This is PermitBase’s published record for Unincorporated Greenlee County as of 2026-08-01. It has since been superseded — see the current record.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.
Unincorporated Greenlee County building permits
Unincorporated Greenlee County, Arizona — as published 2026-08-01.
Reviewed 2026-07-07 · Source
Codes adopted
Permit types & fees
Zoning Use Permit
The primary, fee-bearing permit issued by the Greenlee County Planning and Zoning Department for construction and land-use activity in unincorporated Greenlee County (including the unincorporated community of Morenci). Because the county has adopted no building code, the Zoning Use Permit — together with a Floodplain Permit where applicable — is what actually triggers issuance of the (no-cost) county Building Permit for site-built homes and other structures. An address is assigned as part of Zoning Use Permit issuance. Some permits can reportedly be issued by telephone for straightforward cases.
Reviewed 2026-07-07 · Source
Requirements
- Required for building and use permits, both residential and commercial, on unincorporated Greenlee County land (Zoning Division jurisdiction)
- Complete the Greenlee County Permit Application (owner, applicant, and contractor contact information; description of proposed work; site address/location; anticipated start and completion dates; parcel number; estimated cost)
- Submit a scaled drawing of the property showing the proposed improvements
- Property owner of record should sign the application; if the applicant is not the owner, a notarized 'Special Power of Attorney' authorization form is required
- Pay the non-refundable $45 permit application fee (check, cash, or money order) — the application will not be processed until this fee is paid; the county will separately notify the applicant of any additional fees that apply
- Coordinate with Arizona 811/Blue Stake (800-782-5348) to locate underground utilities before work begins
- For any project requiring new or modified access to a county road, coordinate with Greenlee County Public Works (928-687-2001)
- For any project requiring new or modified access to US 191, US 70, State Route 75, or State Route 78, coordinate with the Arizona Department of Transportation (928-432-4916)
- Manufactured/mobile home placements and septic (on-site wastewater) systems are handled by the Greenlee County Health Department instead of Planning and Zoning
Required documents
- RequiredGreenlee County Permit Application (PDF)The county's general-purpose permit application form (revision '4 November 2020 R2') covering owner/applicant/contractor information, project description, site address, parcel number, estimated cost, and signature; available at https://greenlee.az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-Permit-Application-Form.pdf
- RequiredScaled site drawingA scaled drawing of the property showing the proposed improvements, submitted with the permit application
- OptionalSpecial Power of Attorney authorization (notarized)Required only if the applicant is not the property owner of record — authorizes the applicant to act as agent for the owner
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Permit application fee (Zoning Use Permit) | $45, non-refundable | Greenlee County Permit Application (PDF), Instruction 4: 'Include a non-refundable permit application fee of $45 (check, cash or money order). Show full citationHideGreenlee County Permit Application (PDF), Instruction 4: 'Include a non-refundable permit application fee of $45 (check, cash or money order). The permit application will not be processed until this fee is paid. The county will notify you if additional fees apply.' No separate valuation-based fee table was located for the Zoning Use Permit beyond this flat application fee; the county's own October 2012 Engineering letter separately confirms 'We have a fee for the Zoning Use Permit' without stating a different amount, so this $45 figure is treated as the governing published fee. |
Floodplain Permit
Required as part of the same permitting sequence as the Zoning Use Permit for any construction in a special flood hazard area of unincorporated Greenlee County. Issuance of the Floodplain Permit (together with the Zoning Use Permit) is what triggers the no-cost county Building Permit. The Planning and Zoning Department's own page lists this as one of its three core permit types, alongside Zoning Use Permits and Building Permits.
