Sedona building permits

Verified

Department contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Sedona, Arizona.

Last verified 2026-07-06 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history

Building department

Address: 102 Roadrunner Drive, Sedona, AZ 86336-3710 (Community Development front counter address also published as 104 Roadrunner Drive in some permit packets)
Phone: 928-282-1154
Email: Permittechs@sedonaaz.gov
Office hours: Community Development Department phone hours Monday - Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (4-day, 10-hour City workweek); lobby/front counter hours Monday - Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Construction Inspection Hotline: 928-282-3268 (call by 3:00 p.m. the business day before to request a next-day inspection). Staff: Steve Mertes, Chief Building Official/Community Development Director, 928-203-5097, smertes@sedonaaz.gov; Becky Oium, Plans Examiner, 928-203-5093; Patty Lewis, Permit Technician, 928-203-5118; Andrew Vaughn, Building Inspector, 928-204-7115, avaughn@sedonaaz.gov.
Website: Official site

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Sedona — 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. Show full textShow less
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 Sedona runs its own Community Development Department / Building Safety Division and independently adopts and administers its own construction codes as City Code Title 15 (Buildings and Construction); it does not defer permitting to Yavapai County or Coconino County for parcels within Sedona city limits, even though the city itself straddles both counties. Source: Sedona City Code Chapter 15.05 (sedona.municipal.codes/SCC/15.05); City of Sedona Permits and Building Safety webpages.
2018 International Building Code (IBC), as amended and codified, published by the International Code Council, adopted as the building code of the City of Sedona (Sedona City Code § 15.05.010), with City of Sedona amendments (§ 15.05.020). Show full textShow less
2018 International Building Code (IBC), as amended and codified, published by the International Code Council, adopted as the building code of the City of Sedona (Sedona City Code § 15.05.010), with City of Sedona amendments (§ 15.05.020). Adopted by City Council on September 24, 2019 (Ordinance 2019-05, Resolution 2019-18 Exh. A); effective for all permits submitted on or after October 25, 2019. Source: Sedona City Code § 15.05.010/.020; City of Sedona Building Safety and Permits pages ('Building Codes' section).
2018 International Residential Code (IRC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments (§ 15.05.030/.040), effective October 25, 2019, including the City's amended IRC Table R301.2(1) Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria. Source: Sedona City Code § 15.05.030/.040.
2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019. Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage, 'Building Codes' list.
2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019. Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage.
2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019. Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage.
2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019. Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage.
2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019. Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage.
2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019 (referenced in the Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Building Permit Packet's '2019 Amendments to Sedona City Code' insert). Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage; City of Sedona Swimming Pool and Spa Building Permit Packet.
2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), as published by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019 (one edition behind the 2018 ICC I-Codes set, consistent with the City's own stated rationale of aligning with 'surrounding communities and counties'). Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage.
Manufactured homes, mobile homes, and factory-built buildings are separately defined and regulated under Sedona City Code § 15.05.090 (adopting the Arizona Office of Manufactured Housing construction/installation standards per A.R.S. Show full textShow less
Manufactured homes, mobile homes, and factory-built buildings are separately defined and regulated under Sedona City Code § 15.05.090 (adopting the Arizona Office of Manufactured Housing construction/installation standards per A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 16), with the City issuing its own 'Manufactured or factory built home permit' packet for placement, foundation, and site-related requirements. Source: Sedona City Code § 15.05.090; City of Sedona Permits page.
Building permit fees and valuation are governed by Sedona City Code § 15.05.060, which cross-references the City of Sedona Consolidated Fee Schedule (Valuation/Permit Fee Schedule and Unit Permit Fees) as the… Show full textShow less
Building permit fees and valuation are governed by Sedona City Code § 15.05.060, which cross-references the City of Sedona Consolidated Fee Schedule (Valuation/Permit Fee Schedule and Unit Permit Fees) as the authoritative fee source rather than the ICC codes' own fee tables; the plan review fee is set at 65 percent of the calculated building permit fee when the permit fee is valuation-based. Source: Sedona City Code § 15.05.060 (sedona.municipal.codes/SCC/15.05.060).

Permit types & fees

Sedona's permit history isn't searchable here yet

This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Sedona yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.

Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Sedona lands. Privacy.

New residential construction activity

New privately-owned residential construction only

Housing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).

