New Residential Building Permit in Somerton, Arizona

Somerton requires a new residential building permit for: Building permit required for new single-family residential construction within Somerton city limits; Plans reviewed against the 2018 IRC and City of Somerton amendments; City is located within Seismic Design Category D, basic wind speed 115 mph; Two (2) sets of scaled plans required, including: Site Plan, Foundation Plan, Floor Plan, Elevations Plan, Plumbing & Electrical Plans, and Framing Details; Zoning designation (R1-6, R1-8, or R1-10), setbacks, lot coverage, and maximum building height must be identified on the submittal; Plans for structurally complex dwellings must be prepared by an Arizona Licensed Architect or Arizona Registered Engineer; a one-story single-family dwelling does not require this; Building Application Form (New Residential) plus Building Contractor's Information page (licensed contractor info or Owner-Builder exemption under A.R.S. §32-1121A.5/A.6) required; Disclosure required regarding whether the property is within the 65/70/75 dB noise contour or High Noise and Accident Potential Zone of Marine Corps Air Station-Yuma/Yuma International Airport. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Somerton Community Development Department — Building Safety and Code Enforcement at 928-722-7399 before starting work.

In Somerton, the published Building Permit Fee — Valuation-Based is: $1-$500: $50; $501-$2,000: $50 for first $500 plus $4 per add'l $100; $2,001-$25,000: $80 for first $2,000 plus $16 per add'l $1,000; $25,001-$50,000: $450 for first $25,000 plus $12 per add'l $1,000; $50,001-$100,000: $740 for first $50,000 plus $8 per add'l $1,000; $100,001-$500,000: $1,140 for first $100,000 plus $6 per add'l $1,000; $500,001-$1,000,000: $3,720 for first $500,000 plus $6 per add'l $1,000; $1,000,001+: $6,450 for first $1,000,000 plus $4 per add'l $1,000. Additional published fees: Plan Check Fee — 65% of the building permit fee; Phased, Partial, or Deferred Submittal Permits — 200% of single permit fee (initial and subsequent permits); Expedited Plan Review — Double the plan review fee. 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, 'Residential Building - New' has an overall review time of 11 business days (1 day administrative completeness review, 5 days for first substantive review, 5 days for second review if needed).

You'll need: Building Application Form (New Residential); Two (2) Sets of Scaled Plans; Building Contractor's Information / Owner-Builder Exemption. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Somerton requires 3 inspection(s) for a new residential building permit, in order: Foundation/Footing, Framing, Final. Schedule each through City of Somerton Community Development Department — Building Safety and Code Enforcement (928-722-7399).

Apply through City of Somerton Community Development Department — Building Safety and Code Enforcement at 143 N. State Ave. (2nd Floor), P.O. Box 638, Somerton, AZ 85350. Phone: 928-722-7399, email: MariaYbarra@Somertonaz.gov. Office hours: City Hall hours as of August 12, 2024: closed every other Friday (contact 928-722-7400 for the current schedule); Building Inspector observes modified Summer Hours during peak heat months. To schedule a building inspection, call (928) 722-7399 before 3:00 PM Monday-Friday, or email Maria Ybarra (Permit Technician), at least one business day in advance. Plans/applications may be submitted via the On-line Permit Portal, by email, or in person at 143 N. State Ave.. Official information: https://www.somertonaz.gov/departments/community_development_services/building_safety_and_code_enforcement.php.

Somerton, 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 (A.R.S. Title 9, Chapter 7, Article 1, §§ 9-801 et seq.). The City of Somerton independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its Community Development Department / Building Safety and Code Enforcement Office. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002 (passed and ordained September 17, 2019, effective December 17, 2019), repealing and replacing Somerton City Code Article 7-1-1 (Building Reference Codes) and Article 7-1-7 (Permits).; 2018 International Building Code, with Appendices, as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference with certain City of Somerton amendments. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-1(A), effective 12/17/2019.; 2018 International Residential Code for one- and two-family dwellings, with Appendices, as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference with certain City of Somerton amendments. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-1(B).; 2018 International Existing Building Code, with Appendices, as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference with certain City of Somerton amendments. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-1(C).; 2018 International Property Maintenance Code, with Appendices, as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference with certain City of Somerton amendments. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-1(D).; 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, with Appendices, as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference with certain City of Somerton amendments. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-1(E).; National Fire Protection Association Code, 2018 Edition (NFPA-1, Fire Code), with Appendices, as published by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted by reference with certain City of Somerton amendments. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-1(F).; National Electrical Code NFPA-70, 2014 Edition, with Appendices, as published by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted by reference with certain City of Somerton amendments (one edition behind the 2018 ICC suite). Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-1(G); confirmed current as of July 2026 on the City's Building Safety and Code Enforcement webpage, which lists 'Current adopted Building Codes, as of December 17, 2019.'; 2012 International Fuel Gas Code, with Appendices, as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference with certain City of Somerton amendments. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-1(H).; 2012 International Mechanical Code, with Appendices, as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference with certain City of Somerton amendments. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-1(I).; 2012 International Plumbing Code, with Appendices, as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference with certain City of Somerton amendments. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-1(J).; 2009 International Energy Conservation Code, with Appendices, as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference with certain City of Somerton amendments. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-1(K).; Each of these code editions was independently cross-checked against the City's own Building Safety and Code Enforcement webpage (accessed July 2026, server-rendered content, not just a stale directory listing) and against the individually published amendment PDFs for each code (2018 IBC, 2018 IRC, 2018 IEBC, 2014 NEC, 2012 IFGC, 2012 IMC, 2012 IPC, 2009 IECC), all hosted at the City's own cms2.revize.com document repository — none had been superseded by a newer adoption ordinance as of this review. Source: City of Somerton Building Safety and Code Enforcement webpage; individual code-amendment PDFs (e.g., cms2.revize.com/revize/somertonaz/2018%20IBC.pdf, 2014%20NEC.pdf, 2012%20IFGC.pdf, 2012%20IMC.pdf, 2012%20IPC.pdf, 2009%20IECC.pdf).; Permits are required in connection with the issuance of certificates and collection of fees under each adopted code; exemptions from permit requirements follow the exemptions in each adopted code as amended. Source: City of Somerton Ordinance No. 2019-002, Article 7-1-7 (Permits).. Local amendments apply — see the Somerton overview page for the full list.

The 2018 IRC and 2018 IBC, as adopted and amended by the City of Somerton under Ordinance No. 2019-002 (effective December 17, 2019), along with the 2014 NEC, 2012 IFGC, 2012 IMC, 2012 IPC, and 2009 IECC for the respective trades.