Snowflake building permits

Building department

Address

81 West 1st South, Snowflake, Arizona 85937

Phone

928-536-7103 ext. 232

Email

frontdesk@snowflakeaz.gov

Office hours

Town Hall business hours (928-536-7103); Building Official Scott Allen reachable at ext. 232. Inspection requests must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance by calling Town Hall, the Building Official, or by emailing the Building Official; inspections are conducted Monday through Friday, per the current Building Permit Requirements and Demolition Permit Requirements handouts.

Website

Official site

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Snowflake — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.

Codes adopted

Arizona has no statewide building code for non-state buildings; codes are adopted locally. According to the International Code Council, codes are adopted locally in Arizona and are predominantly the I-codes, with different cities and counties choosing their own editions and local amendments. The Arizona State Fire Code (adopting the 2018 IFC) applies only to state and county buildings, public and private schools, and non-residential occupancies in areas without a locally adopted fire code — it does not establish a statewide residential or commercial building code floor. Each city and county adopts its own code editions independently, resulting in different I-Code years and amendment sets across jurisdictions. There is no state-mandated minimum edition; enforcement is entirely local. Always confirm the adopted edition and any local amendments with the specific jurisdiction before submitting plans.

• Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (A.R.S. Title 9). The Town of Snowflake runs its own independent Building Safety Department and adopts and administers its own construction codes; it does NOT share a building department with the adjacent Town of Taylor or defer to Navajo County. The Town's own 'Attention Builders!' handout explicitly states: 'Navajo County and the Town of Taylor have similar building permit requirements. If your project is located in a County area or in the Town of Taylor, please contact their respective Building Permit Departments' — confirming Snowflake's building-permit jurisdiction and department are distinct from both. Source: Town of Snowflake Building Safety Department page (snowflakeaz.gov/departments/building-safety-department/); Town of Snowflake 'Attention Builders!' handout.
• 2018 International Building Code (IBC), published by the International Code Council, adopted by the Town of Snowflake as its uniform building code standard for all permitted construction and remodeling, effective October 7, 2021 (approved by Town Council September 7, 2021, per Ordinance 2021-08). Design criteria published alongside the adoption: Ground Snow Load 20 PSF; Roof Snow Load 20 PSF; Wind Speed 115 MPH; Seismic Design Category D for footings. Source: Town of Snowflake Building Safety Department page (snowflakeaz.gov/departments/building-safety-department/).
• 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), referenced directly on the Town's current published Building Permit Requirements and Demolition Permit Requirements handouts as the plan-compliance standard for building and demolition permit submittals ('Two (2) sets of plans compliant with the 2018 International Residential Code'). Source: Town of Snowflake Building Permit Requirements (rev. 2024) and Demolition Permit Requirements handouts.
• Snowflake Town Code Title 9, Chapter 1 (Building Code; Permits) codifies the Town's building-permit authority: § 9-1-1 (Building Code) vests the Building Official function in the Town Manager or a Town Manager appointee (subject to Town Council approval) and requires all construction to meet or exceed the adopted uniform building code; § 9-1-2 (Building Permit) requires a permit before any construction, prohibits issuance until zoning compliance is demonstrated, and provides the permit fee is set by Town Council resolution; § 9-1-3 (Manufactured Home Permit) requires a separate manufactured home permit, also fee-set by resolution; § 9-1-4 (Building Codes Adopted By Reference) formally adopted the 2018 code suite by text amendment dated September 7, 2021 pursuant to A.R.S. § 9-802, declared a public record by Resolution 2021-04; § 9-1-5 (Amendments) sets out the adopted code suite's violation/penalty clauses (referencing IBC, IRC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IEBC, IFC sections) pursuant to A.R.S. § 9-803, and specifically calls out that penalty provisions apply to the referenced 2018 National Electric Code. Source: Snowflake, AZ Code of Ordinances, Title 9, Chapter 1, §§ 9-1-1 through 9-1-5 (codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/snowflakeaz).
• Local amendment to IBC/IRC foundation-elevation provisions (Snowflake Town Code § 9-1-1(D)(1), Ord. 07-302, 9-11-2007): on graded sites, the finished floor must be a minimum of 6 inches above the crown of the road, or 12 inches above the flow line of a gutter where a gutter is present; the Public Works Director may approve alternate elevations if required drainage away from the structure and to the point of discharge is demonstrated without adversely affecting neighboring properties. This replaces the model code's default Exception 1 under Section 1806.5.5 (Foundation Elevations). Source: Snowflake, AZ Code of Ordinances § 9-1-1.
• Efficiency Dwelling Unit / 'Tiny House' standard (Town of Snowflake Tiny House Minimum Requirements handout, citing model-code Section 1208.4): an efficiency living unit must have a living room of at least 220 sq ft, plus an additional 100 sq ft for each occupant beyond two; a separate closet; a kitchen with sink, cooking appliance, and refrigeration facilities each with 30 inches of clear working space in front, meeting code light/ventilation; and a separate bathroom with water closet, lavatory, and bathtub or shower. Moved-in buildings generally sold on sales lots do NOT meet Town building-code requirements and cannot be used as 'Tiny Homes'; buildings on wheels must meet Arizona Office of Manufactured Housing minimum standards, bear a compliance placard, and be installed by an AZ-licensed installer; cargo containers may be used as a construction basis only with plans, foundation designs, and calculations sealed by an AZ-licensed registrant. Source: Town of Snowflake Tiny House Minimum Requirements handout.
• Manufactured/mobile homes are regulated at the state level for construction/installation standards by the Arizona Department of Housing, Office of Manufactured Housing (per Tiny House handout cross-reference); the Town separately requires its own Manufactured Home Permit under Snowflake Town Code § 9-1-3 for on-site placement/zoning compliance, fee set by Town Council resolution. Source: Snowflake, AZ Code of Ordinances § 9-1-3; Town of Snowflake Tiny House Minimum Requirements handout.

