Nogales building permits

Requirements

• Building permit required for new residential construction and for any improvement or repair to property within City limits, except where total added square footage is 120 sq ft or less and no electric/plumbing/gas work is involved (Development Code Sec. 3.103.d.1-d.2)
• A Zoning Compliance Certificate from the Planning and Zoning Director is a legal prerequisite — the Building Official cannot issue a building permit for foundation excavation or construction until it is issued (Sec. 3.103.c.1)
• Reviewed against the 2018 IRC/IBC and 2017 NEC as adopted by the City of Nogales, plus 2010 ADA accessibility standards
• Applicant must submit the City of Nogales Project Submittal Application (Rev. 07/31/2023) with project valuation, applicant/property owner/contractor licensing information, and required attachments (site plan, structural calcs, etc. as applicable)
• Contractor must hold a valid Arizona ROC license and City business/contractor license
• All applicable fees (established by separate City Council resolution, not published in the Development Code itself) must be paid before permit issuance (Sec. 3.103.d.5)
• Permit becomes invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance, or is suspended/abandoned for 180 days after commencement

Required documents

• RequiredProject Submittal ApplicationCity of Nogales Public Works Department / Nogales Information and Development Center (NIDC) form (Rev. 07/31/2023); required for Building, Planning, Engineering, Fire, Signs, Admin, and Utilities application types
• RequiredSite PlanFor single-family residential in an approved subdivision, the site plan is submitted to the Building Official and Planning and Zoning Director together with the Building Permit Application rather than as a standalone Development Site Plan (Development Code Sec. 3.105.b.1)
• OptionalProperty Owner Authorization LetterRequired if the applicant is not the property owner, or in lieu of the property owner's signature on the Project Submittal Application
• OptionalStructural CalculationsCheckbox attachment item on the Project Submittal Application; required where applicable to the scope of work

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Building permit required for room additions, remodels, and alterations exceeding 120 sq ft of added area, or involving any electric, plumbing, or gas work regardless of size (Development Code Sec. 3.103.d.1-d.2)
• No improvements may be placed on, and no repairs made to, property held to be in non-conformance with the Development Code without a building permit (Sec. 3.103.d.3)
• Site plan for additions to single-family residences in an approved subdivision is submitted together with the Building Permit Application rather than as a standalone Development Site Plan (Sec. 3.105.b.1)
• Applicant must submit the City of Nogales Project Submittal Application with project valuation and required attachments

Required documents

• RequiredProject Submittal ApplicationCity of Nogales Public Works Department / NIDC form (Rev. 07/31/2023)
• RequiredSite PlanShowing existing structure, addition footprint, and setbacks

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Electrical permit required for installation, alteration, or repair of electrical systems and equipment within City limits
• Governed by the 2017 NEC as adopted by the City of Nogales (per the City's Project Submittal Application, Rev. 07/31/2023)
• Any improvement or repair involving electrical work does NOT qualify for the Development Code's 120-sq-ft no-permit exemption, regardless of the project's total square footage (Sec. 3.103.d.2)
• Contractor must hold a valid Arizona ROC Electrical license, indicated on the Project Submittal Application
• Applicant must submit the City of Nogales Project Submittal Application

Required documents

• RequiredProject Submittal ApplicationCity of Nogales Public Works Department / NIDC form (Rev. 07/31/2023); includes a Contractor's License Type checkbox for Electrical

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Plumbing permit required for installation, alteration, or repair of plumbing systems, fixtures, and water heaters within City limits
• Any improvement or repair involving plumbing work does NOT qualify for the Development Code's 120-sq-ft no-permit exemption, regardless of the project's total square footage (Sec. 3.103.d.2)
• Contractor must hold a valid Arizona ROC Plumbing license, indicated on the Project Submittal Application
• Applicant must submit the City of Nogales Project Submittal Application

Required documents

• RequiredProject Submittal ApplicationCity of Nogales Public Works Department / NIDC form (Rev. 07/31/2023); includes a Contractor's License Type checkbox for Plumbing

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Mechanical permit required for installation, replacement, or relocation of HVAC equipment, furnaces, and gas-fired appliances within City limits
• Any improvement or repair involving gas work does NOT qualify for the Development Code's 120-sq-ft no-permit exemption, regardless of the project's total square footage (Sec. 3.103.d.2)
• Contractor must hold a valid Arizona ROC Mechanical license, indicated on the Project Submittal Application
• Applicant must submit the City of Nogales Project Submittal Application

Required documents

• RequiredProject Submittal ApplicationCity of Nogales Public Works Department / NIDC form (Rev. 07/31/2023); includes a Contractor's License Type checkbox for Mechanical

