Skip to main content
PermitBase

Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit in Wellton, Arizona

The Town of Wellton's own published permit trigger expressly covers occupancy change: 'A permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure.' There is no separate change-of-use application form — the change is filed on the same standard six-checkbox Building Permit Application used for every other permit type ('Building' checked), and the application's Official Use Only block is where staff record the Occupancy Class, Occupant Load, Type of Construction, and Zoning District determinations that a change of use turns on. Two separate approvals are in play: the building-side occupancy change (Building Safety Division, reviewed against the Town's adopted 2009 I-Codes, closing with a Certificate of Occupancy signed by the Town's Building Official) and the zoning-side use question (Development Services / Zoning Administrator), because the Development Code bars issuance of a building permit for a use that first requires a Zoning Amendment, Minor Modification, Variance, or Conditional Use permit.

Reviewed 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A permit is required to change the occupancy of a building or structure — the Town's own Building Permit Exempt Requirements sheet states the trigger verbatim: 'A permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure'
  • Filed on the standard Town of Wellton Building Permit Application ('Building' permit-type box), plus 'Plumbing', 'Mechanical', 'Electrical', and/or 'Fire Sprinkler' boxes for any systems altered to serve the new use — there is no separate change-of-use form
  • Two complete sets of plans are required for review by the Building Safety Division; a change of use into a commercial occupancy triggers the handout's commercial plan set (civil, storm water, landscaping, architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and fire sprinkler plans, plus supporting specifications, calculations, and reports)
  • Staff determine Occupancy Class, Occupant Load, Type of Construction, Zoning District, and Flood Zone at intake — these fields are printed in the application's Official Use Only block and are the determinations a change of use is decided on
  • Zoning precondition (Development Code § 8-5.4(A)(4)): 'if a use requires a Zoning Amendment, Minor Modification, Variance, or Conditional Use permit, no building permit shall be issued until after said application has been approved in the manner described in Section 8-5.2(B) of the Development Code' — confirm with Development Services whether the proposed use is permitted outright in the parcel's zoning district before applying
  • A Conditional Use, where required, is decided by the Town Council at a public hearing following a pre-development meeting, formal submittal, staff review/resubmittal, public notification, and a staff report (Town of Wellton Conditional Use Application Process Guide)
  • Certificate of Occupancy: the Development Code defines it as 'A statement signed by the Town's Building Official, or their designee, setting forth that a building, structure, or use complies with the Development Code and that the same may be used for the purposes stated therein'
  • Permit applications expire by limitation if no permit is issued within 180 days of the application date

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet — 0 of 2 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our checklist will assemble all of them, free →

Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — Based on ValuationNo published figure — no separate change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy fee line exists anywhere in the Town's published materials, and the Town publishes no fee schedule for any permit type. The Building Permit Application leaves 'Valuation' and 'Permit Fees' blank for staff completion at intake. Source: Town of Wellton Building Permit Application (PDF, DocumentCenter Doc ID 312), read in full 2026-08-16.
Calculated by Building Safety Division staff at intake based on project valuation
Construction Plan Review FeeFirst review and one resubmittal; hourly charges for subsequent reviews; due when plans are submitted. Source: Town of Wellton Construction Plan Review Requirements Handout (PDF, DocumentCenter Doc ID 310).
65% of the building permit fee
Conditional Use Application Fee (only if the new use requires a Conditional Use)Read verbatim this pass from the Town of Wellton Conditional Use Application Process Guide (PDF, DocumentCenter Doc ID 316), Submittal Checklist page. Recorded as a documented absence rather than an estimate.
Not published — the Town's own Conditional Use Application Process Guide submittal checklist prints 'Fee — please contact 928-785-3348' in place of an amount

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit permit actually take in Wellton?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough-In (if systems are altered)

    Plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and/or fire sprinkler work performed to serve the new occupancy, verified before concealment

  2. 2

    Final / Certificate of Occupancy

    Completed work verified against approved plans; the Certificate of Occupancy is the statement signed by the Town's Building Official that the building, structure, or use complies with the Development Code and may be used for the purposes stated in it

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

Tips

  • The occupancy-change trigger is stated in the Town's own Building Permit Exempt Requirements sheet, not on the Building Permits landing page — the landing page itself only carries the 2009 ICC statement and three PDF links, so the permit requirement is easy to miss.
  • Settle the zoning question first. Development Code § 8-5.4(A)(4) blocks issuance of the building permit until any required Zoning Amendment, Minor Modification, Variance, or Conditional Use has already been approved — starting with the Building Permit Application when the new use needs a Conditional Use will stall the file.
  • A Conditional Use in Wellton is decided by the TOWN COUNCIL at a public hearing (not by a Planning Commission or an administrative approval), after a staff-review-and-resubmittal loop and extensive public notification. A pre-development meeting is 'highly recommended' by the Town's own guide before filing.
  • The Town publishes no change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy fee line, and its Conditional Use checklist literally substitutes a phone number for the fee amount — budget by calling 928-785-3348 rather than by any published figure.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. The Town of Wellton's Building Permit Exempt Requirements sheet states the trigger verbatim: 'A permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure.' There is no separate change-of-use form — file the standard Building Permit Application with the 'Building' box checked.

