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Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit in Carefree, Arizona

Covers interior (and any associated exterior) modifications to existing commercial tenant spaces in Carefree. The Town publishes a dedicated Tenant Improvement Standards handout (Handout TI, rev. 03/24/2023) and a separate 'Building – Tenant Improvement Submittal' flowchart with their own design-professional-seal thresholds, contractor license classifications, and approval sequence — a genuinely distinct process from new ground-up Commercial Building Permits, not merely an alias of it.

Reviewed 2026-07-29 · Source

When you need this permit

  • An Arizona-registered design professional must prepare and seal plans when tenant floor area exceeds 1,250 sq ft, or for: office space over 1,000 sq ft; B-occupancy space over 1,250 sq ft; retail space over 12,500 sq ft; any B-occupancy space with a commercial kitchen; nail salons; or structural beams exceeding 20 feet
  • Electrical plans must be prepared by an Arizona registrant when a new or modified electrical service/feeder exceeds 225 amperes at 120/208V three-phase with fault current exceeding 10K AIC
  • Tenant improvements must be constructed by a licensed contractor holding one of these Arizona commercial classifications: B-1 General Commercial Contractor, B-2 General Small Commercial Contractor, CR-7 Carpentry, or CR-61 Carpentry, Remodeling and Repairs Contractor (CR-61 limited to projects of $50,000 or less); contractor must hold an active Town of Carefree business license Contractor
  • Building permit and plan review fees are based on project valuation as determined by occupancy classification, type of construction, and building area; the Town's handout separately distinguishes 'major structural changes' (calculated against 40% of original tenant building area) from 'minor non-structural changes' (20% of original tenant building area) without further explaining the fee-calculation mechanics behind that distinction
  • If exterior modifications are proposed, a separate Planning & Zoning submittal (pre-application meeting, design review, conditional use permit, or site plan amendment, as applicable) must be resolved and Planning approval obtained before Building Construction drawings can be submitted to the Building Department
  • If the tenant unit was originally established by a condominium plat, a condominium re-plat is required when units are divided, combined across different ownership, or unit boundary walls are added/removed/modified
  • An ADA-accessible route from the exterior to the tenant entrance is required, with 25% of building valuation applied to ADA compliance, when building valuation exceeds $20,000
  • A parking analysis/statement verifying sufficient parking for the proposed tenant use, per Article VII of the Zoning Ordinance, must be provided to Planning & Zoning

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit and Plan Review Fee — Based on ValuationTown of Carefree Tenant Improvement Standards (Handout TI, rev. 03/24/2023), Section D. The handout states fees are valuation-based per occupancy/construction-type/area and references 40%/20%-of-original-tenant-building-area distinctions for major structural vs. minor non-structural changes, but does not itself restate the Table 1-A dollar schedule or a TI-specific plan-review percentage — presumed to route through the same general Table 1-A schedule documented elsewhere in this file (Carefree Town Code § 10-1-2(A)), but this was not separately confirmed in the TI handout text itself.
Based on project valuation as determined by occupancy classification, type of construction, and building area
ADA Accessibility AllocationApplies when building valuation exceeds $20,000. Town of Carefree Tenant Improvement Standards (Handout TI, rev. 03/24/2023), Section H.
25% of building valuation applied to ADA compliance (accessible route from exterior to entrance)

Review timeline

Plan reviewCarefree’s published plan-review target
15–35 business days

How long did your Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit permit actually take in Carefree?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Grading (if exterior modifications proposed)

    Per the Town's 'Building – Tenant Improvement Submittal' flowchart, a Grading Permit from Site Development must be obtained prior to Building Permit issuance if exterior modifications are proposed

  2. 2

    Final Walk-Through

    Construction complete, all punch-list items addressed, as-built drawings approved; results in either a Certificate of Occupancy (no exterior modifications) or a Final Letter of Acceptance beginning a 1-year warranty period (exterior modifications completed)

  3. 3

    Warranty Walk-Through

    For TI projects with completed exterior modifications: conducted after the 1-year warranty period, with all punch-list items addressed before bond release and a Warranty Release Letter is issued