Latest month (2026-07)

No data reported

Trailing 12 months

8units

3 of 12 months reported · #66 in Arizona coverage by units

Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-07)

19units

19 buildings · $16.6M valuation

5 month(s) reported to Census

Full year 2025

52units

52 buildings · $45.7M valuation

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-07 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Arizona building activity

Tips & gotchas

Arizona has no statewide mandatory building code — the City of Sedona independently adopts and amends its own construction codes (City Code Title 15) and runs its own Community Development/Building Safety Division; it does not defer to Yavapai County or Coconino County for permitting within city limits, even though the city itself physically straddles both counties.
Sedona's Census place (FIPS 65350) spans BOTH Coconino County (005) and Yavapai County (025) — West Sedona is in Yavapai County, while Uptown Sedona, the Gallery District, and the Chapel area are in Coconino County. City Hall and Community Development (102 Roadrunner Dr.) sit in Yavapai County, but the City administers a single unified permitting program for the whole city regardless of county line.
The City adopted the 2018 ICC I-Codes suite (IBC, IRC, IPC, IECC, IMC, IEBC, IFGC, ISPSC) plus the 2017 NEC by City Council action on September 24, 2019 (Ordinance 2019-05), effective for all permits submitted on/after October 25, 2019 — the NEC is one edition behind the 2018 I-Codes, mirroring the same pattern seen in other Arizona cities (e.g., Buckeye).
EVERY adopted code's fee/permit-fee section is cross-referenced to Sedona City Code § 15.05.060, which in turn points to the City of Sedona Consolidated Fee Schedule as the sole fee authority — the ICC codes' own fee tables do not govern. The plan review fee is set at 65% of the valuation-based building permit fee, collected in full at submittal.
Sedona's IRC Table R301.2(1) Climatic/Geographic Design Criteria (per City Code § 15.05.040(P)): 115 mph Vult wind speed, Seismic Design Category C, 25 psf ground snow load, 12-inch frost line depth, 16°F winter design temperature, moderate-to-heavy termite potential — notably higher-elevation/higher-hazard figures than nearby lower-desert Arizona cities (e.g., Buckeye's 115 mph/Seismic B/no snow load/34°F).
Sedona publishes a uniform A.R.S. § 9-836 permit review time-frame table directly in EVERY core permit packet (single-family residential, remodel/addition, fence, solar/PV): 21 business days Administrative Completeness + 21 business days Substantive Review = 42 business days overall. This is a flat, non-tiered time frame (unlike some cities that vary the time frame by project size or complexity), authorized under City Code Title 15 for building-permit-type packets and under Land Development Code Articles 6 & 9 for the fence permit specifically.
Sedona does NOT publish standalone electrical, plumbing, mechanical/HVAC, or general re-roofing permit types on its Permits page — that scope of work (water heater/furnace/AC installation, electrical panel/wiring work, shingle-to-tile roof conversion) is processed through the Residential Remodel/Addition Building Permit rather than a distinct trade-specific permit.
Sedona treats Solar/Photovoltaic and Solar Water Heater as two separate, distinctly named permit types with separate application packets, even though both are processed through the same building-permit review track — do not conflate them into a single 'solar permit' type.
Sedona imposes distinctive scenic-beauty/aesthetic requirements tied to its Land Development Code: solar panel frames must be black matte (or silver with black-painted perimeter framing); all exterior mounting hardware, fences, and walls must meet a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 38% or less (Munsell value) to blend with the natural red-rock environment.
Only fences/walls 30 inches or less (outside flood hazard areas) are exempt from a building permit in Sedona — a narrower exemption than Buckeye's, which exempts fences up to 7 feet. No fence in Sedona may exceed 6 feet without Zoning Inspector approval, and fences over 6 feet require licensed-engineer wind-load calculations.
Demolishing a structure more than 50 years old triggers an additional historic-documentation requirement under Land Development Code § 8.7.F(3) before the City will issue a demolition permit. Budget extra lead time for that review step.
Temporary Certificates of Occupancy are explicitly described by the City as 'not customary,' requiring Community Development Director approval, a 100%-of-completion-cost bond/deposit (plus 25% contingency), and a non-refundable $300 (single-family) or $500 (commercial) fee — a materially higher bar than a routine TCO process.
Building/plan-review permit applications expire 180 days after submittal if no permit is issued; issued permits expire 180 days after issuance absent diligently-pursued construction, and lack of a scheduled/performed inspection within 180 days is treated as abandonment under the City's IRC § R105.5 amendment.
The City's itemized Consolidated Fee Schedule valuation table — the specific dollar-per-valuation-bracket breakdown, analogous to Buckeye's Table 1-A — is not published in a directly retrievable form. Permit types whose fees reference this schedule are therefore cited to City Code § 15.05.060 and to the schedule's existence and applicability rather than to specific dollar brackets, which is why several fee entries above read 'Per City of Sedona Consolidated Fee Schedule' rather than a dollar figure. This is NOT an estimate or inference; it is the same valuation-based-fee citation pattern used for Buckeye's BOV (Based On Valuation) line items. The three sedonaaz.gov pages cited for this jurisdiction (Permits, Building Safety, and Fees) are live and are cited at their live sedonaaz.gov URLs rather than via web.archive.org snapshots; the City's code is hosted at sedona.municipal.codes, and the City's permit packets are published as sedonaaz.gov showpublisheddocument PDFs reflecting the live official source content.