Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Tenant Improvements / Additions) in Fountain Hills, Arizona

Fountain Hills requires a commercial building permit (new construction / tenant improvements / additions) for: Building permit required for new commercial building construction, commercial additions, and tenant improvement/build-out work within Town limits; Plans must comply with the 2024 IBC and Town of Fountain Hills amendments (Ordinance No. 25-06), effective for submittals on/after September 1, 2025; New construction, additions, and tenant improvements are billed under the same combined fee category, 'Commercial/Tenant Building Permit & Additions' — confirming TI is fee-wise folded into the general commercial building permit process rather than priced as a distinct product; a separate, lower 'Commercial Remodel (Existing)' rate applies only to remodeling an existing built-out commercial space with no new construction/TI scope; New commercial construction commonly also requires a separate Site Plan/Design Review approval through Planning & Zoning (Commercial/Industrial/Multi-Family Site Plan Review fee: $680.00 for the first 5,000 sq ft of property, plus $130.00 per additional 1,000 sq ft) — this is a distinct Planning Fee/process from the building permit itself, not included in the building permit fee; Public Art Contribution Fee applies to qualifying commercial construction projects on a tiered percentage-of-construction-cost basis; the Town calculates Total Construction Cost per the building code's own valuation standards for this purpose; Commercial Development Impact Fee ($4,815.00 per 1,000 square feet) applies at permit issuance for new commercial construction, split among Parks & Recreation, Fire, and Streets funds per Council resolution; Automatic fire sprinkler and/or fire alarm system plan review is billed and inspected separately from the building permit itself where applicable to the commercial scope (see Commercial Automatic Sprinkler System and Commercial Fire Alarm System fees); Structural calculations and construction drawings must be sealed, signed and dated by an architect or engineer registered in the State of Arizona for the applicable occupancy classification and scope under the adopted 2024 IBC; Submittal exclusively via T.O.P.P.S. (Town's Online Permitting and Planning System), a Citizenserve-hosted portal — no paper/walk-in applications accepted; No dedicated 'Commercial Building Permit' submittal checklist was found published on the Town's Building Permit Forms & Checklists page (fountainhillsaz.gov/502/Building-Permit-Forms-Checklists) — unlike the Town's residential, solar, and pool checklists, no commercial-specific plan-submittal checklist document was located after checking that page and searching the Town's site directly. 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.

$0.80 per square foot for air-conditioned area and $0.65 per square foot for non-A/C covered area, inclusive of permit and plan review, per the Town of Fountain Hills Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2026-2027. Additional fees (Public Art Contribution, Development Impact Fee, fire sprinkler/alarm plan review, Site Plan Review) may apply depending on project scope.

The Town's published A.R.S. §9-835 compliance policy (Resolution 2013-48) sets a statutory ceiling of 90 Town working days for administrative completeness review, 180 Town working days for substantive review, and 270 Town working days overall for Commercial Building Permit applications. This is a maximum ceiling, not a typical turnaround — call Building Safety at 480-816-5123 for the Town's actual expected review time.

You'll need: T.O.P.P.S. Application; Site/Plot Plan; Construction Drawings and Structural Calculations. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Fountain Hills requires 10 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit (new construction / tenant improvements / additions), in order: Stormwater / Limits Fence, Footing, Foundation, Under-Slab Plumbing/Heating/Electric, Rough Framing / Plumbing / Electrical / Mechanical, Fire Sprinkler Rough, Insulation / Drywall, Fire Sprinkler Final, Final Grade & Site Improvements / Landscaping, Final Building. 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.

No. The Town's Comprehensive Fee Schedule groups new commercial construction, additions, and tenant improvements together under one combined fee category, 'Commercial/Tenant Building Permit & Additions,' at the same per-square-foot rate ($0.80 A/C / $0.65 non-A/C). A separate, lower rate applies only when remodeling an already-built-out existing commercial space with no new construction or TI scope.