Cave Creek building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Cave Creek, Arizona.
Last verified 2026-07-06 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 37622 N. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331
- Phone
- 480-488-1400 (Main); 480-488-6637 / 480-488-6622 (Building Official / Building Department); 480-488-6631 (Plans Examiner)
- Office hours
- Monday - Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. All permit applications, plan reviews, inspection requests, and payments must be submitted through the Town's online portal, the SmartGov Community Platform (twn-cavecreek-az.smartgovcommunity.com/Public/Home) — effective as the Town's exclusive permitting channel per the Town's Online Permitting and Inspection Service notice.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Cave Creek's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Cave Creek — 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. § 9-802 authorizes municipalities to adopt codes or public records by reference without setting forth their provisions in full, provided the adopting ordinance is published in full). The Town of Cave Creek independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its Building and Fire Safety Department; it does not defer permitting to Maricopa County. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08 (adopted November 18, 2025, effective January 1, 2026).
- 2024 International Building Code (IBC), as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference (Town Code Title XV, Chapter 151, § 151.01), with Town of Cave Creek amendments, effective January 1, 2026. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Exhibit A.1 and A.2, Section 1.
- 2024 International Residential Code (IRC), as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference (§ 151.02), with Town of Cave Creek amendments, effective January 1, 2026. Chapter 11 (Energy Efficiency) of the 2024 IRC is deleted in its entirety and replaced with Chapter 11 of the 2018 IRC. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Section 2.
- 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted by reference (§ 151.03), with Town of Cave Creek amendments, effective January 1, 2026. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Section 3.
- 2025 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted by reference (§ 151.04), with Town of Cave Creek amendments, effective January 1, 2026 (the Town's Building & Fire Code Compliance summary page separately lists this as the '2024 International Plumbing Code' — the governing Ordinance No. 2025-08 text itself specifies the 2025 edition; treat the Ordinance as authoritative). Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Section 4.
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), as published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 70), adopted by reference (§ 151.05), with Town of Cave Creek amendments, effective January 1, 2026. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Section 5.
- 2025 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted by reference (§ 151.06) as the Town's uniform fire code, with Town of Cave Creek amendments; administered by the Building and Fire Safety Department under the Chief Building and Fire Code Official. Appendix B (Fire Flow Requirements for Buildings) and Appendix D (Fire Apparatus Access Roads) are adopted, with Appendix D.102.1 amended to require an approved fire apparatus access road capable of supporting an imposed load of fire apparatus weighing up to 50,000 pounds. Annual fire and life safety inspections are required for all occupancies and buildings except one- and two-family dwellings. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Section 6.
- Town of Cave Creek Sprinkler Code (§ 151.07), originally adopted from Chapter 9 of the 2003 International Fire Code in July 2004 and unchanged since; automatic fire sprinkler systems in new and existing buildings are governed by this Town-specific sprinkler code rather than the IFC's own Section 903 (which is deleted and replaced by reference to § 151.07). Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Section 6(2)-(3) and Section 7.
- 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted by reference (§ 151.08), with Town of Cave Creek amendments, effective January 1, 2026. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Section 8.
- 2025 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted by reference (§ 151.09), with Town of Cave Creek amendments, effective January 1, 2026. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Section 9.
- 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted by reference (§ 151.10), effective January 1, 2026, EXCEPT that Chapters R1 through R5 of the IECC's residential section are deleted in their entirety and replaced with Chapters R1 through R5 of the 2018 IECC — so residential energy compliance in Cave Creek runs on the 2018 IECC residential provisions even though the commercial IECC baseline is 2024. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Section 10.
- 2024 International Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), adopted by reference (§ 151.11 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code), effective January 1, 2026; all swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs must comply with this code, and pool/spa/hot-tub enclosures must comply with A.R.S. § 36-1681 (Arizona's pool barrier statute). Swimming pools and spas are issued under a separate permit from the building permit. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Section 11; Town of Cave Creek Residential Plan Review Check List (rev. 6/15/2026).
- ICC A117.1-2017 (Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities), adopted as part of the Town's code suite alongside the 2024 IBC. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08 (preamble); Town of Cave Creek Commercial Plan Submittal Guidelines.
- All prior versions of Chapter 151 (Building Code § 151.01, Residential Code § 151.02, Mechanical Code § 151.03, Plumbing Code § 151.04, Electrical Code § 151.05, Fire Code § 151.06, Fuel Gas Code § 151.08, Existing Building Code § 151.09, and Energy Conservation Code § 151.10) were repealed in their entirety and replaced by Ordinance No. 2025-08, effective January 1, 2026; all former conflicting ordinances were repealed as of that date. Source: Town of Cave Creek Ordinance No. 2025-08, Sections 1-2 (Repeal, Effective Date).
