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Certificate of Occupancy / Change of Occupancy in Gilbert, Arizona

The Town of Gilbert does not offer a standalone 'change of use' or 'change of occupancy' application distinct from its Building Permit process. A standard Certificate of Occupancy is issued automatically upon passing final inspection under an active, paid Building Permit (per IBC §111 as adopted). For situations without new construction, Gilbert's adopted fee schedule separately lists a 'Courtesy Certificate of Occupancy (C of O)' product (two price tiers, Option A and Option B) and a 'Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) or Partial Certificate of Completion (PCC)' product used to grant occupancy of part of a building before the entire project is complete. Critically, Gilbert's local Fire Code amendment (2018 IFC §903.2.2, Town of Gilbert Technical Codes 2020 Edition) requires an automatic fire sprinkler system to be installed whenever a building within Fire Hazard Level 1 undergoes a change of occupancy, regardless of building area — this is the primary code trigger tied to a change of occupancy in Gilbert.

Verified 2026-07-23 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Submit through OneStopShop portal at onestopshop.gilbertaz.gov if a permit is required for the change of occupancy (e.g., fire sprinkler retrofit or other construction)
  • A building must pass final inspection under an active, paid Building Permit before legal occupancy, per IBC §111 as adopted by the Town of Gilbert
  • A change of occupancy within Fire Hazard Level 1 requires installation of an automatic fire sprinkler system regardless of building area, per 2018 IFC §903.2.2 as locally amended (Town of Gilbert Technical Codes 2020 Edition)
  • A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) is capped at 60 calendar days per issuance; renewals (also capped at 60 additional days each) are granted at the sole discretion of the Building Official based on remaining work; if the TCO and any extensions expire without completion of all outstanding items, the matter is referred to Code Compliance for enforcement (IBC §111.3 as locally amended)
  • Contact Development Services at (480) 503-6700 to confirm which Courtesy Certificate of Occupancy fee tier (Option A or Option B) applies — the published fee schedule does not itself define the criteria distinguishing the two tiers

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Courtesy Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) — Option A
Source: Town of Gilbert Development Services Fee Schedules (doc 5883), Applied Miscellaneous Building Fees, effective July 1, 2025, adopted by Town Council May 20, 2025 by Resolution 4563 — page 9 of… Show full citationSource: Town of Gilbert Development Services Fee Schedules (doc 5883), Applied Miscellaneous Building Fees, effective July 1, 2025, adopted by Town Council May 20, 2025 by Resolution 4563 — page 9 of the 'Revised 7/1/2026' republication. Read this column from the page as published rather than from a copy-paste; it does not extract cleanly. The published fee schedule does not define what distinguishes 'Option A' from 'Option B' — confirm applicability with Development Services.
$110
Courtesy Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) — Option BSource: Town of Gilbert Development Services Fee Schedules (doc 5883), Applied Miscellaneous Building Fees, effective July 1, 2025, Resolution 4563, page 9 (same caveat on Option A/B criteria as above).
$250
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) or Partial Certificate of Completion (PCC)
Source: Town of Gilbert Development Services Fee Schedules (doc 5883), Applied Miscellaneous Building Fees, effective July 1, 2025, Resolution 4563, page 9. Show full citationSource: Town of Gilbert Development Services Fee Schedules (doc 5883), Applied Miscellaneous Building Fees, effective July 1, 2025, Resolution 4563, page 9. This fee column does not copy and paste cleanly — a copy-paste scrambles it and bleeds in figures from the Walls/Fences and Individual Permit rows above — so read it from the page as published.
$650
TCO/PCC Exception — Initial TCO or PCC for TI under 2,000 sq ft requiring only Building, Fire, and Backflow signaturesSource: Town of Gilbert Development Services Fee Schedules (doc 5883), Applied Miscellaneous Building Fees, effective July 1, 2025, Resolution 4563, page 9.
$340
TCO/PCC 1st RenewalSource: Town of Gilbert Development Services Fee Schedules (doc 5883), Applied Miscellaneous Building Fees, effective July 1, 2025, Resolution 4563, page 9.
$125 each
TCO/PCC 2nd RenewalSource: Town of Gilbert Development Services Fee Schedules (doc 5883), Applied Miscellaneous Building Fees, effective July 1, 2025, Resolution 4563, page 9.
$250 each
TCO/PCC 3rd RenewalSource: Town of Gilbert Development Services Fee Schedules (doc 5883), Applied Miscellaneous Building Fees, effective July 1, 2025, Resolution 4563, page 9.
$500 each
Standard Certificate of Occupancy (final inspection under an active Building Permit)Per IBC §111 as adopted by the Town of Gilbert; a standard Certificate of Occupancy is issued upon passing final inspection under an already-paid Building Permit, and is not billed as a distinct line item.
No separate fee — included in the Building Permit Fee for the underlying permit

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Certificate of Occupancy / Change of Occupancy permit actually take in Gilbert?