Reviewed 2026-07-07 · Source
Requirements
- Required for construction or development within a designated special flood hazard area of unincorporated Greenlee County
- Processed as part of the same Greenlee County Permit Application used for the Zoning Use Permit — no separate application form was located
- Issued together with the Zoning Use Permit; both are prerequisites for the no-cost Building Permit per the county's own October 2012 Engineering letter
Required documents
- RequiredGreenlee County Permit Application (PDF)Same general application form used for the Zoning Use Permit; available at https://greenlee.az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-Permit-Application-Form.pdf
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Floodplain Permit fee | $0 — 'No fee shall be charged for a Development Permit' (per the county's own Flood Control Ordinance, Sec. 7.2) | The county's Flood Control Ordinance directly governs this permit (title page: 'Greenlee County Flood Control Ordinance, Revision 1, Adopted May 3, 2016,' document footer dated 06/29/2016; Show full citationHideThe county's Flood Control Ordinance directly governs this permit (title page: 'Greenlee County Flood Control Ordinance, Revision 1, Adopted May 3, 2016,' document footer dated 06/29/2016; the ordinance calls the permit a 'Development Permit'). Sec. 7.1 states the Flood Control District 'may from time to time adopt fees for the administration of this Ordinance ... attached at Appendix B'; Sec. 7.2 states outright 'No fee shall be charged for a Development Permit'; and Appendix B, headed 'Fees,' states 'None as of June 29, 2016.' The county's own copy of the ordinance is not currently retrievable from its site: the ordinance's page is live (https://greenlee.az.gov/ova_doc/floodplains-ordinance/, HTTP 200), but its embedded PDF link points to https://gcdev.bits.guru/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Floodplains-Ordinance.pdf, which returns 404, as does the mirroring production path https://greenlee.az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Floodplains-Ordinance.pdf — a broken link on the county's own current site. The only available copy is an Internet Archive capture from 2025-07-13: https://web.archive.org/web/20250713142458/https://greenlee.az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Floodplains-Ordinance.pdf. Because the fee provision cannot be confirmed against a live county copy, confirm directly with Planning and Zoning (928-865-4762) that this $0 fee provision remains in effect before relying on it. |
Building Permit (Site-Built Homes)
Issued by the Greenlee County Planning and Zoning Department for site-built homes in unincorporated Greenlee County. Because the county has adopted no building code, this permit does not entail plan review, construction inspection, or Certificate of Occupancy issuance by the county — it is issued at no cost once a Zoning Use Permit and Floodplain Permit (where applicable) have been obtained. Arizona law generally requires the county to issue a building permit (with some exceptions), but the county's own published guidance is explicit that it does not review plans or inspect construction under this permit.
Reviewed 2026-07-07 · Source
Requirements
- Required for site-built homes (and, per the Planning and Zoning page, for building and use permits generally, both residential and commercial) in unincorporated Greenlee County
- Obtain a Zoning Use Permit and a Floodplain Permit (where applicable) first — the Building Permit is issued at no cost once these are in hand
- No building-code plan review, construction inspection, or Certificate of Occupancy is performed by the county under this permit, because Greenlee County has adopted no building code
- Owners are advised by the county to voluntarily contract their own inspections and use a conservative building code standard, since no county-level construction-quality check exists
- Manufactured/mobile homes are NOT covered by this permit — they are handled separately by the Greenlee County Health Department
Required documents
- RequiredGreenlee County Permit Application (PDF)Same general application form used to obtain the underlying Zoning Use Permit and Floodplain Permit that trigger Building Permit issuance; available at https://greenlee.az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-Permit-Application-Form.pdf
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Building Permit fee | No cost | Greenlee County Engineering letter, October 19, 2012: 'We issue a building permit at no cost when a Zoning Use Permit and Floodplain Permit are issued.' The only fee-bearing step in the overall… Show full citationHideGreenlee County Engineering letter, October 19, 2012: 'We issue a building permit at no cost when a Zoning Use Permit and Floodplain Permit are issued.' The only fee-bearing step in the overall sequence is the $45 non-refundable Zoning Use Permit / Permit Application fee described under that permit type. |
Solar PV Permit
VerifiedGreenlee County has no solar-specific permit and no adopted building code at all (see this file's codesAdopted note), so a residential rooftop or ground-mounted PV installation follows the same thin, generic sequence as any other construction in unincorporated Greenlee County: the $45 Zoning Use Permit / Permit Application, a Floodplain Permit if applicable, and a no-cost Building Permit issued without county plan review or inspection. Separately, Arizona's statewide A.R.S. § 11-323 (Solar construction permits; standards) — amended by HB2301 (57th Legislature, 1st Regular Session, 2025) to add a mandatory 'instant permitting' process for residential solar/battery/panel-upgrade installations — legally binds every Arizona county, including Greenlee, effective January 1, 2026. No evidence was found that Greenlee County has published or launched a qualifying online automated permitting platform or a distinct solar process as of the last verification.
