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This is PermitBase’s published record for Clifton as of 2026-07-20. It has since been superseded — see the current record. A historical record reflects what PermitBase had verified at that time; it may not capture a real-world change the jurisdiction had made but PermitBase had not yet verified, and it includes any errors we later corrected. Snapshots are never edited retroactively.

Clifton building permits

Verified

Clifton, Arizona — as published 2026-07-20.

Verified 2026-07-07 · Source

Codes adopted

Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (A.R.S. Title 9 for municipalities). The Town of Clifton is the county seat of Greenlee County and is a fully independent incorporated town that runs its own building-permit program directly out of Town Hall (Code Enforcement/Building Department, with a Building Official function and a Planning and Zoning Administrator) rather than deferring to Greenlee County. Greenlee County's own Planning and Zoning Department states its jurisdiction covers 'unincorporated areas of the County' only, and its Permit Application lists only Duncan and unincorporated county addresses as within its purview — Clifton, as an incorporated town, is expressly outside county permitting jurisdiction. Confirmed by the Town's own Code Enforcement/Building page, Town of Clifton Code of Ordinances Title XV, Chapter 151 (Building Provisions), its Building Permit Application and Residential Permit Checklist forms, and the Greenlee County Planning and Zoning page. Source: Town of Clifton Code Enforcement/Building page (cliftonaz.com/code-enforcement/building); Clifton, Arizona Code of Ordinances, Chapter 151 (codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/clifton); Greenlee County Planning and Zoning page (greenlee.az.gov/ova_dep/planning-and-zoning/).International Building Code, 2009 Edition, together with all appendices, published by the International Code Council, Inc., adopted by reference as the Building Code of the Town (Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.01, enacted by Ord. 04-2010, passed 7-8-2010). The Town's own Residential Permit Checklist independently confirms: 'The Town of Clifton is currently using the 2009 ICB [IBC] Codes' — no later code-update ordinance was found published superseding this 2009 adoption, so Clifton (like sibling Greenlee County town Duncan) runs on an older ICC cycle than larger Arizona cities. Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.01; Town of Clifton Building Permit Residential Checklist.International Residential Code, 2009 Edition, adopted by reference as the Residential Code of the Town, governing all R-3 occupancies (Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.09, Ord. 04-2010, passed 7-8-2010). Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.09.International Plumbing Code, 2009 Edition, adopted by reference as the Plumbing Code of the Town (Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.05, Ord. 04-2010, passed 7-8-2010). Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.05.International Mechanical Code, 2009 Edition, adopted by reference as the Mechanical Code of the Town, governing heating, ventilating, cooling, refrigeration systems, incinerators, and other heat-producing appliances (Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.07, Ord. 04-2010, passed 7-8-2010). Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.07.International Existing Building Code, 2009 Edition, adopted by reference governing repair, alteration, change of occupancy, addition, and relocation of existing buildings including historic buildings (Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.10, Ord. 04-2010, passed 7-8-2010). Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.10.Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, 1997 Edition, published by the International Conference of Building Officials, adopted by reference for regulating buildings or structures that endanger life, health, or safety (Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.08, Ord. 04-2010, passed 7-8-2010). Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.08.Arizonans with Disabilities Act (A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 9, Article 3, and implementing rules), together with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq.) accessibility guidelines, adopted by reference (Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.06, Ord. 04-2010, passed 7-8-2010). Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.06.The Building Official/administrative authority for all matters pertaining to building, plumbing, electrical, or any other inspections under Chapter 151 is vested in the office of the Building Inspector, or such other person as the Town Manager may appoint (Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.04, carried from 1990 Code § 7-7). Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.04.Uniform Technical Standards for public-works construction are separately adopted (§ 151.11, Ord. 01-2019, passed 2-14-2018): the Maricopa Association of Governments Uniform Standard Specifications and Details for Public Works Construction (2018 Revision to the 2015 Edition); the Arizona Department of Water Resources Flood Mitigation Section State Standard for Stormwater Detention/Retention; the Pima County Wastewater Reclamation Engineering Design Standards (2016 Edition); the Pima County Wastewater Reclamation Standard Specifications and Details for Construction (2016 Edition); and the Tucson Water Standard Specifications and Details (2017 Edition). The Town Engineer may approve deviations that meet or exceed these standards. Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.11.Zoning Code (Chapter 156) is adopted by reference; the Town's Planning and Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map are published separately as downloadable PDFs rather than fully reproduced in the amlegal-hosted Code of Ordinances (§ 156.01 directs the public to contact the Town Clerk to view a copy). Whenever a building permit is issued, the building must conform to the Zoning Ordinance in addition to Chapter 151 (§ 151.02). Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances §§ 151.02, 156.01; Town of Clifton Planning and Zoning Ordinance and Map (cliftonaz.com/code-enforcement/building downloads).Flood Damage Prevention (Chapter 154, most recently amended by Ord. 02-2019, passed 3-14-2019, building on Ord. 01-2007, passed 9-13-2007) establishes a Floodplain Administrator (the Town Manager or designee) and requires a Development Permit before construction or development begins within any special flood hazard area. Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances §§ 154.035, 154.037.Historic Preservation (Chapter 152, Ord. 01-96, passed 3-14-1996) establishes a Historic Preservation Commission and requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before any exterior alteration, demolition, new construction, or moving of a landmark or property within a designated Historic District (including the Historic Chase Creek district) — required in addition to, not in lieu of, any building permit. Source: Clifton Code of Ordinances §§ 152.04-152.08.

