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Grading Permit in Unincorporated Yavapai County, Arizona

Required for grading (excavation and/or fill) in the unincorporated areas of Yavapai County unless specifically exempted, under the Yavapai County Grading Ordinance (updated as Ordinance 2025-10, effective January 1, 2026). Grading of 2,000 cubic yards or more must be engineered by an Arizona-registered engineer; grading under 2,000 cubic yards may follow the ordinance's non-engineered 'regular grading' path. Cut/fill under the footprint of a permitted structure itself is excluded from the totals. Applications are submitted through the CitizenServe Online Permit Portal.

Verified 2026-07-07 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Required for any grading not exempted under the Grading Ordinance's exemption section, covering the total combination of excavation and fill within the site boundary
  • Cut and fill amounts under the footprint of new permitted structures are excluded from the grading-permit total
  • Grading of 2,000 cubic yards or more requires engineered plans prepared by an Arizona-registered engineer (soils/compaction reporting, cross-sections, drainage plans)
  • Grading under 2,000 cubic yards may be designed per the ordinance's regular (non-engineered) grading provisions
  • Completed access/drainage permit form required if applicable
  • Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) required if applicable, meeting ADEQ AZPDES General Permit AZG2013-001 objectives
  • All plans and supporting documentation submitted electronically in PDF format
  • Apply online through the CitizenServe Online Permit Portal (https://www4.citizenserve.com/Portal/PortalController?Action=showHomePage&ctzPagePrefix=Portal_&installationID=300)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Plan review deposit — Grading, 0-1,000 cubic yardsYavapai County Permit Cost Estimate Sheet, effective 1/6/25
$75.00
Plan review deposit — Grading, 1,001+ cubic yardsYavapai County Permit Cost Estimate Sheet, effective 1/6/25
$120.00

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Grading Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Yavapai County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Grading/Drainage Inspection

    Verify grading performed per approved plans, cross-sections, and drainage devices per the Grading Ordinance

  2. 2

    Compaction Verification (engineered grading only)

    Compaction report confirming fill compacted to minimum 90% maximum density where supporting a structure

  3. 3

    Final

    Grading complete per approved plans; SWPPP measures in place if applicable

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

Tips

  • The 2,000-cubic-yard threshold is the key trigger for engineered vs. regular grading — total cut plus fill combined, not each measured separately.
  • Cut/fill directly under the footprint of a new permitted structure does not count toward your grading-permit cubic yardage total — only grading outside that footprint (driveways, pads, drainage work, etc.) counts.
  • If your site disturbs enough area to trigger ADEQ's AZPDES General Permit (construction stormwater), a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan must be included with your grading submittal.

Frequently asked questions

Only if the total combined cut and fill is 2,000 cubic yards or more — those projects require plans prepared by an Arizona-registered engineer, including soils and compaction reporting. Grading under 2,000 cubic yards may use the ordinance's non-engineered 'regular grading' submittal path. Source: PB-22 Grading Submittal Requirements, https://www.yavapaiaz.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/development-and-permits/permits/development-services/documents/pb-22gradingsubmittalrequirements.pdf

In Unincorporated Yavapai County, the published Plan review deposit — Grading, 0-1,000 cubic yards is: $75.00. Additional published fees: Plan review deposit — Grading, 1,001+ cubic yards — $120.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Unincorporated Yavapai County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Yavapai County Development Services — Customer Service & Permitting Unit (Building Safety Unit) at 928-771-3214 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Grading Permit Submittal Requirements (PB-22); How to Submit for Grading Permit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Yavapai County requires 3 inspection(s) for a grading permit, in order: Grading/Drainage Inspection, Compaction Verification (engineered grading only), Final. Schedule each through Yavapai County Development Services — Customer Service & Permitting Unit (Building Safety Unit) (928-771-3214).

Apply through Yavapai County Development Services — Customer Service & Permitting Unit (Building Safety Unit) at 1120 Commerce Drive, Prescott, AZ 86305 (also: 10 S. 6th Street, Cottonwood, AZ 86326). Phone: 928-771-3214, email: web.development.services@yavapaiaz.gov. Office hours: Permit Technicians available 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. Two public counters: Prescott (1120 Commerce Drive, 928-771-3214, fax 928-771-3432) and Cottonwood (10 S. 6th Street, 928-639-8151). All permit applications are submitted through the CitizenServe Online Permit Portal (https://www4.citizenserve.com/Portal/PortalController?Action=showHomePage&ctzPagePrefix=Portal_&installationID=300). Source: https://www.yavapaiaz.gov/Development-and-Permits/Development-Services/Customer-Service-Permitting-Unit. Official information: https://www.yavapaiaz.gov/Development-and-Permits/Development-Services/Customer-Service-Permitting-Unit.

