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Residential Building/Grading Permit (New Construction, Additions, Accessory Structures) in Unincorporated Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Required for new single-family/two-family residential construction, additions, and accessory structures in the unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County. Reviewed against the 2012 IBC/IRC and 2011 NEC as adopted by the County. Grading (where cut/fill exceeds 50 cubic yards) is bundled into the same permit rather than issued standalone. Applications are submitted to the Building Department (Community Development) using the County's Building/Grading Permit Application, accompanied by the Plan Submittal Check List items.

Verified 2026-07-07 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Building/Grading Permit Application, including the Applicant's Certification and Acknowledgement page, fully signed
  • Two complete hard-copy sets of plans (including 2 site plans), plus an electronic PDF copy emailed to permitting@santacruzcountyaz.gov
  • Site plan drawn to scale (1:20, 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, or 1:60) showing property line distances/bearings, north arrow, physical address, APN, owner of record, front/rear/side setbacks, all existing and proposed structures with location/size/height, street name, driveway, utility easements, entire parcel, and area to be graded
  • Landscape Acknowledgement Form (Article 19, Section 1906(A) of the County Zoning & Development Code)
  • Right of Way Application for driveway access
  • Approved Flood Hazard Information Sheet or issued Flood Plain Use Permit (required if parcel is in the FEMA floodplain)
  • Copy of the approved septic Construction Authorization Permit (from Santa Cruz County Health/ADEQ) including the approved site plan and floor plan, OR a water/sewer letter confirming service
  • Proof of ownership (Assessor's Office parcel print-out); if owner name does not match, a recorded deed copy is required
  • Owner Builder Form, if applicable (owner and immediate family performing the work; any hired labor must be Arizona ROC-licensed) Owner-builderContractor
  • Exterior Lighting Schedule with cut sheets (lumens/watts) for all exterior lights, per County Outdoor Lighting Regulations
  • Homes 3,600 sq ft or larger (living space + garage) require Fire Department approval, but only in the Rio Rico and Tubac Fire Districts
  • Contractor's Transaction Privilege Tax License Number required for projects over $50,000
  • Bond exemption certificate from the Arizona Department of Revenue required for contractors when construction value exceeds $50,000

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation-based per Table 1-AGuidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014), Section 6 and Exhibit A (Table 1-A). Based on the ICC Building Valuation Data Table (BVD-0213) with a County-added $15/sq ft construction cost for carports and porches. This is the most recent building-fee table this review could locate published by the County; no superseding fee-schedule document was found linked from the current Building Department or Forms & Resources pages as of this review (only a 2025 Health Services fee schedule is currently linked under 'Fees' on the Forms & Resources page, which does not cover Building Department permits) — confirm current amounts directly with the Building Department (520-375-7880) before relying on these 2014 figures for a live project.
$1–$500: $60.00 minimum fee; $501–$2,000: $23.50 for the first $500 + $3.00 per additional $100 (or fraction), $60 minimum; $2,001–$25,000: $69.00 for the first $2,000 + $14.00 per additional $1,000 (or fraction); $25,001–$50,000: $391.50 for the first $25,000 + $10.00 per additional $1,000; $50,001–$100,000: $643.50 for the first $50,000 + $7.00 per additional $1,000; $100,001–$500,000: $993.50 for the first $100,000 + $5.50 per additional $1,000; $500,001–$1,000,000: $3,233.50 for the first $500,000 + $4.50 per additional $1,000; $1,000,001+: $5,608.50 for the first $1,000,000 + $3.50 per additional $1,000
Plan Review FeeGuidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014), Section 4. Due at time of application submittal; non-refundable; separate from the permit fee itself.
35% of the Building Permit Fee for one- and two-family dwellings and accessory structures; 50% of the Building Permit Fee for all other project types
Zoning Clearance FeeGuidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014), Section 5 and Exhibit A. Applies to all permits containing a site plan (residential, commercial, grading, pool, etc.); due at time of plan submittal. Electric and gas utility permits are exempt.
$50.00 flat
Grading Permit Fee (bundled with Building Permit where applicable)Guidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014), Section 7 and Table A-33-B. Required for any grading exceeding 50 cubic yards; issued only in conjunction with the building permit.
Twice the amount calculated from Table A-33-B (e.g., 50 cu yd or less: $23.50 base → $47.00 doubled; 1,001–10,000 cu yd: $194.50 + $14.50/additional 1,000 cu yd, base amount, then doubled)
After-hours inspection / re-inspection / unspecified inspection / additional plan reviewGuidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014), Exhibit A, 'Other Inspections and Fees.'
$47.00 per hour (or the jurisdiction's actual hourly cost, whichever is greater); after-hours inspections have a 2-hour minimum charge; unspecified-fee inspections have a half-hour minimum

