Skip to main content
PermitBase

Residential Building Permit (New Custom Residence) in Sahuarita, Arizona

Required for new single-family custom residence construction in the Town of Sahuarita. Reviewed against the 2024 IRC and Town of Sahuarita amendments (fully effective July 1, 2026). Applications are submitted online through Accela Citizen Access (aca.accela.com/TOS/Default.aspx) using the Custom Residence Submittal Checklist.

Verified 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Building permit required for new single-family custom residence construction within Town of Sahuarita limits
  • Plans must comply with the 2024 IRC and Town of Sahuarita amendments, including Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria (105 mph 3-second-gust wind; Seismic Design Category B; Frost Line Depth 0; Moderate-to-Heavy termite potential; Ground Snow Load 0 psf)
  • Automatic fire sprinklers required if the residence exceeds 3,600 sq ft (living area, garage, and porches enclosed on 3 sides greater than 4 ft deep); approved water supply for required fire flow must reach within 600 ft of the furthest portion of the building
  • Full construction document set required: cover sheet/index, dimensioned site plan, floor plan, elevations, building sections, foundation plans, framing plans (prescriptive bracing/hold-downs or engineering), roofing plans, mechanical/plumbing/electrical plans (electrical requires load calc, 1-line diagram, bonding/grounding diagram), fire sprinkler plans and hydraulic calculations if applicable, and a hydrant flow test if applicable
  • Soils report not more than 1 year old; truss calculations (deferred submittal accepted with cover-sheet note, but must be approved before the shear bracing/exterior framing inspection is scheduled)
  • Energy compliance via RESCHECK or an approved design program plus S,D&J calculations; Town of Sahuarita or Pima County Sewer Card depending on provider; Grading Permit approval from Public Works required before the Building Permit can be issued, if applicable
  • Submittal via Accela Citizen Access (aca.accela.com/TOS/Default.aspx); plan check fee must be paid before the application is deemed complete and plan review begins

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet0 of 4 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29

Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — Based on ValuationTown of Sahuarita Town Code § 3.10.080(A); valuation determined by the ICC square-foot construction-cost table (February ICC publication implemented each following July 1st per § 3.10.080(M))
$23.50 (valuation $1-$500); $23.50 + $3.05 per additional $100 (or fraction) to $2,000; $69.25 + $14.00 per additional $1,000 (or fraction) to $25,000; $391.75 + $10.10 per additional $1,000 to $50,000; $643.75 + $7.00 per additional $1,000 to $100,000; $993.75 + $5.60 per additional $1,000 to $500,000; $3,233.75 + $4.75 per additional $1,000 to $1,000,000; $5,608.75 + $3.65 per additional $1,000 above $1,000,000
Plan Review Fee, All StructuresTown Code § 3.10.080(B)(7)(a)
65% of the Building Permit Fee
Expedited Plan Review — 1 business day for first review (SFR model plans; appointment required 2 weeks prior, applicant must be present)Town Code § 3.10.080(J)
300% of plan check fee
Expedited Plan Review — 5 business days for first reviewTown Code § 3.10.080(K)
200% of plan check fee

Review timeline

Plan reviewSahuarita’s published plan-review target
20–20 business days

How long did your Residential Building Permit (New Custom Residence) permit actually take in Sahuarita?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation/Footing

    Before concrete pour

  2. 2

    Framing / Shear Bracing

    Structural framing, connections, truss calculations approved prior to scheduling; per 2024 IRC and Town of Sahuarita Design Criteria

  3. 3

    Building Final

    Final inspection approval itself constitutes the Certificate of Occupancy for detached single-family residences (Town amendment to IRC R110.2)

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

Tips

  • Per the Town's A.R.S. § 9-835 Building Permit Review Timeframes chart (updated 7/22/2024), 'Residential: Addition, Alteration, New, Model Plan' carries a 5-business-day administrative completeness review, then 20 business days for substantive first review and 10 business days for second/subsequent substantive review.
  • There is no separate Certificate of Occupancy fee or document for detached single-family residences in Sahuarita — the approved building final inspection itself serves as the C.O., per the Town's IRC R110.2 amendment.
  • Expedited review is available: 1 business day for first review on SFR model plans (300% of plan check fee, appointment required two weeks in advance) or 5 business days (200% of plan check fee).

