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Commercial Building Permit in Florence, Arizona

Required for new commercial construction and for interior/exterior alterations to existing commercial buildings in Florence, reviewed against the 2018 IBC and Town of Florence amendments plus ICC A117.1 (2010) accessibility standards. Tenant improvement work is folded into this same process rather than being a separate permit type: the Town's single Building Permit Application (Rev 9.11.25) has a 'COMMERCIAL' section with distinct 'New Build' and 'Tenant Improvement' checkboxes, but both are billed identically (Based-on-Valuation Building Permit Fee plus 65% plan review) and reviewed on the same track. The Town's own Submittal Review Timelines chart does list 'Commercial Tenant Improvement' and 'Commercial New Construction' as two separately named rows, but assigns them the identical review window.

Verified 2026-07-29 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Building permit required for new commercial building construction ('New Build' checkbox) and for changes, alterations, upgrades, and repairs to the interior or exterior of a commercial building ('Tenant Improvement' checkbox) — both on the COMMERCIAL section of the same Building Permit Application (Rev 9.11.25)
  • Per the Town's own Project Assessment/Commercial Site Inspection packet: 'Changes, alterations, upgrades, and repairs to the interior or exterior of a commercial building will require an application for a building permit... Permit fees are based on the valuation of the work performed' — confirming tenant improvement work uses the standard valuation-based Building Permit Fee, not a separate fee schedule
  • Reviewed against the 2018 IBC (Town of Florence Code of Ordinances § 150.300(A)(1)) and Town amendments, plus ICC A117.1, 2010 Edition (§ 150.300(A)(12)), adopted in its entirety without revision
  • Commercial-specific application fields (distinct from the Residential section of the same form): Sq Ft (Existing), Sq Ft (Added), Fire Sprinklers (Yes/No), Type of Construction, Existing Use, New Use, and Valuation
  • Commercial submittals are emailed to TOFPermits@FlorenceAZ.gov (the SmartGov online portal is for Residential submittals only) or delivered in person (no rolled plans; 1-sided 8.5x11 paper only)
  • The Town's Submittal Review Timelines chart caps its standard 20/15-business-day 'Commercial New Construction' track at 'Construction of a new commercial building under 50K SF, solar farms under 20MW' — the chart does not specify a distinct track for buildings at or above that threshold, and per the chart's own footnote, these timeframes 'do not apply to submittals that require approval through the Planning and Zoning Commission and/or Town Council'
  • An optional, no-fee Project Assessment meeting (Zoning, Building Safety, Fire Safety, and Engineering/Public Works staff) can be requested before formal submittal, scheduled on a Thursday at least 5 business days after the request; findings are valid for 6 months
  • An optional, no-fee, one-time Commercial Site Inspection (Building Safety Division and Fire Marshal) can be requested via the Building Permit Application, scheduled within 5 business days after the Project Assessment meeting, to provide a general code-deficiency walkthrough before formal submittal
  • A Certificate of Occupancy, requiring sign-off from both the Building Safety Division and the Fire Department, is required before the building may be occupied

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Commercial Building Permit Fee — Based on Valuation (Table 1-A)Town of Florence Fee Schedule (Rev. 01/15/2025), Section 2; confirmed by direct read of the Fee Schedule PDF, which shows no separate commercial-only valuation chart — the same Table 1-A applies. Plan review fee is 65% of the calculated Permit Fee, due in full at time of submittal.
Based on Valuation — see Residential Building Permit fee table for the full valuation chart (identical Table 1-A applies to commercial)
Plan Review Fee (BOV permits)Town of Florence Fee Schedule (Rev. 01/15/2025), Section 2, Fee Structure item 1a; verified by direct read of the raw PDF text
65% of the calculated Building/Permit Fee
Tenant Improvement — Building Permit FeeNo separate Tenant Improvement fee line exists in the Fee Schedule; confirmed by the Town's own Project Assessment/Commercial Site Inspection packet, which states under 'TENANT IMPROVEMENTS' and 'FEES': 'Tenant Improvements – Fee based on the valuation of work performed'
Based on the valuation of the work performed (same Table 1-A methodology as new commercial construction)
Permit Revision Fee — CommercialTown of Florence Fee Schedule (Rev. 01/15/2025), Section 2, Administrative Fees; verified by direct read of the raw PDF text (distinct from the $75 Residential Permit Revision Fee used elsewhere in this file)
$150.00
Certificate of Occupancy, Residential and Commercial, per Residence or BuildingTown of Florence Fee Schedule (Rev. 01/15/2025), Section 2, Occupancy Permit Fees, verified by direct read of the raw PDF text. NOTE — this conflicts with the Community Development Department's own Project Assessment/Commercial Site Inspection packet, which separately states a $50.00 Certificate of Occupancy fee (with no additional C of O fee if a tenant-improvement building permit was applied for). Both figures are reproduced here verbatim rather than silently resolved; confirm the applicable amount with Community Development (520-868-7575) before budgeting.
$75.00

