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Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Resort/Hotel, and Tenant Improvement) in Paradise Valley, Arizona

Required for new commercial building construction and for interior/exterior alterations (including tenant improvement work) to existing commercial buildings in Paradise Valley — an unusual jurisdiction in that it has no conventional 'commercial' zoning district at all. Every non-residential use, including the Town's resort properties (e.g. Sanctuary, Mountain Shadows, Montelucia) and the small retail strip along Lincoln Drive, exists only because the parcel carries one of three Special Use Permit (SUP) District designations under Zoning Ordinance Article XI — there is no as-of-right commercial zoning to build into. Once a parcel is properly zoned, the building-permit process itself (plan review, fees, inspections) is the same in-house Building Safety Department process used for residential work, and there is no separate tenant-improvement application or fee schedule.

Verified 2026-08-01 · Source

When you need this permit

  • The Town of Paradise Valley Zoning Ordinance (Article III, Section 301) divides the entire Town into fourteen classes of 'Districts': eight single-family residential districts, an Open Space Preserve District, and three Special Use Permit (SUP) District categories — 'SUP District (Resort, Country Club, Golf Course)', 'SUP District (Religious Facility, Private School, Non-Profit Organization, Public/Quasi Public)', and 'SUP District (Medical Office, Kennel, Veterinary Clinic)'. There is no C-O, C-1, C-2, or other conventional commercial zoning district — any new resort, hotel, medical office, or other commercial use must first obtain the applicable SUP District designation (a rezoning) via Planning Commission recommendation and Town Council approval under Zoning Ordinance Article XI before a building permit application for that use will be processed
  • The Special Use Permit Guidelines (Section 4, Resorts) set distinct site/bulk standards for new resort development: minimum 20-acre site not bisected by a public right-of-way and at least 300 feet of frontage on a Major or Minor Arterial (both waived for properties with an existing resort SUP); maximum building height 36 ft for principal structures, 24 ft for accessory structures, 18 ft for service structures (towers/architectural features may exceed this with SUP or major-amendment approval); maximum 25% lot coverage by structures, 60% by all impervious surface, minimum 40% open space; maximum guest-unit density of 1 unit per 4,000 sq ft of site area; no individual retail business, office, or business service may occupy more than 2,000 sq ft or have an entrance other than from within a principal or accessory structure
  • Once zoned, the actual building permit is reviewed in-house by the Building Safety Department against the Town's adopted 2015 IBC (plus 2015 IMC/IPC/IFGC, 2014 NEC, and 2021 IFC) the same way as residential work — the Town's Plan Review Process document states plainly that 'All residential projects, most commercial projects and all fire sprinkler plans will be reviewed in house,' confirming commercial work uses the same 65%-of-permit-fee, up-to-two-review, in-house track documented for every other permit type in this file
  • New commercial structures require automatic fire sprinklers, the same Town amendment that applies to new residential structures; the Master Fee Schedule bills a distinct 'Commercial sprinkler plan review' fee ($0.10/sq ft) that is priced differently from the 'Residential sprinkler plan review' fee ($0.06/sq ft), confirming commercial fire-sprinkler plans are billed and reviewed on their own line separate from residential
  • There is no separate commercial valuation table or tenant-improvement fee schedule: the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee table (§1.1.1.1) used for residential construction applies to commercial construction, and the same interior-remodel/conversion methodology applies to commercial tenant-improvement work as to a residential remodel — interior remodel valuations are calculated at one-half of the standard per-square-foot value, and conversions (a change of use in an existing area) are valued at the per-square-foot value of the proposed use less the per-square-foot value of the existing use, per the Town's Building Permit Application Information / General Permitting Information handouts
  • A Dust Control Plan is required per Town Code 5-10-5(C); a Maricopa County Air Quality Dust Control Permit is required instead of the Town's own plan for non-owner-builder projects disturbing more than 4,356 sq ft Owner-builder
  • A Haul Fee equal to 9.0% of the Building Permit Fee applies to any new construction or remodeling project — commercial included — valued at $500,000 or more, a threshold most ground-up resort or hotel construction would exceed
  • A physical or use change inside an already-SUP-zoned commercial building (e.g., a new tenant or restaurant concept within an existing resort, or a space in the Lincoln Drive retail strip) may separately require a Managerial Amendment or Minor Amendment to that property's existing SUP under Zoning Ordinance Article XI — a zoning-side action and fee that is distinct from, and in addition to, the Building Safety Department's building permit itself; this Article XI amendment process, not a standalone 'tenant improvement permit,' is how Paradise Valley handles what other jurisdictions call TI review
  • Applications are submitted via the Accela Citizen Access online portal (aca-prod.accela.com/PARADISEVLY), the same portal used for all other Building permits in this file; no separate commercial-specific application form was found on the Town's Permits and Handouts index