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Mobile home residences and accessory buildings placed on lots in established mobile home parks or approved subdivisions in Mobile Home Residence (MHR) and Recreational Vehicle Park (RV) districts are exempt from the standalone Development Site Plan requirement — site plan review is instead handled together with the Building Permit Application submitted to the Building Official and Planning and Zoning Director (Development Code Sec. 3.105.b.2)
• A building permit is required prior to placement (pouring of slabs/footings or any site work), per the Development Code's general building permit requirement (Sec. 3.103.d.1)
• A Zoning Compliance Certificate from the Planning and Zoning Director is required before any building permit for site work/foundation can be issued (Sec. 3.103.c.1)
• Manufactured home construction/installation standards are separately regulated by the State of Arizona Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety / Office of Manufactured Housing

Required documents

• RequiredProject Submittal ApplicationCity of Nogales Public Works Department / NIDC form (Rev. 07/31/2023)
• RequiredSite PlanSubmitted together with the Building Permit Application per Development Code Sec. 3.105.b.2, showing lot location within the approved mobile home park/subdivision

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Alternative energy systems (solar space/water heating, geothermal, wind power, photovoltaic) are evaluated as a permitted accessory use on a case-by-case basis in applicable zoning districts (Development Code Sec. 3.104.p.2)
• Application for construction, installation, and use of alternative energy systems follows the City's normal/standard building permit process — there is no separate expedited track (Sec. 3.104.p.3)
• Must comply with the Uniform Solar Energy Code and other building codes adopted by the City, in addition to the standard building permit process
• The City's stated intent is to preserve direct access to sunlight and air, protecting installations from occlusion or obstruction; restrictive covenants for light/air easements are encouraged in subdivisions and PUDs

Required documents

• RequiredProject Submittal ApplicationCity of Nogales Public Works Department / NIDC form (Rev. 07/31/2023), used for all building permit types including alternative energy systems
• RequiredConstruction Plans and Equipment SpecificationsSite plan, roof/mounting layout, and equipment cut sheets as applicable to the system type, submitted as part of the standard building permit application package

Fee schedule

Requirements

• A permit IS required for installation of a new 120V or 240V circuit to serve an EV charger
• A permit is NOT required if the charger is UL-listed to plug into an existing 120V receptacle and that receptacle is already in place — general NEC-based practice, not independently confirmed as Nogales-specific published guidance
• Governed by the 2017 NEC (NEC Article 625, Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System) as adopted by the City of Nogales
• Any improvement or repair involving electrical work does NOT qualify for the Development Code's 120-sq-ft no-permit exemption, regardless of total project square footage (Sec. 3.103.d.2)
• Contractor must hold a valid Arizona ROC Electrical license, indicated on the Project Submittal Application
• Applicant must submit the City of Nogales Project Submittal Application

Required documents

• RequiredProject Submittal ApplicationCity of Nogales Public Works Department / NIDC form (Rev. 07/31/2023); describe scope as new circuit for EV charging

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Building permit required before demolishing any structure within City limits, per the general building permit requirement (Development Code Sec. 3.103.d.1)
• A Zoning Compliance Certificate is required before the Building Official may issue a permit for excavation/construction activity connected to a demolition-and-rebuild project (Sec. 3.103.c.1)
• Where demolition/removal of an existing building has been substantially begun preparatory to rebuilding, such demolition/removal is deemed to constitute actual construction commencement for Development Code purposes
• Applicant must submit the City of Nogales Project Submittal Application

Required documents

• RequiredProject Submittal ApplicationCity of Nogales Public Works Department / NIDC form (Rev. 07/31/2023)