Review timeline

Plan reviewUnincorporated Santa Cruz County’s published plan-review target
15–150 business days

How long did your Residential Building/Grading Permit (New Construction, Additions, Accessory Structures) permit actually take in Unincorporated Santa Cruz County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation/Footing

    Before concrete pour — after all forms, reinforcement steel, and anchor/hold-down bolts are in place; verifies footing depth, dimensions, reinforcement, and property-line setbacks per 2012 IBC/IRC

  2. 2

    Rough Frame / Rough Electrical / Rough Plumbing / Rough Mechanical

    After the building is made weather-tight (roof, windows, doors, siding/stucco lath installed) and all rough trade work is in place, before wall cover or insulation, per 2012 IBC/IRC/IMC/IPC and 2011 NEC

  3. 3

    Gas Line Pressure Test

    Required before concealing gas piping — verify no leaks under test pressure

  4. 4

    Final

    All work complete per approved plans and applicable Fire Department sign-off where required (homes 3,600 sq ft+ in Rio Rico/Tubac Fire Districts); Certificate of Occupancy issued upon passing final

See the full Unincorporated Santa Cruz County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • The Applicant's Certification and Acknowledgement page (part of the Building/Grading Permit Application) spells out your exact statutory rights and deadlines under A.R.S. §11-1602 through §11-1610 — read it before submitting; it governs how the County's 15/45/105/150-business-day review clock works and what happens if you or the County miss a deadline.
  • Water availability must be resolved before submittal: if there is no connection to the main water line on your property, you must sign an acknowledgment on the application taking responsibility for coordinating your own utility connection.
  • Do not attempt a single combined check for multiple fee types — the County's own submittal checklist explicitly states it will not accept multiple fees combined onto a single check; pay the Plan Review Fee and Zoning Clearance Fee as separate payments.
  • If your parcel needs a new address, street name, or is on an unnamed road, get routed through Planning & Zoning for address verification before applying — no permit will be issued without an approved street name/address.
  • Grading is not a separate permit track here: if your project involves more than 50 cubic yards of cut/fill, the grading review and fee (2x Table A-33-B) are bundled into your building permit application, not filed separately.
  • Contact the Building Department for the current-year fee table before budgeting — the valuation-based Table 1-A fee schedule identified in this review dates to a 2014 revision of the Guidelines for Builders and no newer public fee-schedule PDF for Building Department permits specifically could be located as of this review.

Frequently asked questions

Only if your project's cut/fill exceeds 50 cubic yards, and even then it is issued together with (not separately from) your building permit, at a fee of twice the amount in Table A-33-B. Source: Guidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014), Section 7.

In Unincorporated Santa Cruz County, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation-based per Table 1-A is: $1–$500: $60.00 minimum fee; $501–$2,000: $23.50 for the first $500 + $3.00 per additional $100 (or fraction), $60 minimum; $2,001–$25,000: $69.00 for the first $2,000 + $14.00 per additional $1,000 (or fraction); $25,001–$50,000: $391.50 for the first $25,000 + $10.00 per additional $1,000; $50,001–$100,000: $643.50 for the first $50,000 + $7.00 per additional $1,000; $100,001–$500,000: $993.50 for the first $100,000 + $5.50 per additional $1,000; $500,001–$1,000,000: $3,233.50 for the first $500,000 + $4.50 per additional $1,000; $1,000,001+: $5,608.50 for the first $1,000,000 + $3.50 per additional $1,000. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee — 35% of the Building Permit Fee for one- and two-family dwellings and accessory structures; 50% of the Building Permit Fee for all other project types; Zoning Clearance Fee — $50.00 flat; Grading Permit Fee (bundled with Building Permit where applicable) — Twice the amount calculated from Table A-33-B (e.g., 50 cu yd or less: $23.50 base → $47.00 doubled; 1,001–10,000 cu yd: $194.50 + $14.50/additional 1,000 cu yd, base amount, then doubled); After-hours inspection / re-inspection / unspecified inspection / additional plan review — $47.00 per hour (or the jurisdiction's actual hourly cost, whichever is greater); after-hours inspections have a 2-hour minimum charge; unspecified-fee inspections have a half-hour minimum. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per A.R.S. §11-1605, the County has up to 15 business days to determine your application is administratively complete (or it is automatically deemed complete), followed by up to 105 business days of substantive review — for a combined maximum County processing time of 150 business days. You, the applicant, separately have your own response-time windows (30 business days during completeness review, 60 business days during substantive review, extendable). Source: Santa Cruz County Building/Grading Permit Application, Applicant's Certification and Acknowledgement (Rev. 8/4/2023).

