Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy in Fountain Hills, Arizona

Fountain Hills requires a change of use / certificate of occupancy permit for: No standalone 'Change of Use Permit' or dedicated Certificate of Occupancy fee line item was found published in the Town's Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2026-2027 or on the Building Permit Forms & Checklists page — confirmed after checking both documents directly; the only Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) reference in the fee schedule is the condition attached to the $2,500 refundable Landscape Deposit (required at C of O if landscaping is not yet installed); Ordinance No. 25-06 adopts the 2024 IBC by reference with numerous Town amendments, but does not include a local amendment to IBC Chapter 1, Section 111 (Certificate of Occupancy) — meaning the standard, unmodified 2024 IBC Certificate of Occupancy provisions govern in Fountain Hills; The Town's amended Fire Code § 903.2.13 ('Change of occupancy,' Ordinance No. 25-06) independently requires an automatic fire sprinkler system for an existing building or portion thereof undergoing a change of occupancy, when the change moves the building to a higher hazard level as defined in the ordinance's 5-tier hazard table, or occurs within Hazard Level 1 (H, I, R-1, R-2, R-4); A change of use accompanied by any physical/construction work is processed as a Commercial Remodel (Existing) or Tenant Improvement building permit via T.O.P.P.S, billed at the Town's per-square-foot commercial remodel rate rather than a change-of-use-specific fee; A Zoning Verification Letter is available as a separate Development Services product to confirm a property's zoning district and permitted-use status, typically used where no construction permit is otherwise required; Apply via T.O.P.P.S. online portal only for any permit-triggering scope of work. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Fountain Hills Building Safety Division (Planning and Zoning / Development Services Department) at 480-816-5123 before starting work.

No standalone C of O fee is published. The only Certificate-of-Occupancy-linked charge in the Comprehensive Fee Schedule is the $2,500 refundable Landscape Deposit, required if landscaping isn't installed yet at C of O. A Zoning Verification Letter ($350) is available if you need to confirm zoning/use compliance without a construction permit.

Fountain Hills does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Fountain Hills Building Safety Division (Planning and Zoning / Development Services Department) at 480-816-5123 for current turnaround.

Depending on your project, Fountain Hills may also ask for: T.O.P.P.S. Application (Commercial Remodel / Tenant Improvement); Zoning Verification Letter Request. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Fountain Hills requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use / certificate of occupancy permit, in order: Final Occupancy Inspection. Schedule each through Town of Fountain Hills Building Safety Division (Planning and Zoning / Development Services Department) (480-816-5123).

Apply through Town of Fountain Hills Building Safety Division (Planning and Zoning / Development Services Department) at Town Hall, 16705 E. Avenue of the Fountains, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268. Phone: 480-816-5123, email: pjohnson@fountainhillsaz.gov. Office hours: Building Safety office hours for plan review, phone calls, front counter assistance and building code questions: Monday - Thursday, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Inspections are conducted 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Town of Fountain Hills only accepts permit applications online through T.O.P.P.S. (Town's Online Permitting and Planning System), a Citizenserve-hosted portal; there is no walk-in/paper submittal option. Source: Town of Fountain Hills Building Safety page (fountainhillsaz.gov/204/Building-Safety) and Building Permit Forms & Checklists page (fountainhillsaz.gov/502/Building-Permit-Forms-Checklists).. Official information: https://www.fountainhillsaz.gov/204/Building-Safety.

Fountain Hills, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-municipality authority under state enabling statutes (A.R.S. Title 9). The Town of Fountain Hills independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its Building Safety Division, a work unit within the Planning and Zoning Department; it does not defer permitting to Maricopa County. Source: Town of Fountain Hills Building Safety page (fountainhillsaz.gov/204/Building-Safety).; 2024 International Building Code (IBC), as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference with Town of Fountain Hills amendments (Ordinance No. 25-06, repealing and replacing Town Code Chapter 7, Buildings and Building Regulations). Effective for all building permit applications received on or after September 1, 2025. Source: Town of Fountain Hills Adopted Codes page (fountainhillsaz.gov/208/Adopted-Codes); Ordinance No. 25-06 (fountainhillsaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12020).; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, with Appendix G, adopted by reference with Town amendments, effective September 1, 2025. Source: Adopted Codes page; Ordinance No. 25-06.; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted by reference, effective September 1, 2025. Source: Adopted Codes page; Ordinance No. 25-06.; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted by reference, effective September 1, 2025. Source: Adopted Codes page; Ordinance No. 25-06.; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted by reference, effective September 1, 2025. Source: Adopted Codes page.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), as published by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted by reference (one edition behind the 2024 ICC set, consistent with the statewide pattern of NEC lagging one cycle). Effective September 1, 2025. Source: Adopted Codes page; Ordinance No. 25-06.; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted by reference with Town amendments (IRC Section N1103.10.3 / R403.10.3 'Covers' deleted). Effective September 1, 2025. Source: Adopted Codes page; Ordinance No. 25-06.; 2024 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted by reference as the Town of Fountain Hills Fire Code, with extensive Town amendments including Appendix P (Control and Suppression of Hazardous Fire Areas) and Appendix Q (Fountain Hills Fire-Related Incidents Citation Program) added; administered by the Fire Marshal / Fire Code Official. Note: the Town's residential fire-sprinkler requirement is preserved from the 2006 IFC as amended and adopted April 17, 2008, regardless of which edition of the Fire Code is otherwise in force. Effective September 1, 2025. Source: Adopted Codes page; Ordinance No. 25-06.; 2024 International Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code (ISPSC), adopted by reference with Town amendments (barrier height/clearance provisions amended). Effective September 1, 2025. Source: Adopted Codes page; Ordinance No. 25-06.; 1997 Uniform Administrative Code, amended to adopt in part only — Section 304 and the referenced Tables 3-A through 3-H — solely for the purpose of determining fees. Source: Adopted Codes page.; 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, as published by the International Conference of Building Officials, adopted by reference with a Town amendment adding a definition for structures with construction cessation exceeding one year. Source: Adopted Codes page; Ordinance No. 25-06.; Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Standard Specifications and Uniform Details for Public Works Construction, adopted by reference for engineering/public-works construction. Source: Adopted Codes page; Ordinance No. 25-06.; Removing Solar Equipment procedure/amendment, published separately by Building Safety. Source: fountainhillsaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12635.; NOTE: A prior 2018 I-Codes / 2017 NEC adoption cycle (as reflected in older third-party directories) has been superseded — the Town Council adopted the 2024 code suite effective September 1, 2025 per Ordinance No. 25-06. Plans submitted on or after that date must use the 2024-cycle codes. Source: Adopted Codes page (fountainhillsaz.gov/208/Adopted-Codes), which explicitly states this notice.. Local amendments apply — see the Fountain Hills overview page for the full list.

Not as a distinctly named product. The Town has no dedicated Change of Use Permit, checklist, or fee line item in its Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2026-2027 or Building Permit Forms & Checklists page. It relies on the standard, unamended 2024 IBC Certificate of Occupancy process (Section 111) plus its own Fire Code amendment (§ 903.2.13) requiring sprinklers when an existing building's occupancy classification moves to a higher hazard level. A change of use requiring construction is processed as a Commercial Remodel/Tenant Improvement permit instead.