with the specific jurisdiction before submitting plans.

• Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (e.g., A.R.S. Show full textShow less

  Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (e.g., A.R.S. Title 9 for municipalities). The Town of Thatcher independently recognizes and administers its own construction codes through the Community Development/Engineering Department (Building Inspector), under Chapter 150 of the Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances. Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances, Chapter 150 (amlegal.com/codes/thatcheraz); Town of Thatcher Planning & Zoning page.

• International Building Code (IBC), 2015 Edition, as amended, adopted by reference (§ 150.01). Show full textShow less

  International Building Code (IBC), 2015 Edition, as amended, adopted by reference (§ 150.01). Local amendments: automatic fire sprinkler systems required for all new structures (or additions/alterations resulting in) total floor area exceeding 7,500 sq ft; maximum building height of 45 feet from grade to the highest point, or 30 feet from grade to the top of the highest outside wall; § 101.1 retitled 'Building Code of the Town of Thatcher'; § 110.3.7 (Energy Efficiency Inspections) deleted; Table 2304.10.1 amended to add a story-to-story tie fastening schedule item. Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.01 (Ord. 157-2009, Ord. 158-2009, Ord. 181-2017).

• International Plumbing Code (IPC), 2015 Edition, as amended, adopted by reference (§ 150.02). Amendments: § 101.1 retitled 'Plumbing Code of the Town of Thatcher'; § 903.1 amended to insert '12' (inches). Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.02 (Ord. 157-2009, Ord. 158-2009, Ord. 181-2017).
• National Electrical Code (NEC), 2014 Edition, published by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted by reference with no local amendments noted in the code text (§ 150.03). Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.03 (Ord. 157-2009, Ord. 158-2009, Ord. 181-2017).
• International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2015 Edition, as amended, adopted by reference (§ 150.04). Amendments: § 101.1 retitled 'Mechanical Code of the Town of Thatcher'; § 504.8.2 (clothes dryer exhaust ducts) amended to prohibit screws/fasteners extending into the duct. Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.04 (Ord. 157-2009, Ord. 158-2009, Ord. 181-2017).
• International Fire Code (IFC) and International Fire Code Standards, 2015 Edition, as amended, adopted by reference (§ 150.05), administered by the Building Official acting as Fire Marshal. Show full textShow less

  International Fire Code (IFC) and International Fire Code Standards, 2015 Edition, as amended, adopted by reference (§ 150.05), administered by the Building Official acting as Fire Marshal. Amendments: no new building permits for shake/wood shingle roofing except repair/replace of existing shake/shingle roofs or additions under 20% of existing floor area; violation-abatement lien procedure; § 101.1 amended to insert 'Town of Thatcher'. Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.05 (Ord. 157-2009, Ord. 158-2009, Ord. 181-2017).

• International Residential Code (IRC), 2015 Edition, as amended, adopted by reference (§ 150.06). Show full textShow less

  International Residential Code (IRC), 2015 Edition, as amended, adopted by reference (§ 150.06). Amendments: § R101.1 amended to insert 'Town of Thatcher'; § 303.4 (Mechanical Ventilation) deleted; § 309.5, § R313.1, § R313.2 (fire sprinklers) changed from 'shall' to 'may' (i.e., NOT mandatory in Thatcher, unlike many other AZ jurisdictions); Chapter 11 (Energy Efficiency) deleted; § P2603.5.1 (Sewer Depth) revised to a flat 12-inch minimum below grade regardless of freezing conditions; §§ 3902.16 and 3902.17 (Arc-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection) deleted. Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.06 (Ord. 157-2009, Ord. 158-2009, Ord. 181-2017).

