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Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Accessory Structure) in Unincorporated Mohave County, Arizona

Required for new single-family dwellings, additions, remodels, and most accessory structures in the unincorporated areas of Mohave County. The Mohave County Development Services Building Division enforces the 2018 IRC/IBC (Ordinance 2021-03) for all unincorporated county land outside the incorporated cities of Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City, and Colorado City. An approved septic system is required before any permit involving plumbing is issued.

Verified 2026-07-07 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Required for new single-family dwellings, additions (including manufactured-home additions), and most accessory structures in unincorporated Mohave County
  • Two sets of building plans and truss calculations required (three sets if the property is located in 'the Strip' — the detached portion of Mohave County north of the Grand Canyon)
  • Plot plan required showing lot dimensions, setbacks, and structure locations
  • APPROVED SEPTIC SYSTEM REQUIRED for all projects involving plumbing — contact the Environmental Health/Septic & Well Permitting division separately before applying
  • One-story detached accessory structures ≤300 sq ft with no utilities do not require a permit; larger or utility-equipped accessory structures do
  • Steel/pre-engineered accessory buildings and garages require two stamped, engineered plan sets (three if in the Strip)
  • Non-prescriptive (engineered) construction requires two sets of Arizona-licensed-engineer-stamped plans: one wet-stamped original and one copy
  • Apply through the county's online SmartGov portal at co-mohave-az.smartgovcommunity.com or in person at 3250 E. Kino Avenue, Kingman

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building permit fee — valuation-based (Ordinance 2018-02 Fee Schedule)Mohave County Fee Schedule Spreadsheet (Ordinance 2018-02, Rev. 11/01/22). Valuation determined by per-square-foot rates published in the same schedule (e.g., new-construction dwelling $91.50/SF, garage $29.77/SF, additions including manufactured homes $55.80/SF, remodel $20.15/SF) — these are code-mandated valuations for fee purposes, not actual construction costs.
$1–$500: $21.60; $501–$2,000: $21.60 for first $500 + $2.70 per addl $100; $2,001–$25,000: $62.10 for first $2,000 + $12.42 per addl $1,000; $25,001–$50,000: $347.76 for first $25,000 + $8.64 per addl $1,000; $50,001–$100,000: $563.76 for first $50,000 + $6.21 per addl $1,000; $100,001–$500,000: $874.26 for first $100,000 + $4.86 per addl $1,000; $500,001–$1,000,000: $2,818.26 for first $500,000 + $4.32 per addl $1,000; $1,000,000+: $4,978.26 for first $1,000,000 + $2.70 per addl $1,000
Plan review fee — Single Family Residential dwelling and accessory usesMohave County Fee Schedule (Ordinance 2018-02). Standardized-plan resubmittals: 10% of the permit fee; establishing a new standardized plan: 25% + $100.
25% of the building permit fee
Automation fee (all permits)Mohave County Fee Schedule (Ordinance 2018-02)
$40.00 flat, charged on every permit
Processing deposit — single-family residenceDeposits for Processing Permit Application, Mohave County Fee Schedule (Ordinance 2018-02)
$500.00 (garages/pools/patios: $100; room additions: $100; block walls: $50)
Investigation fee (work started without a permit)Building Ordinance 2021-03, Section 7(A) and Section 6(C)(5)
Equal to the full permit fee, charged in addition to the permit fee

Review timeline

Plan reviewUnincorporated Mohave County’s published plan-review target
20–30 business days

How long did your Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Accessory Structure) permit actually take in Unincorporated Mohave County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Footing/Foundation

    Before concrete pour — verify footing depth, dimensions, and reinforcement per 2018 IRC/IBC

  2. 2

    Framing

    After framing, sheathing, and rough-in trades complete — before insulation or wall cover

  3. 3

    Insulation

    Insulation installed per IRC Chapter 11 (RE) Energy Efficiency requirements before wall cover (residential energy code is taken from IRC Ch. 11, not IECC)

  4. 4

    Final

    All work complete per approved plans; Certificate of Occupancy issued per 2018 IRC §R110.1

