Skip to main content
PermitBase

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

Required for new single-family and two-family dwelling construction and building additions in the Town of Fountain Hills. Reviewed against the 2024 IRC and Town of Fountain Hills amendments (Ordinance No. 25-06), effective for submittals on/after September 1, 2025. Applications are submitted exclusively through T.O.P.P.S., the Town's Citizenserve-hosted online permitting portal.

Verified 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • 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)

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet — 0 of 5 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29 →

Fee schedule

Single Family Homes & Additions — Livable Area with A/CIncludes Permit and Plan Review. Town of Fountain Hills Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2026-2027, Building Fees section.
$0.73 per square foot
Single Family Homes & Additions — Covered Area (Garage and/or Patio, non-A/C)Town of Fountain Hills Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2026-2027.
$0.55 per square foot
Landscape DepositRequired for Certificate of Occupancy if landscaping is not yet installed; refundable upon Town approval within 6 months. Town of Fountain Hills Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2026-2027.
$2,500.00 refundable deposit
Single-Family Residential Development Impact FeeSeparate from building permit/plan review fee; split among Parks & Recreation, Fire, and Streets funds. Town of Fountain Hills Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2026-2027.
$8,816.00 per dwelling
Residential Automatic Sprinkler System Plan Review/InspectionTown of Fountain Hills Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2026-2027, Fire Fees section — mandatory given the Town's sprinkler-in-all-new-construction amendment.
$340.00 for up to 4,400 sq ft, then $0.08 per sq ft thereafter
Plan Review Add-On (After 3rd Review)Town of Fountain Hills Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2026-2027.
50% of Building Permit/Plan Review Fee
Permit Extension — Residential new construction/additionsIf Town has all records and project is within current code cycle. Town of Fountain Hills Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2026-2027.
$460.00 per extension
Penalty for failure to obtain a building permitTown of Fountain Hills Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2026-2027.
100% of Building Permit/Plan Review Fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Additions) permit actually take in Fountain Hills?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Stormwater / Limits Fence

    Prior to permit issuance — BMPs, inlets, trackout pad and site limits fence per copy of site plan

  2. 2

    Footing

    Prior to placing concrete — copies of compaction tests required

  3. 3

    Foundation

    Prior to placing concrete or grout — required hold-downs installed, all steel tied, elevation set

  4. 4

    Under-Slab Plumbing/Heating/Electric

    Before fill placement; all piping under test

  5. 5

    Pre-Slab

    Before concrete is placed — pipes sleeved, footings formed

  6. 6

    Roof Diaphragm Nailing / Wall Shear Nailing

    Prior to dry-in — stamped truss calcs and ladder on site; windows installed, flashed, NFRC-labeled

  7. 7

    Rough Framing / Plumbing / Electrical / Mechanical

    Before top-out — gas/DWV/water under test, boxes/panel/service made up, gas appliance venting installed

  8. 8

    Insulation

    Before drywall — per approved plans

  9. 9

    Drywall

    After all insulation approved, before taping

  10. 10

    Final Grade & Site Improvements / Landscaping

    Before building final — site plan on site, landscape plan complete

  11. 11

    Final Building

    Gas/electric meters set, appliances operational, blower door test results provided

See the full Fountain Hills inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • T.O.P.P.S. is the ONLY way to submit a building permit application in Fountain Hills — there is no paper or in-person submittal option.
  • Because the Town's Fire Code amendment (Ordinance No. 25-06, Section 903.2) requires automatic sprinklers throughout ALL new occupancies including garages and carports, budget for the separate Residential Automatic Sprinkler System Plan Review/Inspection fee and a separately submitted fire sprinkler plan set.
  • The 2024 IRC/IBC code cycle became effective for Fountain Hills on September 1, 2025 (Ordinance No. 25-06) — plans submitted before that date were reviewed under the prior (2018 I-Codes/2017 NEC) cycle.
  • The Town's published A.R.S. §9-835 review-timeframe policy (Resolution 2013-48) sets a 90/180/270 Town-working-day ceiling for 'Commercial Building Permit' and other commercial/platting categories, but does not list Residential Building Permit — no published Town review-timeframe specific to residential new construction was found; call Building Safety at 480-816-5123 for current timing.

Frequently asked questions

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.

Other permits in Fountain Hills

Residential Remodel PermitElectrical Permit (Minor / One-Discipline)Plumbing Permit (Water Heater / Minor)Mechanical / HVAC Permit (Minor Replacement)Solar Photovoltaic & Energy Storage PermitEV Charger / EVSE PermitSwimming Pool & Spa PermitFence and Retaining Wall PermitSign PermitFire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System PermitChange of Use / Certificate of Occupancy

Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Additions) in other cities

Apache Junction, ArizonaAvondale, ArizonaBenson, ArizonaBisbee, ArizonaBuckeye, ArizonaBullhead City, ArizonaCamp Verde, ArizonaCarefree, Arizona

Compare residential building permit (new construction / additions) fees across Arizona →

Look up this fee in a different city →

Embed this data card →

Now live

Build your Fountain Hills project checklist

Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Fountain Hills — in one checklist. Sign up and pay once to generate it, or go unlimited with Pro.

Get started →