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Residential Pool and Spa Permit — Lake Havasu City, Arizona · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-06 · Source: https://www.lhcaz.gov/development-permitting/building
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Residential Pool and Spa Permit in Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Required for construction of residential swimming pools and spas 18 inches or greater in depth in Lake Havasu City. Governed by the City's Requirements for Residential Pool and Spa Submittal (rev. 01-14-2021) and the amended IBC/IRC pool provisions.
Verified 2026-07-06 · Source
When you need this permit
- A swimming pool, spa, or other contained body of water 18 inches or greater in depth requires a building permit; those under 18 inches are exempt (IRC R105.2(7) / IBC 105.2(9) amendment)
- Site plan required showing lot shape, property lines, easements, pool/spa location, width and depth, and estimated project value; Mohave County Health Department approval required if applicable
- Setback rules: pool/spa must be set back from a building footing a distance equal to the pool's depth (or engineered for footing surcharge if closer); minimum 10 ft horizontal separation from overhead electrical service, 5 ft from underground service; minimum 10 ft from the outside face of a retaining wall supporting fill (or engineered self-supporting design if closer); pools within 7 ft of the top of a slope must be engineered self-supporting
- Structural reinforcing steel bonding required for pool/spa/hot tub shells per NEC 680.26(B)(2) amendment (24 in. o.c. each way, connected at four equal points along the perimeter for conductive shells)
- If a gas heater is installed, plans must specify heater BTU rating and gas line size/length from meter to heater (propane gas lines permitted by the Fire Marshal's office)
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Swimming Pool (with or without Spa) — Miscellaneous Plan-Review Retainer (flat fee)City of Lake Havasu City Building Permit Retainers/Fees handout (rev. 01/03/22), Miscellaneous section
$50.00
Building Permit Fee — Based on ValuationCity of Lake Havasu City Master Fee Schedule, Service No. S-034 (pools explicitly listed alongside new buildings, additions, and retaining walls as valuation-based)
Valuation-based per the fee schedule referenced in the Uniform Building Code
Review timeline
Plan reviewLake Havasu City’s published plan-review target
10–10 business days
Inspection process
- 1
Steel/Bonding
Reinforcing steel placement and bonding at four equal perimeter points, before gunite/shotcrete or concrete placement
- 2
Final
Barrier/enclosure compliance, electrical clearances, and equipment installation verified
See the full Lake Havasu City inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- Pools/spas under 18 inches deep are entirely exempt from a building permit under the City's amendment — a materially higher exemption threshold than a simple 'kiddie pool' rule of thumb.
- The $50 retainer fee is a Miscellaneous flat plan-review fee; the underlying building permit fee itself is still valuation-based per Service No. S-034 of the Master Fee Schedule — budget for both.
- Pools are processed under the City's 'Miscellaneous' plan-review category at 10 business days per the published timeframes, consistent with Arizona's A.R.S. § 9-835 municipal time-frames requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if it is 18 inches or greater in depth. Pools/spas less than 18 inches deep are exempt from a building permit under the City's IRC R105.2(7) amendment.
In Lake Havasu City, the published Swimming Pool (with or without Spa) — Miscellaneous Plan-Review Retainer (flat fee) is: $50.00. Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee — Based on Valuation — Valuation-based per the fee schedule referenced in the Uniform Building Code. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.
Lake Havasu City's published plan-review target for a residential pool and spa permit is 10–10 business days.
You'll need: Requirements for Residential Pool and Spa Submittal (rev. 01-14-2021); Pool Enclosure Pamphlet. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Lake Havasu City requires 2 inspection(s) for a residential pool and spa permit, in order: Steel/Bonding, Final. Schedule each through Lake Havasu City Development Services Department — Building Division (928-453-4148).
Apply through Lake Havasu City Development Services Department — Building Division at 2330 McCulloch Boulevard N, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403. Phone: 928-453-4148, email: builderinfo@lhcaz.gov. Office hours: Building Official: Steve Blake (928-854-0716, blakesm@lhcaz.gov). Plans Examiners: Jerry Amann (928-854-0746, Amannj@lhcaz.gov) and Sylvia Butch. Combo Building Inspector/Plans Examiners: Chris Hayes, George Langley. Building Inspectors: Josh Boothe, Brian Drosselmeyer. Permit Technician Lead: Kristin Warren (buildingpermits@lhcaz.gov). Applications are submitted through the City's online MaintStar Customer Self Service portal (h2.maintstar.co/lakehavasu/Portal) or in person at the Development Services Department front counter, 2330 McCulloch Blvd N. Plan review does not begin until the City has verified the application submittal is complete; completeness review itself takes 7-10 business days before the formal plan-review clock starts. Source: City of Lake Havasu City Building Permits page (lhcaz.gov/229/Building-Permits and lhcaz.gov/development-permitting/building) and 2024 Code Letter to Contractors (Steven Blake, LHC Building Official, rev. 09-08-2025).. Official information: https://www.lhcaz.gov/229/Building-Permits.