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
Requirements
- File the same Greenlee County Permit Application used for all construction: owner/applicant/contractor information, project description, site address, parcel number, estimated cost, and a scaled site drawing showing the panel array location
- Pay the $45 non-refundable Zoning Use Permit / Permit Application fee — the same flat fee that applies to any other construction project in unincorporated Greenlee County, since no solar-specific fee is published
- Because the county has adopted no building code, it does not review plans or inspect the electrical/structural work of a solar installation under its own Building Permit — owners are advised (per the county's own general guidance) to voluntarily arrange private inspection to a conservative code standard
- Per A.R.S. § 11-323(A)(1), the state-mandated minimum plan content for a photovoltaic system application is: system location on the construction plans (roof plan and elevation), panel mounting details, and a one-line/three-line electrical diagram (waived if a qualified online automated permitting platform is used)
- Per A.R.S. § 11-323 as amended by HB2301, Arizona counties (including Greenlee) were required to adopt an instant/automated permitting process for residential solar PV, energy storage, main panel upgrade, and main breaker derate installations by January 1, 2026, with a 2-business-day permit-or-deficiency-notice turnaround once a complete application is received; if the county fails to meet this, the statute allows use of an independent review provider instead
- Coordinate with Arizona 811/Blue Stake (800-782-5348) before work begins, per the standard county permit application instructions
Required documents
- RequiredGreenlee County Permit Application (PDF)The same general-purpose application used for all county permits; available at https://greenlee.az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-Permit-Application-Form.pdf
- RequiredScaled site drawing with panel mounting details and electrical one-line diagramMinimum plan content mandated statewide for solar PV permits under A.R.S. § 11-323(A)(1), submitted with the county application
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Permit application fee (same flat fee as all other Greenlee County permits) | $45, non-refundable | Greenlee County Permit Application (PDF), Instruction 4. Show full citationHideGreenlee County Permit Application (PDF), Instruction 4. No solar-specific fee is published; per A.R.S. § 11-323(B)-(D), any fee the county assesses for solar construction must be cost-justified and its calculation methodology publicly documented — no such solar-specific methodology was located for Greenlee County. |
| Building Permit | No cost | Issued at no charge once the Zoning Use Permit (and Floodplain Permit, if applicable) are obtained — same as all other construction in unincorporated Greenlee County per the county's October 2012 Engineering letter. |
EV Charger / EVSE Permit
VerifiedGreenlee County has no adopted building or electrical code at all (see the codesAdopted note) and no solar/electrical-specific permit — installing a Level 2 or DC fast EV charger's dedicated circuit follows the same thin, generic sequence as any other construction in unincorporated Greenlee County: the flat $45 Zoning Use Permit / Permit Application and a no-cost Building Permit issued without county plan review or electrical inspection. The county's Planning and Zoning page (greenlee.az.gov/ova_dep/planning-and-zoning/) and its Permit Application form are the real, current, governing mechanism — Greenlee County genuinely has no adopted building or electrical code and charges the same flat $45.00 non-refundable permit application fee (with no-cost Building Permit issuance) for all construction, including an EV charger circuit. This flat, uniform fee is a genuine, citable governing figure.