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Building permit required for new commercial construction and for any improvement, repair, or change of use to commercial property within City limits, per the Development Code's general building permit requirement (Sec. 3.103.d.1); the narrow 120-sq-ft/no-utility-work exemption (Sec. 3.103.d.2) is not a practical no-permit path for commercial construction, which virtually always exceeds that threshold or involves electrical/plumbing/mechanical work
• A Development Site Plan is required for commercial (and industrial) construction under Sec. 3.105.a — commercial projects are NOT among the categories the Development Code exempts from standalone Development Site Plan review (Sec. 3.105.b exempts only: single-family residences/accessory buildings in approved subdivisions; mobile home/RV park placements; and multi-family developments of fewer than 5 units per lot)
• The Development Site Plan must be submitted to and reviewed/approved by the City's Development Review Committee — Community Development/Planning & Zoning Director, Building Official, Director of Public Works, City Engineer, Fire Marshal, Santa Cruz County Floodplain Administrator, and Assistant Administrator — by unanimous vote of members present (Sec. 3.103.f.2-f.4, Sec. 3.105.c)
• Commercial (and industrial, Planned Area Development, and Shopping Center) site plans must show contour lines at 2-foot intervals, versus 1-foot intervals required for other site plans/subdivisions — the Development Code's one explicit, distinct technical requirement that names commercial projects separately from general residential/subdivision site plans (Sec. 3.105.c.1.b)
• A Zoning Compliance Certificate from the Planning and Zoning Director is a prerequisite before the Building Official may issue a building permit for foundation excavation or construction (Sec. 3.103.c.1), with a verified 10-working-day issue-or-refuse turnaround from a complete filing (Sec. 3.103.c.3)
• Development Review Committee decisions on a site plan are appealable to the Planning and Zoning Commission within 7 calendar days, with the Commission required to reach its decision within 30 calendar days (Sec. 3.103.f.7); a Commission decision is further appealable to City Council within 7 calendar days, with Council reaching its decision within 'a reasonable time' — no fixed day-count is published for the Council-level appeal
• Reviewed against the 2018 IBC and 2018 IFC as adopted by the City (the Project Submittal Application carries a distinct 'Fire' tracking-number field, reflecting Fire Marshal review as part of the Development Review Committee), plus 2017 NEC and 2010 ADA Standards
• No distinct industrial/warehouse permitting track exists: industrial-zoned projects (including warehouse/distribution buildings) go through the identical Building Permit + Development Site Plan + Zoning Compliance Certificate process as other commercial projects. Industrial use is instead addressed through separate, higher-threshold performance standards rather than a different permitting procedure — e.g., permitted exterior noise of up to 80 dBA (day) / 65 dBA (night) between two industrial-district properties versus 70/60 for commercial and 50/45 for residential (Sec. 3.106.d); distinct ground-vibration limits at industrial-district property boundaries (Sec. 3.106.e); and height-limit exceptions for chimneys, smokestacks, derricks, conveyors, and grain elevators where industrial processes customarily require greater height (Sec. 3.104.e.3)
• Applicant must submit the City of Nogales Project Submittal Application (Rev. 07/31/2023) — the same single, generic form used citywide for Building, Planning, Engineering, Fire, Signs, Admin, and Utilities applications; it has no 'New Build' vs 'Tenant Improvement' checkbox and no commercial-specific fields beyond a free-text 'Proposed Use of Building/Suite' and 'Description of Work/Request'
• Contractor must hold a valid Arizona ROC license (General, or the applicable trade license) and City business/contractor license, indicated on the Project Submittal Application
• A Certificate/Occupancy Permit is required before the building may be occupied; the Building Official makes a final inspection within 10 working days after receiving notice that the building is complete and ready for use (Sec. 3.103.e.1)
• Permit becomes invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance, or is suspended/abandoned for 180 days after commencement

Required documents

• RequiredProject Submittal ApplicationCity of Nogales Public Works Department / NIDC form (Rev. 07/31/2023); the same generic form used for all permit types — no distinct commercial or tenant-improvement section exists
• RequiredDevelopment Site PlanRequired for commercial construction under Development Code Sec. 3.105 (not exempted, unlike single-family/mobile-home/small multifamily). Must include: location sketch with adjacent zoning/land uses; contour lines at 2-foot intervals for commercial/industrial/PAD/Shopping Center sites; drainage and finished-flow floodplain data; legal description and total site area; location/setbacks of all structures; percent lot coverage and percent impervious surface; adjacent right-of-way dimensions; parking and circulation areas; existing/proposed easements; future land use designation; exterior lighting; service areas (mail, trash); utility locations; nearest fire hydrant; and any street/alley dedication or improvement required under Sec. 3.111 (Sec. 3.105.c.1)
• RequiredProof of Ownership and/or Proof of AgencyTitle report issued within 30 calendar days of submittal (by an Arizona-authorized title company) if establishing proof of ownership; or a certified Corporate Resolution / partnership document / individual authorization designating an agent, per A.R.S. 33-506.1-.3, if the land is owned by a corporation, partnership, or individual acting through an agent (Sec. 3.105.c.7)
• RequiredDevelopment ScheduleAnticipated construction start date, progressive stages of development (if any), rate of development, and completion date; a master plan for the entire project is required for any development proposed to be built in phases, and must be approved before any sub-element can be approved or constructed (Sec. 3.105.c.8)
• OptionalLandscape PlanFor larger projects, the Director of Planning may require a separate landscape plan drawn to scale showing walks, drives, parking, building entrances, lighting, service/loading areas, signage, open space, slopes, and a plant legend (Sec. 3.105.c.2)
• OptionalSoil Engineering ReportIf required, prepared by a registered soil engineer, addressing soil nature/distribution/strength, grading procedures, and erosion control (Sec. 3.105.c.4)
• OptionalSite Hydrology ReportIf required under the Santa Cruz County Flood Control Ordinance, addressing drainage area, peak discharge before/after development, and drainage management facilities (Sec. 3.105.c.5)

Fee schedule