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Commercial Building Permit in San Luis, Arizona

Required for new commercial building construction and for additions/alterations to existing commercial buildings in San Luis. Reviewed against the 2018 IBC as adopted and amended by City of San Luis Ordinance No. 390. Tenant improvement work is NOT a separate permit type in this jurisdiction's fee or review-timeline structure: although the City's own Building Permit Application form lists 'TENANT IMPROVEMENT' as its own top-level checkbox (distinct from 'COMMERCIAL BLDG'), the City's authoritative A.R.S. § 9-835 Building Permit Processing Time Frames document has no corresponding 'Tenant Improvement' row, and the City's fee schedule has no distinct tenant-improvement fee line — a TI project is billed under the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee and reviewed on the 'Commercial Building – Addition or Alteration' timeline. No dedicated industrial or warehouse permitting track exists either, despite the City's location adjacent to the San Luis Port of Entry: the only scale-based distinction the City publishes for commercial construction is a 10,000-square-foot size threshold that applies to any commercial building regardless of use.

Verified 2026-08-16 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Building permit required for new commercial building construction and for additions, alterations, or shell-building work on commercial structures within San Luis city limits
  • Reviewed against the 2018 IBC (City of San Luis Ordinance No. 390) and routed by the Building Safety Division to Planning & Zoning, Fire Department, Police Department, and Public Works for departmental approvals as needed
  • Complete Building Permit Application with 'COMMERCIAL BLDG' checkbox selected (select 'TENANT IMPROVEMENT' instead if the project is an interior build-out/alteration of an existing commercial tenant space — see Tips for how this is billed and reviewed)
  • Complete set of construction plans/drawings showing full scope of work; electronic PDF preferred, or 3 hard-copy sets for commercial projects (versus 2 for residential)
  • Site Plan required, showing property lines, structures, and utilities
  • Per the City's A.R.S. § 9-835 Building Permit Processing Time Frames document, 'Commercial Building – New' is split into two size tiers: 1-9,999 sq. ft. and 10,000 sq. ft. or Greater — this is the only size/scale distinction published for commercial construction; no separate industrial or warehouse permit category exists, so a large warehouse or distribution building (relevant given proximity to the San Luis Port of Entry) would be processed under this same size-tiered 'Commercial Building – New' category or the 'Commercial Building – Shell Building' category depending on scope
  • Work must be performed by a duly licensed Arizona contractor unless the owner-builder exception applies, per the standard certification language on the City's Building Permit Application (subject to A.R.S. §§ 32-1151/32-1154 penalties if violated) Owner-builder
  • Permit becomes null and void if work does not begin within 180 days of issuance, or is suspended/abandoned for 180 days
  • A Certificate of Occupancy is required before the building may be occupied

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Commercial Building Permit Fee — Based on Valuation
Resolution No. 2306 Exhibit A, 'SCHEDULE OF BUILDING PERMIT FEES', is a single, undivided valuation table with no separate commercial-only chart; Show full citationResolution No. 2306 Exhibit A, 'SCHEDULE OF BUILDING PERMIT FEES', is a single, undivided valuation table with no separate commercial-only chart; the same Table applies to residential and commercial alike. San Luis City Council Resolution No. 2306, 'amending and adopting various fees for Permit and Applications related to Development Services and Public Works Departments,' was approved and adopted by unanimous 7-0 vote at the May 22, 2024 Regular Council Meeting (minutes item 6.C) following the A.R.S. § 9-499.15 public hearing, effective June 21, 2024, and this valuation table matches the adopted Exhibit A verbatim, bracket by bracket (council packet pages 236 and 242). Adoption chain, per the City's Destiny Hosted council portal (public.destinyhosted.com/72658): Notice of Intent posted 2024-01-13 → re-noticed 2024-03-22 → hearing held and Resolution 2306 adopted 2024-05-22 → effective 2024-06-21. See the Residential Building Permit entry for full sourcing detail.
$50 (valuation $1-$500); $50 + $4 per additional $100 to $2,000; $80 + $16 per additional $1,000 to $25,000; $450 + $12 per additional $1,000 to $50,000; $740 + $8 per additional $1,000 to $100,000; $1,140 + $6 per additional $1,000 to $500,000; $3,720 + $6 per additional $1,000 to $1,000,000; $6,450 + $4 per additional $1,000 above $1,000,000
Plan Check Fee (Commercial)
Resolution No. 2306 Exhibit A (adopted 2024-05-22, effective 2024-06-21), 'WHEN FEES ARE PAID' / Fee Schedule for IBC, IRC, IEBC, IPMC; Show full citationResolution No. 2306 Exhibit A (adopted 2024-05-22, effective 2024-06-21), 'WHEN FEES ARE PAID' / Fee Schedule for IBC, IRC, IEBC, IPMC; paid at time of application submittal; the Commercial rate was unchanged by the resolution (65% in both the 'Current Fee' and 'Proposed Fee' columns of the comparison table, and 65% in the adopted Exhibit A). Includes up to 3 resubmittals and 2 inspections per phase.
65% of Building Permit Fee
Plan Certification for financial institution (Commercial)
Resolution No. 2306 Exhibit A (adopted 2024-05-22, effective 2024-06-21); Show full citationResolution No. 2306 Exhibit A (adopted 2024-05-22, effective 2024-06-21); NOTE on the adopted schedule: 'if unaltered Plan is later used for construction, Plan Check Fee is waived for that Building Permit.' Distinct from the general Commercial Plan Check Fee — this line applies specifically to plan certification requested for financing purposes.
65% of Building Permit Fee
Reissue Certificate of OccupancyResolution No. 2306 Exhibit A (adopted 2024-05-22, effective 2024-06-21); a single fee line applying to both residential and commercial reissuance. Note: the resolution's 'Current Fee' column shows $50 as the PRE-2024 fee — the adopted fee is $100.
$100

