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

The City of Yuma publishes no separately named “change of use permit” — there is no change-of-use application form, no change-of-use fee line and no City web page describing a change-of-use process. A change of use or occupancy is instead effected through four converging requirements in the Yuma City Code: (1) zoning conformity under § 154-01.02(A), which forbids any premises being used except in conformity with the provisions for its district; (2) a building permit reviewed against the 2024 International Existing Building Code adopted at § 150-170 by Ord. O2025-035 (passed 9-17-25), whose change-of-occupancy provisions Yuma did NOT amend at § 150-171, so the unamended 2024 IEBC change-of-occupancy chapter governs; (3) the City’s amended fire code, where § 131-16(B) adds IFC § 102.3.1 directing that whether a change of use or occupancy is a more hazardous operation requiring a sprinkler retrofit is determined by the Means of Egress Hazard Categories Table in the adopted IEBC, and § 131-16(Z)(B) makes the consequence explicit — a change of occupancy to a greater hazard means the building “will be treated as a new building and will require the installation of fire sprinklers”; and (4) issuance of a new Certificate of Occupancy by the building official, without which no occupancy is permitted. The 2024 codes have been mandatory for all new permit applications since February 1, 2026.

Reviewed 2026-08-16 · Source

When you need this permit

  • ZONING FIRST: no building, structure or premises may hereafter be used, and no building or structure or part thereof may be constructed, erected, leased, reconstructed, extended, moved, enlarged or materially altered, except in conformity with the provisions of Chapter 154 for the district in which it is located (§ 154-01.02(A)). If the proposed use is not permitted in the district, a rezoning or a conditional use permit must be obtained before the change of use can proceed
  • A building permit is required for the work, reviewed against the 2024 International Existing Building Code (including Appendices A, B and E) as adopted at § 150-170 and amended at § 150-171. Yuma’s IEBC amendments do not reach the change-of-occupancy chapter, so those provisions apply as published by the ICC. Use of the 2024 codes has been mandatory for all new permit applications since February 1, 2026 (City of Yuma Building Safety page)
  • FIRE — sprinkler retrofit determination: § 131-16(B) adds IFC § 102.3.1, “For the purpose of determining if a change of use or a change of occupancy will be a more hazardous operation requiring the retrofit of a fire sprinkler system, the ‘Means of Egress Hazard Categories Table’ (for life safety) in the edition of the International Existing Building Code currently adopted by the City of Yuma will be referenced.” § 131-16(Z)(B) states the consequence: an existing building undergoing a change of occupancy whose new occupancy is deemed a greater hazard than the previous occupancy is treated as a new building and requires the installation of fire sprinklers
  • IFC § 102.4 as amended (§ 131-16(C)): any alterations, additions, changes in use or changes in structures required by the fire code that are within the scope of the adopted building code must be made in accordance with that building code
  • Fire alarm retrofit triggers commonly reached during a change-of-use build-out: existing Group R-1 requires a fire alarm and smoke alarms, and existing Group R-2 more than three stories or with more than 16 dwelling/sleeping units requires a manual fire alarm activating occupant notification per IFC § 907.5, when the building undergoes an IEBC Level 1 or higher alteration (§ 131-16(DD), (EE))
  • Two further sprinkler retrofit triggers sit alongside the change-of-occupancy one and are easily tripped by build-out scope: renovations totalling in excess of 50% of value as assessed by the August 2024 ICC Building Valuation Data Chart, and expansions summing to a 50% increase in size (§ 131-16(Z)(C), (D))
  • PARKING: if the classification of a use for the purpose of determining required off-street parking is not readily determinable, the classification is determined by the Planning Director upon recommendation from the Building Official, based on the permitted occupancy of the building (§ 154-16.07). A change of use can therefore change the required parking count — Yuma’s ratios differ sharply by use, for example one space per 75 square feet of public-service area for a sit-down restaurant versus one space per 250 square feet for a commercial building not otherwise specified
  • ACCESSIBILITY: the altered work must be designed and constructed accessible in accordance with A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 9, Article 8 (Public Accommodations and Services, the Arizonans with Disabilities Act), A.A.C. R10-3-401 through R10-3-404 (which include 28 CFR 35 and 28 CFR 36), ADAAG, and the alteration and existing-building provisions of ICC A117.1 (§ 150-171(S), IEBC § 306.3 as amended)
  • SIGNAGE: when the name of an activity changes, any nonconforming on-site signage related to that activity must be replaced or modified to meet Chapter 154, unless the signage was previously constructed with interchangeable panels, letters or copy (§ 154-17.02(C)(3)). A new or altered sign additionally requires its own sign permit (§ 154-17.07(B)(1)) — see this file’s sign-permit entry
  • CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY: once construction is complete and all required inspections have been completed and approved, the building official issues the Certificate of Occupancy; there shall be no occupancy of any building or structure until this certificate is issued (City of Yuma Building Permits page, read live 2026-08-16)
