Apache Junction building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Apache Junction, Arizona.
Last verified 2026-07-06 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 300 E. Superstition Blvd. (Building D), Apache Junction, AZ 85119
- Phone
- 480-474-5156
- Office hours
- Building and Safety Manager/Building Official: Adrian Alegria (buildingpermits@apachejunctionaz.gov, 480-474-5156). All building permit applications must be submitted electronically through the MyGovernmentOnline (MGO) online permit system; a public kiosk with an 11x17 flat scanner is available in the Development Services Lobby at the city complex, 300 E. Superstition Blvd. Building D, for applicants who need accommodation. Division main line 480-982-8002; inspections may be scheduled by phone at 480-474-5101 or via the MGO customer portal. Source: City of Apache Junction Division of Building Safety and Inspection staff directory page; New Residential Construction (and Additions) Building Application Guide (rev. 03/11/2024).
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Apache Junction's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Apache Junction — 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 (e.g., A.R.S. Title 9 for municipalities). The City of Apache Junction independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its Development Services Department / Division of Building Safety and Inspection. Source: City of Apache Junction Division of Building Safety and Inspection (apachejunctionaz.gov/85/Building-Safety-and-Inspection); Apache Junction City Code, Volume I, Chapter 7 (Buildings).
- 2018 International Building Code (IBC), formally adopted by the Apache Junction City Council on June 18, 2019, effective July 18, 2019, with City of Apache Junction amendments (Apache Junction City Code, Volume I, Article 7-2: Building Code, § 7-2-2 Amendments to the 2018 International Building Code). Source: City of Apache Junction 'Currently Adopted Building Codes' notice (Division of Building Safety and Inspection, 300 E. Superstition Blvd.).
- 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), adopted June 18, 2019, effective July 18, 2019, with City of Apache Junction amendments (Article 7-4: Residential Code), including a City-completed Table R301.2(1) Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria and amendments to R301.5 (Live Loads), R302.1(1), R302.2.6, and R303 (mandatory heating/cooling). Confirmed as the applicable code on the City's own 'New Residential Construction (and Additions) Building Application Guide' coversheet requirement ('Applicable code 2018 IRC'). Source: City of Apache Junction 'Currently Adopted Residential Code & Design Criteria' notice; New Residential Construction (and Additions) Building Application Guide (rev. 03/11/2024), p.2.
- 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), as published by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted June 18, 2019, effective July 18, 2019 — one edition behind the 2018 ICC set (the City has not since adopted the 2020 or 2023 NEC per the City's own currently-adopted-codes notice and FAQ page). Source: City of Apache Junction 'Currently Adopted Building Codes' notice; City of Apache Junction Building Division FAQ (apachejunctionaz.gov/faq.aspx?TID=20).
- 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted June 18, 2019, effective July 18, 2019, with City of Apache Junction amendments (Article 7-6: Plumbing Code, § 7-6-2 Amendments to the 2018 International Plumbing Code). Source: City of Apache Junction 'Currently Adopted Building Codes' notice.
- 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted June 18, 2019, effective July 18, 2019. Source: City of Apache Junction 'Currently Adopted Building Codes' notice.
- 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted June 18, 2019, effective July 18, 2019. Source: City of Apache Junction 'Currently Adopted Building Codes' notice.
- 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted June 18, 2019, effective July 18, 2019. Source: City of Apache Junction 'Currently Adopted Building Codes' notice.
- 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted June 18, 2019, effective July 18, 2019, governs energy-efficiency requirements for new residential and commercial construction (Manual J/D/S calculations required per the City's Residential Building Application Guide). Source: City of Apache Junction 'Currently Adopted Building Codes' notice; New Residential Construction (and Additions) Building Application Guide (rev. 03/11/2024).
- 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), adopted June 18, 2019, effective July 18, 2019, governs residential and public/semi-public pool and spa construction. Source: City of Apache Junction 'Currently Adopted Building Codes' notice.
- 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted as the City's uniform fire code (Article 7-1 references the 'Technical Codes' collectively); administered in coordination with the Building Safety and Inspection Division. Source: Apache Junction City Code, Volume I, Article 7-1: Division of Building Safety and Inspection Administrative Code.
- Accessibility: 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, as published by the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division (appendices B and D to 36 CFR 1191 (2009) and 28 CFR part 35.151 (2011) for public entities; 28 CFR 36.401-36.406 (2011) for places of public accommodation and commercial facilities), adopted June 18, 2019, effective July 18, 2019. Source: City of Apache Junction 'Currently Adopted Building Codes' notice.
