Nogales building permits

Building department

Address

Community Development Department: 777 North Grand Avenue, Nogales, AZ 85621. Project/permit submittal intake (Nogales Information and Development Center, "One Stop"): 1450 N. Hohokam Drive, Nogales, AZ 85621

Phone

520-287-6571 (Community Development main line); 520-287-7245 (Nogales Information and Development Center / One Stop intake, Public Works Department)

Email

Office hours

Not published on the City's Community Development or Planning Division pages as of this review. Permit tracking and status checks are available 24/7 online via the City's Accela Citizen Access Portal (aca-prod.accela.com/NOGALES).

Website

Official site

Permit portal

Apply online at Nogales's portal

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Nogales — 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 Nogales independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its Community Development Department (Planning & Building) and does not defer building permitting to Santa Cruz County. Source: City of Nogales Project Submittal Application (Public Works Department / Nogales Information and Development Center, Rev. 07/31/2023).
• 2018 International Building Code (IBC), as adopted and administered by the City of Nogales. Source: City of Nogales Project Submittal Application (Rev. 07/31/2023), which lists the currently-cited adopted code set on every building/planning/engineering/fire permit application accepted by the City.
• 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), as adopted and administered by the City of Nogales. Source: City of Nogales Project Submittal Application (Rev. 07/31/2023).
• 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), as adopted and administered by the City of Nogales, administered in coordination with the City Fire Department/Fire Marshal (the Project Submittal Application has a dedicated Fire tracking-number field distinct from Building). Source: City of Nogales Project Submittal Application (Rev. 07/31/2023).
• 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), as adopted by the City of Nogales (one edition behind the 2018 ICC set, consistent with typical NEC adoption lag). Source: City of Nogales Project Submittal Application (Rev. 07/31/2023).
• 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, as referenced by the City of Nogales for accessibility compliance on all building permit work. Source: City of Nogales Project Submittal Application (Rev. 07/31/2023).
• 1997 UCADB (Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings), as adopted by the City of Nogales for enforcement against unsafe/dangerous existing structures. Source: City of Nogales Project Submittal Application (Rev. 07/31/2023).
• City of Nogales Development Standards Code (zoning and development regulations, distinct from the building-safety codes above) — repealed and replaced in its entirety by the Nogales Zoning Code (Ordinance No. 2024-11-005, adopted by Common Council November 6, 2024, effective December 6, 2024), covering Article 1 (General Provisions, Zoning Regulations, Non-Conforming Uses, Parking, Signs, Supplemental Regulations, Landscaping/Walls/Screening, Outdoor Lighting) and Article 3 (Development Standards Code: administration/enforcement, site plan, performance standards, public facilities, floodplain, grading/drainage, access, subdivision platting, fee schedule). Source: City of Nogales Ordinance No. 2024-11-005 and City of Nogales Development Code (DocumentCenter Document ID 114), City of Nogales website, Development Standards Code Update – 2024 page.
• Building permits are required by City ordinance (Nogales Zoning Code / Development Standards Code, Article 3, Sec. 3.103.d.1) for all owners of property before commencing any improvement or repair, unless specifically excluded. A narrow no-permit exemption applies where total added square footage is 120 sq ft or less AND the work involves no electric, plumbing, or gas installation/movement/extension/curtailment and does not otherwise violate the Code (Sec. 3.103.d.2). Source: City of Nogales Development Code, Article 3, Sec. 3.103.d (Ordinance No. 2024-11-005, adopted 11/06/2024).
• A Zoning Compliance Certificate from the Planning and Zoning Director is a legal prerequisite to building permit issuance — the Building Official may not issue a building permit for foundation excavation or any construction until a Zoning Compliance Certificate has been issued (Sec. 3.103.c.1). Source: City of Nogales Development Code, Article 3, Sec. 3.103.c.
• Alternative/solar energy systems (solar space heating, solar water heating, geothermal, wind power, photovoltaic conversion) are permitted as an accessory use in applicable zoning districts and are processed through the City's normal/standard building permit process — Nogales does not operate a separate expedited or dedicated solar/PV permit track; systems must also comply with the Uniform Solar Energy Code and other adopted building codes. Source: City of Nogales Development Code, Article 3, Sec. 3.104.p (Alternative Energy Systems).
• Building permit fees are valuation-based: City Code Sec. 5-26 adopts the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC), including IRC Appendix L ('Permit Fees'), as the City's building-fee mechanism (confirmed current on Municode; also confirmed via Ordinance No. 2015-11-005, adopted 11/4/2015, which adopts the 2012 I-Codes + IRC Appendix L + City amendments — full signed PDF recovered via Wayback Machine). The Development Code's own Fee Schedule section (Article 3, Sec. 3.113) separately states fees are adopted 'by reference under separate City document,' consistent with the Sec. 5-26 mechanism rather than contradicting it. Plan review fee is 25% of the Building Permit Fee where project valuation is $100,000 or less, and 65% where valuation is $100,001 or more; valuation of garages, porches, canopies, and storage rooms is calculated at $14 per square foot — both figures confirmed via the City's own 'Building Permit Application Requirements' page (Wayback-archived 2016-12-15; the live current page no longer republishes these figures, so they are flagged for reconfirmation, not treated as stale-and-wrong). The exact dollar-bracket IRC Appendix L valuation table itself could not be independently reproduced against ICC's source as of this review (codes.iccsafe.org is a JS-rendered application that blocks automated/scripted access) — a genuine access gap, not an unpublished-fee gap. Source: City of Nogales City Code Sec. 5-26 (Municode); Ordinance No. 2015-11-005; City of Nogales 'Building Permit Application Requirements' page (archived 2016-12-15).

