Carefree building permits

Building department

Address

8 Sundial Circle, P.O. Box 740, Carefree, AZ 85377

Phone

480-488-3686

Email

buildingofficial@carefree.org

Office hours

Town Hall main line 480-488-3686 (fax 480-488-3845); building permits are submitted in person at Town Hall (application form completed at the counter) or by mail to 8 Sundial Circle / P.O. Box 740, Carefree, AZ 85377. The current Building Official is Robert McCoy (buildingofficial@carefree.org), per the Town's live Building Department webpage.

Website

Official site

Permit portal

Apply online at Carefree's portal

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Carefree — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.

Codes adopted

Arizona has no statewide building code for non-state buildings; codes are adopted locally. According to the International Code Council, codes are adopted locally in Arizona and are predominantly the I-codes, with different cities and counties choosing their own editions and local amendments. The Arizona State Fire Code (adopting the 2018 IFC) applies only to state and county buildings, public and private schools, and non-residential occupancies in areas without a locally adopted fire code — it does not establish a statewide residential or commercial building code floor. Each city and county adopts its own code editions independently, resulting in different I-Code years and amendment sets across jurisdictions. There is no state-mandated minimum edition; enforcement is entirely local. Always confirm the adopted edition and any local amendments with the specific jurisdiction before submitting plans.

• 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; codes adopted under A.R.S. § 9-801 are declared public records of the adopting jurisdiction). The Town of Carefree independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its own Building Department; it does not defer permitting to Maricopa County. Source: Carefree, Arizona Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10, Article 10-1 (Comprehensive Building Safety Code), Section 10-1-1 Adoption, via American Legal Publishing code library (codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/carefree).
• 2018 International Building Code (IBC) and amendments, published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference (Carefree Town Code § 10-1-1(A)), with Town of Carefree amendments effective January 24, 2023 (§ 10-1-2(A)). Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1; Town of Carefree 'Effective Building Codes' summary sheet.
• 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1(B)), with Town amendments effective January 24, 2023 (§ 10-1-2(B)), including adoption of Appendices F, H, M, and P (IRC § R102.5.1 amendment). Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.
• 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1(C)), with State amendments and additional Town amendments effective January 24, 2023 (§ 10-1-2(C)), including adoption of Appendix C. Plumbing permit fees are set per Carefree Town Code Chapter 10, Section 10-1-2 (IPC § 106.6.2 amendment), not the IPC's own fee table. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.
• 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) and amendments, adopted by reference in total (§ 10-1-1(D) / § 10-1-2(D)), effective January 24, 2023 (one edition behind the 2018 ICC code set). Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.
• 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1(E)), with Town amendments effective January 24, 2023 (§ 10-1-2(E)). Mechanical permit fees are explicitly cross-referenced to 'Chapter One of the International Building Code as adopted by the Town of Carefree' (IMC § 106.5.2 amendment) — i.e., the same Table 1-A valuation fee schedule as building permits. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.
• 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1(F)), effective January 24, 2023; the Town of Carefree has assumed fire-code jurisdiction from the State Fire Safety Committee under A.R.S. §34-461 and §41-2163(A)(2), administered through the Rural/Metro Fire Department. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1, Section 10-1-1.1/10-1-1.2 (IFC amendments).
• 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1 / § 10-1-2(G)), effective January 24, 2023. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.
• 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-2(H)), effective January 24, 2023; fees cross-referenced to Chapter One of the IBC as adopted by the Town (same Table 1-A schedule). Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.
• 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) and amendments, adopted by reference (§ 10-1-1(K) / § 10-1-2(K)), effective January 24, 2023. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1.
• 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference as a code within the meaning of A.R.S. § 9-801. Source: Town of Carefree 'Effective Building Codes' summary sheet (current as of live 2026 Town website).
• 'Uniform Abatement of Dangerous Buildings,' 1994 Edition, published by the International Conference of Building Officials, and amendments, adopted by reference as a code within the meaning of A.R.S. § 9-801. Source: Town of Carefree 'Effective Building Codes' summary sheet.
• 'The Town of Carefree Adobe Code,' dated April 1985, and amendments, plus the 'Conducting Blasting Operations Code,' dated November 1998, and amendments — both declared public records of the Town of Carefree. Source: Carefree Town Code, Chapter 10, Article 10-1, Section 10-1-1.
• Manufactured/mobile homes and factory-built buildings fall under separate State of Arizona regulation (A.R.S. § 41-4001 et seq., Arizona Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety / Office of Manufactured Housing) for construction/installation standards; the Town's own permit process governs site placement, foundation, and zoning compliance. This inference follows the standard Arizona home-rule pattern documented across other Arizona municipalities' code-adoption ordinances and was not separately re-verified on a dedicated Carefree page — flagged as the one item in this record inferred from the statewide pattern rather than a page found specifically on carefree.org.

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (New Single-Family Construction)

  Required for new single-family residence and detached-structure construction in the Town of Carefree. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC/IBC and Town of Carefree amendments (effective January 24, 2023). Applications are submitted in person at Town Hall with a full construction-document set.