Review timeline

Plan reviewSan Luis’s published plan-review target
17–35 business days

How long did your Commercial Building Permit permit actually take in San Luis?

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

  2. 2

    Framing / Structural

    Structural framing and connections per 2018 IBC and Town amendments

  3. 3

    Rough-In (Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical)

    Coordinated with the separate Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits documented elsewhere in this record

  4. 4

    Final / Certificate of Occupancy

    All work complete per approved plans; Building Safety Division routes to Fire Department and other departments as needed before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued

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

Tips

  • Per the City's A.R.S. § 9-835 Building Permit Processing Time Frames document, 'Commercial Building – New (1-9,999 sq. ft.)' carries a 2-business-day Administrative Completeness Review, 15 business days for 1st plan review, and 10 more for 2nd review if needed — 27 business days overall (17 minimum if no 2nd review). 'Commercial Building – New (10,000 sq. ft. or Greater)' is slower: 5/20/10 business days — 35 overall (25 minimum). This size threshold is the ONLY scale-based distinction the City publishes for commercial construction; there is no separate industrial or warehouse permit category, so a large warehouse or distribution building near the San Luis Port of Entry would fall under whichever of these two size tiers applies, or under 'Commercial Building – Shell Building' (2/15/10 = 27 total) if built as a shell for later tenant build-out.
  • 'Commercial Building – Addition or Alteration' and 'Commercial Building – Shell Building' both carry the identical 2/15/10 (27 total) timeline as the under-10,000-sq-ft new-construction track, per the same Processing Time Frames document.
  • No separate Tenant Improvement fee schedule or review-timeline category exists in San Luis. The City's Building Permit Application form does list 'TENANT IMPROVEMENT' as its own top-level checkbox, separate from 'COMMERCIAL BLDG' — but the A.R.S. § 9-835 Processing Time Frames document has no corresponding 'Tenant Improvement' row, and the fee schedule has no distinct TI fee line. A TI project is billed under the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee (plus 65% Commercial Plan Check) and, in the absence of a dedicated TI review-timeline row, would be reviewed on the 'Commercial Building – Addition or Alteration' track (2/15/10 = 27 business days) as the closest applicable existing-structure-alteration category.
  • Plan Check Fee (Commercial) is 65% of the Building Permit Fee — the same rate as Residential (which was itself raised from 50% to align with Commercial).
  • A distinct 'Plan Certification for financial institution (Commercial)' fee (also 65% of the Building Permit Fee) exists for plan certification requested for loan/financing purposes; if the same unaltered plan is later used for actual construction, the Plan Check Fee on that Building Permit is waived.
  • 3 hard-copy plan sets are required for commercial submittals if not submitting electronically (versus 2 sets for residential), per the City's Building Permits webpage.
  • The City's live Building Inspections & Codes page lists no separate accessibility code (e.g., ICC A117.1) — commercial accessibility review is conducted under the 2018 IBC's own built-in accessibility chapter, already in this entry's codesAdopted list. San Luis lists no independent freestanding A117.1 adoption of its own, unlike some other Arizona jurisdictions.