Permit types & fees

Building Permit / Certificate of Occupancy

Verified

The Town of Clifton's general-purpose building permit, required for construction, alteration, repair, moving, or occupancy-change of a structure within Town limits. Reviewed against the 2009 International Building Code, International Residential Code (R-3 occupancies), and related 2009-edition ICC codes (Chapter 151) by the Building Official function housed in the Code Enforcement/Building Department, with sequential sign-offs from the Planning and Zoning Administrator, Flood Plain Administrator (if applicable), Town Manager (if in the Historic District), and Code Enforcement Officer. Applied for using the combined 'Building Permit/Certificate of Occupancy Application' form.

Verified 2026-07-07 · Source

Requirements

  • Building permit required for construction, alteration, repair, moving, or a certificate of occupancy for a structure within Clifton town limits, per Code of Ordinances Chapter 151
  • Work must conform to the 2009 IBC, 2009 IRC (R-3 occupancies), 2009 IPC, 2009 IMC, 2009 IEBC, and the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings (1997) as adopted by Chapter 151
  • Whenever a building permit is issued and a building inspection performed, the building must also conform to the Town's Zoning Ordinance (§ 151.02) — reviewed and signed off by the Planning and Zoning Administrator against the Official Zoning Map
  • If the property/structure is within the 100-year flood plain, the application routes to the Flood Plain Administrator and a Flood Plain Development Permit section of the same form (required for substantial repairs/improvements — cost equal to or exceeding 50% of the structure's market value)
  • If the property is located in the Clifton Townsite Historic District, a Certificate of Appropriateness must first be granted by the Town's Historic Preservation Commission before a building permit can be issued (Town Manager sign-off block on the application)
  • If the project is $50,000 or more in value and involves an out-of-state contractor, a certificate of compliance with A.R.S. § 42-5007 (Department of Revenue bonding certificate) must be obtained prior to permit issuance
  • If the property/structure is new with no existing address plaque, the owner must obtain a Town-supplied address plaque ($110.00) and file a new sewer-tap application tying the line into the main sewer line (Code Enforcement Officer sign-off)
  • Applicant provides a Contractor's Estimate or itemized Cost of Materials plus Estimated Labor Cost; the total of materials and labor determines the permit fee (no separately published valuation-based fee table)
  • Submitted by emailing codeenforcement@cliftonaz.gov or bringing the completed application to the Code Enforcement Officer at Clifton Town Hall; no online permitting portal is published
  • Residential submittals should follow the Town's Residential Permit Checklist (site plan, footing/foundation plan, floor plan, floor framing plan for 2-story dwellings, roof framing plan with truss calculations, exterior elevations with attic ventilation calculations, electrical plans)

Required documents

  • RequiredBuilding Permit/Certificate of Occupancy ApplicationTown of Clifton's combined application form covering property/owner/applicant information, proposed use and zoning district, Planning and Zoning Administrator review, cost breakdown (materials/labor) that determines the permit fee, Flood Plain Administrator review and Flood Plain Development Permit section (for substantial improvements), Historic District review by the Town Manager, and Code Enforcement Officer review for address-plaque/sewer-tap requirements
  • RequiredBuilding Permit Residential ChecklistTown of Clifton checklist of required scaled drawings for residential submittals: site plan, footing and foundation plan, floor plan, floor framing plan (2-story), roof framing plan with manufacturer truss calculations, exterior elevations with attic ventilation calculations, and electrical plans; separate sub-checklists for additions/remodels, footing/foundation details, exterior elevations, sections, and plumbing plans
  • OptionalCertificate of compliance with A.R.S. § 42-5007Required only if the project is valued at $50,000 or more and involves an out-of-state contractor — a Department of Revenue certificate confirming the contractor bonding requirement has been met

