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Commercial / Multifamily Building Permit (Tenant Improvement, New Commercial, Mixed-Use) in Tempe, Arizona

Required for new commercial buildings, multifamily residential, tenant improvements, additions, alterations, and change of occupancy in Tempe. Commercial Plan Review ensures compliance with Tempe's adopted building codes, safety regulations, and zoning requirements before permits are issued. Plans for offices, retail, restaurants, and other commercial projects are reviewed for structural integrity, fire safety, accessibility (2010 ADA and ICC A117.1), and energy efficiency. All plan submittals must be electronic through the Tempe Citizen Access Portal.

Verified 2026-06-29 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Submit plans electronically through the Tempe Citizen Access Portal per the Electronic Plan (E-Plan) Review Submittal Guidelines
  • Plans must comply with Tempe's adopted 2018 I-Codes (IBC, IFC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC) and 2017 NEC, all with Tempe amendments
  • Commercial Tenant Improvement projects must include a Commercial Building Tenant Improvement (T.I.) Project Checklist
  • Contractor Affidavit (State of AZ requirement per AZ Department of Revenue) required
  • Email building code and private development engineering questions to permitcenter@tempe.gov

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (Table 1-A, effective July 1, 2025)Tempe Table 1-A — Building Permit Fees (effective July 1, 2025; annual CPI adjustment). Source: library.municode.com/az/tempe/codes/city_code?nodeId=APXASCFECH_TA1UIPEFE.
$100,001–$500,000: $2,218.67 for the first $100,000 plus $12.23 per additional $1,000; $500,001–$1,000,000: $7,115.86 for the first $500,000 plus $10.41 per additional $1,000; $1,000,001 and up: $12,308.85 for the first $1,000,000 plus $8.00 per additional $1,000. Smaller valuations: $1–$500: $97; $501–$2,000: $97.86 + $6.67 per additional $100; $2,001–$25,000: $197.78 + $30.61 per additional $1,000; $25,001–$50,000: $901.36 + $22.06 per additional $1,000; $50,001–$100,000: $1,453.41 + $15.31 per additional $1,000.
Plan Review FeeCovers initial review and two subsequent re-submittals. Additional reviews (4th and beyond) are charged at $190 per hour (minimum 1 hour). Source: Community Development Service Fees (showpublisheddocument/108212).
65% of the Building Permit Fee, collected at application submission

Review timeline

Plan reviewTempe’s published plan-review target
5–40 business days

How long did your Commercial / Multifamily Building Permit (Tenant Improvement, New Commercial, Mixed-Use) permit actually take in Tempe?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Structural / foundation (during construction)

    Foundation, structural, and rough-trade inspections per approved plans and 2018 IBC with Tempe amendments; must be approved before covering or proceeding.

  2. 2

    Final / Certificate of Occupancy

    Final inspection of all completed work; Certificate of Occupancy issued after a successful final inspection. Tenant Improvement Final Inspection Requirements are published on the Inspections page.

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

Tips

  • Tempe publishes target commercial turn-around times: Tenant Improvements under $500,000: 5–10 working days initial; Tenant Improvements $500,001+: 10–15 working days; New Buildings under $10 million: 15–20 working days. Source: Target Turn-Around Times (revised August 26, 2025).
  • Commercial plan submittals must be electronic through the Citizen Access Portal; all commercial projects require the Electronic Plan (E-Plan) Review Submittal Guidelines.
  • Tenant Improvement projects require the Commercial T.I. Project Checklist — incomplete applications may cause delays.

Frequently asked questions

Tempe requires a commercial / multifamily building permit (tenant improvement, new commercial, mixed-use) for: Submit plans electronically through the Tempe Citizen Access Portal per the Electronic Plan (E-Plan) Review Submittal Guidelines; Plans must comply with Tempe's adopted 2018 I-Codes (IBC, IFC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC) and 2017 NEC, all with Tempe amendments; Commercial Tenant Improvement projects must include a Commercial Building Tenant Improvement (T.I.) Project Checklist; Contractor Affidavit (State of AZ requirement per AZ Department of Revenue) required; Email building code and private development engineering questions to permitcenter@tempe.gov. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Tempe Community Development Department — Building Safety Division / Permit Center at 480-350-4311 before starting work.