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Commercial Building Permit Fee — Based on Valuation (same table as residential, §1.1.1.1)Town of Paradise Valley Building Permit Application Information / General Permitting Information handouts (current, live) — no separate commercial-only valuation table exists; the same table used for residential construction applies. Tenant-improvement work is valued at one-half of the standard per-square-foot value (interior remodel) or the proposed-use-minus-existing-use per-square-foot differential (conversion).
$33.98 (valuation $1-$800); $33.98 + $2.94 per additional $100 to $3,000; $100.13 + $13.49 per additional $1,000 to $38,000; $565.73 + $9.73 per additional $1,000 to $75,000; $930.84 + $6.75 per additional $1,000 to $750,000; $8,110.07 + $3.04 per additional $1,000 above $750,000
Building Plan Review — In-House (up to two reviews)Town of Paradise Valley Building Permit Application Information handout, 'Plan Review Process' (current, live); explicitly confirmed to cover 'most commercial projects' reviewed in house alongside residential work
65% of the Building Permit Fee
Additional Plan Reviews (3rd and beyond, in-house)Town of Paradise Valley Building Permit Application Information handout (current, live). The archived 2021 Master Fee Schedule (Res. 2021-01) lists this same tier at $130.00/hour — the live handout's $145/hour figure is treated as current here since it postdates the archived schedule.
$145.00 per hour
Expedited Out-Sourced Plan Review (two reviews)Town of Paradise Valley Master Fee Schedule §1.1.6, 'Building Plan Review' (archived 03/01/2022 capture, Res. 2021-01 revision) — a general building-plan-review fee tier, not limited to demolition permits; a plausible track for a large or complex commercial/resort submittal, though the Town does not publish a distinct (faster) review timeline for this outsourced track
115% of the Building Permit Fee
Commercial Sprinkler Plan ReviewTown of Paradise Valley Master Fee Schedule §1.1.6 (archived 03/01/2022 capture, Res. 2021-01 revision); billed separately from the $0.06/sq ft Residential Sprinkler Plan Review fee, confirming distinct commercial fire-sprinkler billing
$0.10 per square foot
Hood System Plan ReviewTown of Paradise Valley Master Fee Schedule §1.1.6 (archived 03/01/2022 capture, Res. 2021-01 revision); relevant to resort/restaurant commercial-kitchen exhaust hood systems
$87.00 per plan
Fire Alarm Plan ReviewTown of Paradise Valley Master Fee Schedule §1.1.6 (archived 03/01/2022 capture, Res. 2021-01 revision)
$0.05 per square foot
Fire Hydrant Plan ReviewTown of Paradise Valley Master Fee Schedule §1.1.6 (archived 03/01/2022 capture, Res. 2021-01 revision)
$110.00 per plan
Haul Fee (new construction/remodel valued at $500,000+)Town of Paradise Valley Building Permit Application Information handout, §1.1.1.4 (current, live); applies to commercial the same as residential
9.0% of the Building Permit Fee
Special Use Permit (SUP) or Major Amendment to SUP — Resort/Country Club/Golf Course and all other non-exempt uses (zoning entitlement, separate from the building permit)Town of Paradise Valley Master Fee Schedule §2.4.1.8 (archived 03/01/2022 capture, Res. 2021-01 revision) — this is a Planning Division zoning-entitlement fee required before a NEW commercial/resort use may be established; it is charged in addition to, and prior to, the Building Safety Department's building permit fee above
$20,000 + $110 per acre or portion thereof
Managerial Amendment to an existing SUP (all other uses)Town of Paradise Valley Master Fee Schedule §2.4.1.2 (archived 03/01/2022 capture, Res. 2021-01 revision); the lightest-weight zoning-side action for a physical/use change inside an already-SUP-zoned commercial building, e.g. a tenant change — distinct from a Minor Amendment ($5,250, §2.4.1.4) or Major Amendment ($20,000+$110/acre, §2.4.1.8) depending on scope
$1,900