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
Requirements
- File the same Greenlee County Permit Application used for all construction: owner/applicant/contractor information, project description, site address, parcel number, estimated cost, and a scaled site drawing showing the charger/circuit location
- Pay the $45 non-refundable Zoning Use Permit / Permit Application fee — the same flat fee that applies to any other project in unincorporated Greenlee County, since no EV-charger-specific or general electrical-specific fee is published
- Because the county has adopted no building or electrical code, it does not review plans or inspect the electrical work of an EV charger installation — owners are advised (per the county's own general guidance) to voluntarily arrange private inspection to a conservative code standard
- Coordinate with Arizona 811/Blue Stake (800-782-5348) before any excavation/trenching for the circuit
Required documents
- RequiredGreenlee County Permit Application (PDF)The same general-purpose application used for all county permits; available at https://greenlee.az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-Permit-Application-Form.pdf
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Permit application fee (same flat fee as all other Greenlee County permits — no distinct EV charger or electrical-permit fee exists) | $45, non-refundable | Greenlee County Permit Application (PDF), Instruction 4 — re-checked the application form and the county's Planning and Zoning page on 2026-07-20 specifically for 'EV', 'electric vehicle', or 'EVSE' language; Show full citationHideGreenlee County Permit Application (PDF), Instruction 4 — re-checked the application form and the county's Planning and Zoning page on 2026-07-20 specifically for 'EV', 'electric vehicle', or 'EVSE' language; none exists. No separate county electrical permit or fee schedule exists at all, consistent with the county's confirmed no-adopted-code status. |
| Building Permit | No cost | Issued at no charge once the Zoning Use Permit is obtained — same as all other construction in unincorporated Greenlee County per the county's October 2012 Engineering letter. |
Commercial Building Permit
VerifiedGreenlee County publishes NO distinct commercial building permit, no commercial fee tier, and no tenant-improvement permit — commercial projects use the exact same thin county sequence as all other construction in unincorporated Greenlee County: the $45 non-refundable Permit Application / Zoning Use Permit, a Floodplain Permit where applicable, and a no-cost Building Permit issued without any county plan review, construction inspection, or Certificate of Occupancy, because the county has adopted no building code at all (re-confirmed live 2026-08-01: the Planning and Zoning page still lists only 'Zoning Use Permits, Building Permits for site built homes, and Floodplain Permits,' and its Zoning Division description covers 'building and use permits (both residential and commercial)' under that single process). What IS genuinely distinct for commercial construction is a state-level layer that does not apply to small residential projects: because Greenlee County has no locally adopted fire code, the Arizona Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM, within the Department of Forestry and Fire Management) — not the county — performs mandatory fire-code plan review for commercial construction. Per DFFM's own published policy: 'Construction of all occupancy types, except residential dwellings of less than five (5) units, located in areas without a locally adopted fire code, must be reviewed for compliance with the state fire code by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.' OSFM review is against the adopted State Fire Code (2018 International Fire Code and supporting NFPA standards) and is handled exclusively through OSFM's online Permit and Plan portal (paper applications are no longer accepted).
Verified 2026-08-01 · Source
Requirements
- County side — identical to all other construction in unincorporated Greenlee County: file the Greenlee County Permit Application (owner/applicant/contractor information, project description, site address, parcel number, estimated cost) with a scaled site drawing and the $45 non-refundable application fee; a notarized Special Power of Attorney is required if the applicant is not the property owner of record; the no-cost Building Permit issues once the Zoning Use Permit and Floodplain Permit (where applicable) are in hand
- The county performs NO plan review, NO construction inspection, and issues NO Certificate of Occupancy for commercial construction — Greenlee County has adopted no building code (October 2012 County Engineer letter, still the county's current published policy)
- State side — MANDATORY for commercial: because unincorporated Greenlee County has no locally adopted fire code, construction of all occupancy types except residential dwellings of fewer than 5 units must be submitted to the Arizona Office of the State Fire Marshal for plan review against the State Fire Code (2018 IFC and supporting NFPA standards)
- OSFM review scope includes: construction of new buildings or structures; additions to existing structures; modifications or alterations impacting any egress component; addition of security measures; installation/modification of security gates; building change of use; and occupancy classification change — meaning most tenant-improvement work in commercial space routes through OSFM even though the county has no TI permit
