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Zoning Use Permit in Unincorporated Greenlee County, Arizona

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

When you need this permit

  • 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

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Fee schedule

Permit application fee (Zoning Use Permit)Greenlee 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.
$45, non-refundable

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Zoning Use Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Greenlee County?

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

Inspection process

    Tips

    • Greenlee County has adopted NO building code for unincorporated areas — confirmed directly in a signed October 2012 letter from the County Engineer. The county does not review construction plans, does not inspect construction, and does not issue a Certificate of Occupancy for private construction. Owners are strongly advised to voluntarily contract their own inspections and use a conservative building code standard, since no county-level construction-quality check exists.
    • The $45 permit application fee is for the Zoning Use Permit / general permit application itself — it is separate from (and a prerequisite to) the no-cost Building Permit, which the county issues once the Zoning Use Permit and Floodplain Permit (where applicable) are in hand.
    • An address is assigned to the property as part of Zoning Use Permit issuance — a meaningful practical reason to obtain this permit even for owners who might otherwise consider skipping formal permitting.
    • The unincorporated community of Morenci is a Freeport-McMoRan company townsite (approximately 1,600 homes) whose day-to-day residential construction/maintenance is largely handled internally by Freeport's own Townsite Maintenance department and Housing Office — but Morenci has no separate municipal government, so any permitting outside of Freeport's internal company arrangements falls under this same county Zoning Use Permit / Building Permit process.
    • This is a genuinely thin program by design, not an omission: the county's structure is a zoning/address/floodplain clearance mechanism rather than a construction-code plan-review-and-inspection program. Confirm current fee and process details directly with the Planning and Zoning Department (928-865-4762 / planning@greenlee.az.gov) before starting a project, since so little is published in fee-schedule form.

    Frequently asked questions

    Unincorporated Greenlee County requires a zoning use permit for: 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. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Greenlee County Planning and Zoning Department at 928-865-4762 before starting work.

    The Greenlee County Permit Application requires a non-refundable $45 fee (check, cash, or money order); the application is not processed until this fee is paid. The county states it will separately notify applicants if additional fees apply. The related Building Permit itself is issued at no cost once the Zoning Use Permit and Floodplain Permit (where applicable) are issued. Source: https://greenlee.az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-Permit-Application-Form.pdf

    Unincorporated Greenlee County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Greenlee County Planning and Zoning Department at 928-865-4762 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Greenlee County Permit Application (PDF); Scaled site drawing. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Greenlee County may also ask for: Special Power of Attorney authorization (notarized). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through Greenlee County Planning and Zoning Department at 253 Fifth Street (2nd Floor Annex), P.O. Box 908, Clifton, Arizona 85533. Phone: 928-865-4762, email: planning@greenlee.az.gov. Office hours: Monday-Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (closed Friday-Sunday, per Greenlee County's 4-day workweek). Official information: https://greenlee.az.gov/ova_dep/planning-and-zoning/.

    No. Per a signed October 19, 2012 letter from the County Engineer published on the county's own website: 'Currently, Greenlee County has adopted no building codes. Because we have no codes, Greenlee County has not determined and does not recommend building loads, does not review plans, does not inspect construction, or issue a Certificate of Occupancy.' The county recommends owners voluntarily contract for their own inspections and use a conservative building code. Source: https://greenlee.az.gov/ova_doc/building-codes-and-loading-standards/

    Morenci is an unincorporated community within unincorporated Greenlee County — it has no separate municipal government or building-permit authority of its own. Freeport-McMoRan's own Townsite Maintenance department handles construction and maintenance of company-owned townsite residences and facilities internally, but any permitting outside that internal company arrangement falls under Greenlee County's Planning and Zoning Department, the same as the rest of unincorporated Greenlee County.

    Manufactured/mobile home permits and septic system permits are issued by the Greenlee County Health Department, not the Planning and Zoning Department. Source: https://greenlee.az.gov/ova_dep/planning-and-zoning/

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

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