Fee schedule

Fee typeAmountNotes
Building Permit FeeDetermined by total project cost (Contractor's Estimate or itemized Cost of Materials plus Estimated Labor Cost, as entered on the application) — no separately published valuation-based fee table was located
Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.03 states fees 'shall be set from time to time by resolution of the Council'; Show full citation

Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.03 states fees 'shall be set from time to time by resolution of the Council'; neither the Town's Rates and Fees schedule (effective 8/10/2025) nor its FY2026 proposed misc-fee schedule contains a building-permit fee line item. Confirm the current fee directly with the Code Enforcement/Building Department (928-865-4146 / codeenforcement@cliftonaz.gov) before budgeting a project.

Address Plaque (new structure with no existing address plaque)$110.00Town of Clifton Building Permit/Certificate of Occupancy Application — flat fee for a Town-supplied address plaque; a new sewer-tap application is also required

Building Demolition Permit

Required before demolishing any structure within Town of Clifton limits. Reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Administrator against the Official Zoning Map, and routed through the same Flood Plain Development Permit track as the general Building Permit if the structure is in the 100-year flood plain. Applied for using the Town's dedicated 'Building Demolition Application' form.

Reviewed 2026-07-07 · Source

Requirements

  • Building demolition permit required before demolishing a structure within Clifton town limits
  • Application must state purpose for demolition, existing zoning district (per the Official Zoning Map), and a detailed description of the work
  • Planning and Zoning Administrator reviews and approves/denies before the demolition permit can proceed
  • If the structure is in the 100-year flood plain and the work constitutes a 'substantial improvement' (cost equal to or exceeding 50% of the structure's market value), a Flood Plain Development Permit section of the same form must be completed, including market-value determination and any prior repair/improvement costs under earlier permits
  • Final approval issued by the Building Official

Required documents

  • RequiredBuilding Demolition ApplicationTown of Clifton's dedicated demolition permit application — property/owner/applicant information, purpose for demolition, existing zoning district, Planning and Zoning Administrator review block, Flood Plain Development Permit section (for substantial improvements), Code Enforcement Officer review, and Building Official final approval

Fee schedule

Fee typeAmountNotes
Building Demolition Permit FeeNot separately published — no dollar figure specific to demolition permits was found on the Town's fee schedules or the demolition application form itself
Neither the Town's current (8/10/2025) Rates and Fees schedule nor its FY2026 proposed misc-fee schedule lists a demolition-permit fee line item; Show full citation

Neither the Town's current (8/10/2025) Rates and Fees schedule nor its FY2026 proposed misc-fee schedule lists a demolition-permit fee line item; the demolition application form does not include a cost/valuation field the way the general Building Permit application does. Confirm directly with the Code Enforcement/Building Department (928-865-4146).

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

Verified

The Town of Clifton has no dedicated solar/photovoltaic permit type -- confirmed directly against the Town's Building Permit/Certificate of Occupancy Application, Building Permit Residential Checklist, and both its current (8/10/2025) and FY2026-proposed fee schedules, none of which contain a solar/PV line item. A rooftop or ground-mount solar PV installation in Clifton would be processed through the Town's single general-purpose Building Permit/Certificate of Occupancy Application, since Code of Ordinances § 151.04 vests ALL building, plumbing, AND electrical inspection authority in one Building Inspector function -- there is no separate standalone electrical-permit type documented for Clifton the way there is in larger Arizona jurisdictions. The fee, like every other Clifton building permit, would be determined by the applicant's own Contractor's Estimate or itemized Cost of Materials plus Estimated Labor Cost total (no published valuation-based fee table).