Frequently asked questions

Sahuarita requires a residential building permit (new custom residence) for: Building permit required for new single-family custom residence construction within Town of Sahuarita limits; Plans must comply with the 2024 IRC and Town of Sahuarita amendments, including Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria (105 mph 3-second-gust wind; Seismic Design Category B; Frost Line Depth 0; Moderate-to-Heavy termite potential; Ground Snow Load 0 psf); Automatic fire sprinklers required if the residence exceeds 3,600 sq ft (living area, garage, and porches enclosed on 3 sides greater than 4 ft deep); approved water supply for required fire flow must reach within 600 ft of the furthest portion of the building; Full construction document set required: cover sheet/index, dimensioned site plan, floor plan, elevations, building sections, foundation plans, framing plans (prescriptive bracing/hold-downs or engineering), roofing plans, mechanical/plumbing/electrical plans (electrical requires load calc, 1-line diagram, bonding/grounding diagram), fire sprinkler plans and hydraulic calculations if applicable, and a hydrant flow test if applicable; Soils report not more than 1 year old; truss calculations (deferred submittal accepted with cover-sheet note, but must be approved before the shear bracing/exterior framing inspection is scheduled); Energy compliance via RESCHECK or an approved design program plus S,D&J calculations; Town of Sahuarita or Pima County Sewer Card depending on provider; Grading Permit approval from Public Works required before the Building Permit can be issued, if applicable; Submittal via Accela Citizen Access (aca.accela.com/TOS/Default.aspx); plan check fee must be paid before the application is deemed complete and plan review begins. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Sahuarita Community Development Department — Building Safety Division at 520-822-8866 before starting work.

In Sahuarita, the published Building Permit Fee — Based on Valuation is: $23.50 (valuation $1-$500); $23.50 + $3.05 per additional $100 (or fraction) to $2,000; $69.25 + $14.00 per additional $1,000 (or fraction) to $25,000; $391.75 + $10.10 per additional $1,000 to $50,000; $643.75 + $7.00 per additional $1,000 to $100,000; $993.75 + $5.60 per additional $1,000 to $500,000; $3,233.75 + $4.75 per additional $1,000 to $1,000,000; $5,608.75 + $3.65 per additional $1,000 above $1,000,000. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee, All Structures — 65% of the Building Permit Fee; Expedited Plan Review — 1 business day for first review (SFR model plans; appointment required 2 weeks prior, applicant must be present) — 300% of plan check fee; Expedited Plan Review — 5 business days for first review — 200% of plan check fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per the Town's A.R.S. § 9-835 Building Permit Review Timeframes document (updated 7/22/2024), 'Residential: Addition, Alteration, New, Model Plan' has a 5-business-day administrative completeness review, 20 business days for first substantive review, and 10 business days for each subsequent review.

You'll need: Custom Residence Submittal Checklist; Contractor Form; Site/Floor/Foundation/Framing/Roofing Plans; Soils Report. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Sahuarita requires 3 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new custom residence), in order: Foundation/Footing, Framing / Shear Bracing, Building Final. Schedule each through Town of Sahuarita Community Development Department — Building Safety Division (520-822-8866).

Apply through Town of Sahuarita Community Development Department — Building Safety Division at 375 W. Sahuarita Center Way, Sahuarita, AZ 85629. Phone: 520-822-8866, email: buildapps@sahuaritaaz.gov. Office hours: Office hours are not published on the Town's Permits and Inspections, Community Development, or Building Safety Division pages as of this review; permit submittal and inspection scheduling are handled online through Accela Citizen Access (aca-prod.accela.com/tos) rather than in-person counter hours. General phone contact: 520-822-8866. Source: Town of Sahuarita Permits and Inspections page and Building Safety Division staff directory (sahuaritaaz.gov/758/Building-Safety-Division).. Official information: https://sahuaritaaz.gov/848/Permits-and-Inspections.

