Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Cave Creek, Arizona

Cave Creek requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Building permit required for new single-family and two-family dwelling construction within Cave Creek town limits; Plans must comply with the 2024 IRC and Town of Cave Creek amendments, including Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria (105 mph wind; Seismic Design Category B; negligible weathering; 0 frost line depth; moderate-to-heavy termite potential); Mandatory residential cooling capable of maintaining 85°F or below in habitable rooms, bathrooms, and toilet rooms (IRC R325.8.2, as amended); Site/construction plans (PDF, max. 24" x 36") with structural calcs (if required), truss calcs, and manufacturer's cut sheets must accompany the submittal; drawn to 1/4" = 1' scale (3/16" = 1' may be accepted); Plans must indicate yard lines including electric run, water meter/well location and size, sewer/septic location and line size, and gas line/meter location; Swimming pools and spas are permitted separately and must be notated on the plan if shown; For properties on Town water supply, plans must show whether a fire hydrant is located within 600 feet of the property with a lineal-foot measurement; Driveway must meet Town of Cave Creek driveway standards; Submittal via the Town's SmartGov Community Platform online portal (twn-cavecreek-az.smartgovcommunity.com). 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.

In Cave Creek, the published Building Permit Fee — Based on Valuation is: $47.74 (valuation $1-$500); $47.74 + $7.23 per additional $100 to $2,000; $140.33 + $20.25 per additional $1,000 to $25,000; $788.44 + $20.25 per additional $1,000 to $50,000; $1,297.67 + $13.02 per additional $1,000 to $100,000; $2,002.20 + $11.57 per additional $1,000 to $500,000; $6,514.38 + $10.13 per additional $1,000 to $1,000,000; $11,297.09 + $7.23 per additional $1,000 above $1,000,000. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee, Standard — 65% of the permit fee (minimum $50); if the permit is a flat fee, the plan review fee is $0; Additional Valuations (Garages/Patios/Decks/Barns/Sun Rooms) — Residential garages $55.50/sq ft; covered decks/patios/carports $21.60/sq ft; uncovered decks $16.60/sq ft; wood barns $23.00/sq ft; metal barns $9.00/sq ft; sun room/Arizona room $100.00/sq ft; mare motel $5.00/sq ft; Additional Plan Reviews (changes, lost plans, or comment sheets) — $123.00 per hour; Inspections or services with no specifically indicated fee — $150.00 per hour ($150.00 per hour, minimum 2 hours, for inspections outside normal building hours); Reinspection (after first and one subsequent failed inspection) — $100.00 per reinspection. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

As of July 2026, the Town of Cave Creek does not publish a permit-specific plan review turnaround guideline for new residential construction, unlike some neighboring Arizona municipalities. Call the Building and Fire Safety Department directly at 480-488-6622 for a current estimate before planning around a specific timeline.

You'll need: Single Family Dwelling Checklist (2024); Residential Plan Review Check List (2021 Residential Code, rev. 6/15/2026); Site/Plot Plan; Construction Drawings and Structural Calculations. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Cave Creek requires 7 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Footing/Foundation, Underslab Plumbing / Underfloor, Framing, Insulation, Drywall, Plumbing Rough / Mechanical / Fuel Gas Piping, 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.

The 2024 IRC and 2024 IBC (for non-residential portions), as adopted and amended by the Town of Cave Creek via Ordinance No. 2025-08, apply effective January 1, 2026 — except that residential energy compliance runs on the 2018 IRC Chapter 11 / 2018 IECC Chapters R1-R5, not the 2024 IECC used elsewhere in the code suite.