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

Requirements

  • Building Permit/Certificate of Occupancy Application required for both the racking/structural mounting AND the electrical interconnection, since Clifton's Building Inspector holds combined building/plumbing/electrical inspection authority under Code of Ordinances § 151.04 -- there is no separate standalone electrical permit track
  • Work must conform to the Town's adopted 2009 IBC/IRC (racking/structural) as well as applicable electrical provisions administered by the same Building Inspector function
  • Applicant provides a Contractor's Estimate or itemized Cost of Materials plus Estimated Labor Cost; the total determines the permit fee, per the same mechanism used for any other Clifton building permit
  • If the property is within the 100-year flood plain or the Clifton Townsite Historic District, the same Flood Plain Development Permit or Historic Preservation Commission Certificate of Appropriateness review tracks apply as for any other building permit
  • Submitted by emailing codeenforcement@cliftonaz.gov or bringing the completed application to the Code Enforcement Officer at Clifton Town Hall; no online permitting portal is published

Required documents

  • RequiredBuilding Permit/Certificate of Occupancy ApplicationTown of Clifton's combined application form, covering both the structural/racking and electrical-interconnection scope of a solar PV installation under the single Building Inspector's combined jurisdiction
  • RequiredBuilding Permit Residential ChecklistTown of Clifton checklist of required scaled drawings; a solar installation would follow the site plan and electrical plans sub-checklist items, no dedicated solar-specific checklist item was found

Fee schedule

Fee typeAmountNotes
Building Permit Fee (structural + electrical, combined)Determined by total project cost (Contractor's Estimate or itemized Cost of Materials plus Estimated Labor Cost, as entered on the application) -- no separately published valuation-based fee table was located, and no solar-specific line item exists
Confirmed directly against the Town's current (8/10/2025) Rates and Fees schedule and FY2026 proposed misc-fee schedule on 2026-07-20 -- neither contains a building-permit-general or solar-specific dollar line. Show full citation

Confirmed directly against the Town's current (8/10/2025) Rates and Fees schedule and FY2026 proposed misc-fee schedule on 2026-07-20 -- neither contains a building-permit-general or solar-specific dollar line. Same 'total costs will determine permit fee' mechanism documented in this file's building-permit entry applies. Confirm the current fee directly with the Code Enforcement/Building Department (928-865-4146 / codeenforcement@cliftonaz.gov).

Flood Plain Development Permit

Verified

Required before construction or development begins, including placement of manufactured homes, within any special flood hazard area in Clifton, per Code of Ordinances Chapter 154 (Flood Damage Prevention, most recently amended by Ord. 02-2019, passed 3-14-2019). Administered by the Floodplain Administrator (the Town Manager or designee), and represented as its own review track on the combined Building Permit/Certificate of Occupancy Application and the Building Demolition Application.

Verified 2026-07-07 · Source

Requirements

  • Development permit required before construction or development begins, including placement of manufactured homes, within any special flood hazard area (§ 154.037(A))
  • Application must include plans in duplicate drawn to scale showing the nature, location, dimensions and elevation of the area in question; existing/proposed structures; fill; storage of materials; and drainage facilities
  • Must show proposed elevation (relative to mean sea level) of the lowest floor (including basement) of all structures; in Zone AO, elevation of existing highest adjacent grade and proposed elevation of lowest floor
  • For non-residential structures, must show proposed elevation to which the structure will be floodproofed, certified by a registered professional engineer or architect meeting the floodproofing criteria in § 154.050(C)
  • Base flood elevation data required for subdivision proposals or other development greater than 50 lots or 5 acres, whichever is lesser
  • Description required of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of the proposed development
  • For substantial improvements/repairs (cost equal to or exceeding 50% of the structure's market value), the Building Permit/Demolition Application's Flood Plain Development Permit section requires market-value determination and accounting for costs of any prior repairs/improvements under earlier permits
  • The Floodplain Administrator reviews every permit to confirm ordinance requirements are met, other required state/federal permits obtained, the site is reasonably safe from flooding, and the development does not adversely affect (raise base flood elevation by more than one foot at any point) the carrying capacity of areas where Base Flood Elevations have been determined

Required documents

  • RequiredFlood Plain Development Permit section (within Building Permit/Certificate of Occupancy Application or Building Demolition Application)Market value of structure, less cost of previous repairs/improvements under prior permits, and certifications required by § 154.037(B) for substantial improvements/repairs in the flood plain
  • RequiredDevelopment Permit plan setPlans in duplicate, drawn to scale, per § 154.037(A)-(B) requirements (site elevations, structures, fill, drainage, floodproofing certification where applicable)

Fee schedule

Fee typeAmountNotes
Flood Plain Development PermitNot separately published — no distinct dollar figure for the flood plain development permit was found on the Town's fee schedulesThe permit is processed as a section of the general Building Permit or Demolition Application rather than as a standalone fee line; confirm directly with the Floodplain Administrator / Building Department (928-865-4146).

