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Building Demolition Permit in Clifton, Arizona

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

When you need this permit

  • 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

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Fee schedule

Building Demolition Permit FeeNeither 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).
Not separately published — no dollar figure specific to demolition permits was found on the Town's fee schedules or the demolition application form itself

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Building Demolition Permit permit actually take in Clifton?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Building Official Final Inspection

    Confirms completed demolition and utility termination; demolition permit approval is signed by the Building Official

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

Tips

  • The current Building Demolition Application form in circulation (last printed 11/5/2025 per document metadata) contains stale boilerplate referencing the '1994 Edition of the Uniform Building Code' and an old 'Chapter 14' flood-numbering scheme — the Town's currently codified building code is the 2009 IBC (Chapter 151) and flood provisions are now at Chapter 154 (most recently amended by Ord. 02-2019, passed 3-14-2019). Treat the form's own code-edition/chapter citations as outdated relative to the current Code of Ordinances.
  • If the demolition is of a property within the Clifton Townsite Historic District, a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission is also required before any demolition affecting a landmark or Historic District property (Code of Ordinances § 152.06), separate from the demolition permit itself.
  • No demolition-specific fee figure is published — unlike the general Building Permit application (which has the applicant enter a cost breakdown), the demolition form has no cost/valuation field, so the fee basis is unclear from public documents alone.

Frequently asked questions

Yes — a Building Demolition Application must be submitted to and reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Administrator, with final approval from the Building Official. If the structure is in the 100-year flood plain or within the Clifton Townsite Historic District, additional review (Flood Plain Development Permit or Historic Preservation Commission Certificate of Appropriateness) also applies.

In Clifton, the published Building Demolition Permit Fee is: Not separately published — no dollar figure specific to demolition permits was found on the Town's fee schedules or the demolition application form itself. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Clifton does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Clifton Building Department (Code Enforcement/Building) at 928-865-4146 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Demolition Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Clifton requires 1 inspection(s) for a building demolition permit, in order: Building Official Final Inspection. Schedule each through Town of Clifton Building Department (Code Enforcement/Building) (928-865-4146).

Apply through Town of Clifton Building Department (Code Enforcement/Building) at 510 North Coronado Boulevard, P.O. Box 1415, Clifton, Arizona 85533. Phone: 928-865-4146, email: codeenforcement@cliftonaz.gov. Office hours: Town Hall hours: Monday - Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (closed Friday - Sunday). Building permit and demolition permit applications are submitted by emailing codeenforcement@cliftonaz.gov or bringing them to the Code Enforcement Officer at Clifton Town Hall; no online permitting portal is published.. Official information: https://cliftonaz.com/code-enforcement%2Fbuilding.

Clifton, Arizona has 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.. Local amendments apply — see the Clifton overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Key facts 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.