Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System Permit in Apache Junction, Arizona

Apache Junction requires a fire sprinkler and fire alarm system permit for: Fire code enforcement and fire-system permitting for the entire city is performed by the Superstition Fire & Medical District (SFMD), not a City of Apache Junction department — SFMD is an independent special fire district headquartered at 565 N. Idaho Rd., Apache Junction, with its own elected Board of Directors and property tax levy; Governed by the 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) with SFMD amendments, adopted July 20, 2022 by the SFMD Fire Marshal (Assistant Chief Richard Mooney); plan review is managed by Deputy Fire Marshal Tina Gerola; New and modified automatic fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, commercial kitchen hood systems, and related fire protection systems require a Contractor/Installation/Specialty Permit Application submitted to SFMD's Fire Prevention Bureau; Section I projects (fire protection system installations/modifications) are submitted first to SFMD's contracted third-party plan reviewer, Stantec (Peggy Crowder, peggy.crowder@stantec.com, (480) 687-6012; Kristine Molina, kristine.molina@stantec.com, (480) 687-6077); Stantec forwards approved plans to SFMD's Prevention Bureau for in-house review and permit processing — Stantec's fees are separate and independent from SFMD's own fees; Fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems are also recognized as a 'deferred submittal' item under the City of Apache Junction's own building-permit process (Apache Junction City Code, Art. 7-1, § 7-1-6(I)(3)), meaning SFMD's fire-system approval is coordinated with, but does not replace, the underlying City of Apache Junction building permit for the overall project; The City of Apache Junction's own Development Services fee schedule (Vol. I, Ch. 4, Art. 4-4) contains no fire-sprinkler or fire-alarm-specific fee line — SFMD is the sole agency that charges a permit fee for these systems; Payment of fees and plan submission does not constitute permission to begin work — construction may not start until SFMD acceptance/permit issuance. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Apache Junction Development Services Department — Division of Building Safety and Inspection at 480-474-5156 before starting work.

SFMD charges a $100 base in-house plan review fee plus a per-system fee: $350 per riser (plus $150 per additional floor) for a new commercial automatic fire sprinkler system, $100 per riser for a new residential system, and $300 for a new fire alarm system. Modifying an existing sprinkler system is $100 (fewer than 20 heads) or $200 (20 or more heads); modifying an existing alarm system is $100. These SFMD fees do not include Stantec's separate, independently billed third-party plan-review fee for Section I projects.

Apache Junction does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Apache Junction Development Services Department — Division of Building Safety and Inspection at 480-474-5156 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Contractor/Installation/Specialty Permit Application (SFMD); Fire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm System Plans and Specifications; City of Apache Junction Building Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apache Junction requires 2 inspection(s) for a fire sprinkler and fire alarm system permit, in order: Rough-In / Underground, Final Acceptance Test. Schedule each through City of Apache Junction Development Services Department — Division of Building Safety and Inspection (480-474-5156).

Apply through City of Apache Junction Development Services Department — Division of Building Safety and Inspection at 300 E. Superstition Blvd. (Building D), Apache Junction, AZ 85119. Phone: 480-474-5156, email: buildingpermits@apachejunctionaz.gov. 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).. Official information: https://www.apachejunctionaz.gov/622/Permits.

Apache Junction, Arizona has adopted: 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).. Local amendments apply — see the Apache Junction overview page for the full list.

Not the City of Apache Junction directly — the Superstition Fire & Medical District (SFMD), an independent special fire district (not a city department) that has served Apache Junction since 1955, handles all fire code enforcement, plan review, and fire-system permitting through its Fire Prevention Bureau, applying the 2018 International Fire Code as amended by SFMD (adopted July 20, 2022). New fire sprinkler and fire alarm plans are also first routed to SFMD's contracted third-party reviewer, Stantec, before SFMD's own in-house review and permit issuance.