Skip to main content
PermitBase

Change of Occupant / Change of Occupancy Permit in Buckeye, Arizona

Buckeye's real local equivalent of a 'change of use' permit is actually two distinct products administered by Development Services: a Change of Occupant Permit for a new tenant/business occupying an existing space under the SAME use/occupancy classification with no space modifications (documented in a dedicated City of Buckeye Change of Occupant Permit Procedure, rev. 01/2023), and a separate, fuller Change of Occupancy Permit for cases where the occupancy classification/use itself changes. Both require a new Certificate of Occupancy before the new tenant/use may open to the public.

Reviewed 2026-07-23 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A Change of Occupant Permit is required whenever a commercial space's tenant or business name changes — even if the use does not change — because a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) is issued to a specific tenant for a specific use; occupying under the prior tenant's C of O is unlawful (City of Buckeye Change of Occupant Permit Procedure, rev. 01/2023)
  • Change of Occupant Permits are only issued for spaces that previously received a C of O from the City; no changes to the space are allowed beyond minor work such as new floor covering or paint, and all code requirements of the new tenant's use must be met WITHOUT modification to the existing space
  • If the new tenant's proposed use falls under a different occupancy classification than the prior tenant's, or requires modifications to the space, the fuller Change of Occupancy Permit applies instead of the lighter Change of Occupant process — the City did not publish a distinct procedure document for this scenario separate from its standard Building Permit / Tenant Improvement process
  • Submittal for a Change of Occupant Permit requires: a completed permit application, a written narrative describing the new business/proposed use/proposed occupancy, and a dimensioned (draftsperson-quality) floor plan showing existing walls, the electrical panel, doors, and plumbing fixtures
  • Two inspections are required, in this order: (1) Fire Verification Inspection, (2) Change of Occupant Inspection — both must be scheduled before the building inspector will sign off
  • A City of Buckeye business license is required separately for the new business/tenant (contact 623-349-6153 or buckeyeaz.gov for registration)
  • Any unpermitted work discovered during the inspection process must be brought into compliance with currently adopted codes and fees before occupancy is allowed

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet — 0 of 3 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29 →

Fee schedule

Change of Occupant Permit, EachCity of Buckeye Development User Fee Schedule, Section 4, Occupancy Permit Fees (Resolution 38-26, eff. 5/21/2026): 'Change of Occupant Permit, Each' = $166. Confirmed 2026-07-23 by direct in-browser fetch and reconstruction of the live PDF's text content. NOTE: the City's own Change of Occupant Permit Procedure document (rev. 01/2023) separately states a $200.00 fee — that procedure PDF has not been updated to reflect the current Resolution 38-26 figure; $166 is the current authoritative amount per this corpus's established practice of treating the live Development User Fee Schedule as the sole fee authority for Buckeye.
$166
Change of Occupancy Permit, EachCity of Buckeye Development User Fee Schedule, Section 4, Occupancy Permit Fees (Resolution 38-26, eff. 5/21/2026): 'Change of Occupancy Permit, Each' = $228 — the fuller-review fee for cases where the occupancy classification itself changes. Confirmed 2026-07-23. No distinct procedure document (with its own checklist/submittal list) was found published separately for this specific line, distinct from the Change of Occupant Permit Procedure.
$228
Certificate of OccupancyCross-referenced from this file's residential-building-permit entry; same fee applies to the new C of O issued at the conclusion of a Change of Occupant/Occupancy Permit. City of Buckeye Development User Fee Schedule, Section 4 (Resolution 38-26, eff. 5/21/2026).
$140
Certificate of CompletionCity of Buckeye Development User Fee Schedule, Section 4, Occupancy Permit Fees (Resolution 38-26, eff. 5/21/2026): 'Certificate of Completion' = $87 — issued for shell buildings and miscellaneous alterations; the space CANNOT be occupied under a Certificate of Completion alone, per the City's Occupancy Guidelines & Inspection Requirements. Confirmed 2026-07-23.
$87
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (expires in 60 days)City of Buckeye Development User Fee Schedule, Section 4 (Resolution 38-26, eff. 5/21/2026). Extensions: First Extension (61-120 days) = 10% of Original Building Permit Fee (BOSV*); Second Extension (121-180 days) = 20%; Third Extension (181-240 days) = 30%. Confirmed 2026-07-23.
$140
Stock and TrainCity of Buckeye Development User Fee Schedule, Section 4, Occupancy Permit Fees (Resolution 38-26, eff. 5/21/2026): 'Stock and Train' = $163 — allows stocking of merchandise and employee training ahead of full occupancy, per the City's Occupancy Guidelines & Inspection Requirements and the 'Buckeye Stock and Train Procedure 04.2024'. Confirmed 2026-07-23.
$163

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Occupant / Change of Occupancy Permit permit actually take in Buckeye?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Fire Verification Inspection

    Performed first, before the Change of Occupant Inspection, per the City's Change of Occupant Permit Procedure

  2. 2

    Change of Occupant Inspection

    Building inspector verifies the space matches the submitted floor plan and meets code requirements for the new tenant's use without modification

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

Tips

  • The $200 fee stated in the City's own Change of Occupant Permit Procedure document (rev. 01/2023) is superseded by the current Development User Fee Schedule (Resolution 38-26, eff. 5/21/2026), which lists $166 for the same permit — a real discrepancy between an older procedural PDF and the current fee resolution.
  • A full Change of Occupancy Permit ($228) applies instead of the lighter Change of Occupant Permit ($166) whenever the new tenant's occupancy classification differs from the prior tenant's, or the space needs modification.
  • Business license registration is a separate, required step alongside the Change of Occupant/Occupancy permit — contact the City at 623-349-6153.
  • A Certificate of Completion ($87) is NOT an occupancy certificate — it is issued for shell buildings/misc. alterations and the space cannot legally be occupied under it alone.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. A Certificate of Occupancy is issued to a specific tenant for a specific use; when the tenant or business name changes, the prior C of O is no longer valid and a Change of Occupant Permit (or Change of Occupancy Permit, if the use itself changes) must be obtained before the new business can lawfully occupy the space.