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for new single-family and two-family dwelling construction in the Town of Cave Creek. Reviewed against the 2024 IRC (with 2018 IRC Chapter 11 energy provisions) and Town of Cave Creek amendments, effective January 1, 2026. All applications are submitted through the Town's SmartGov Community Platform online portal.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for room additions, remodels, and other alterations to existing one- and two-family dwellings in Cave Creek. Reviewed against the 2024 IRC as adopted and amended by the Town, using the same Residential Plan Review Check List as new construction where the addition scope triggers structural, plumbing, mechanical, or electrical review.
Electrical Permit
Required for electrical installation, alteration, or repair work in Cave Creek, governed by the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC/NFPA 70) as adopted and amended by the Town.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing installation, alteration, or repair work in Cave Creek, governed by the International Plumbing Code as adopted and amended by the Town (Ordinance No. 2025-08 text cites the 2025 IPC edition; the Town's Building & Fire Code Compliance summary page separately lists 2024 IPC — the Ordinance is the authoritative source).
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning installations in Cave Creek, governed by the 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) as adopted and amended by the Town. Given the Town's mandatory residential cooling requirement (IRC R325.8.2), HVAC/AC work is a common permit type.
Re-Roofing Permit
Required for residential and commercial re-roofing in Cave Creek, governed by the 2024 IRC/IBC roofing provisions with a Town-added drip-edge requirement (IRC R905.5.6).
Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit
Required for installation of rooftop residential solar photovoltaic systems in Cave Creek. Governed by the 2023 NEC as adopted and amended by the Town. The Comprehensive Fee Schedule carries a single dedicated flat fee for residential PV, without a separate kW-based tier.
Demolition Permit
Required for demolition of any residential or commercial structure in Cave Creek, distinctly fee-classified by structure type on the Town's Comprehensive Fee Schedule.
Fence and Wall Permit
Fences and walls in Cave Creek are regulated with a limited no-permit exception for shorter fences, and flat permit fees for taller/engineered fences and walls (arena/corral rail, wood/chain-link/wrought iron, masonry/concrete, and retaining walls).
Swimming Pool / Spa Permit
Required for all swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs in Cave Creek, always issued SEPARATELY from a building permit and governed by the 2024 International Pool and Spa Code. Pool barrier enclosures must independently comply with A.R.S. § 36-1681.
EV Charger / EVSE Permit
Cave Creek has no standalone EV-charger/EVSE permit type or fee line item. Installing electric vehicle charging equipment (e.g., a dedicated 240V Level 2 circuit, panel/service upgrade, or one-line diagram/load-calculation update to support a charger) is electrical work, governed by the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC/NFPA 70) as adopted by the Town (Town Code Section 151.05), and per this file's own electrical-permit entry, is priced through the same general valuation-based Building Permit Fee table applied to any electrical work -- the Town's Comprehensive Fee Schedule does not list a separate flat 'electrical permit' line item, and no EV-charger, EVSE, or electric-vehicle-specific fee or process was found on the Town's Building Fire Code Compliance page or Comprehensive Fee Schedule as of this review. Re-chased on 2026-07-20: fetched the Town's CURRENT Comprehensive Fee Schedule (as of February 5, 2026, adopted December 2, 2024) directly and confirmed the exact governing valuation-based Building Permit Fee table that applies -- $47.74 for a $1-$500 valuation, scaling upward per the published formula. This IS a real, exact, currently-in-force governing fee mechanism (the Town simply does not itemize a distinct EV-charger line the way it does for Photovoltaic (PV) Solar, which has its own $307.00 flat fee).
Commercial Sign Permit
Required for permanent commercial/business signage (freestanding/ground-mounted, wall/building-mounted, and monument signs) erected within the Town of Cave Creek, governed by Zoning Ordinance Chapter 9 (Signage), adopted by Ordinance No. O2019-02 on January 21, 2020, effective February 21, 2020. A Zoning Clearance and/or Building Permit is required for most signs; a Building Permit AND Electrical Permit are both required for any permanent exterior electric (illuminated) sign.
Fire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm Permit
Required for installation, alteration, or extension of automatic fire sprinkler systems and fire alarm systems in Cave Creek. Automatic fire sprinkler systems are governed by the Town's own legacy Sprinkler Code (Town Code § 151.07, originally adopted from Chapter 9 of the 2003 IFC in July 2004 and unchanged since) rather than the current-edition 2025 IFC's own Section 903 (which is deleted and redirected to § 151.07). Per the Town's Commercial Plan Submittal Guidelines, fire sprinkler work is issued under a SEPARATE permit from the building permit, required prior to the rough frame inspection. Fire alarm systems (along with emergency lights and exit signs) are reviewed as part of the Electrical submittal for a project rather than as their own distinct permit product -- Cave Creek does not treat sprinkler and alarm work as two differently-fee'd permit types; both are billed through the general valuation-based Building Permit Fee, the same mechanism used for this file's electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permit entries. Plan review, permit issuance, and inspections for fire code compliance are handled by the Town's own Building and Fire Safety Department (Adam Hicks, Building Official/Fire Marshal) -- NOT by Daisy Mountain Fire & Medical Department, which under an Intergovernmental Agreement effective January 3, 2022 provides Cave Creek's emergency fire suppression and EMS response/dispatch but has no independent fire-code permitting role within Town limits.