Historic District / Landmark Certificate of Appropriateness

Verified

Required before any exterior alteration, restoration, reconstruction, demolition, new construction, or moving of a designated landmark or property within a Historic District in Clifton (including the Historic Chase Creek district), per Code of Ordinances Chapter 152 (Historic Preservation, Ord. 01-96, passed 3-14-1996). Reviewed by the Town's Historic Preservation Commission; required in addition to, not in lieu of, any building permit otherwise required.

Verified 2026-07-07 · Source

Requirements

  • Certificate of Appropriateness required before any exterior alteration, restoration, reconstruction, demolition, new construction, or moving of a landmark or property within a Historic District, or any material change to its light fixtures, signs, sidewalks, fences, steps, paving, or other exterior elements visible from a public street or alley (§ 152.06)
  • Owner must file an application with the Historic Preservation Commission prior to commencing any work requiring a certificate
  • Application must include applicant name/address/phone, location and photographs of the property, elevation drawings of proposed changes (if available), perspective drawings showing relationship to adjacent properties (if available), and — for signage — a scale drawing of lettering, dimensions, colors, materials, illumination method, and sign location
  • No building permit shall be issued for the proposed work until the Certificate of Appropriateness has first been issued by the Historic Preservation Commission
  • The Commission may hold a public hearing on the application, giving proponents and opponents an opportunity to present their views
  • All Commission decisions are in writing, sent to the applicant by registered mail, and filed with the Town Clerk's Office for public inspection, stating reasons for any denial or modification

Required documents

  • RequiredCertificate of Appropriateness ApplicationFiled directly with the Historic Preservation Commission — property photographs, elevation/perspective drawings if available, and sign details where applicable

Fee schedule

Fee typeAmountNotes
Certificate of AppropriatenessNo fee requiredClifton Code of Ordinances § 152.13 (Ord. 01-96, passed 3-14-1996): 'No fees required.'

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger / EVSE Permit

The Town of Clifton has no dedicated EV charger/EVSE permit type -- confirmed directly against the Town's Building Permit/Certificate of Occupancy Application, Building Permit Residential Checklist, and both its current (8/10/2025) and FY2026-proposed fee schedules, none of which contain an EV/EVSE-specific line, mirroring the same gap already documented for the solar-pv-permit entry in this file. Clifton has no separate electrical-permit type in this dataset -- electrical scope, including an EVSE circuit, is folded into the Town's single general-purpose Building Permit / Certificate of Occupancy process, reviewed under the 2009-edition ICC codes (Chapter 151).

Reviewed 2026-07-20 · Source

Requirements

  • Building Permit / Certificate of Occupancy application required for EVSE circuit installation within Town limits -- Clifton does not maintain a separate stand-alone electrical permit type in its published materials
  • Reviewed against the 2009 International Building Code, International Residential Code (R-3 occupancies), and related 2009-edition ICC codes (Chapter 151) by the Building Official function housed in the Code Enforcement/Building Department
  • No EV-charger-specific application, checklist, or fee line item was located

Required documents

  • RequiredBuilding Permit / Certificate of Occupancy ApplicationTown of Clifton's general-purpose permit application; EVSE circuit work would be submitted under this same application, as Clifton has no separate electrical permit application in its published materials

Fee schedule

Fee typeAmountNotes
Building Permit FeeDetermined by total project cost (Contractor's Estimate or itemized Cost of Materials plus Estimated Labor Cost, as entered on the application) -- no separately published valuation-based fee table was located
Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.03 states fees 'shall be set from time to time by resolution of the Council'; Show full citation

Clifton Code of Ordinances § 151.03 states fees 'shall be set from time to time by resolution of the Council'; neither the Town's Rates and Fees schedule (effective 8/10/2025) nor its FY2026 proposed misc-fee schedule contains a building-permit dollar figure or an EV/EVSE-specific line item. Re-chased on 2026-07-20: attempted to independently re-locate and fetch the Rates and Fees 2025 PDF directly (via the taxes-and-fees page and several guessed DocumentCenter/direct-file paths); the page references the document by name but the live link could not be resolved to a fetchable file in this pass. Confirmed no better figure is available; §151.03's council-resolution-by-resolution fee-setting mechanism (rather than a fixed published table) is a genuine structural gap in Clifton's public materials, consistent with the same finding in this file's solar-pv-permit entry.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-07.

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

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Permalink: /arizona/greenlee-county/clifton/as-of/2026-07-20/

Snapshot date: 2026-07-20

Commit: 3f5e169

Reproducible from PermitBase’s version-controlled dataset, commit 3f5e169.