Review timeline

Plan reviewFlorence’s published plan-review target
20–35 business days

How long did your Commercial Building Permit permit actually take in Florence?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Commercial Site Inspection (optional, pre-submittal)

    One-time walkthrough by Building Safety and the Fire Marshal, available on request before formal submittal, to flag general code deficiencies

  2. 2

    Rough-In (Structural / MEP)

    Framing, structural connections, and mechanical/electrical/plumbing rough-in verified before concealment, per 2018 IBC and Town of Florence amendments

  3. 3

    Final / Certificate of Occupancy

    All work complete per approved plans; requires sign-off from both the Building Safety Division and the Fire Department before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued

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

Tips

  • Tenant improvement work does not require a separate application or fee schedule from new commercial construction — both are scopes on the same Building Permit Application (Rev 9.11.25), COMMERCIAL section, billed the same Based-on-Valuation fee.
  • The Submittal Review Timelines chart nonetheless names 'Commercial Tenant Improvement' ('Improvements to an existing building (shell), plumbing, electrical, mechanical, signs, fire sprinkler, fire alarm, hood system') and 'Commercial New Construction' ('Construction of a new commercial building under 50K SF, solar farms under 20MW') as two distinct rows — both carry the identical 20-business-day (1st/2nd review) / 15-business-day (subsequent review) window, plus the Town-wide 10-business-day Administrative (completeness) Review, for a realistic 20-35 business day range.
  • Consider requesting the free, optional Project Assessment meeting (Zoning, Building Safety, Fire Safety, Engineering/Public Works) before submitting — it surfaces general requirements up front and its findings are valid for 6 months. A follow-on, also-free, one-time Commercial Site Inspection can then flag code deficiencies before formal plan review begins.
  • Commercial Permit Revision Fee is $150 (versus $75 for Residential) per the Fee Schedule's Administrative Fees table.
  • Certificate of Occupancy fee is inconsistent across the Town's own documents ($75 per the Town-wide Fee Schedule vs. $50 per the Community Development Department's Project Assessment/Commercial Site Inspection packet, which also states no additional C of O fee applies if a tenant-improvement permit was applied for) — confirm the exact figure with Community Development before budgeting.
  • The 'under 50K SF' qualifier on the Commercial New Construction review-timeline row is not explained further in the Town's published documents — no separate review track for larger buildings was found; verify timing directly with the Building Official for any project at or above 50,000 square feet.