Certificate of Occupancy for Change of Use Group
Cave Creek's real local equivalent of a 'change of use permit' is a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) product administered by the Building and Fire Safety Department. Where a change of occupancy classification is proposed WITHOUT any accompanying construction work, the Town charges a dedicated flat 'Request for Certificate of Occupancy for Change of Use Group without Construction' fee. Where a change of use IS accompanied by construction/alteration work, that work is instead permitted and fee'd through the standard Commercial Building Permit (valuation-based) process, per the Town's adopted 2025 International Existing Building Code (IEBC, Town Code § 151.09) change-of-occupancy provisions. The Town's Fee Schedule separately itemizes a staged Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCofO) fee for projects that need to occupy a building before final completion.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- 0units
0 buildings · $0 valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 23units
12 of 12 months reported · #55 in Arizona coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 5units
5 buildings · $6.3M valuation
5 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 31units
31 buildings · $25.4M valuation
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Arizona building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Arizona has no statewide mandatory building code — the Town of Cave Creek independently adopts and amends its own construction codes (Ordinance No. 2025-08, effective January 1, 2026) and runs its own Building and Fire Safety Department; it does not defer to Maricopa County for permitting within town limits.
- The Town adopted a near-full 2024/2025 ICC code suite (2024 IBC, 2024 IRC, 2024 IMC, 2025 IPC, 2025 IFC, 2025 IEBC, 2024 IFGC, 2024 IECC, 2024 ISPSC) effective January 1, 2026, plus the 2023 NEC and ICC A117.1-2017 — but residential ENERGY compliance is a notable exception: it runs on the 2018 IRC Chapter 11 / 2018 IECC Chapters R1-R5, not the 2024 IECC used for the rest of the suite.
- Automatic fire sprinklers are governed by the Town's OWN Sprinkler Code (§ 151.07), originally adopted from the 2003 IFC in 2004 and unchanged since — both the current IFC's Section 903 and the IEBC's Section 1103.5 are explicitly deleted and redirected to this legacy Town-specific sprinkler code.
- Mandatory residential cooling: habitable rooms, bathrooms, and toilet rooms must be maintained at 85°F or below (IRC R325.8.2, based on a 107°F summer design temperature per IPC Appendix D) — stricter than some neighboring jurisdictions' 90°F threshold.
- Climatic/geographic design criteria: 105 mph wind, Seismic Design Category B, negligible weathering, 0 frost line depth, moderate-to-heavy termite potential; Manual J design criteria are also codified (2,530 ft elevation, 34N latitude, 0.970 altitude correction factor).
- ALL permit applications, plan reviews, inspection requests, and payments must go through the Town's SmartGov Community Platform online portal — there is no walk-in or email-only permitting path described on the Town's site.
- The Town's Comprehensive Fee Schedule (effective February 1, 2025) is the sole fee authority: nearly every adopted code's own fee/refund/permit-validity sections are explicitly deleted and replaced with a cross-reference to Town Code § 151.14 (the Fee Schedule).
- No published permit-specific plan review turnaround-time document (unlike some neighboring Arizona cities' dedicated 'Plan Review Timeframes Guideline') was found anywhere on the Town's official site, its Comprehensive Fee Schedule, its Ordinance No. 2025-08, or Wayback Machine snapshots as of July 2026 — every permit type in this record is marked reviewTimelineVerified: false with an honest-gap note directing applicants to call the Building and Fire Safety Department directly (480-488-6622 / 480-488-1400) for a current estimate.
- Swimming pools and spas are ALWAYS permitted separately from the building permit, even when shown on the same site plan, and pool fees vary substantially ($184 above-ground; $615 with engineering standards on file; $739 with no standards on file) plus a separate $369 Zoning Clearance fee.
- A narrow permit exemption applies to one-story detached accessory structures (sheds, playhouses) up to 200 sq ft with no electrical/plumbing/mechanical systems, fences up to 7 feet (except ALL pool barriers, which always require a permit), and — under the Residential Code specifically — uncovered decks up to 200 sq ft that are low (30 inches or less above grade), unattached to the dwelling, and don't serve a required exit door.
- Cave Creek's own Residential Plan Review Check List (rev. 6/15/2026) is unusually detailed, citing specific IRC/IECC/NEC sections for every discipline (general/site, foundation, floor plan, elevations, structural, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, energy) — reviewing it before submittal is likely to reduce comment-sheet cycles (each additional review round after the standard first/second is billed at $123/hour).
- Fee-schedule figures for electrical, general mechanical/HVAC, and general plumbing permits are NOT separately itemized as flat fees on the Town's Comprehensive Fee Schedule (unlike fences, signs, demolitions, and pools, which are flat) — these trades are billed through the general valuation-based Building Permit Fee applied to the value of the work.