Frequently asked questions

San Luis requires a commercial building permit for: Building permit required for new commercial building construction and for additions, alterations, or shell-building work on commercial structures within San Luis city limits; Reviewed against the 2018 IBC (City of San Luis Ordinance No. 390) and routed by the Building Safety Division to Planning & Zoning, Fire Department, Police Department, and Public Works for departmental approvals as needed; Complete Building Permit Application with 'COMMERCIAL BLDG' checkbox selected (select 'TENANT IMPROVEMENT' instead if the project is an interior build-out/alteration of an existing commercial tenant space — see Tips for how this is billed and reviewed); Complete set of construction plans/drawings showing full scope of work; electronic PDF preferred, or 3 hard-copy sets for commercial projects (versus 2 for residential); Site Plan required, showing property lines, structures, and utilities; Per the City's A.R.S. § 9-835 Building Permit Processing Time Frames document, 'Commercial Building – New' is split into two size tiers: 1-9,999 sq. ft. and 10,000 sq. ft. or Greater — this is the only size/scale distinction published for commercial construction; no separate industrial or warehouse permit category exists, so a large warehouse or distribution building (relevant given proximity to the San Luis Port of Entry) would be processed under this same size-tiered 'Commercial Building – New' category or the 'Commercial Building – Shell Building' category depending on scope; Work must be performed by a duly licensed Arizona contractor unless the owner-builder exception applies, per the standard certification language on the City's Building Permit Application (subject to A.R.S. §§ 32-1151/32-1154 penalties if violated); Permit becomes null and void if work does not begin within 180 days of issuance, or is suspended/abandoned for 180 days; A Certificate of Occupancy is required before the building may be occupied. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of San Luis Development Services Department — Building Safety Division at 928-341-8565 before starting work.

In San Luis, the published Commercial Building Permit Fee — Based on Valuation is: $50 (valuation $1-$500); $50 + $4 per additional $100 to $2,000; $80 + $16 per additional $1,000 to $25,000; $450 + $12 per additional $1,000 to $50,000; $740 + $8 per additional $1,000 to $100,000; $1,140 + $6 per additional $1,000 to $500,000; $3,720 + $6 per additional $1,000 to $1,000,000; $6,450 + $4 per additional $1,000 above $1,000,000. Additional published fees: Plan Check Fee (Commercial) — 65% of Building Permit Fee; Plan Certification for financial institution (Commercial) — 65% of Building Permit Fee; Reissue Certificate of Occupancy — $100. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per the City's A.R.S. § 9-835 Building Permit Processing Time Frames document, a new commercial building under 10,000 sq. ft. has a 2-business-day administrative review, 15 business days for 1st plan review, and up to 10 more for 2nd review — 27 business days overall (17 minimum). A commercial building of 10,000 sq. ft. or greater is slower: 5/20/10 business days, 35 overall (25 minimum).

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Construction Plans/Drawings; Site Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

San Luis requires 4 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit, in order: Foundation/Footing, Framing / Structural, Rough-In (Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical), Final / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through City of San Luis Development Services Department — Building Safety Division (928-341-8565).

Apply through City of San Luis Development Services Department — Building Safety Division at P.O. Box 3750 - 1090 E. Union Street, San Luis, AZ 85349. Phone: 928-341-8565, email: jcampa@sanluisaz.gov. Office hours: City Hall general hours Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Building Safety Division office line (928) 341-8565; dedicated Inspection Line/Hot Line for scheduling inspections is (928) 341-8564 (also available via online inspection scheduling). Building Permit Applications may be submitted with a complete set of plans/drawings (electronic PDF preferred; if hard copy, 2 sets for residential, 3 sets for commercial).. Official information: https://www.sanluisaz.gov/departments/development_services/building_safety/building_permits.php.

No. The City's A.R.S. § 9-835 Processing Time Frames document has no distinct industrial or warehouse permit category. The only scale-based distinction for commercial construction is a 10,000-square-foot size threshold under 'Commercial Building – New' (2/15/10 = 27 business days under 10,000 sq. ft.; 5/20/10 = 35 business days at 10,000 sq. ft. or greater), which would apply to a warehouse or distribution building the same as any other commercial structure of that size. A shell building intended for later tenant build-out would instead fall under 'Commercial Building – Shell Building' (27 business days).

Not as a distinct fee schedule or review track. The City's Building Permit Application form does list 'TENANT IMPROVEMENT' as its own checkbox, separate from 'COMMERCIAL BLDG,' but the City's official Processing Time Frames document has no corresponding TI row and the fee schedule has no separate TI fee line. A TI project is billed under the standard valuation-based Building Permit Fee plus the 65% Commercial Plan Check Fee, and would be reviewed on the 'Commercial Building – Addition or Alteration' timeline (27 business days) in the absence of a dedicated TI category.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-16.

Fee schedules

Applications & forms

Online permit portal

Codes & ordinances

Department & other records

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

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