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Fence, Wall, and Retaining Wall Permit in Unincorporated Pima County, Arizona

Fences and masonry walls in unincorporated Pima County are regulated by height, with separate zoning-review and building-review thresholds. Governed by Pima County's published 4-, 6-, and 8-inch Masonry Wall Detail standard drawings and the 'Do I Need a Permit?' Building table.

Verified 2026-07-03 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Walls/fences not over 4 feet: no permit required, but must comply with all applicable building and zoning requirements
  • Walls/fences over 4 feet: require zoning review and approval
  • Walls/fences not over 7 feet: do not require a building (structural) review and approval; non-retaining walls/fences 7 feet or less are listed as not requiring a permit on the Building 'Do I Need a Permit?' table
  • Retaining walls: engineering required for retaining walls over 4 feet high measured from the bottom of the footing, or for any retaining wall with applied surcharge loads (e.g., driveways, slopes)
  • Separate approval from the Regional Flood Control District (RFCD) is required if applicable
  • Owner/applicant/builder is responsible for verifying soil bearing conditions at the footing, verifying property line locations, and for Arizona Blue Stake utility locate before excavation (per A.R.S. 40-360.22)
  • Construction must comply with the currently adopted International Building Code (2024 IBC with Pima County amendments)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Walls/fences (per lineal foot)Pima County Development Services Department Fees schedule, effective July 1, 2026, Table 3, item 22
$0.25 per lineal foot
Base fee for all permits requiring an inspectionTable 3, item 1
$69
Native plant preservation review for single lotsTable 3, item 32, if the wall/fence project disturbs 14,000 sq ft or more or otherwise triggers NPPO review
$83

Review timeline

Plan reviewUnincorporated Pima County’s published plan-review target
5–5 business days

How long did your Fence, Wall, and Retaining Wall Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Pima County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Footing

    Footing depth, reinforcement, and dowel placement verified before backfill, per Pima County's Masonry Wall Detail standard drawings

  2. 2

    Final

    Completed wall/fence verified against approved plans

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

Tips

  • Pima County publishes standard 4-inch, 6-inch, and 8-inch CMU masonry wall detail drawings (with wind load, mortar, reinforcing, and concrete specifications) that can be used in lieu of a project-specific engineered design for qualifying walls.
  • The 4-foot zoning-review threshold and 7-foot building-review threshold are independent triggers — a 5-foot wall needs zoning review but not a building permit, while a wall over 7 feet needs both.
  • State law (A.R.S. 40-360.22) requires underground utilities to be located via Arizona Blue Stake before excavation for footings.
  • A wall/fence building (structural) permit is reviewed as a 'building project up to 20,000 square feet,' carrying the county's published 5-business-day operational review turn-around goal per the A.R.S. 11-1606 Review Turn-Around Times table; walls/fences that only trigger zoning review (over 4 feet, not over 7 feet) are handled through the same building-permit review pipeline.

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Pima County requires a fence, wall, and retaining wall permit for: Walls/fences not over 4 feet: no permit required, but must comply with all applicable building and zoning requirements; Walls/fences over 4 feet: require zoning review and approval; Walls/fences not over 7 feet: do not require a building (structural) review and approval; non-retaining walls/fences 7 feet or less are listed as not requiring a permit on the Building 'Do I Need a Permit?' table; Retaining walls: engineering required for retaining walls over 4 feet high measured from the bottom of the footing, or for any retaining wall with applied surcharge loads (e.g., driveways, slopes); Separate approval from the Regional Flood Control District (RFCD) is required if applicable; Owner/applicant/builder is responsible for verifying soil bearing conditions at the footing, verifying property line locations, and for Arizona Blue Stake utility locate before excavation (per A.R.S. 40-360.22); Construction must comply with the currently adopted International Building Code (2024 IBC with Pima County amendments). If your project isn't listed, confirm with Pima County Development Services Department at 520-724-9000 before starting work.