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final Inspection (Standard Certificate of Occupancy)

    Final inspection confirming all work under an active Building Permit is complete and compliant; triggers issuance of the standard Certificate of Occupancy

  2. 2

    Fire Sprinkler System Inspection (Change of Occupancy, Fire Hazard Level 1 only)

    Required when a change of occupancy within Fire Hazard Level 1 triggers the automatic fire sprinkler system requirement under 2018 IFC §903.2.2 as locally amended, regardless of building area

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

Tips

  • Gilbert has no dedicated 'change of use permit' or 'change of occupancy permit' application in OneStopShop — a change of occupancy is handled either as a Courtesy Certificate of Occupancy request (no construction) or through the standard Building Permit / Tenant Improvement process (if construction is involved).
  • The fee schedule lists two Courtesy Certificate of Occupancy price tiers ($110 Option A / $250 Option B) but does not publish the criteria distinguishing them — call Development Services at (480) 503-6700 before assuming which applies.
  • A change of occupancy within Fire Hazard Level 1 triggers a mandatory automatic fire sprinkler system retrofit regardless of building size, per Gilbert's local IFC §903.2.2 amendment — a significant, easy-to-miss requirement for anyone occupying an existing building under a new use classification without other construction work.
  • A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) or Partial Certificate of Completion (PCC) is capped at 60 calendar days and may be renewed at the Building Official's discretion (also capped at 60 additional days per renewal); renewal fees escalate ($125 / $250 / $500 for 1st / 2nd / 3rd renewal).
  • The $340 TCO/PCC exception rate applies specifically to an initial TCO or PCC for a tenant improvement under 2,000 sq ft that requires only Building, Fire, and Backflow signatures.

Frequently asked questions

Gilbert requires a certificate of occupancy / change of occupancy permit for: Submit through OneStopShop portal at onestopshop.gilbertaz.gov if a permit is required for the change of occupancy (e.g., fire sprinkler retrofit or other construction); A building must pass final inspection under an active, paid Building Permit before legal occupancy, per IBC §111 as adopted by the Town of Gilbert; A change of occupancy within Fire Hazard Level 1 requires installation of an automatic fire sprinkler system regardless of building area, per 2018 IFC §903.2.2 as locally amended (Town of Gilbert Technical Codes 2020 Edition); A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) is capped at 60 calendar days per issuance; renewals (also capped at 60 additional days each) are granted at the sole discretion of the Building Official based on remaining work; if the TCO and any extensions expire without completion of all outstanding items, the matter is referred to Code Compliance for enforcement (IBC §111.3 as locally amended); Contact Development Services at (480) 503-6700 to confirm which Courtesy Certificate of Occupancy fee tier (Option A or Option B) applies — the published fee schedule does not itself define the criteria distinguishing the two tiers. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Gilbert Development Services Department — Plan Review and Inspection Division at (480) 503-6700 before starting work.

A TCO (or Partial Certificate of Completion, PCC) allows occupancy of part of a building before the entire project is complete, per IBC §111.3 as locally amended. It costs $650 (or $340 for an initial TCO/PCC on a tenant improvement under 2,000 sq ft requiring only Building, Fire, and Backflow signatures), is capped at 60 calendar days, and may be renewed at the Building Official's discretion for additional 60-day periods at escalating fees: $125 (1st renewal), $250 (2nd renewal), $500 (3rd renewal). If the TCO and any extensions expire without completing all outstanding items, the matter is referred to Code Compliance for enforcement.

Gilbert does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Gilbert Development Services Department — Plan Review and Inspection Division at (480) 503-6700 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Certificate of Occupancy / Courtesy C of O Request. Depending on your project, Gilbert may also ask for: Building Permit Application (if construction is triggered). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Gilbert requires 2 inspection(s) for a certificate of occupancy / change of occupancy permit, in order: Final Inspection (Standard Certificate of Occupancy), Fire Sprinkler System Inspection (Change of Occupancy, Fire Hazard Level 1 only). Schedule each through Town of Gilbert Development Services Department — Plan Review and Inspection Division ((480) 503-6700).

Apply through Town of Gilbert Development Services Department — Plan Review and Inspection Division at 90 E. Civic Center Drive, Gilbert, AZ 85296. Phone: (480) 503-6700, email: onestopshop@gilbertaz.gov. Office hours: Monday–Thursday: 7:00 AM–6:00 PM; Friday: Closed (Town Hall operates a 4-day/10-hour week; confirmed live on the Development Services department page 2026-07-16). Official information: https://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/development-services.

Gilbert, Arizona has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC), with Appendices C, I, and K, and Town of Gilbert amendments — effective January 1, 2020 (Ordinance 2739, Town of Gilbert Technical Codes 2020 Edition); 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), with Appendices H, P, and Q, and Town of Gilbert amendments — effective January 1, 2020 (Ordinance 2739); 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), with Town of Gilbert amendments — effective January 1, 2020 (Ordinance 2739); 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC), with Town of Gilbert amendments — effective January 1, 2020 (Ordinance 2739); 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), with Town of Gilbert amendments — effective January 1, 2020 (Ordinance 2739); 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), with Town of Gilbert amendments — effective January 1, 2020 (Ordinance 2739); 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), with Town of Gilbert amendments — effective January 1, 2020 (Ordinance 2739); 2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) — voluntary adoption only — effective January 1, 2020 (Ordinance 2739); 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), with Town of Gilbert amendments — effective January 1, 2020 (Ordinance 2739); 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design — effective January 1, 2020 (Ordinance 2739); Town of Gilbert Technical Codes 2020 Edition — local amendment overlay (Code of Gilbert Chapter 10, Sections 10-31 and 10-32) incorporating December 2023 amendments per gilbertaz.gov Document 35111. Local amendments apply — see the Gilbert overview page for the full list.

No standalone 'change of use permit' application exists in Gilbert's OneStopShop system. A change of occupancy is handled as a Courtesy Certificate of Occupancy request (Option A $110 / Option B $250, no construction involved) or through the standard Building Permit / Tenant Improvement process if construction is required. Note that a change of occupancy within Fire Hazard Level 1 requires an automatic fire sprinkler system regardless of building size, per the Town's local amendment to 2018 IFC §903.2.2.

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