- Fee schedules were revised in conjunction with the 2018/2019 code adoption, effective July 1, 2019, and the Development Services Fees (Apache Junction City Code, Volume I, Chapter 4, Article 4-4) were most recently revised October 31, 2022. The ICC codes' own fee/valuation sections are superseded for practical billing purposes by Article 4-4, which is the City's operative fee authority (though commercial valuation itself is still calculated per the ICC Building Valuation Data table). Source: City of Apache Junction 'Currently Adopted Building Codes' notice; Apache Junction City Code, Vol. I, Chapter 4, Article 4-4: Development Services Fees (rev. 10/31/22).
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for new single-family and two-family dwelling and townhouse construction in the City of Apache Junction. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC and City of Apache Junction amendments (Table R301.2(1) design criteria, mandatory heating/cooling, amended live loads). Applications must be submitted electronically through the MyGovernmentOnline (MGO) online permit system.
Residential Addition / Remodel / Accessory Structure Permit
Required for room additions, interior remodels, garage/carport conversions, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and enclosed accessory structures over 120 sq ft in Apache Junction. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC as adopted and amended by the City, using the same New Residential Construction (and Additions) Building Application Guide as new dwellings.
Electrical Permit
Required for electrical installation, alteration, or repair work in Apache Junction, governed by the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) as adopted by the City. Covers meter clearances, service upgrades, panel work, generators, and residential photovoltaic systems.
EV Charger / EVSE Permit
Required for installation of a residential electric vehicle charging circuit in Apache Junction, governed by the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC). The City's electrical fee table (City Code Vol. I, Ch. 4, Art. 4-4, § 4-4-1) has no EV-charger/EVSE-specific line item — an EV charger circuit added to an existing dwelling is billed under the 'Electrical Repair/Branch Circuit or Lighting Additions, Residential' category, and a new/upgraded service for the charger would instead fall under the service-upgrade fee tiers.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing installation, alteration, or repair work in Apache Junction, governed by the 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC) as adopted and amended by the City.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning installations in Apache Junction, governed by the 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) as adopted by the City.
Re-Roofing Permit
Required for residential re-roofing in Apache Junction. Governed by the 2018 IRC roofing provisions as adopted by the City; billed as a flat inspection-based fee rather than a valuation-based fee.
Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit
Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mount residential solar photovoltaic systems in Apache Junction, permitted as an electrical permit under the 2017 NEC as adopted by the City. Fee varies based on whether the system includes a storage battery.
Demolition Permit
Required for demolition of any residential or commercial structure in Apache Junction, billed as a flat fee based on structure type and inspection count.
Manufactured Home / Park Model Set Permit
Required for the placement (set) of a manufactured home, factory-built building, or park model RV within Apache Junction, reflecting the city's significant manufactured-housing and RV-resort community base. Fee is tied to the State of Arizona Department of Housing fee schedule plus a City zoning review fee.
Fence and Retaining Wall Permit
Fences over 6 feet and retaining walls over 4 feet in Apache Junction require a building permit and are billed on a per-linear-foot basis; shorter fences and lower retaining walls are permit-exempt.
Sign Permit
Required for most permanent commercial signage in Apache Junction. Governed by Apache Junction City Code, Vol. II Land Development Code, Article 1-11: Sign Regulations, which requires an Administrative Use Permit (AUP) from the Development Services Department for most sign types (Table 11-1). The AUP zoning-review fee (Vol. I, Ch. 4, Art. 4-4, § 4-4-3) is charged separately from, and in addition to, the Building Division's sign construction permit fee (§ 4-4-1).
Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System Permit
Apache Junction has no municipal fire department — fire code enforcement, plan review, and permitting for automatic fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems citywide are performed by the Superstition Fire & Medical District (SFMD), an independent special taxing district established in 1955 that serves the City of Apache Junction and surrounding unincorporated Pinal County (Gold Canyon, Superstition Foothills, Goldfield Foothills, Entrada del Oro). SFMD administers the 2018 International Fire Code with its own SFMD amendments (adopted July 20, 2022) through its Fire Prevention Bureau, separately from the City of Apache Junction's Development Services fee schedule, which has no fire-sprinkler/alarm-specific fee line of its own.
Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit
Required whenever a commercial building or tenant space's use or occupancy classification changes in Apache Junction — even without any construction or remodeling work — under Apache Junction City Code § 7-1-6(A) and § 7-1-8. Administered by the Division of Building Safety and Inspection using the City's own 'Change of Use' explanation and checklist guidance documents; a compliant change of use results in a new Certificate of Occupancy for the building or space.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- 111units
111 buildings · $37.4M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 1,109units
10 of 12 months reported · #15 in Arizona coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 653units
653 buildings · $218.1M valuation
5 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 1,124units
801 buildings · $312.8M valuation
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Arizona building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Arizona has no statewide mandatory building code — the City of Apache Junction independently adopts and amends its own construction codes and runs its own Development Services/Division of Building Safety and Inspection program.