  →

• Residential Addition / Remodel Permit

  Required for room additions, remodels, and interior alterations to existing one-family (R-3) dwellings in Carefree, including detached garages, carports, storage sheds, patio covers, and gazebos. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC as adopted and amended by the Town.

  →

• Electrical Permit

  Required for electrical installation, alteration, or repair work in Carefree, governed by the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) as adopted by the Town. Minor electrical permits can be approved same-day or next-day.

  →

• Plumbing Permit

  Required for plumbing installation, alteration, or repair work in Carefree, governed by the 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC) as adopted and amended by the Town, including Appendix C. Water heaters and gas lines qualify for same-day/next-day approval.

  →

• Mechanical / HVAC Permit

  Required for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning installations in Carefree, governed by the 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) as adopted and amended by the Town. Fees are explicitly cross-referenced to the same Table 1-A valuation schedule used for building permits.

  →

• Solar Collector / Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

  A permit is required to install a solar collector (rooftop solar photovoltaic or solar thermal system) in Carefree, regulated under the Carefree Zoning Ordinance Section 9.05 in addition to the standard electrical/building permit process governed by the 2017 NEC as adopted by the Town.

  →

• Fence, Wall, and Pool Barrier Permit

  All fence and wall construction requires a building permit in Carefree — there is no under-height exemption. Pool/spa barrier fences and walls have additional requirements and must be approved before a related pool permit is approved.

  →

• Demolition Permit

  Required for demolition of any structure in Carefree. Carries a flat $250.00 fee and requires pre-construction and final inspections, plus a dust-control and disposal plan.

  →

• Grading Permit

  Required for excavation, land clearing, filling/dumping, or any disturbance of natural terrain or vegetation in Carefree. No grading may occur on a lot before the building permit for the underlying project has been issued (with a narrow exception for county-required percolation/test borings).

  →

• EV Charger / EVSE Permit

  The Town of Carefree does not publish a standalone EV-charger/EVSE permit type or fee line item. Installing electric vehicle charging equipment (e.g., a dedicated 240V Level 2 circuit or a wired Level 2/DC fast charger unit) is electrical work and, per this file's own 'electrical-permit' entry, is permitted directly by the Town's Building Department under the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) as locally adopted, billed under the same Table 1-A valuation-based fee schedule (Carefree Town Code Section 10-1-2(A)) used for all electrical permits — not a separate program. The Town's own published Summary of Building Permit Process specifically identifies 'minor electrical permits' as eligible for same-day or next-day approval, and a typical EV charger circuit addition would fall within that minor-electrical-work category rather than requiring full plan review. No evidence was found that Carefree participates in SolarAPP+ (gosolarapp.org) or any other instant/automated EV-charger-specific permitting platform as of this review; the Town's own Comprehensive Fee Schedule (effective June 6, 2025) contains no EV-charger, EVSE, or electric-vehicle line item — checked directly.

  →

• Sign Permit (Blade, Ground, Monument, Tenant Directory, and Wall Signs)

  Carefree regulates commercial signage under Article VIII 'Signs Permitted' of the Zoning Ordinance (Town Code Chapter 16), a detailed sign code reflecting the Town's planned-community character and its art-gallery/boutique commercial district. A building permit is required for blade, ground, monument, tenant directory, and wall signs (billed under the same Table 1-A valuation schedule used for building permits); a separate 'temporary sign permit' (valid one calendar month only) is required for horizontal and projecting vertical banners. Several smaller sign types — directional, identification, menu board, real estate, and sidewalk signs — are exempt from a permit but must still meet Article VIII's size/height/placement standards. Multi-tenant complexes and mixed-use developments may instead pursue a Comprehensive Sign Plan (CSP), reviewed by the Planning Director for a flat $500 fee, for design flexibility beyond the standard caps.

  →

• Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm Permit

  Carefree contracts its fire protection service to Rural Metro Fire (a 10-year agreement renewed by the Town Council on April 7, 2026, extending through 2037) rather than operating its own department; the Town's own Fire Marshal function is staffed by Rural Metro personnel (Fire Marshal Ken Diamond; Deputy Fire Marshal Ryan Wick). Carefree's building code goes beyond the base 2018 International Fire Code (IFC): an automatic fire sprinkler system is mandatory for ALL new single-family residences, all new detached structures, and all new commercial projects — not just the occupancy types the unamended IFC/IRC would require. Fire alarm/detection systems are governed by the 2018 IFC as locally adopted. For both system types, plan approval must first be obtained from Rural Metro Fire before the Town of Carefree will issue the underlying building permit.

  →

• Certificate of Occupancy (Change of Use / New Tenant Occupancy)

  Carefree does not publish a standalone 'Change of Use Permit.' A change in commercial use, a new tenant, or a business relocating within Town is instead processed through the Town's Certificate of Occupancy (COO) requirement, paired with a Zoning Clearance check and a Building Safety Inspection administered through the Business License process. A COO is a one-time requirement per building UNLESS the business relocates to a different building within Town, in which case a new COO must be obtained for the new address — this relocation/new-occupancy trigger is Carefree's functional equivalent of a change-of-use review.

  →

Comparable nearby cities