Review timeline

Plan reviewParadise Valley’s published plan-review target
15–20 business days

How long did your Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Resort/Hotel, and Tenant Improvement) permit actually take in Paradise Valley?

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough-In (Structural/MEP)

    Framing, structural connections, and mechanical/electrical/plumbing rough-in verified before concealment, per the Town's adopted 2015 IBC and local amendments

  2. 2

    Fire Sprinkler/Alarm Rough-In

    Required for new commercial structures per the Town's fire-sprinkler amendment; coordinated with the Town Fire Marshal (480-348-3631)

  3. 3

    Final

    All work complete per approved plans; required on every permit before closeout, consistent with every other permit type in this file

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

Tips

  • Paradise Valley's central commercial-permitting fact is zoning, not the building permit itself: the Town has no as-of-right commercial zoning district anywhere within its borders. A brand-new resort, hotel, medical office, or similar use must first be granted the applicable SUP District designation (Zoning Ordinance Article XI) through Planning Commission recommendation and Town Council approval — a rezoning process, not a building-permit review — before the Building Safety Department will process a building permit for that use.
  • That zoning-entitlement process runs on its own, much longer timeline than the ~15-20 business day building-permit review captured in this entry: the Town's Zoning Ordinance (Article III, §§307-308, as amended by Ordinance 2025-01) commits to a maximum 180-calendar-day Town Council decision after an application for a Special Use Permit or zoning-district-boundary change is deemed administratively complete (extendable by 30 days for extenuating circumstances or applicant-requested extensions) — a timeframe the ordinance itself ties to Arizona's statutory zoning-decision floor at A.R.S. § 9-835. Budget for this separately from, and before, the building-permit timeline below.
  • There is no separate 'tenant improvement permit' in Paradise Valley. On the building-permit side, TI work is just an interior remodel/conversion under the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee used for new construction (one-half per-square-foot value for remodels; proposed-minus-existing per-square-foot value for conversions) — identical to the residential-remodel methodology in this file. On the zoning side, a TI inside an already-SUP-zoned commercial building may separately trigger a Managerial ($1,900) or Minor ($5,250) SUP Amendment if it changes the approved site plan or use, but this is an Article XI zoning action, not a distinct TI building-permit product — no dedicated TI application, checklist, or fee schedule was found anywhere on the Town's Building Safety or Planning pages after an exhaustive search of the Permits and Handouts document index.
  • The Plan Review Process document's phrasing — 'most commercial projects' reviewed in house — implies some commercial submittals go to the Town's outsourced review tracks instead (Standard or Expedited Out-Sourced Plan Review, both listed in the archived Master Fee Schedule at 65%/115% of the Building Permit Fee respectively); no separate, faster published timeline exists for either outsourced track, so the 15-20 business day figure here should be treated as the standard case.
  • Resort SUP bulk standards cap any individual retail, office, or business-service tenant at 2,000 sq ft with no separate street-facing entrance — relevant if evaluating a small commercial space within the Sanctuary, Montelucia, Mountain Shadows, or another resort SUP property, versus the Town's small conventional retail strip along Lincoln Drive.
  • Given how small and resort-dominated Paradise Valley's commercial base is, confirm SUP zoning status and any required Article XI amendment with the Planning Division (Paul Michaud, Planning Manager, 480-348-3693, pmichaud@paradisevalleyaz.gov) before assuming a standard building-permit-only path — precedent here is thin compared to almost any other Arizona jurisdiction.