- Apache Junction adopted the full 2018 ICC code suite (IBC, IRC, IMC, IPC, IFGC, IEBC, IECC, and the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code) plus the 2017 NEC, all formally adopted June 18, 2019 and effective July 18, 2019 — the NEC in particular is now two full cycles behind the current 2023 edition, so electricians and solar installers should confirm 2017 NEC compliance specifically rather than assuming the newest NEC applies.
- ALL building permit applications must be submitted electronically through the MyGovernmentOnline (MGO) third-party portal — there is no email or paper-only submittal path (a public kiosk with an 11x17 scanner exists onsite for applicants needing accommodation, at 300 E. Superstition Blvd. Building D).
- Standard review timeline (verified via the City's own New Residential Construction and Additions Building Application Guide, rev. 03/11/2024): 3-4 weeks (roughly 15-20 business days) for first plan-check, 1-2 weeks (roughly 5-10 business days) for each subsequent review — this is the Building Safety and Inspection Division's general plan-review SLA applied across permit types that require plan review.
- Manufactured Home Installation permits are reviewed much faster (7 business days for a complete application) than standard site-built residential construction — reflecting Apache Junction's large manufactured-home and RV-resort/park-model population base and the more standardized nature of state-regulated factory-built construction.
- City-amended IRC climatic design criteria: 105 mph wind speed (with topographic effects), Seismic Design Category B, 34°F winter design temperature, negligible weathering, moderate-to-heavy termite potential, no ground snow load or ice barrier requirement. Mandatory residential heating (68°F) and cooling (85°F) per amended IRC R303.10, based on Phoenix design temperatures.
- A permit application expires 90 days from the last city-initiated contact/plan review/information request; an issued permit expires if an inspection is not passed every 120 days. Application/deposit fee payment is due within 30 business days of city acceptance or the application is rejected.
- A comprehensive list of permit-exempt work exists under Apache Junction City Code Article 7-1, § 7-1-6(B) (2019 Administrative Code) — covering small accessory structures (≤120 sq ft), shade structures (≤200 sq ft), fences/walls ≤6 ft, retaining walls ≤4 ft, small water tanks, non-structural concrete, and numerous minor electrical/mechanical/plumbing/fuel-gas repair-and-replacement scopes — but installation of an interconnected photovoltaic system or battery system is explicitly called out as requiring a permit even though many other minor electrical items are exempt.
- An LLC cannot use Arizona's owner/builder exemption from Registrar of Contractors licensing — only an individual residential property owner who will occupy the structure at least one year before renting/selling may self-declare as owner-builder; LLC-owned projects always require a licensed contractor.
- Building permit fees for one- and two-family residential work in Apache Junction are predominantly flat per-square-foot rate schedules (e.g., new construction $1.20/sq ft, additions $1.05/sq ft) rather than straight ICC-valuation-percentage fees — commercial/industrial construction, by contrast, IS billed as a percentage of ICC August-2018-table valuation.
- Apache Junction spans both Pinal County and Maricopa County per the U.S. Census Bureau's place file, but city permitting and Development Services operations are governed through Pinal County for practical purposes (e.g., septic permitting coordination is with the Pinal County Aquifer Protection Division, not Maricopa County).
- Development impact fees (separate from building permit fees) apply per housing unit or per square foot of nonresidential floor area under Appendix 7-A of the Development Fee Schedule (effective 10/31/2022); a new impact-fee schedule was scheduled for adoption February 15, 2027 following October 2026 public hearings, so figures should be reconfirmed against the City's live Fees page for permits pulled after that date.
- No dedicated fast-track/streamlined residential solar PV review procedure (comparable to some other Arizona cities' 2-business-day tracks) was found published by the City of Apache Junction as of this review — PV permits requiring plan review are understood to follow the City's general Building Safety Division review timeline rather than a special expedited track; this should be reconfirmed directly with the Division (480-474-5156) if a faster timeline is critical to a specific project.
- The exact per-permit breakdown between the City's 'over-the-counter' and 'review required' tracks referenced in its Trade Permit Guide (for stand-alone mechanical/electrical/plumbing permits) could not be independently verified in full document form during this review — the guide's existence and general two-track structure were confirmed via search-result excerpts, but the full PDF (with its precise over-the-counter item list) was not directly retrievable. The review-timeline range recorded for electrical/plumbing/mechanical permit types in this file (0 to 15-20 business days) reflects this genuine two-track uncertainty rather than a single verified number for every sub-type; the New Residential Construction Guide's timeline was used as the review-required upper bound since it is the only number the City has published with an explicit business-day figure for plan-review work.