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

Tips

  • Carefree treats tenant improvements as their own permit product, with a dedicated handout (Handout TI) and a distinct submittal flowchart — separate from the process used for new ground-up commercial construction — even though both appear to route through the same general Table 1-A valuation-based fee structure.
  • If a TI project proposes any exterior modification, budget extra time: the Town's flowchart requires Planning & Zoning approval (which can include a pre-application meeting, design review, conditional use permit, or site plan amendment) to be resolved before Building Construction drawings can even be submitted to the Building Department.
  • Design-professional-seal thresholds vary by use, not just size — a nail salon or a B-occupancy space with a commercial kitchen requires an Arizona-registrant-sealed plan regardless of square footage, while general office/retail/B-occupancy space has its own separate size thresholds (1,000 / 1,250 / 12,500 sq ft respectively).
  • The 'major structural' (40% of original tenant building area) vs. 'minor non-structural' (20%) distinction is stated in the Town's own handout but not further explained — call the Plans Examiner (Joshua@carefree.org, (602) 722-8195) to confirm how it affects your specific project's fee calculation before budgeting.

Frequently asked questions

Carefree requires a commercial tenant improvement permit for: An Arizona-registered design professional must prepare and seal plans when tenant floor area exceeds 1,250 sq ft, or for: office space over 1,000 sq ft; B-occupancy space over 1,250 sq ft; retail space over 12,500 sq ft; any B-occupancy space with a commercial kitchen; nail salons; or structural beams exceeding 20 feet; Electrical plans must be prepared by an Arizona registrant when a new or modified electrical service/feeder exceeds 225 amperes at 120/208V three-phase with fault current exceeding 10K AIC; Tenant improvements must be constructed by a licensed contractor holding one of these Arizona commercial classifications: B-1 General Commercial Contractor, B-2 General Small Commercial Contractor, CR-7 Carpentry, or CR-61 Carpentry, Remodeling and Repairs Contractor (CR-61 limited to projects of $50,000 or less); contractor must hold an active Town of Carefree business license; Building permit and plan review fees are based on project valuation as determined by occupancy classification, type of construction, and building area; the Town's handout separately distinguishes 'major structural changes' (calculated against 40% of original tenant building area) from 'minor non-structural changes' (20% of original tenant building area) without further explaining the fee-calculation mechanics behind that distinction; If exterior modifications are proposed, a separate Planning & Zoning submittal (pre-application meeting, design review, conditional use permit, or site plan amendment, as applicable) must be resolved and Planning approval obtained before Building Construction drawings can be submitted to the Building Department; If the tenant unit was originally established by a condominium plat, a condominium re-plat is required when units are divided, combined across different ownership, or unit boundary walls are added/removed/modified; An ADA-accessible route from the exterior to the tenant entrance is required, with 25% of building valuation applied to ADA compliance, when building valuation exceeds $20,000; A parking analysis/statement verifying sufficient parking for the proposed tenant use, per Article VII of the Zoning Ordinance, must be provided to Planning & Zoning. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Carefree Building Department at 480-488-3686 before starting work.

In Carefree, the published Building Permit and Plan Review Fee — Based on Valuation is: Based on project valuation as determined by occupancy classification, type of construction, and building area. Additional published fees: ADA Accessibility Allocation — 25% of building valuation applied to ADA compliance (accessible route from exterior to entrance). These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Carefree's published plan-review target for a commercial tenant improvement permit is 15–35 business days.

You'll need: Tenant Improvement Standards (Handout TI); Tenant Improvement Application; Construction Plans (3 copies); Fire Alarm/Sprinkler Shop Drawings. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Carefree requires 3 inspection(s) for a commercial tenant improvement permit, in order: Grading (if exterior modifications proposed), Final Walk-Through, Warranty Walk-Through. Schedule each through Town of Carefree Building Department (480-488-3686).

Apply through Town of Carefree Building Department at 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.. Official information: https://www.carefree.org/page/building.

Yes. The Town of Carefree publishes a dedicated Tenant Improvement Standards handout (Handout TI, rev. 03/24/2023) with its own design-professional-seal thresholds, contractor license classifications, and a distinct submittal flowchart, separate from the process used for new ground-up commercial construction.

It depends on size and use. Per the Town's Tenant Improvement Standards, sealed plans are generally required when floor area exceeds 1,250 sq ft, or for office space over 1,000 sq ft, B-occupancy space over 1,250 sq ft, retail space over 12,500 sq ft, any B-occupancy space with a commercial kitchen, nail salons, or structural beams exceeding 20 feet.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-29.

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

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