Lake Havasu City, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (e.g., A.R.S. Title 9 for municipalities). Lake Havasu City independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its Development Services Department / Building Division; it does not defer permitting to Mohave County. Source: Lake Havasu City Building Permits page (lhcaz.gov/229/Building-Permits) and Lake Havasu City Code Chapter 12.08 (Building Codes), codelibrary.amlegal.com.; 2024 International Building Code (IBC), adopted by Ordinance No. 25-1370 with Lake Havasu City local amendments (Exhibit A), effective February 1, 2026, replacing the prior 2018 edition. Source: Lake Havasu City Amendments to the 2024 Edition of the International Building Code (Exhibit A, Ordinance No. 25-1370).; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC), adopted by Ordinance No. 25-1370 with Lake Havasu City local amendments (Exhibit B), effective February 1, 2026. Source: Lake Havasu City Amendments to the 2024 Edition of the International Residential Code (Exhibit B, Ordinance No. 25-1370).; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted by Ordinance No. 25-1370 with Lake Havasu City local amendments (Exhibit C), effective February 1, 2026. Source: Lake Havasu City Amendments to the 2024 Edition of the International Mechanical Code (Exhibit C, Ordinance No. 25-1370).; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted by Ordinance No. 25-1370 with Lake Havasu City local amendments (Exhibit E), effective February 1, 2026. Source: Lake Havasu City Amendments to the 2024 Edition of the International Plumbing Code (Exhibit E, Ordinance No. 25-1370).; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted by Ordinance No. 25-1370 with Lake Havasu City local amendments, effective February 1, 2026. Source: 2024 Code Letter to Contractors (rev. 09-08-2025), which lists the IFGC among the codes adopted with the 2024 suite; document list on lhcaz.gov/development-permitting/building includes 'Amendments To 2024 Intl Fuel Gas Code'.; 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), adopted with the 2024 code suite effective February 1, 2026. Source: 2024 Code Letter to Contractors (rev. 09-08-2025); 'Amendments To 2024 Intl Property Maint Code' document on lhcaz.gov.; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted with Lake Havasu City local amendments. Source: 'Amendments To 2024 Intl Existing Building Code' document, lhcaz.gov/development-permitting/building, and Lake Havasu City Code § 12.08.085 (International Existing Building Code), codelibrary.amlegal.com.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted by Ordinance No. 25-1370 with Lake Havasu City local amendments (Exhibit F), effective February 1, 2026 (one edition behind the 2024 ICC suite, consistent with the NEC's own 3-year cycle). Source: Lake Havasu City Amendments to the 2023 Edition of the National Electrical Code (Exhibit F, Ordinance No. 25-1370).; 2024 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted by Ordinance No. 25-1371, amending City Code Chapter 12.12.010 (Adoption of International Fire Code); administered by the Lake Havasu City Fire Department / Fire Marshal's office. Source: Lake Havasu City Legistar record (File ID 25-4963/ordinance 25-1371) and Lake Havasu City Code Chapter 12.12 (International Fire Code), codelibrary.amlegal.com.; Transition/effective-date rule: the 2024 Codes and 2023 NEC took effect February 1, 2026 and apply to applications submitted on or after that date; they do NOT affect permits already submitted, in review, or under construction. Standard Plans previously approved under the 2018 Codes remain valid through August 1, 2026 (180 days from the new code effective date) and may be updated via an abbreviated cover-sheet process rather than a full plan resubmittal. Commercial/residential projects already in design under the 2018 Codes were allowed to submit under the 2018 Codes up to May 1, 2026 (90 days after the effective date). Source: Lake Havasu City 2024 Building Code Implementation Standards (rev. 09-23-2025).; Manufactured/mobile homes are addressed via a dedicated Mobile/Manufactured Home Building Permit Application, separate from the standard residential building permit track. Source: Lake Havasu City 'Mobile - Manufactured Home Building Permit Application' (lhcaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1153).; Building permit and plan-review fees are NOT set as flat dollar amounts within the adopted ICC codes themselves — the Master Fee Schedule (Development and Right-of-Way Services, Service Nos. S-033/S-034) states plan-check and permit fees for new buildings, additions, pools, and retaining walls are valuation-based, per 'Fee Schedule in Uniform Building Code' (i.e., the standard published ICC/Building Standards construction-cost valuation table), with a plan-check deposit/retainer of 5% of value collected up front and applied toward the actual cost. Separate itemized flat plan-review retainer fees by structure type are published in the Building Permit Retainers/Fees handout. Source: City of Lake Havasu City Master Fee Schedule (effective 02-01-2026, Rev. 12/10/2025) and Building Permit Retainers/Fees handout (Development Services Department, rev. 01/03/22).. Local amendments apply — see the Lake Havasu City overview page for the full list.
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-06.
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 Lake Havasu City building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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