In Unincorporated Pima County, the published Walls/fences (per lineal foot) is: $0.25 per lineal foot. Additional published fees: Base fee for all permits requiring an inspection — $69; Native plant preservation review for single lots — $83. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Unincorporated Pima County's published plan-review target for a fence, wall, and retaining wall permit is 5–5 business days.

You'll need: Development Services Permit Gateway Application; Site Plan. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Pima County may also ask for: Engineer-Stamped Structural Design. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Pima County requires 2 inspection(s) for a fence, wall, and retaining wall permit, in order: Footing, Final. Schedule each through Pima County Development Services Department (520-724-9000).

Apply through Pima County Development Services Department at Public Works Building, 201 N. Stone Ave., 1st Floor, Tucson, AZ 85701. Phone: 520-724-9000, email: Email Development Services (contact form at pima.gov). Office hours: Lobby hours Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm; closed holidays. Official information: https://www.pima.gov/970/Development-Services.

Unincorporated Pima County, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has no mandatory statewide building code floor for counties; each Arizona county and municipality adopts its own building codes and amendments by ordinance. Pima County Development Services Department administers permitting for unincorporated Pima County (outside the City of Tucson and other incorporated towns) under Pima County Code Title 15 (Buildings and Construction). Source: Pima County Code of Ordinances Title 15, Chapter 15.04 (codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/pimacounty); 2024 International Building Code (IBC), published by the International Code Council in 2023, adopted by reference with local amendments attached to and incorporated into Ordinance 2025-15 as Exhibit A. Effective January 1, 2026. Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A); 2024 International Residential Code (IRC), as amended by Exhibit B attached to Ordinance 2025-15. Effective January 1, 2026. Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A)(7); 2023 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), as amended by Exhibit C attached to Ordinance 2025-15 (Pima County Code Chapter 15.08). Effective January 1, 2026. Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A)(5); 2024 International Mechanical Code, as amended by Exhibit D attached to Ordinance 2025-15 (Pima County Code Chapter 15.16). Effective January 1, 2026. Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A)(4); 2024 International Plumbing Code, as amended by Exhibit E attached to Ordinance 2025-15 (Pima County Code Chapter 15.20). Effective January 1, 2026. Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A)(3); 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, as amended by Exhibit F attached to Ordinance 2025-15 (Pima County Code Chapter 15.18). Effective January 1, 2026. Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A)(2); 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, as amended by Exhibit G attached to Ordinance 2018-30 (Pima County Code Chapter 15.14). Per WebSearch of Pima County Development Services announcements, a 2024 IECC update with local amendments was pending Board of Supervisors approval targeting July 1, 2026; the 2018 IECC was the last-confirmed adopted edition as of this review. Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A)(6); 2024 International Property Maintenance Code, as amended by Exhibit H attached to Ordinance 2025-15. Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A)(1); 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, as amended by Exhibit I attached to Ordinance 2025-15 (the 2018 edition continues to apply only to areas designated Rural Forest Village under the Pima County Comprehensive Plan and areas encircled thereby). Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A)(9); 2024 International Existing Building Code, as amended by Exhibit J attached to Ordinance 2025-15. Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A)(10); 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, as amended by Exhibit K attached to Ordinance 2025-15. Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A)(11); 1998 American National Standard Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities Code (ICC/ANSI A117.1), specific chapters/sections only, as amended by Ordinance 2002-2 Exhibit A and Ordinances 2002-66 and 2002-72. Source: Pima County Code Sec. 15.04.020(A)(8); The 2024 IRC (including Pima County amendments) and the county's Inclusive Home Design Ordinance requirements apply specifically to new Accessory Dwelling Units per the county's ADU guidance memo (revised 12/30/2025).. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Pima County overview page for the full list.

Fences/walls up to 4 feet need no permit (but must still meet building/zoning requirements). Over 4 feet requires zoning review and approval. Only walls over 7 feet require a building (structural) permit review. Retaining walls over 4 feet (from the footing bottom) or carrying surcharge loads require engineering regardless of overall wall height. Source: Pima County Development Services '4-, 6-, and 8-Masonry Wall Detail' standard detail sheet and 'Do I Need a Permit?' Building table.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-03.

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

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