Unincorporated Yavapai County, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has no statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-county/city authority. Yavapai County's Board of Supervisors independently adopts and administers its own construction codes for the unincorporated areas of the county through Development Services (Building Safety Unit); this is separate from, and does not apply within, the county's nine incorporated cities/towns (Prescott, Prescott Valley, Sedona, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Chino Valley, Clarkdale, Dewey-Humboldt, Jerome), each of which adopts and enforces its own codes.; 2024 International Building Code (IBC), adopted by reference with Yavapai County amendments — Ordinance 2025-3, repealing and replacing Ordinance 2019-2, effective January 1, 2026. Includes Appendices A-P as amended. Source: 'Ordinances Adopting the 2024 International Building Codes...for the Unincorporated Areas of Yavapai County' (207-page ordinance compilation), https://www.yavapaiaz.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/2/development-and-permits/codes-amp-regulations/documents/code-update/2025-signed-ordinance-secured.pdf.; 2024 International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings (IRC), adopted with Yavapai County amendments — Ordinance 2025-4, effective January 1, 2026. Table R301.2 Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria is amended county-wide: basic wind speed 105 mph (Exposure C); Seismic Design Category C (county-wide, per amended R301.2.2.1); ground snow load 20-70 psf depending on elevation (footnote: over 7,000 ft requires site-specific analysis per Section R301.2.3); frost line depth 12 in below 4,500 ft, 18 in at 4,500-6,499 ft, 24 in at or above 6,500 ft; weathering negligible below 3,500 ft, moderate above 3,500 ft; termite damage potential negligible to moderate at/above 6,500 ft (see footnote); ice barrier underlayment NOT required; mean annual temperature 60°F at/below 3,500 ft, 50°F above 3,500 ft; air freezing index 1,500 or less. Source: same 2025-signed ordinance compilation, Ordinance 2025-4/IRC Table R301.2 amendment.; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted with Yavapai County amendments — Ordinance 2025-5, effective January 1, 2026.; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted with Yavapai County amendments — Ordinance 2025-6, effective January 1, 2026.; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted with Yavapai County amendments — Ordinance 2025-7, effective January 1, 2026.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted with Yavapai County amendments — Ordinance 2025-8, effective January 1, 2026 (one edition behind the otherwise-2024 ICC set, consistent with the standard NFPA 3-year NEC cycle). Prior edition adopted under Ordinance 2007-7.; 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), adopted with Yavapai County amendments — Ordinance 2025-9, effective January 1, 2026.; Yavapai County Grading Ordinance, adopted/updated — Ordinance 2025-10, effective January 1, 2026 (supersedes Grading Ordinance 2019-9, cited in the county's PB-22 Grading Submittal Requirements policy).; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted with Yavapai County amendments — Ordinance 2025-11, effective January 1, 2026.; 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), adopted with Yavapai County amendments — Ordinance 2025-12, effective January 1, 2026 (newly adopted as its own title in this code cycle).; 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted with Yavapai County amendments — Ordinance 2025-13, effective January 1, 2026. The county has NOT moved to a newer IECC edition; energy compliance for the 2024 code cycle is still evaluated under the 2012 IECC, mirroring the same 2012 IECC retention documented in this KB's Prescott entry.; Fire code enforcement in the unincorporated county is delegated to each area's local fire district under its own adopted fire code; where no authorized fire district exists, the State Fire Marshal's adopted fire code applies. Source: 2025 ordinance compilation, IBC Section on fire code applicability.. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Yavapai 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 Yavapai County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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Grading Permit in other cities

Carefree, ArizonaDewey-Humboldt, ArizonaParadise Valley, ArizonaQuartzsite, ArizonaSnowflake, ArizonaUnincorporated La Paz County, ArizonaUnincorporated Santa Cruz County, ArizonaCenterville, Utah

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