• International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), 2015 Edition, as amended, adopted by reference (§ 150.07). Amendments: § 101.1 retitled 'Fuel Gas Code of the Town of Thatcher'; § 614.8.2 (clothes dryer exhaust ducts) amended identically to the IMC § 504.8.2 amendment. Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.07 (Ord. 157-2009, Ord. 158-2009, Ord. 181-2017).
• International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2015 Edition, adopted by reference with no amendments noted (§ 150.08). Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.08 (Ord. 157-2009, Ord. 158-2009, Ord. 181-2017).
• International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), 2009 Edition — explicitly RESCINDED by the Town ('is hereby rescinded, as it is no longer needed') (§ 150.09), consistent with the Town's deletion of IRC Chapter 11 (Energy… Show full textShow less

  International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), 2009 Edition — explicitly RESCINDED by the Town ('is hereby rescinded, as it is no longer needed') (§ 150.09), consistent with the Town's deletion of IRC Chapter 11 (Energy Efficiency) and IBC § 110.3.7 (Energy Efficiency Inspections). Thatcher does not appear to enforce a distinct energy code beyond whatever baseline requirements remain embedded in the adopted 2015 IRC/IBC after those chapter deletions. Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.09 (Ord. 157-2009, Ord. 158-2009, Ord. 181-2017).

• International Property Maintenance Code, 2015 Edition, as amended, adopted by reference (§ 150.10) — the only Chapter 150 code section carved out of the Class 1 misdemeanor penalty provision in § 150.99(B). Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.10 (Ord. 167-2011, Ord. 181-2017).
• International Private Sewage Disposal Code, 2009 Edition — explicitly RESCINDED ('is hereby rescinded, as it is no longer needed') (§ 150.11). Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.11 (Ord. 133-2005, Ord. 181-2017).
• International Urban-Wildland Interface Code, 2009 Edition (ICC/IAPMO) — explicitly RESCINDED ('is hereby rescinded, as it is no longer needed') (§ 150.12). Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.12 (Ord. 133-2005, Ord. 181-2017).
• ICC A117.1-equivalent accessibility standards are incorporated via § 150.13 (effective June 1, 2005, per A.R.S. Show full textShow less

  ICC A117.1-equivalent accessibility standards are incorporated via § 150.13 (effective June 1, 2005, per A.R.S. § 41-1492.03): standards/specifications applicable to public entities and to public accommodations/commercial facilities under Arizona's disability-access statute are incorporated into any building code adopted by the Town, applying to new construction and post-effective-date alterations. Source: Town of Thatcher Code of Ordinances § 150.13 (Ord. 133-2005).

• Swimming Pool Safety Code, A.R.S. § 36-1681 (Arizona state statute governing residential swimming pool enclosures/barriers), cross-referenced directly by the Town's Zoning Ordinance § 13.10 rather than a separate local… Show full textShow less

  Swimming Pool Safety Code, A.R.S. § 36-1681 (Arizona state statute governing residential swimming pool enclosures/barriers), cross-referenced directly by the Town's Zoning Ordinance § 13.10 rather than a separate local pool-barrier ordinance; where a conflict exists, the Zoning Ordinance states the state statute controls. Source: Town of Thatcher Zoning Ordinance (June 2013, as amended through Ord. 195-2024), Section 13.10.

• Manufactured homes, mobile homes, and Recreational Vehicles (RVs) are explicitly barred from use as an accessory building/accessory dwelling unit in any zoning district (Zoning Ordinance § 13.8.B.11); ADUs must be affixed to a permanent foundation and meet all applicable residential building codes — mobile homes and RVs are not acceptable as ADUs (§ 13.8.A.2). Source: Town of Thatcher Zoning Ordinance, Section 13.8.

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (New Construction)

  Required for new single-family dwelling construction within Thatcher town limits. Reviewed against the 2015 IRC and 2015 IBC (for any non-residential portions) as adopted and amended by the Town of Thatcher. Applications are submitted online via the Town's iWorq Citizen Portal, with plans and a Site Plan Review Checklist uploaded as PDFs.

  See fee schedule→

• Residential Addition / Remodel Permit

  Required for room additions, remodels, and outbuildings to existing one- and two-family dwellings in Thatcher, generally allowed but may require a building permit. Reviewed against the 2015 IRC and Zoning Ordinance Section 13.8 (Accessory Buildings and Uses) as amended by the Town.