Frequently asked questions

Florence requires a commercial building permit for: Building permit required for new commercial building construction ('New Build' checkbox) and for changes, alterations, upgrades, and repairs to the interior or exterior of a commercial building ('Tenant Improvement' checkbox) — both on the COMMERCIAL section of the same Building Permit Application (Rev 9.11.25); Per the Town's own Project Assessment/Commercial Site Inspection packet: 'Changes, alterations, upgrades, and repairs to the interior or exterior of a commercial building will require an application for a building permit... Permit fees are based on the valuation of the work performed' — confirming tenant improvement work uses the standard valuation-based Building Permit Fee, not a separate fee schedule; Reviewed against the 2018 IBC (Town of Florence Code of Ordinances § 150.300(A)(1)) and Town amendments, plus ICC A117.1, 2010 Edition (§ 150.300(A)(12)), adopted in its entirety without revision; Commercial-specific application fields (distinct from the Residential section of the same form): Sq Ft (Existing), Sq Ft (Added), Fire Sprinklers (Yes/No), Type of Construction, Existing Use, New Use, and Valuation; Commercial submittals are emailed to TOFPermits@FlorenceAZ.gov (the SmartGov online portal is for Residential submittals only) or delivered in person (no rolled plans; 1-sided 8.5x11 paper only); The Town's Submittal Review Timelines chart caps its standard 20/15-business-day 'Commercial New Construction' track at 'Construction of a new commercial building under 50K SF, solar farms under 20MW' — the chart does not specify a distinct track for buildings at or above that threshold, and per the chart's own footnote, these timeframes 'do not apply to submittals that require approval through the Planning and Zoning Commission and/or Town Council'; An optional, no-fee Project Assessment meeting (Zoning, Building Safety, Fire Safety, and Engineering/Public Works staff) can be requested before formal submittal, scheduled on a Thursday at least 5 business days after the request; findings are valid for 6 months; An optional, no-fee, one-time Commercial Site Inspection (Building Safety Division and Fire Marshal) can be requested via the Building Permit Application, scheduled within 5 business days after the Project Assessment meeting, to provide a general code-deficiency walkthrough before formal submittal; A Certificate of Occupancy, requiring sign-off from both the Building Safety Division and the Fire Department, is required before the building may be occupied. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Florence Community Development Department — Building Safety Division at 520-868-7575 before starting work.

The Town-wide Fee Schedule lists $75.00, but the Community Development Department's own Project Assessment/Commercial Site Inspection packet separately states $50.00 (with no additional fee if a tenant-improvement permit was applied for). This is an inconsistency between two of the Town's own official documents — confirm the applicable amount with Community Development (520-868-7575).

The Submittal Review Timelines chart allots 20 business days for 1st/2nd review and 15 business days for subsequent reviews to both 'Commercial New Construction' and 'Commercial Tenant Improvement,' plus a 10-business-day Administrative (completeness) Review that runs in addition — a realistic total of about 20-35 business days for a first-time submittal under 50,000 square feet.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Construction / Building Plans; Site Plan; Owner Authorization Form / Owner Builder Affidavit; Licensed Contractor Written Estimate. Depending on your project, Florence may also ask for: Project Assessment Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Florence requires 3 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit, in order: Commercial Site Inspection (optional, pre-submittal), Rough-In (Structural / MEP), Final / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through Town of Florence Community Development Department — Building Safety Division (520-868-7575).

Apply through Town of Florence Community Development Department — Building Safety Division at 224 W 20th Street, P.O. Box 2670, Florence, AZ 85132. Phone: 520-868-7575, email: TOFPermits@FlorenceAZ.gov. Office hours: Monday - Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; closed Fridays (Town of Florence transitioned to a four-day workweek effective January 5, 2026). Inspection Line: 520-868-7601. Residential submittals go through the online Residential Permitting Portal (SmartGov, twn-florence-az.smartgovcommunity.com); commercial submittals are emailed to TOFPermits@FlorenceAZ.gov; in-person submittals accepted (no rolled plans; 1-sided 8.5x11 paper only). Building Official: Kevin Wall (520-868-7556, kevin.wall@florenceaz.gov). Permit Specialist: Susan Cisco (520-868-7665, susan.cisco@florenceaz.gov). Plans Examiner: Hillarey Luther (520-868-7540). Community Development Director: Albert 'AJ' Monroe (520-868-7542).. Official information: https://www.florenceaz.gov/community-development/.

