Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit in Carefree, Arizona

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 (Handout TI, Section D); for computing that valuation, 'major structural changes' are calculated against 40% of the original tenant building area and 'minor non-structural changes' against 20% — the resulting valuation is then billed on the Town's standard Table 1-A schedule (Carefree Town Code § 10-1-2(A)), confirmed via the Council-adopted Comprehensive Fee Schedule (Resolution #2025-10), which attaches Table 1-A as the Town's only building permit/plan review fee schedule; 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 Fee — Based on Valuation (Table 1-A) is: Same Table 1-A valuation schedule as all other Carefree building permits: $25 flat (valuation $1-$500); $25 + $3/additional $100 to $2,000; $65 + $15/additional $1,000 to $25,000; $410 + $13/additional $1,000 to $50,000; $735 + $10/additional $1,000 to $100,000; $1,250 + $9/additional $1,000 to $500,000; $4,850 + $14/additional $1,000 to $1,000,000; $11,850 + $5/additional $1,000 above $1,000,000. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee — 65% of the calculated Building Permit Fee (Table 1-A); Certificate of Occupancy Permit (non-residential tenant improvement) — $50.00 per building or 'shell' plus $25.00 for each additional non-residential tenant improvement; 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.