Swimming Pool / Spa Permit in Cave Creek, Arizona

Cave Creek requires a swimming pool / spa permit for: Swimming pools and spas are permitted separately from any concurrent building permit — must be notated on building plans if shown, but reviewed/permitted independently; Governed by the 2024 International Pool and Spa Code as adopted by the Town of Cave Creek (Town Code § 151.11); Pool, spa, and hot tub enclosures/barriers must comply with A.R.S. § 36-1681 (Arizona's statutory pool barrier law); Fee varies depending on whether engineering standards are already on file with the Town for the specific pool design, or above-ground vs. in-ground. 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.

$184 for an above-ground pool/spa; $615 for an in-ground pool with engineering standards already on file with the Town; $739 for an in-ground pool with no standards on file — plus a separate $369 Zoning Clearance fee, per the Town of Cave Creek Comprehensive Fee Schedule.

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: Building Permit Application (Pool/Spa); Pool/Spa Plans and Barrier Compliance Documentation. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Cave Creek requires 3 inspection(s) for a swimming pool / spa permit, in order: Pre-Gunite / Steel, Barrier/Fence, Final. 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.

Yes. The Town of Cave Creek's own Residential Plan Review Check List states that swimming pools and spas are to be permitted separately, even if notated on the building plan. Pools are governed by the 2024 International Pool and Spa Code, and barrier enclosures must comply with A.R.S. § 36-1681.