You'll need: Building/Grading Permit Application; Plan Submittal Check List; Site Plan Requirements; Landscape Acknowledgement Form. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Santa Cruz County may also ask for: Owner Builder Form; Example Drawings. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires 4 inspection(s) for a residential building/grading permit (new construction, additions, accessory structures), in order: Foundation/Footing, Rough Frame / Rough Electrical / Rough Plumbing / Rough Mechanical, Gas Line Pressure Test, Final. Schedule each through Santa Cruz County Building Department (a division of the Community Development Department, Planning & Building) (520-375-7880).

Apply through Santa Cruz County Building Department (a division of the Community Development Department, Planning & Building) at 2150 N. Congress Drive, Suite #206, Nogales, AZ 85621. Phone: 520-375-7880, email: permitting@santacruzcountyaz.gov. Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Due to the time required to accept or issue a building permit, no applications are accepted and no permits are issued after 5:00 PM. Source: Santa Cruz County Building Department page (live, browser-header fetch confirmed 2026-07-07) and Guidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014).. Official information: https://www.santacruzcountyaz.gov/440/Building-Department.

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority. Santa Cruz County independently adopts and administers its own construction codes for unincorporated areas through its Building Department (a division of Community Development). Source: Santa Cruz County Building Department page.; 2012 International Building Code (IBC), effective for all construction in the unincorporated areas of the County on September 1, 2013, per Ordinance No. 2013-03 (including all amendments). Source: Santa Cruz County Building Department page (live) and 'Guidelines for Builders' (Rev. 03/2014), https://www.santacruzcountyaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/973/Guidelines-for-Builders.; 2012 International Building Code Standards, adopted alongside the 2012 IBC per Ordinance No. 2013-03. Source: Guidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014).; 2012 International Residential Code (IRC), adopted per Ordinance No. 2013-03. Source: Guidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014).; 2012 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted per Ordinance No. 2013-03. Source: Guidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014).; 2012 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted per Ordinance No. 2013-03. Source: Guidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014).; 2012 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted per Ordinance No. 2013-03. Source: Guidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014).; 2011 National Electrical Code (NEC) — one edition behind the 2012 I-Codes, consistent with typical NEC adoption lag; adopted per Ordinance No. 2013-03. Source: Guidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014). Independently corroborated by the 2018 Arizona Building Officials (AZBO) Directory, which lists Santa Cruz County as having adopted the 2012 IBC/IRC/IMC/IPC/IFC and 2011 NEC (https://www.azbo.us/documents/documents/2018_AZBO_Directory.pdf).; Santa Cruz County has also adopted a Zoning and Development Code (separate from the building-safety codes above) regulating zoning matters, setbacks, landscaping requirements, and swimming pools, administered by the Community Development Department's Planning & Zoning division. Source: Guidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014); Santa Cruz County Zoning and Development Code, https://www.santacruzcountyaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9059/Santa-Cruz-County-Zoning-and-Development-Code.; A subsequent Building Safety Code Ordinance and an Excavation and Grading Ordinance are both currently published and linked directly from the Building Department page (Building Safety Code Ordinance: https://www.santacruzcountyaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/970/Building-Safety-Code-Ordinance; Excavation and Grading Ordinance: https://www.santacruzcountyaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/972/Excavation-and-Grading-Ordinance), confirming the Building Department's code set is still active and in force as of this review. The Building Safety Code Ordinance PDF (970) is a large scanned image file that could not be machine-OCR'd during this review — a genuine access limitation, not an unpublished-code gap, since its existence, title, and the underlying 2012 I-Code adoption are independently confirmed by the live department page and the Guidelines for Builders document.; Grading permits are required in unincorporated Santa Cruz County for any grading exceeding 50 cubic yards, per Santa Cruz County Ordinance Nos. 2001-06 & 2007-05. A grading permit is issued only in conjunction with a building permit (with narrow exceptions for grading under Planning & Zoning jurisdiction or special cases approved by the Building Official). Source: Guidelines for Builders (Rev. 03/2014).. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Santa Cruz County overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

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

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 Unincorporated Santa Cruz County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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