Frequently asked questions

Paradise Valley requires a commercial building permit (new construction, resort/hotel, and tenant improvement) for: The Town of Paradise Valley Zoning Ordinance (Article III, Section 301) divides the entire Town into fourteen classes of 'Districts': eight single-family residential districts, an Open Space Preserve District, and three Special Use Permit (SUP) District categories — 'SUP District (Resort, Country Club, Golf Course)', 'SUP District (Religious Facility, Private School, Non-Profit Organization, Public/Quasi Public)', and 'SUP District (Medical Office, Kennel, Veterinary Clinic)'. There is no C-O, C-1, C-2, or other conventional commercial zoning district — any new resort, hotel, medical office, or other commercial use must first obtain the applicable SUP District designation (a rezoning) via Planning Commission recommendation and Town Council approval under Zoning Ordinance Article XI before a building permit application for that use will be processed; The Special Use Permit Guidelines (Section 4, Resorts) set distinct site/bulk standards for new resort development: minimum 20-acre site not bisected by a public right-of-way and at least 300 feet of frontage on a Major or Minor Arterial (both waived for properties with an existing resort SUP); maximum building height 36 ft for principal structures, 24 ft for accessory structures, 18 ft for service structures (towers/architectural features may exceed this with SUP or major-amendment approval); maximum 25% lot coverage by structures, 60% by all impervious surface, minimum 40% open space; maximum guest-unit density of 1 unit per 4,000 sq ft of site area; no individual retail business, office, or business service may occupy more than 2,000 sq ft or have an entrance other than from within a principal or accessory structure; Once zoned, the actual building permit is reviewed in-house by the Building Safety Department against the Town's adopted 2015 IBC (plus 2015 IMC/IPC/IFGC, 2014 NEC, and 2021 IFC) the same way as residential work — the Town's Plan Review Process document states plainly that 'All residential projects, most commercial projects and all fire sprinkler plans will be reviewed in house,' confirming commercial work uses the same 65%-of-permit-fee, up-to-two-review, in-house track documented for every other permit type in this file; New commercial structures require automatic fire sprinklers, the same Town amendment that applies to new residential structures; the Master Fee Schedule bills a distinct 'Commercial sprinkler plan review' fee ($0.10/sq ft) that is priced differently from the 'Residential sprinkler plan review' fee ($0.06/sq ft), confirming commercial fire-sprinkler plans are billed and reviewed on their own line separate from residential; There is no separate commercial valuation table or tenant-improvement fee schedule: the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee table (§1.1.1.1) used for residential construction applies to commercial construction, and the same interior-remodel/conversion methodology applies to commercial tenant-improvement work as to a residential remodel — interior remodel valuations are calculated at one-half of the standard per-square-foot value, and conversions (a change of use in an existing area) are valued at the per-square-foot value of the proposed use less the per-square-foot value of the existing use, per the Town's Building Permit Application Information / General Permitting Information handouts; A Dust Control Plan is required per Town Code 5-10-5(C); a Maricopa County Air Quality Dust Control Permit is required instead of the Town's own plan for non-owner-builder projects disturbing more than 4,356 sq ft; A Haul Fee equal to 9.0% of the Building Permit Fee applies to any new construction or remodeling project — commercial included — valued at $500,000 or more, a threshold most ground-up resort or hotel construction would exceed; A physical or use change inside an already-SUP-zoned commercial building (e.g., a new tenant or restaurant concept within an existing resort, or a space in the Lincoln Drive retail strip) may separately require a Managerial Amendment or Minor Amendment to that property's existing SUP under Zoning Ordinance Article XI — a zoning-side action and fee that is distinct from, and in addition to, the Building Safety Department's building permit itself; this Article XI amendment process, not a standalone 'tenant improvement permit,' is how Paradise Valley handles what other jurisdictions call TI review; Applications are submitted via the Accela Citizen Access online portal (aca-prod.accela.com/PARADISEVLY), the same portal used for all other Building permits in this file; no separate commercial-specific application form was found on the Town's Permits and Handouts index. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Paradise Valley Building Safety Department (Community Development Department) at 480-348-3692 before starting work.