  See fee schedule→

• Electrical Permit

  Required for electrical installation, alteration, or repair work in Thatcher, governed by the 2014 National Electrical Code as adopted by the Town with no local amendments noted. Applications submitted via the same iWorq Citizen Portal used for solar, gas, and plumbing permits.

  See fee schedule→

• Plumbing Permit

  Required for plumbing installation, alteration, or repair work in Thatcher, governed by the 2015 International Plumbing Code as adopted and amended by the Town, including a Town-specific sewer-depth amendment.

  See fee schedule→

• Mechanical / HVAC Permit

  Required for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning installations in Thatcher, governed by the 2015 International Mechanical Code as adopted and amended by the Town.

  See fee schedule→

• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit

  Newly authorized town-wide by Ordinance No. 195-2024 (passed April 2024), allowing attached and/or detached accessory dwelling units on single-family residential lots in Thatcher, subject to size, setback, height, and foundation requirements under Zoning Ordinance Section 13.8.A.

  See fee schedule→

• Fence / Wall Permit (Zoning Clearance, No Building Permit Required)

  Fences and walls in Thatcher are governed entirely by Zoning Ordinance Section 13.9 and do NOT require a building permit town-wide, though the Town strongly recommends a Planning & Zoning materials/location check before construction.

  $0→

• Portable Carport Zoning Clearance (No Building Permit Required)

  Portable carports in Thatcher require Site Plan Review but explicitly do NOT require a building permit under the adopted IBC, per Zoning Ordinance Section 13.8.D.

  See fee schedule→

• Residential/Commercial Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

  Required for installation of a rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system within Thatcher town limits. The Town's own iWorq Citizen Portal application flow explicitly names 'Solar' as one of its listed permit categories, alongside Electrical, Gas, and Plumbing (thatcherpermitting.portal.iworq.net/THATCHER/new-permit/600/4632) — confirming solar is a genuine, distinct application category rather than folded silently into the general electrical permit. However, consistent with every other permit type in this record, Thatcher has NO fixed, published dollar-figure fee for solar — Code of Ordinances § 150.98 states all fees are set by separate Town Council resolution, and no such resolution document was located online as of the last verification. Arizona statute A.R.S. § 9-468 independently caps whatever fee is actually charged at the Town's actual cost of issuing the permit.

  See fee schedule→

• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station Permit

  The Town of Thatcher has no distinct EV charger / EVSE permit type, application, or published fee. An EV charging station installation (new circuit, subpanel, or dedicated 240V branch circuit for a Level 2 charger) is permitted as standard electrical work under the Town's 2014 NEC adoption (Code of Ordinances Sec. 150.03), applied for through the same combined iWorq Citizen Portal 'Solar, Electrical, Gas or Plumbing permit' application used for all trade permits. Per Code of Ordinances Sec. 150.98, permit fees are set by Town Council resolution rather than published as a fixed schedule in the code text — the same fee gap documented for Thatcher's general electrical-permit entry. No numeric electrical/building permit fee table appears in the Town's Document Center, on the Finance Department page, in the Agendas/Meeting archive, or in the amlegal.com code library, and no archived version of a Thatcher fee schedule exists either.

  See fee schedule→

• Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Tenant Improvement)

  Required for new commercial construction and for remodels/tenant improvements of existing commercial space within Thatcher town limits. Thatcher administers commercial building permitting itself through its own Community Development/Engineering Department (Building Inspector, vested as Building Official under Code of Ordinances § 150.15) — it does NOT route commercial building safety or plan review to Graham County or a third-party contractor. There is no separate commercial application: the Town's iWorq Citizen Portal offers exactly five application categories, and its single 'Building, Addition, Remodel, Outbuilding, and Pool Permit Application' is described by the Town as covering 'a residential or commercial building, addition, remodel, outbuilding, or pool permit.' New commercial work is reviewed under the 2015 IBC as amended by the Town; alterations/tenant improvements to existing buildings fall under the 2015 International Existing Building Code, adopted with no local amendments (§ 150.08).

  See fee schedule→

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