Unincorporated Yuma County building permits
Department contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Yuma County, Arizona.
Last verified 2026-07-07 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 2351 West 26th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
- Phone
- (928) 817-5000
- Office hours
- Weekdays 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Inspection requests must be called in before 4:00 p.m. (M-F) for next-business-day service; provide permit number, address, and inspection type: (928) 817-5196. Fax: (928) 817-5020.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Unincorporated Yuma County's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Unincorporated Yuma County — 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 mandatory statewide building code — code adoption is a per-city/county authority. Yuma County's Department of Development Services (DDS), Building Safety Division independently adopts and administers its own construction codes for unincorporated county territory (areas outside the incorporated cities of Yuma, San Luis, Somerton, and Wellton). Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page (yumacountyaz.gov/government/development-services/laws-guidelines/building-safety-code-amendments), which itemizes the county's currently-amended code editions.
- 2018 International Building Code (IBC), amended by county-adopted amendments. Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page (amendment document: 2018 International Building Code Amendments PDF).
- 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), amended by county-adopted amendments (superseding the prior 2012 IRC amendments, which remain separately published on the same page for historical reference). Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.
- 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), amended by county-adopted amendments (superseding the prior 2012 IEBC amendments). Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.
- 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), amended by county-adopted amendments. Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.
- 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), amended by county-adopted amendments dated 2024 (document publish-date 638205375930770000, i.e. 2024). Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.
- 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC), amended by county-adopted amendments dated 2024. Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.
- 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), amended by county-adopted amendments dated 2024. Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.
- 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC), amended by county-adopted amendments dated 2024 (this is a newer NEC edition than several incorporated Yuma County cities have adopted, e.g. San Luis at 2014 NEC). Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.
- 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), amended by county-adopted amendments. This is the most recent energy-code edition found published on the county's amendments page as of this review; no newer IECC adoption document was located. Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.
- The full 'Yuma County Comprehensive Building Code' (the county's consolidated code-and-amendments volume) is available for public review at the Board of Supervisors Office (198 S. Main Street, Yuma), the Yuma County Libraries, and the Department of Development Services office (2351 West 26th Street, Yuma). Source: Yuma County Building Safety FAQ, 'Yuma County Comprehensive Building Code, where can I read it?' (yumacountyaz.gov/government/advanced-components/faq-single-list/-seldept-25).
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Remodel)
Required for new single-family homes, duplexes, and townhome construction, plus remodels and additions to existing homes (garage/carport construction or conversion, porch enclosures, demolition, patio covers, fences/walls, and other construction projects) in unincorporated Yuma County. Reviewed under the county's amended 2018 IRC/IBC by the Department of Development Services (DDS) Building Safety Division via a two-step Administrative Review + Technical Review process. Applications are submitted through the county's Online Permit Application Center or in person at the DDS office.
Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Tenant Improvement, Remodel, Multi-Family)
Required for non-residential new construction, remodels, additions, tenant improvements, and change-of-use in unincorporated Yuma County, and also required for residential construction involving multi-family projects of three or more units, apartment buildings, condominiums, and Mobile Home/RV parks. Reviewed under the county's amended 2018 IBC by the DDS Building Safety Division via the same two-step Administrative + Technical Review process as residential permits, with its own published timelines and fee schedule.
Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Permit
Required for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical installation, alteration, or repair work in unincorporated Yuma County — including new residential solar photovoltaic installation, A/C relocation/replacement, water heater replacement, and sewer line repair outside the public right-of-way — administered by the DDS Building Safety Division and often issued via the county's Over-the-Counter Permits track for qualifying minor projects.
Manufactured Home Installation / Set-Up Permit
Required whenever a manufactured home is installed or reinstalled on a manufactured home park lot, an approved subdivision, or a private parcel in unincorporated Yuma County. The permit represents the county's approval of the installation and ensures the home meets minimum standards set by the Arizona Department of Housing, Office of Manufactured Housing. A licensed contractor must obtain the set-up permit; fees are set by the state's published schedule, not a county flat fee.
Encroachment / Driveway Permit
Required to access a paved county road right-of-way from a new driveway (protects the pavement edge with a driveway apron), and more broadly for any work performed within Yuma County road right-of-way (utility crossings, culverts, curb/gutter, special events, etc.). Administered by the DDS Engineering Division. New homes, mobile homes, or buildings must construct a driveway prior to occupancy unless a driveway apron already exists at the site.