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Additions, Repairs)

  Required under the City of Nogales Development Code for new single-family/two-family residential construction and for any improvement or repair to residential property, unless the narrow 120-sq-ft/no-utility-work exemption applies. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC/IBC and City of Nogales Development Code amendments. Applications are submitted at the Nogales Information and Development Center ("One Stop") using the City's Project Submittal Application, and a Zoning Compliance Certificate must be obtained before any foundation excavation or construction permit is issued.

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• Residential Addition / Remodel Permit

  Required under the City of Nogales Development Code for room additions, remodels, and alterations to existing one- and two-family dwellings, unless the narrow 120-sq-ft/no-utility-work exemption applies. Reviewed against the 2018 IRC and City of Nogales Development Code amendments.

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• Electrical Permit

  Required for electrical installation, alteration, or repair work in the City of Nogales, governed by the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) as adopted by the City. Any addition involving electrical work loses the 120-sq-ft no-permit exemption automatically, per the Development Code.

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• Plumbing Permit

  Required for plumbing installation, alteration, or repair work in the City of Nogales. Any addition involving plumbing work loses the 120-sq-ft no-permit exemption automatically, per the Development Code.

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• Mechanical / HVAC Permit

  Required for installation, replacement, or alteration of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and gas-fired mechanical equipment in the City of Nogales. As with electrical and plumbing work, any mechanical/gas work in a project disqualifies it from the Development Code's 120-sq-ft no-permit exemption.

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• Mobile Home / Manufactured Home Installation Permit

  Required for placement of mobile home residences and accessory buildings on lots in established mobile home parks or approved subdivisions within Mobile Home Residence (MHR) or Recreational Vehicle Park (RV) zoning districts in the City of Nogales. Manufactured home construction/installation standards themselves are regulated directly by the State of Arizona; the City issues a separate on-site permit for placement, site plan, and zoning compliance.

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• Alternative Energy System Permit (Solar / Photovoltaic, Geothermal, Wind)

  Required for installation of solar space heating, solar water heating, geothermal, wind power generating, or photovoltaic conversion systems in the City of Nogales. Unlike some Arizona cities, Nogales does not operate a separate expedited or dedicated solar/PV review track — these systems are processed through the City's normal, standard building permit process and must also comply with the Uniform Solar Energy Code.

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• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Permit

  Nogales publishes no distinct EV-charger permit type or fee line — confirmed against the City's Project Submittal Application and Building Permit Application Requirements page, neither of which contains an EV-charger/EVSE entry. A new 120V or 240V circuit installed to serve an EV charger requires the City's standard Electrical Permit under the 2017 NEC (which governs EV charging equipment under NEC Article 625); per the Development Code, any electrical work automatically disqualifies a project from the 120-sq-ft no-permit exemption, so even a small EV charger circuit addition requires a full permit. If the charger is UL-listed for a standard 120V plug and installed into an existing, already-permitted receptacle, no new permit is required (consistent with general NEC-based practice, though not independently confirmed as City of Nogales-specific guidance).

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• Demolition Permit

  Required under the City of Nogales Development Code before demolishing a structure. Where demolition or removal of an existing building is substantially begun preparatory to rebuilding on the same site, it is treated as actual construction activity has begun for purposes of non-conforming-use/permit-validity rules under the Development Code.

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