In Wellton, the published Building Permit Fee — Based on Valuation is: Calculated by Building Safety Division staff at intake based on project valuation. Additional published fees: Construction Plan Review Fee — 65% of the building permit fee; Conditional Use Application Fee (only if the new use requires a Conditional Use) — Not published — the Town's own Conditional Use Application Process Guide submittal checklist prints 'Fee — please contact 928-785-3348' in place of an amount. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Wellton does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Wellton Building Safety Division (Department of Community Development) at 928-785-3348 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Two Complete Sets of Plans. Depending on your project, Wellton may also ask for: Conditional Use Application (if the new use is not permitted outright). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Wellton requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of use / change of occupancy permit, in order: Rough-In (if systems are altered), Final / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through Town of Wellton Building Safety Division (Department of Community Development) (928-785-3348).

Apply through Town of Wellton Building Safety Division (Department of Community Development) at 28634 Oakland Avenue, Wellton, AZ 85356 (mailing: PO Box 67, Wellton, AZ 85356). Phone: 928-785-3348, email: arivera@town.wellton.az.us. Office hours: Monday - Thursday, 6:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Town Hall operates a 4-day work week; closed Fridays). Building permit applications are processed by the Building Safety Division; contact person for permit application/review questions is Ashley Rivera, Permit Clerk (928-785-3348, arivera@town.wellton.az.us).. Official information: https://www.welltonaz.gov/1226/Building-Permits.

Wellton, 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 Town of Wellton operates its own Building Safety Division within its Department of Community Development and independently adopts and administers its own construction codes; it does not defer building permitting to Yuma County. Source: Town of Wellton Building Permits page (welltonaz.gov/1226/Building-Permits).; 2009 International Codes (I-Codes), as published by the International Code Council — the Town of Wellton's own live Building Permits page states verbatim: 'The Town of Wellton is currently following the 2009 International Council Code (ICC).' This is independently corroborated by the 2025 AZBO (Arizona Building Officials) Directory, which lists the Town of Wellton's 'Adopted Codes' as '2009 I Codes' with no separate electrical-code edition listed. Unlike most other AZBO-directory Arizona jurisdictions (which have since moved to 2015, 2018, or 2024-cycle I-Codes and separate NEC editions), Wellton's own published information has not been updated past the 2009 cycle as of this review — this reflects the Town's genuinely small size (approx. 2,600-3,000 population) and correspondingly thin published code-update cadence, not a research gap. Source: Town of Wellton Building Permits page (welltonaz.gov/1226/Building-Permits, live page text); 2025 AZBO Directory (azbo.us), Town of Wellton entry, p. 21.; The 2009 International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), International Mechanical Code (IMC), International Plumbing Code (IPC), International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), International Fire Code (IFC), and International Existing Building Code (IEBC) are understood to be adopted as a single 2009 'I-Codes' package per the Town's own code-adoption statement; the Town's Building Permit Application form lists six permit-type categories that align with this code family: Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical, Fire Sprinkler, and Demolition. Source: Town of Wellton Building Permit Application (PDF, DocumentCenter Doc ID 312).; Manufactured/mobile homes are regulated via a separate, dedicated Mobile Home Placement Permit process (distinct application form) rather than the standard Building Permit Application, reflecting the Town's substantial manufactured-housing stock. Source: Town of Wellton Mobile Home Placement page (welltonaz.gov/1225/Mobile-Home-Placement) and Mobile Home Placement Permit Application (PDF, DocumentCenter Doc ID 313).; No dedicated, separately-published Town of Wellton fee schedule, master fee resolution, or ICC valuation table was found on the Town's official website, DocumentCenter, or in its adopted annual budget documents (FY2024-2025, FY2025-2026) as of this review. The Town's own Building Permit Application form leaves 'Valuation' and 'Permit Fees' as blank fields completed by Building Safety Division staff at intake, consistent with fees being calculated per-project from the adopted 2009 I-Codes' own valuation-based fee tables rather than a separately republished municipal fee schedule. This is a genuine gap in the Town's public documentation (typical for a town this size) rather than an omission in this research — confirmed by direct review of the Town's Finance Department, Development Services, and Development Impact Fees pages, none of which publish an itemized building-permit fee table. Source: Town of Wellton Building Permit Application (PDF, DocumentCenter Doc ID 312); Town of Wellton Finance Department page (welltonaz.gov/1221/Finance-Department); Town of Wellton Development Impact Fees page (welltonaz.gov/1229/Development-Impact-Fees).. Local amendments apply — see the Wellton overview page for the full list.

It can. Wellton Development Code § 8-5.4(A)(4) provides that if a use requires a Zoning Amendment, Minor Modification, Variance, or Conditional Use permit, no building permit shall be issued until that application has been approved. Conditional Uses are decided by the Town Council at a public hearing.

Other permits in Wellton

Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Additions)Residential Addition / Remodel PermitElectrical PermitPlumbing PermitMechanical / HVAC PermitDemolition PermitSolar PV Installation (Building + Electrical Permit)EV Charger Installation (Building + Electrical Permit)Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Tenant Improvement)Fire Sprinkler Permit

Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit in other cities

Apache Junction, ArizonaBuckeye, ArizonaCamp Verde, ArizonaCocopah Indian Tribe, ArizonaDewey-Humboldt, ArizonaDuncan, ArizonaEagar, ArizonaFort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona

Compare change of use / change of occupancy permit fees across Arizona →

Look up this fee in a different city →

Embed this data card →

Now live

Build your Wellton project checklist

Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Wellton — in one checklist. Sign up and pay once to generate it, or go unlimited with Pro.

Get started →