In Tempe, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (Table 1-A, effective July 1, 2025) is: $100,001–$500,000: $2,218.67 for the first $100,000 plus $12.23 per additional $1,000; $500,001–$1,000,000: $7,115.86 for the first $500,000 plus $10.41 per additional $1,000; $1,000,001 and up: $12,308.85 for the first $1,000,000 plus $8.00 per additional $1,000. Smaller valuations: $1–$500: $97; $501–$2,000: $97.86 + $6.67 per additional $100; $2,001–$25,000: $197.78 + $30.61 per additional $1,000; $25,001–$50,000: $901.36 + $22.06 per additional $1,000; $50,001–$100,000: $1,453.41 + $15.31 per additional $1,000.. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee — 65% of the Building Permit Fee, collected at application submission. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Tempe publishes target commercial plan review times. Tenant Improvements under $500,000 target 5–10 working days for the initial review; Tenant Improvements over $500,000 target 10–15 working days; New Buildings under $10 million target 15–20 working days; New Buildings over $10 million target 20–30 working days. These are targets. Source: Tempe Target Turn-Around Times, revised August 26, 2025 (tempe.gov/home/showdocument?id=114647).

You'll need: Electronic Plan (E-Plan) Review Submittal Guidelines; Commercial Building Tenant Improvement (T.I.) Project Checklist; Contractor Affidavit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Tempe requires 2 inspection(s) for a commercial / multifamily building permit (tenant improvement, new commercial, mixed-use), in order: Structural / foundation (during construction), Final / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through City of Tempe Community Development Department — Building Safety Division / Permit Center (480-350-4311).

Apply through City of Tempe Community Development Department — Building Safety Division / Permit Center at City of Tempe City Hall, 31 E. 5th St., Tempe, AZ 85281. Phone: 480-350-4311, email: permitcenter@tempe.gov. Office hours: Contact the Permit Center at 480-350-4311 or permitcenter@tempe.gov for current hours; inspections are conducted Monday–Friday 6:30 AM–3:30 PM (inspection requests received before midnight are inspected the following business day). Official information: https://www.tempe.gov/government/community-development/building-safety/permit-center.

Tempe, Arizona has adopted: 2018 Tempe Building Safety Administrative Code (local administrative provisions) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published on the ICC Safe platform (codes.iccsafe.org/content/AZTEMPEMC2018P2); 2018 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published on the ICC Safe platform (codes.iccsafe.org/content/AZTEMPEBC2018P1); 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published on the ICC Safe platform (codes.iccsafe.org/content/AZTEMPERC2018P11); 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published on the ICC Safe platform (codes.iccsafe.org/content/AZTEMPEMC2018P11); 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published on the ICC Safe platform (codes.iccsafe.org/content/AZTEMPEFGC2018P11); 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published on the ICC Safe platform (codes.iccsafe.org/content/AZTEMPEECC2018P1); 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published on the ICC Safe platform (codes.iccsafe.org/content/AZTEMPEEBC2018P22); 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published on the ICC Safe platform (codes.iccsafe.org/content/AZTEMPEPC2018P11); 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published on the ICC Safe platform (codes.iccsafe.org/content/AZTEMPESPSC2018P1); 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published on the ICC Safe platform (codes.iccsafe.org/content/AZTEMPEFC2018P1); 2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published on the ICC Safe platform (library.municode.com/az/tempe/codes/city_code?nodeId=CH8BUBURE_ARTXIINGRCOCO); 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) — adopted with Tempe amendments; published in the Tempe City Code (library.municode.com/az/tempe/codes/city_code?nodeId=CH8BUBURE_ARTVIII2017NAELCO). Local amendments apply — see the Tempe overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-06-29.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Tempe building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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