Sahuarita, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/town authority under state enabling statutes (e.g., A.R.S. Title 9 for municipalities). The Town of Sahuarita is a general-law municipality that independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its Community Development Department / Building Safety Division. Source: Town of Sahuarita Building Codes page (sahuaritaaz.gov/789/Building-Codes).; The Town of Sahuarita has adopted the 2024 International Building Code (IBC), 2024 International Residential Code (IRC), 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC), 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), 2024 International Fire Code (IFC), the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC — NOT updated to the 2024 edition), and the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), together with associated Town of Sahuarita local amendments. Effective July 1, 2026; until 5:00 p.m. June 30, 2026 the Town accepted plans conforming to either the 2018 or 2024 code sets, but beginning July 1, 2026 all plans must conform to the 2024 codes (Sahuarita is confirmed on 2024 codes as of this review, dated July 6, 2026). Source: Town of Sahuarita Building Codes page (sahuaritaaz.gov/789/Building-Codes), '2024 Code Adoptions and Amendments' section.; Prior to July 1, 2026, the Town enforced the 2018 International Building, Residential, Fire, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Plumbing, and Energy Conservation Codes, the 2017 National Electrical Code, the 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, and the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code, each with Town of Sahuarita local amendments; these 2018-cycle amendment documents remain published for reference but are superseded by the 2024 adoption. Source: Town of Sahuarita Building Codes page.; 2024 International Residential Code amendments (Final Draft Red-Line, dated 12/18/2025): Town of Sahuarita is inserted as the named jurisdiction (R101.1); Section R102.7 is added requiring new construction to conform to International Fire Code fire-flow/fire-access provisions (Sections 102.5, 503, 507.3, 3310, 3307.1, 3307.1.1, 3312, 3307.2, Appendices B/C/D as amended); Section R108.2 (Schedule of permit fees) is amended to cross-reference 'The Town of Sahuarita Code' (i.e., Town Code Chapter 3.10) rather than a generic 'applicable governing authority'; Section R110.2 is amended so the building final inspection approval itself serves as the Certificate of Occupancy for detached single-family residences (no separate C.O. document/fee). Source: Town of Sahuarita 2024 IRC Amendments, Final Draft Red-Line, dated 12/18/2025 (sahuaritaaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/13212).; 2024 International Building Code and International Plumbing Code amendments were also drafted and finalized on the same 12/18/2025 timeline as companion documents to the IRC amendments (Town of Sahuarita 2024 IBC Amendments and 2024 IPC Amendments, Final Draft Red-Line, dated 12/18/2025), adopted via Town Council ordinance as part of the same code-update package effective July 1, 2026. Source: sahuaritaaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/13206 (IBC) and sahuaritaaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/13210 (IPC).; Manufactured homes, mobile homes, and factory-built buildings: installation permits are issued per the intergovernmental agreement between the Town of Sahuarita and the Arizona Office of Manufactured Housing, with the Town's own Zoning Clearance and utility-connection fees applying separately (Town Code § 3.10.080(G)). Source: Town of Sahuarita Town Code Chapter 3.10, Building permit fees, subsection G — verified live via real-browser navigation 2026-07-16 at ecode360.com/49024348#49024356 (codepublishing.com/AZ/Sahuarita now redirects to this ecode360.com host; this is codified Town Code text, structurally stable, not a frequently-revised fee resolution).. Local amendments apply — see the Sahuarita overview page for the full list.

Yes, if the residence exceeds 3,600 sq ft including living area, garage, and any porches enclosed on three sides that are deeper than 4 feet, per the Town's Custom Residence Submittal Checklist and 2024 IRC amendments.