Florence, 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 (A.R.S. Title 9). The Town of Florence Town Council adopted its own Technical Codes by reference (Town of Florence Code of Ordinances § 150.300, Exhibit A) and independently administers permitting through its Community Development Department / Building Safety Division; it does not defer to Pinal County for permitting within town limits. Source: Town of Florence Code of Ordinances, Technical Codes, Exhibit A (Adopted Building Codes Amendments PDF).; 2018 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices B, C, and I, adopted by reference (§ 150.300(A)(1)), with Town of Florence amendments. Source: Town of Florence Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A), effective per Town Council adoption (document created/effective 2022, current as of this review — no 2024 IBC/ICC-cycle adoption found in effect as of 2026-07-06).; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendices G, H, and P (with Appendices E, H, J, P, and Q separately confirmed adopted at § R102.5 amendment), adopted by reference (§ 150.300(A)(2)), with Town of Florence amendments including amended Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria and a mandatory-cooling requirement. Source: Town of Florence Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A).; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted by reference (§ 150.300(A)(3)), with Town of Florence amendments (guards exception and mandatory cooling-system amendment for 1- and 2-family dwellings). Source: Town of Florence Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A).; International Plumbing Code adopted by reference (§ 150.300(A)(4)); the Town's own codified adoption list states '2018 Edition' at the top-level adoption clause, but the itemized amendment section of the same official document (item 10) separately lists a '2012 Edition' with two specific section amendments (§ 410.3 Substitution; § 903.1 Roof extension) — this is an inconsistency within the Town's own published Exhibit A document, reproduced here verbatim rather than resolved by assumption. Source: Town of Florence Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A), §150.300(A)(4) and item 10.; 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted by reference (§ 150.300(A)(5)), with Town of Florence amendments (LPG appliance location restriction, minimum burial depth, test-pressure measurement procedure). Source: Town of Florence Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A).; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted by reference (§ 150.300(A)(6)); the Town amended the code by deleting the entire Residential Section and Chapter 11 Energy Efficiency of the 2018 IRC. Source: Town of Florence Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A).; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted by reference (§ 150.300(A)(7)) in its entirety without revision. Source: Town of Florence Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A).; 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, adopted by reference (§ 150.300(A)(8)) in its entirety without revision. Source: Town of Florence Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A).; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), including Appendices B, C, D, E, F, G, and I, adopted by reference (§ 150.300(A)(9)) as the Town's uniform fire code, with extensive Town of Florence amendments (definitions, fire apparatus access roads, fire flow/water supply, alarm/suppression system requirements, open burning). Source: Town of Florence Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A).; International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 Edition, adopted by reference (§ 150.300(A)(10)) in its entirety without revision. Source: Town of Florence Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A).; National Electrical Code (NEC) — the Town's top-level codified adoption clause (§ 150.300(A)(11)) states '2017 Edition,' but the itemized amendment section of the same official document (item 17) separately states 'National Electrical Code, 2018 Edition' when adding a new performance-testing subsection (Article 230.11) for 1,000-amp-or-larger service equipment. This is an inconsistency within the Town's own published document, reproduced here verbatim rather than resolved by assumption; both editions are cited directly from the Town's Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A) as published.; ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities Code, 2010 Edition Standards, adopted by reference (§ 150.300(A)(12)) in its entirety without revision. Source: Town of Florence Adopted Building Codes Amendments (Exhibit A).; Manufactured homes and park models are regulated directly by the State of Arizona (Office of Manufactured Housing, A.R.S. § 41-4001 et seq.) for construction/installation standards; the Town issues a separate Manufactured Home Set permit ($450, per the most current Office of Manufactured Housing Intergovernmental Agreement) and a Park Model Placement permit ($450) for on-site placement. Source: Town of Florence Fee Schedule (Rev. 01/15/2025), Section 2.. Local amendments apply — see the Florence overview page for the full list.

No. 'Tenant Improvement' is a checkbox on the same COMMERCIAL section of the Building Permit Application (Rev 9.11.25) used for new commercial construction ('New Build'). Both are billed the same Based-on-Valuation Building Permit Fee plus 65% plan review fee — there is no separate tenant-improvement fee schedule, per the Town's own Project Assessment/Commercial Site Inspection packet.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-29.

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

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