Residential Solar / Photovoltaic (PV) Installation Permit
Unincorporated Yuma County treats residential solar/PV installation as one of the Department of Development Services' Over-the-Counter (OTC) minor-project permit categories, alongside service clearance, water heater replacement, and A/C relocation/replacement — processed at the counter via the county's OTC Submittal Guide & Application rather than the full multi-week Residential Permit Guide review track. No distinct flat or per-watt solar fee line was found published separately from the general Building Permit Fee (Table No. 1-A, valuation-based) and Electrical Permit Fee (Table No. 3A) that this OTC permit is billed under (same fee attachments cited in the electrical-plumbing-mechanical-permit entry). Arizona's statewide solar-permitting statute, A.R.S. § 11-323, independently caps what the county may charge and constrains what the county may require on plans.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station / EVSE Permit
Unincorporated Yuma County has no distinct EV charger/EVSE permit application or fee line. EV charging station circuit installation is billed and reviewed as ordinary electrical work under the county's existing Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Permit (P/E/M Permit), the same permit type used for other electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work in the county, per Attachment #5 (Table No. 3A Electrical Permit Fees) of the DDS Fee Schedule. The county's own Over the Counter Permits Submittal Guide & Application (which lists its minor-project categories -- Service Clearance, Water Heater Replacement, A/C Relocation/Replacement, Window Replacement, Sewer Line Repair, Utilities, and Residential Solar/PV Installation) was checked directly and contains no electric-vehicle, EV charger, or EVSE category, confirming there is no dedicated minor-project pathway for EV chargers either.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- 89units
88 buildings · $18.4M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 1,076units
12 of 12 months reported · #16 in Arizona coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 480units
424 buildings · $89.3M valuation
- Full year 2025
- 1,155units
840 buildings · $200.5M valuation
County-wide figures: BPS reports county-wide totals; jurisdiction is the unincorporated remainder outside the incorporated cities of Yuma, San Luis, Somerton, and Wellton (each built as its own jurisdiction file in this KB). Yuma County FIPS 027 independently confirmed against the yuma.json and san-luis.json jurisdiction files already in this repo, both of which carry countyFips '027' for their City of Yuma / City of San Luis place-level records.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Arizona building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Unincorporated Yuma County is administered separately from the incorporated cities of Yuma, San Luis, Somerton, and Wellton, each of which has its own building department and adopted codes. Confirm which jurisdiction governs your parcel before applying — the Yuma County DDS Planning and Zoning Division, (928) 817-5161, can confirm zoning and jurisdiction.
- The permitting process is always two steps: Administrative Review (forms/plans complete) then Technical Review (code/ordinance compliance) — incomplete submittals are returned in their entirety without further action.
- A.R.S. § 11-321, as adopted by the Yuma County Board of Supervisors, sets a $1,000 value threshold below which a building permit is not required for a structure or addition — but replacing a water heater or adding a permanently-wired light fixture DOES require a permit regardless of value, per the county's own Building Safety FAQ.
- Apply online through the county's Permit Application Center at https://yumacountyaz.portal.opengov.com/ (covers Building & Encroachment Permits, Septic System Permits & Transfers, Solar Permits, Zoning & Project Assessments, Subdivision Plats, Sanitation Licenses, and violation searches/payments) or in person at the Department of Development Services, 2351 West 26th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364.
- Inspection requests must be called in by 4:00 p.m. (Monday-Friday) for next-business-day service: (928) 817-5196. Have your permit number, address, and inspection type ready.
- Permits become void/expire if no inspection has occurred within 180 days of issuance.
- The county's Fee Schedule (adopted under A.R.S. § 11-251.08) requires that all Development Services fees defray/cover actual cost and not exceed actual cost, following a Board of Supervisors public hearing with legal notice.
- Manufactured home installation/set-up fees are set by the State of Arizona's Office of Manufactured Housing schedule, not a flat Yuma County dollar amount — the county's own Fee Schedule lists this permit as 'Per state schedule.'
- Floodplain compliance is a separate, mandatory gate: no mechanical, electrical, plumbing, building, or mobile-home placement permit can be issued without full compliance with the Yuma County Floodplain Regulations, even for work that would not otherwise need a building permit (e.g., grading, fencing, landscaping in a floodplain).
- Septic (on-site wastewater treatment) systems require Environmental Programs review/permitting separate from the building permit — Notice of Intent & Request to Discharge and related forms are handled by the DDS Environmental Programs division.
- New homes, mobile homes, or buildings must construct a driveway before occupancy is granted (unless a driveway apron already exists); accessing a paved county road with a new driveway requires an Encroachment Driveway Permit from the DDS Engineering Division.
- Contact Yuma County Department of Development Services directly at (928) 817-5000, contact.dds@yumacountyaz.gov, or DDSCustomerService@yumacountyaz.gov for project-specific fee quotes, since several trade-permit (electrical/plumbing/mechanical) fee tables are referenced by attachment/table number in the county's Fee Schedule document rather than rendered as line-item text on the public website.