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Fence Building Permit in Sedona, Arizona

Required for fences and freestanding walls in Sedona above the City's narrow no-permit exemption threshold (30 inches). Governed by Sedona City Code § 15.05.040(P) and Land Development Code Articles 6 and 9, with dedicated prescriptive fence/wall design details published by the City.

Verified 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Building permit required for fences and freestanding walls not supporting a structure, except those 30 inches high or less located outside flood hazard areas (exempt)
  • No fence may exceed 6 feet high unless approved by the Zoning Inspector
  • Solid, opaque fences cannot exceed 36 inches high within front or street-side setbacks
  • Fences cannot obstruct or alter drainage swales or washes
  • Fences in excess of 6 feet require design/wind-load calculations by an Arizona-licensed engineer
  • Materials/colors must have a light reflecting value (LRV) not exceeding 38% (Munsell value) to blend with the natural environment; chain-link must be painted or vinyl-coated
  • 4 complete sets of plans required, drawn to scale and dimensioned

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Plan Review Deposit — FencesCity of Sedona Fence Building Permit Packet, 'Plan Review Deposit' section; this deposit is required at time of application and usually covers the total permit cost. Additional plan review/permit/grading fees per the City of Sedona Consolidated Fee Schedule may apply if the project involves substantial grading, retaining walls, or plan revisions
$50

Review timeline

Plan reviewSedona’s published plan-review target
42–42 business days

How long did your Fence Building Permit permit actually take in Sedona?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Footing

    Required for fences/walls with footings, before backfill, per the City's prescriptive detail or engineered design

  2. 2

    Final

    Completed fence/wall verified against approved plans and prescriptive/engineered detail

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

Tips

  • Per the City of Sedona Fence Building Permit Packet, the published A.R.S. § 9-836 time frame is 21 business days Administrative Completeness + 21 business days Substantive Review = 42 business days overall, authorized under Land Development Code (LDC) Articles 6 and 9 (distinct authorizing code citation from the building-permit-type packets, which cite City Code Title 15).
  • Only fences/walls 30 inches or less (outside flood hazard areas) are exempt from a permit in Sedona — this is a narrower exemption than some other Arizona cities that exempt fences up to 6-7 feet.
  • Deed-restricted subdivisions may separately require architectural committee approval before fence construction begins — the property owner is responsible for confirming this with their HOA.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, for any fence or freestanding wall over 30 inches high (unless it falls under a narrower specific exemption). Fences up to 6 feet are permitted with the standard packet; fences over 6 feet require wind-load design calculations from an Arizona-licensed engineer, and any fence over 6 feet needs Zoning Inspector approval.

In Sedona, the published Plan Review Deposit — Fences is: $50. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per the City of Sedona Fence Building Permit Packet's published A.R.S. § 9-836 time frame (authorized under Land Development Code Articles 6 and 9), Administrative Completeness review takes 21 business days and Substantive Review takes 21 business days, for an overall 42 business days.

You'll need: Fence Building Permit Application; Prescriptive Detail / Wall Specs Detail; Sample Site Plan; Color and Material Sample Sheet. Depending on your project, Sedona may also ask for: Owner-Builder/Developer Statement. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Sedona requires 2 inspection(s) for a fence building permit, in order: Footing, Final. Schedule each through City of Sedona Community Development Department — Building Safety Division (928-282-1154).

Apply through City of Sedona Community Development Department — Building Safety Division at 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.. Official information: https://www.sedonaaz.gov/your-government/departments/community-development/permits.

Sedona, 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 (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). 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. 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 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).. Local amendments apply — see the Sedona overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-06.

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