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Certificate of Occupancy for Change of Use Group in Cave Creek, Arizona

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.

Verified 2026-07-23 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A Certificate of Occupancy for Change of Use Group without Construction applies where a proposed change in occupancy classification (e.g., retail to office, restaurant to retail) does NOT involve any construction or alteration work
  • Where a change of occupancy IS accompanied by construction or alteration work, the project must instead apply for a standard Commercial Building Permit, valued and fee'd per the general valuation-based Building Permit Fee table, with plan review against the code requirements applicable to the new occupancy classification
  • Governed by the 2025 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) as adopted by the Town of Cave Creek (Town Code § 151.09), which requires compliance with the code provisions applicable to the new occupancy classification before a change of occupancy is approved
  • A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCofO) may be requested for a project that needs to occupy a building before all final work/inspections are complete; the fee increases the longer the temporary occupancy is extended (staged in 30-day increments)
  • Apply via the Town's SmartGov Community Platform online portal

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Certificate of Occupancy for Change of Use Group, without ConstructionTown of Cave Creek Comprehensive Fee Schedule (as of 2/5/2026), "Request for Certificate of Occupancy for Change of Use Group without Construction." Figure confirmed by rendering the fee-schedule PDF page to an image and reading the table directly (Page 3 of 9), because pdftotext -layout scrambles this section's column alignment.
$61.00
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCofO) — First 30 daysTown of Cave Creek Comprehensive Fee Schedule, Permit Fee for Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (CofO); confirmed by direct visual read of the rendered fee-schedule page
3% of building permit fee
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCofO) — Second 30 daysTown of Cave Creek Comprehensive Fee Schedule, Permit Fee for Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (CofO); confirmed by direct visual read of the rendered fee-schedule page
6% of building permit fee
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCofO) — Third 30 daysTown of Cave Creek Comprehensive Fee Schedule, Permit Fee for Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (CofO); confirmed by direct visual read of the rendered fee-schedule page. The Fee Schedule does not publish a fourth-tier (beyond 90 days) TCofO figure -- omitted here rather than inferred.
9% of building permit fee
Change of Use WITH ConstructionPriced through the standard Commercial Building Permit process (this file's general valuation-based fee table), not the flat $61 without-construction CofO fee, whenever the change of use involves any construction or alteration work
Based on Valuation — see Building Permit Fee valuation table
Plan Review Fee, StandardTown of Cave Creek Comprehensive Fee Schedule, Plan Review Fees
65% of the permit fee (minimum $50); flat-fee CofO permits have $0 plan review fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Certificate of Occupancy for Change of Use Group permit actually take in Cave Creek?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Change of Use Walkthrough

    Verifies life-safety compliance (egress, occupant load, fire alarm/sprinkler coverage as applicable) for the new occupancy classification where no construction is involved

  2. 2

    Final (where construction is involved)

    Standard final building inspection against approved plans, applicable when the change of use includes construction/alteration work permitted under the Commercial Building Permit

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

Tips

  • As of July 2026, the Town of Cave Creek does not appear to publish permit-specific plan review turnaround times for Certificate of Occupancy / change-of-use requests on its public website. Call the Building and Fire Safety Department directly at 480-488-6622 for a current estimate.
  • The $61 flat CofO fee ONLY applies to a change of use group WITHOUT construction -- if any construction or alteration work accompanies the occupancy change, budget for the standard valuation-based Commercial Building Permit fee instead.
  • A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy escalates quickly (3% of the building permit fee for the first 30 days, 6% for the second, 9% for the third) -- there is no published fee tier beyond the third 30-day period, so plan to complete final work within roughly 90 days of occupying under a TCofO.
  • Confirm which occupancy classification your business/tenant use falls under against the 2025 IBC and 2025 IEBC (as adopted and amended by the Town) before applying -- a straightforward retail-to-retail tenant swap is more likely to qualify for the no-construction CofO path than a use requiring different occupant-load, egress, or fire-protection provisions.

Frequently asked questions

Cave Creek requires a certificate of occupancy for change of use group permit for: A Certificate of Occupancy for Change of Use Group without Construction applies where a proposed change in occupancy classification (e.g., retail to office, restaurant to retail) does NOT involve any construction or alteration work; Where a change of occupancy IS accompanied by construction or alteration work, the project must instead apply for a standard Commercial Building Permit, valued and fee'd per the general valuation-based Building Permit Fee table, with plan review against the code requirements applicable to the new occupancy classification; Governed by the 2025 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) as adopted by the Town of Cave Creek (Town Code § 151.09), which requires compliance with the code provisions applicable to the new occupancy classification before a change of occupancy is approved; A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCofO) may be requested for a project that needs to occupy a building before all final work/inspections are complete; the fee increases the longer the temporary occupancy is extended (staged in 30-day increments); Apply via the Town's SmartGov Community Platform online portal. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Cave Creek Building and Fire Safety Department at 480-488-1400 (Main); 480-488-6637 / 480-488-6622 (Building Official / Building Department); 480-488-6631 (Plans Examiner) before starting work.

3% of the building permit fee for the first 30 days, 6% for the second 30 days, and 9% for the third 30 days, per the Town's Comprehensive Fee Schedule. No fee tier beyond the third 30-day period is published.

Cave Creek does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Cave Creek Building and Fire Safety Department at 480-488-1400 (Main); 480-488-6637 / 480-488-6622 (Building Official / Building Department); 480-488-6631 (Plans Examiner) for current turnaround.

You'll need: Request for Certificate of Occupancy for Change of Use Group (without Construction). Depending on your project, Cave Creek may also ask for: Commercial Building Permit Application; Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCofO) Request. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Cave Creek requires 2 inspection(s) for a certificate of occupancy for change of use group permit, in order: Change of Use Walkthrough, Final (where construction is involved). Schedule each through Town of Cave Creek Building and Fire Safety Department (480-488-1400 (Main); 480-488-6637 / 480-488-6622 (Building Official / Building Department); 480-488-6631 (Plans Examiner)).

Apply through Town of Cave Creek Building and Fire Safety Department at 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), email: ahicks@cavecreekaz.gov (Adam Hicks, Building Official/Fire Marshal); jlombardo@cavecreekaz.gov (Jenifer Lombardo, Plans Examiner/Building Inspector); twilgus@cavecreekaz.gov (Tracie Wilgus, Sr. Permit Tech). 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.. Official information: https://www.cavecreekaz.gov/577/Building-Fire-Code-Compliance.

Cave Creek, 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 (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).. Local amendments apply — see the Cave Creek overview page for the full list.

Cave Creek's own Comprehensive Fee Schedule frames this as a 'Certificate of Occupancy for Change of Use Group' request. Where no construction accompanies the occupancy change, it is a flat $61.00 fee; where construction is involved, the project instead goes through the standard Commercial Building Permit process.

Sources & verification

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

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