In Paradise Valley, the published Commercial Building Permit Fee — Based on Valuation (same table as residential, §1.1.1.1) is: $33.98 (valuation $1-$800); $33.98 + $2.94 per additional $100 to $3,000; $100.13 + $13.49 per additional $1,000 to $38,000; $565.73 + $9.73 per additional $1,000 to $75,000; $930.84 + $6.75 per additional $1,000 to $750,000; $8,110.07 + $3.04 per additional $1,000 above $750,000. Additional published fees: Building Plan Review — In-House (up to two reviews) — 65% of the Building Permit Fee; Additional Plan Reviews (3rd and beyond, in-house) — $145.00 per hour; Expedited Out-Sourced Plan Review (two reviews) — 115% of the Building Permit Fee; Commercial Sprinkler Plan Review — $0.10 per square foot; Hood System Plan Review — $87.00 per plan; Fire Alarm Plan Review — $0.05 per square foot; Fire Hydrant Plan Review — $110.00 per plan; Haul Fee (new construction/remodel valued at $500,000+) — 9.0% of the Building Permit Fee; Special Use Permit (SUP) or Major Amendment to SUP — Resort/Country Club/Golf Course and all other non-exempt uses (zoning entitlement, separate from the building permit) — $20,000 + $110 per acre or portion thereof; Managerial Amendment to an existing SUP (all other uses) — $1,900. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Two separate timelines apply. First, if the use requires new SUP District zoning (true for essentially any brand-new resort, hotel, or other non-residential use), the Town's Zoning Ordinance commits to a Town Council decision within 180 calendar days of the application being deemed administratively complete, per §§307-308 (grounded in A.R.S. § 9-835). Second, once zoned, the building permit itself follows the same in-house review as residential work: up to 15 business days per plan review (up to two reviews) plus 3-5 business days to issue, per the Building Permit Application Information handout.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Site Plan; Construction Plan Set; Fire Sprinkler Plans; Dust Control Plan. Depending on your project, Paradise Valley may also ask for: Special Use Permit (SUP) Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Paradise Valley requires 3 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit (new construction, resort/hotel, and tenant improvement), in order: Rough-In (Structural/MEP), Fire Sprinkler/Alarm Rough-In, Final. Schedule each through Town of Paradise Valley Building Safety Department (Community Development Department) (480-348-3692).

Apply through Town of Paradise Valley Building Safety Department (Community Development Department) at 6401 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253-4399. Phone: 480-348-3692, email: PVPermits@paradisevalleyaz.gov. Office hours: Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - Noon and 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.; closed for lunch 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. The Town does not accept application submittals, payments, nor release permits after 3:30 p.m. Applications for Building, Banner, Demolition, Electrical, Fence/Site Walls, Mechanical, Plumbing, Pool/Spa, and Short-Term Rental permits are submitted via the Accela Citizen Access online portal (aca-prod.accela.com/PARADISEVLY). Building inspections are scheduled via a 24/7 interactive phone system at 480-348-3581 or the Accela portal; winter (Oct-Apr) inspection hours are 7 a.m.-3 p.m., summer (May-Sept) 6 a.m.-3 p.m., and requests received before 3 p.m. are performed the next business day.. Official information: https://www.paradisevalleyaz.gov/185/Building.

No. Per Zoning Ordinance Article III, Section 301, the Town's fourteen zoning district classes are eight single-family residential districts, an Open Space Preserve District, and three Special Use Permit (SUP) District categories (Resort/Country Club/Golf Course; Religious Facility/Private School/Non-Profit/Public-Quasi-Public; Medical Office/Kennel/Veterinary Clinic). Every commercial use in Town, including its resort properties, exists under one of these SUP designations rather than a conventional commercial zone.

No. Tenant improvement work is processed as an interior remodel or use conversion under the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee and in-house plan review used for new commercial or residential construction — the Town's Building Permit Application Information and General Permitting Information handouts describe one unified remodel/conversion valuation methodology with no commercial-specific carve-out. A change inside an existing SUP-zoned building may separately require a Managerial or Minor SUP Amendment on the zoning side, but that is distinct from the building permit itself.

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