Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Additions, Remodels) in South Tucson, Arizona

South Tucson requires a residential building permit (new construction, additions, remodels) for: Building permit required for construction of all new residential buildings, porches, additions, garages, and remodeling of existing structures; It is the responsibility of the homeowner or property owner to submit plans and secure permits for this work (per the City's Permit Application & Submittal Checklist); Permit applications require 2 digital copies of a site plan and a floor plan; Detached accessory structures larger than 200 square feet (e.g., storage sheds) require a permit; walls/fences over 7 feet tall require a building permit and a structural engineered design; Plans reviewed against the 2018 IRC/IBC as adopted and amended by the City of South Tucson (Ordinance No. 25-01); all submitted plans must be neat, legible, and well organized -- Planning and Development Services reviews plans but does not offer design services; Rental properties are treated as commercial and require a licensed contractor; all contractors must hold both an Arizona Registrar of Contractors license in the applicable classification and an active City of South Tucson business license; New construction or alterations/expansions/modifications to structures on flood-prone properties additionally require submission of a FEMA Elevation Certificate; Work started or completed without a permit may still be permitted after the fact, but full standard requirements apply and work must stop immediately until approvals are obtained. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of South Tucson Planning, Zoning and Development Services Department (Development Services Division) at 520-792-2424 before starting work.

The City has not published a numeric review-timeframe table, so a review-time estimate must be obtained directly from Development Services at 520-792-2424. The fee, however, IS published. The building permit fee is set by a valuation table codified at City Code Ch. 4, Art. II, Div. 3, Section 4-56(2): it runs from $28.60 for work valued at $1.00 to $500.00, through $770.00 for the first $50,000.00 plus $8.80 for each additional $1,000.00, up to $6,765.00 for the first $1,000,000.00 plus $4.51 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof. Plan review is 65 percent of the permit fee for commercial buildings and 50 percent for Group R-3 and U residential buildings (Section 4-56(1)).

South Tucson does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of South Tucson Planning, Zoning and Development Services Department (Development Services Division) at 520-792-2424 for current turnaround.

You'll need: City of South Tucson Permit Application (Online Permit Portal); Site Plan (2 digital copies); Floor Plan (2 digital copies); Construction Drawings. Depending on your project, South Tucson may also ask for: FEMA Elevation Certificate. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

South Tucson requires 4 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction, additions, remodels), in order: Foundation/Footing, Framing, Rough Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing, Final. Schedule each through City of South Tucson Planning, Zoning and Development Services Department (Development Services Division) (520-792-2424).

Apply through City of South Tucson Planning, Zoning and Development Services Department (Development Services Division) at South Tucson City Hall, 1601 S. 6th Ave., South Tucson, AZ 85713. Phone: 520-792-2424, email: submittals@southtucsonaz.gov. Office hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Permit applications are submitted through the City's Online Permit Portal (live effective March 2, 2026), in person, or by mail/shipment to City Hall; applications require 2 digital copies of a site plan and a floor plan. Inspections are conducted Mondays and Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 a.m., with requests submitted the business day before.. Official information: https://www.southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits.

South Tucson, Arizona has adopted: South Tucson is a separately incorporated city (population roughly 5,000, land area approximately 1 square mile) that is entirely surrounded by, but administratively and legally independent of, the City of Tucson -- it is sometimes called 'The Pueblo within a City.' South Tucson runs its own Planning, Zoning and Development Services Department, which independently reviews building plans and issues its own building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical/HVAC, sign, demolition, and remodel permits; it does NOT contract building-permit administration to the City of Tucson or to Pima County. Source: City of South Tucson Development Services and Permits page (southtucsonaz.gov/devservices) and City of South Tucson Permits page (southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits), both confirming an independent Development Services Division that 'reviews and conducts all inspections related to construction and enforcement within the City.'; Arizona has no mandatory statewide building code floor -- code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (A.R.S. Title 9). The City of South Tucson's currently adopted codes (per 'City of South Tucson Adopted Building Codes, Ordinance No. 25-01') are: 2018 International Building Code (IBC); 2018 International Residential Code (IRC); 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) (one edition behind the 2018-cycle ICC set); 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC); 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC); 2018 International Fire Code (IFC); the 2012 City of Tucson/Pima County Outdoor Lighting Code; Arizona Administrative Code Title 18, Chapter 5, Article 2 (Public and Semipublic Swimming Pools and Spas); and ICC A117.1-2009 (Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities). Source: 'CITY OF SOUTH TUCSON ADOPTED BUILDING CODES, ORDINANCE NO: 25-01' (southtucsonaz.gov/media/10481) and southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits.; These 2018-cycle codes and the 2017 NEC are older than the 2024-cycle codes and 2023 NEC adopted in the neighbouring City of Tucson and unincorporated Pima County, so requirements can differ across the city line. South Tucson has not moved to the 2024 ICC cycle. Source: Ordinance No. 25-01 (southtucsonaz.gov/media/10486) and the individual 'ST 2018 [Code] AMENDMENTS' documents published on the Permits page.; Each adopted code carries City of South Tucson local amendments published as standalone PDFs per code (e.g., 'ST 2018 International Building Code AMENDMENTS', 'ST 2017 National Electrical Code AMENDMENTS', etc.), all linked from the Permits page. Source: southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits.; New construction, alterations, modifications, or tenant improvements to commercial properties/structures require construction plans drawn by a professional licensed and registered with the Arizona Board of Technical Registration (architect, mechanical engineer, plumbing engineer, or electrical engineer as applicable to the scope); all such registered professionals conducting business within City limits must also hold an active City of South Tucson business license. Source: southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits.; All contractors, whether working on residential or commercial properties, must be licensed through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors in the applicable classification, and must hold an active City of South Tucson business license to conduct business within city limits. Source: southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits.. Local amendments apply — see the South Tucson overview page for the full list.

No. South Tucson is a separately incorporated city (nicknamed 'The Pueblo within a City') with its own Planning, Zoning and Development Services Department that independently reviews plans and issues its own building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, sign, demolition, and remodel permits. It does not use the City of Tucson's PDSD or Pima County's Development Services Department for building permits, even though it is geographically enclosed by the City of Tucson. Source: City of South Tucson Development Services and Permits page.