In Buckeye, the published Change of Occupant Permit, Each is: $166. Additional published fees: Change of Occupancy Permit, Each — $228; Certificate of Occupancy — $140; Certificate of Completion — $87; Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (expires in 60 days) — $140; Stock and Train — $163. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Buckeye does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Buckeye Development Services Department — Permit Center at 623-349-6200 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Change of Occupant); Written Narrative; Dimensioned Floor Plan (draftsperson quality). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Buckeye requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of occupant / change of occupancy permit, in order: Fire Verification Inspection, Change of Occupant Inspection. Schedule each through City of Buckeye Development Services Department — Permit Center (623-349-6200).

Apply through City of Buckeye Development Services Department — Permit Center at The Landing, 945 N. 215th Ave. Suite 137, Buckeye, AZ 85326 (City Hall: 530 E. Monroe Ave., Buckeye, AZ 85326). Phone: 623-349-6200, email: permitcenter@buckeyeaz.gov. Office hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Applications submitted by emailing permitcenter@buckeyeaz.gov or via the EnerGov CSS (Customer Self Service) online portal at egselfservice.buckeyeaz.gov; select residential permit types (Gas Lines, Pools, Spas, Fences, Electric Meters, Water Heaters, Temporary Signs, Single Service Dry Utility) are issued same day if a complete submittal is received by 2 p.m.. Official information: https://www.buckeyeaz.gov/business/development-services/permit-center.

Buckeye, 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 (e.g., A.R.S. Title 9 for municipalities). The City of Buckeye runs its own Development Services Department / Permit Center and independently adopts and administers its own construction codes; it does not defer permitting to Maricopa County. Source: City of Buckeye Permit Center page (buckeyeaz.gov/business/development-services/permit-center) and City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update ordinance text.; 2024 International Building Code (IBC), as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference as the City's uniform building code (City of Buckeye Code of Ordinances, Chapter 15, Article 15-2, Section 15-2-1), with City of Buckeye amendments. Effective for all permit applications and plans submitted for the first time on or after January 1, 2025 (standard plans previously approved under the 2018 codes had until December 31, 2025 to update). Source: City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update.; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC), as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference (Section 15-2-2), with City of Buckeye amendments, effective for submittals on or after January 1, 2025. Source: City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update.; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted by reference (Section 15-2-3), with City of Buckeye amendments. Source: City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update.; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted by reference (Section 15-2-4), with City of Buckeye amendments, including adoption of Appendix E (Sizing of Water Piping System). Source: City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), as published by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted by reference (Section 15-2-5), with City of Buckeye amendments (note: electrical code cycle is one edition behind the 2024 ICC set). Residential photovoltaic systems are specifically required to be installed per the 2023 NEC as adopted by the City of Buckeye. Source: City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update.; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted by reference (Section 15-2-6), with City of Buckeye amendments. Source: City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update.; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted by reference (Section 15-2-9), with City of Buckeye amendments. Source: City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update.; 2024 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted by reference (Section 15-2-10) as the City's uniform fire code, with City of Buckeye amendments; administered by the City of Buckeye Fire Marshal/Fire Department. Source: City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update.; International Energy Conservation Code, as adopted and amended from time to time by the City of Buckeye, governs energy-efficiency requirements (IRC Chapter 11 is deleted and replaced with a reference to the adopted IECC). Source: City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update.; ICC A117.1 Accessibility code, as adopted and amended by the governing authority, plus the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design and the Arizonans with Disabilities Act (A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 9, Article 8) and its Implementing Rules (A.A.C. Title 10, Chapter 3, Article 4). Source: City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update (IBC Chapter 11 amendment).; Manufactured homes, mobile homes, and factory-built buildings are regulated directly by the State of Arizona (A.R.S. § 41-4001 et seq., Arizona Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety / Office of Manufactured Housing) for construction/installation standards; the City of Buckeye issues a separate on-site permit for placement, foundation/tie-down, zoning compliance, and site improvements. Source: City of Buckeye October 2024 Building and Life Safety Codes Update (IBC Section 3113).. Local amendments apply — see the Buckeye overview page for the full list.

A Change of Occupant Permit ($166) is for a new tenant/business name taking over a space under the exact same use/occupancy classification, with no modifications to the space. A Change of Occupancy Permit ($228) applies when the actual occupancy classification or use itself changes, which typically requires fuller review.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-23.

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

Other permits in Buckeye

Residential Building Permit (New Construction)Residential Addition / Remodel / Room Addition PermitElectrical PermitPlumbing PermitMechanical / HVAC PermitRe-Roofing PermitResidential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit (15kW and Under)Demolition PermitFence and Retaining Wall PermitEV Charger / EVSE PermitSign Permit (Commercial/Business Signage)Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System Permit

Change of Occupant / Change of Occupancy Permit in other cities

Apache Junction, ArizonaCamp Verde, ArizonaCocopah Indian Tribe, ArizonaDewey-Humboldt, ArizonaDuncan, ArizonaEagar, ArizonaFort McDowell Yavapai Nation, ArizonaFountain Hills, Arizona

Compare change of occupant / change of occupancy permit fees across Arizona →

Look up this fee in a different city →

Embed this data card →

Now live

Build your Buckeye project checklist

Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Buckeye — in one checklist. Sign up and pay once to generate it, or go unlimited with Pro.

Get started →