- OSFM-reviewed projects must meet State Fire Code specifications for fire flow, fire department access, occupant egress, emergency lighting, and fire protection systems; OSFM also conducts fire inspections for its permits (its submittal-guideline list includes 'Inspection Requirements for a General Construction Final')
- All OSFM plan applications, permits, and payments are processed through OSFM's online Permit and Plan portal — paper applications are no longer accepted
- Projects meeting A.R.S. § 34-461(D) and § 34-462 criteria (state, county, and public/charter/private school buildings) must also be submitted to OSFM for review
- Coordinate with Arizona 811/Blue Stake (800-782-5348) before work; Greenlee County Public Works (928-687-2001) for new/modified county-road access; ADOT (928-432-4916) for new/modified access to US 191, US 70, SR 75, or SR 78 (standard county application-form directions)
Required documents
- RequiredGreenlee County Permit Application (PDF)The county's single general-purpose application form (revision '4 November 2020 R2') used for all construction including commercial — no commercial-specific county form exists; re-fetched live 2026-08-01 at https://greenlee.az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-Permit-Application-Form.pdf with the $45 fee instruction unchanged
- RequiredScaled site drawingA scaled drawing of the property showing the proposed improvements, submitted with the county permit application
- RequiredOSFM plan submittal (online portal)Full construction plans and specifications submitted to the Arizona Office of the State Fire Marshal through its online Permit and Plan portal for State Fire Code (2018 IFC) review — required for commercial occupancies in unincorporated Greenlee County because no locally adopted fire code exists; see DFFM's Plan Submittal Requirements and OSFM Fee Schedule documents linked from its Plan Review page
- OptionalSpecial Power of Attorney authorization (notarized)Required only if the county-application applicant is not the property owner of record
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| County permit application fee (same flat fee as all other Greenlee County permits — no commercial tier exists) | $45, non-refundable | Re-verified live 2026-08-01 directly from the county's Permit Application PDF, Instruction 4: 'Include a non-refundable permit application fee of $45 (check, cash or money order). Show full citationHideRe-verified live 2026-08-01 directly from the county's Permit Application PDF, Instruction 4: 'Include a non-refundable permit application fee of $45 (check, cash or money order). The permit application will not be processed until this fee is paid. The county will notify you if additional fees apply.' No valuation-based fee table, plan-review fee, or commercial-specific county fee is published anywhere on the county's site. |
| County Building Permit | No cost | Issued at no charge once the Zoning Use Permit (and Floodplain Permit, if applicable) are obtained — October 2012 County Engineer letter: 'We issue a building permit at no cost when a Zoning Use Permit and Floodplain Permit are issued.' |
| OSFM plan review / permit fees (state-level, per A.A.C. R4-36-202) | $210 plan submission per plan (+$30 per plan supplement or re-review), PLUS per-system plan review fees (a separate fee for each fire-protection system reviewed, even if in one submitted plan — e.g., new automatic fire sprinkler system $375 under 10,000 sq ft / $450 for 10,000–50,000 sq ft plus $450 per additional 50,000 sq ft and $200 per floor above/below ground level; new fire alarm system $225–$500 by area; new fire pump $250 first/$150 each additional; underground fire line/hydrants $300 up to 500 lineal ft; clean-agent/dry-chemical extinguishing system $200 up to 5,000 sq ft; hood extinguishing system $150 new/$75 modification; standpipes $200 up to four), PLUS permit issuance fees of $30 per fire-protection system permitted; most specialty permits (underground/above-ground fuel tanks, pyrotechnics, special-event tents, hydrogen fuel cell, fair/trade show, explosives storage, compressed gases, cryogens, LPG tanks) $164 each (tire storage $82); re-inspection minimum $164 plus $82 per 25 miles beyond the first 25 | The OSFM Fee Schedule is published on DFFM's own site at https://dffm.az.gov/sites/default/files/media/Fees.pdf, linked as 'OSFM Fee Schedule' from the live Plan Review page. Show full citationHideThe OSFM Fee Schedule is published on DFFM's own site at https://dffm.az.gov/sites/default/files/media/Fees.pdf, linked as 'OSFM Fee Schedule' from the live Plan Review page. The document is a reproduction of Arizona Administrative Code R4-36-202 (4 A.A.C. 36, Chapter: Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Supp. 21-1, March 31, 2021) — the OSFM fee schedule is codified administrative rule (fees established by the State Fire Safety Committee under statutory authority), not merely a webpage, so these figures are stable and independently verifiable. The dollar amounts agree with an independent mirror of A.A.C. R4-36-202 (law.cornell.edu/regulations/arizona/Ariz-Admin-Code-SS-R4-36-202) on every figure. Practical total for a typical commercial project's mandatory OSFM path: $210 submission + per-system review fees + $30/system permit issuance. Confirm current amounts through OSFM's online Permit and Plan portal at submission time. |
Sources & verification
Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-07.
Fee schedules
Applications & forms
Codes & ordinances
Department & other records
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 Unincorporated Greenlee County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.