See the full Unincorporated Mohave County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • An approved septic system is required before any permit involving plumbing will be issued — coordinate with the county's Environmental Health/Septic & Well Permitting division early, since this can be a separate, slower-moving approval than the building permit itself.
  • If your property is in 'the Strip' (the detached part of Mohave County isolated from the rest of the county by the Grand Canyon, including Colorado City-area unincorporated land), you must submit three sets of plans instead of two.
  • Consider the Standardized Plan Review program if you (or your builder) intend to build the same house design on multiple unincorporated-county lots — it locks in a 10% plan-review fee on repeat submittals instead of full review each time.
  • One-story detached accessory structures of 300 sq ft or less with no utilities do not need a permit at all — check this threshold before assuming a shed or small structure requires paperwork.
  • Building Permit Amnesty is available for structures built before December 31, 2007 without required zoning approval — useful if you're trying to legalize a legacy structure discovered during a sale or refinance.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. New single-family dwellings, additions, and most accessory structures require a building permit from the Mohave County Development Services Building Division under the 2018 IRC as adopted by Ordinance 2021-03. An approved septic system is required first if the project includes plumbing. Source: https://www.mohave.gov/departments/development-services/building-division/residential/

In Unincorporated Mohave County, the published Building permit fee — valuation-based (Ordinance 2018-02 Fee Schedule) is: $1–$500: $21.60; $501–$2,000: $21.60 for first $500 + $2.70 per addl $100; $2,001–$25,000: $62.10 for first $2,000 + $12.42 per addl $1,000; $25,001–$50,000: $347.76 for first $25,000 + $8.64 per addl $1,000; $50,001–$100,000: $563.76 for first $50,000 + $6.21 per addl $1,000; $100,001–$500,000: $874.26 for first $100,000 + $4.86 per addl $1,000; $500,001–$1,000,000: $2,818.26 for first $500,000 + $4.32 per addl $1,000; $1,000,000+: $4,978.26 for first $1,000,000 + $2.70 per addl $1,000. Additional published fees: Plan review fee — Single Family Residential dwelling and accessory uses — 25% of the building permit fee; Automation fee (all permits) — $40.00 flat, charged on every permit; Processing deposit — single-family residence — $500.00 (garages/pools/patios: $100; room additions: $100; block walls: $50); Investigation fee (work started without a permit) — Equal to the full permit fee, charged in addition to the permit fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per the county's published 1- and 2-Family Residential and Manufactured Home Permit Time Frames, Administrative Completeness Review takes 10 working days and Substantive Review takes 20 working days, for a combined statutory time frame of 30 working days under A.R.S. §§ 11-1604/11-1605. Extensions by written agreement may not exceed 25% of the overall time frame. Source: https://www.mohave.gov/departments/development-services/building-division/documents/1-and-2-family-residential-and-manufactured-home-permit-time-frames/

You'll need: Residential Submittal Requirements (PDF); Building Permit Application Packet (PDF); Plot Plan. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Mohave County may also ask for: Owner-Builder Packet (PDF). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Mohave County requires 4 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction, addition, accessory structure), in order: Footing/Foundation, Framing, Insulation, Final. Schedule each through Mohave County Development Services Department — Building Division (928-757-0903).

Apply through Mohave County Development Services Department — Building Division at 3250 E. Kino Avenue, Kingman, AZ 86409 (mailing: PO Box 7000, Kingman, AZ 86402-7000). Phone: 928-757-0903. Office hours: Mon–Fri 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM, closed County-designated holidays. Development Services Director: Scott Holtry. Chief Building Official: Trevor Bies. Contact form at https://forms.mohave.gov/Departments/Contact-Development-Services. Note: the Development Services/Building Division office is physically located at 3250 E. Kino Avenue — distinct from the Mohave County Administration Building at 700 W. Beale Street, which houses the Board of Supervisors and other county offices; both addresses appear in county materials and were independently cross-checked to confirm the Building Division's own location.. Official information: https://www.mohave.gov/departments/development-services/building-division/.

Unincorporated Mohave County, Arizona has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by Mohave County Ordinance No. 2021-03 (June 7, 2021), amended through July 15, 2024, for the unincorporated areas of the county per Resolution 2007-249 (adopted May 7, 2007); 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted by Ordinance 2021-03, with Appendices C, E, G, H, J, M, O, P, and Q (Tiny Houses); 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) — adopted by Ordinance 2021-03; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — adopted by Ordinance 2021-03; 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — adopted by Ordinance 2021-03; 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), N.F.P.A. 70 — adopted by Ordinance 2021-03; 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — adopted by Ordinance 2021-03; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — adopted by Ordinance 2021-03, with Appendix A (Seismic Retrofit Guidelines); 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) — adopted by Ordinance 2021-03, with Appendix A (Boarding Standard); 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — adopted by Ordinance 2021-03, with Arizona-specific barrier amendments citing A.R.S. § 36-1681; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — adopted by Ordinance 2021-03; residential energy provisions are NOT taken from IECC but instead from IRC Chapter 11 (RE) Energy Efficiency, 2018 Edition. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Mohave County overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-07.

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 Unincorporated Mohave County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Other permits in Unincorporated Mohave County

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Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Accessory Structure) in other cities

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