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Additions, Remodels)

  Required for construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, or occupancy change of any building or structure within Snowflake town limits, per Snowflake Town Code § 9-1-2 and the Town's published Building Permit Requirements. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC/IBC as adopted by the Town (effective October 7, 2021) plus Town design criteria and amendments. Applications are submitted at Snowflake Town Hall, 81 West 1st South.

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• Demolition Permit

  Required before demolishing any structure within Snowflake town limits. Governed by the Town's published Demolition Permit Requirements handout, reviewed against the 2018 International Residential Code, with a defined sequence of pre-demolition, underground, and final inspections.

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• Manufactured Home Permit

  Required for installation of any manufactured home within Snowflake town limits, per Snowflake Town Code § 9-1-3. Separate from the State of Arizona's own manufactured-home construction/installation standards administered by the Arizona Department of Housing, Office of Manufactured Housing.

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• Sign Permit

  Required for installation of signage within Snowflake town limits. Sign regulations (height, placement, type-specific rules) are administered under the Town's Zoning Ordinance provisions on signs, with Planning & Zoning Department involvement distinct from the Building Safety Department's general construction permitting.

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• Grading Permit

  Required for grading/earthwork activity within Snowflake town limits. Listed by the Building Safety Department among its administered permit types, with environmental (ADEQ dust control/storm water) coordination required at the 1-acre disturbance threshold consistent with the Town's demolition-permit environmental standard.

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• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

  Required for installing a rooftop or ground-mount photovoltaic system within Town of Snowflake limits. The Town has no separate solar/PV application or fee line — solar is billed and reviewed under the Town's single, unified Building Permit process, which by its own code text (R105.1) explicitly covers installing, altering, or replacing 'any electrical...system,' a category solar PV clearly falls under. The Town of Snowflake Comprehensive Fee Schedule contains no dedicated solar valuation table; the Admin-Building Permit Plan Review ($300) and Admin-Minimum Building Permit Fee ($50) lines are the only published fee figures that would apply.

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• EV Charger / EVSE Permit

  The Town of Snowflake has no separate electric-vehicle-charging-station permit or fee line. As with solar PV, an EV charger (EVSE) installation is billed and reviewed under the Town's single, unified Building Permit process, which by its own code text (R105.1) explicitly requires a permit to 'erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system' — a category an EV charging circuit clearly falls under. The Town of Snowflake Comprehensive Fee Schedule contains no dedicated EV/EVSE line-item; the same Admin-Building Permit Plan Review ($300) and Admin-Minimum Building Permit Fee ($50) lines that apply to solar PV are the only published fee figures that would apply.

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