Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Additions) in Fountain Hills, Arizona

Fountain Hills requires a residential building permit (new construction / additions) for: Building permit required for new single-family/two-family dwelling construction and additions within Town limits; Plans must comply with the 2024 IRC and Town of Fountain Hills amendments (Ordinance No. 25-06), including Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria (105 mph wind; Seismic Design Category B; 34°F winter design temperature; 0 psf ground snow load; moderate-to-heavy termite potential); Automatic fire sprinklers are required throughout the entire new dwelling, including garages and carports, per the Town's amended IFC Section 903.2 (Ordinance No. 25-06) — plans must be submitted separately for the fire sprinkler system and noted on the house plans; Engineering (lateral analysis for shear, retaining and gravity where required) must be sealed, signed and dated by an architect or engineer registered in the State of Arizona; 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; Full square-footage summary required (livable, garage, covered patios/porches, storage, mechanical), plus site plan, floor plan, foundation/floor/wall/roof framing details, and an energy-code compliance path (prescriptive, performance, or full RES-Check). 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.

In Fountain Hills, the published Single Family Homes & Additions — Livable Area with A/C is: $0.73 per square foot. Additional published fees: Single Family Homes & Additions — Covered Area (Garage and/or Patio, non-A/C) — $0.55 per square foot; Landscape Deposit — $2,500.00 refundable deposit; Single-Family Residential Development Impact Fee — $8,816.00 per dwelling; Residential Automatic Sprinkler System Plan Review/Inspection — $340.00 for up to 4,400 sq ft, then $0.08 per sq ft thereafter; Plan Review Add-On (After 3rd Review) — 50% of Building Permit/Plan Review Fee; Permit Extension — Residential new construction/additions — $460.00 per extension; Penalty for failure to obtain a building permit — 100% of Building Permit/Plan Review Fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Not published by the Town. The Town's A.R.S. §9-835 compliance policy (Resolution 2013-48) sets a 90/180/270 Town-working-day ceiling for Commercial Building Permit and similar commercial/platting categories, but does not cover residential new construction. Call Building Safety at 480-816-5123 for current review timing.

You'll need: Town of Fountain Hills One and Two Family Residential 2024 IRC Plan Submittal Checklist; T.O.P.P.S. Application; Site/Plot Plan; Construction Drawings and Structural Calculations; Fire Sprinkler Plans. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Fountain Hills requires 11 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction / additions), in order: Stormwater / Limits Fence, Footing, Foundation, Under-Slab Plumbing/Heating/Electric, Pre-Slab, Roof Diaphragm Nailing / Wall Shear Nailing, Rough Framing / Plumbing / Electrical / Mechanical, Insulation, Drywall, 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.

Exclusively online through T.O.P.P.S. (Town's Online Permitting and Planning System), a Citizenserve-hosted portal. There is no walk-in or paper submittal path; create an account, then file the application and required plan set through the portal.

Yes. Per the Town's amended Fire Code (Ordinance No. 25-06, Section 903.2), automatic fire sprinklers are required throughout all new occupancies, including garages and carports, with narrow exceptions for small detached accessory structures. This is a stricter local amendment than the base International Fire Code.