  • Changing the occupancy of a building in violation of the approved construction documents, a directive of the building official, or a permit or certificate issued under the code is expressly a violation subject to penalty and fine (§ 150-171(Q), IEBC § 113.4 as amended)
  • Permit applications are deemed abandoned 180 days after filing unless pursued in good faith or a permit has issued, with discretionary extensions of up to 180 days each (§ 150-171(G), IEBC § 105.3.2 as amended)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (governing Table 1-A schedule)There is no change-of-use-specific fee table anywhere in the Yuma City Code. § 150-171(I) applies the identical Table 1-A to work performed under the Existing Building Code, and § 150-016(I) carries the same table for the Building Code. Read row-by-row from the American Legal HTML table markup on 2026-08-16 (both instances checked and identical), not from PDF text extraction.
$50.00 minimum ($1 to $500 valuation); $50.00 for the first $500 plus $4 per additional $100 to $2,000; $110.00 for the first $2,000 plus $16 per additional $1,000 to $25,000; $478.00 for the first $25,000 plus $12 per additional $1,000 to $50,000; $780.00 for the first $50,000 plus $8 per additional $1,000 to $100,000; $1,180.00 for the first $100,000 plus $6 per additional $1,000 to $500,000; $3,580.00 for the first $500,000 plus $6 per additional $1,000 to $1,000,000; $6,580.00 for the first $1,000,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000
Plan Review FeeYuma City Code § 150-171(J) (IEBC § 108.2.1 as amended) and § 150-016(J). Paid at the time submittal documents are submitted for plan review, separate from and in addition to the permit fee. Incomplete or changed submittals draw an additional plan review fee at the Table 1-A rate ($75 per hour, one-half hour minimum).
65% of the building permit fee
Written Verification of ZoningYuma City Code § 154-01.05(F). Subject to the annual July 1 escalation on planning and zoning fees based on the previous year’s West B/C Cost of Living Index, published in the same section — the printed figure may lag the amount charged.
$45
Conditional Use Permit application (only if the new use requires one)Yuma City Code § 154-01.05(C), read 2026-08-16. Subject to the same annual July 1 West B/C Cost of Living Index escalation. Fees are due and payable at the time of filing for the Planning and Zoning Commission, Board of Adjustment or City Council agenda; a continuance requested by the applicant costs a further 10% of the original fee for 0 to 90 days, or 50% for 91 to 365 days (§ 154-01.05(G)).
$275 in all residential districts; $875 in commercial and industrial districts; $300 in the downtown improvement district
Fire permit if the change of occupancy triggers a sprinkler or alarm retrofitYuma City Code § 131-16(G), Schedule of Fire Activity Permit Fees, read from the HTML table markup 2026-08-16. The much larger cost in a hazard-increasing change of occupancy is the sprinkler system installation itself, which § 131-16(Z)(B) requires for the whole building, not the permit fee.
$75.00 over the counter permit plus $75.00 an hour inspection fee for Fire Sprinkler Alterations, and the same for Fire Alarm Alterations
Investigation fee (work commenced before permit issuance)Yuma City Code § 150-171(L) (IEBC § 108.4 as amended). Charged in addition to the permit fee, whether or not a permit is then or subsequently issued.
Minimum $50.00, maximum up to the same amount as the Table 1-A fee, determined by the building official based on the circumstances, nature and severity of the infraction
RefundsYuma City Code § 150-171(K) (IEBC § 108.6 as amended). Refunds require a written application by the original permittee no later than 180 days after the date of fee payment.
Full refund of any fee erroneously paid or collected; not more than 80% of the permit fee where no work has been done under the permit; not more than 80% of the plan review fee where the application is withdrawn or cancelled before any plan review effort has been expended

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

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

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough-In / Framing

    Interior framing, structural modifications and trade rough-ins under separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits inspected before concealment; all work must be inspected prior to covering and moving on to the next step (City of Yuma Building Permits page). Inspection requests received before 3 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day.

  2. 2

    Fire Protection Systems (where a retrofit is triggered)

    Where the change of occupancy raises the hazard category and § 131-16(Z)(B) requires sprinklers, or where an IEBC Level 1 or higher alteration triggers the R-1/R-2 alarm requirements at § 131-16(DD)/(EE), the system is inspected by the Community Risk Reduction Division; the complete design must have been approved in writing by the Fire Department before installation began (§ 131-16(H)).

  3. 3

    Final / Certificate of Occupancy

    Once construction is complete and all required inspections have been completed and approved, the building official issues the Certificate of Occupancy. There shall be no occupancy of any building or structure until this certificate is issued (City of Yuma Building Permits page).

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

Tips

  • Yuma has no “change of use permit” as such. The controlling gate is the Certificate of Occupancy — no occupancy is permitted until the building official issues one — and the work needed to get there is applied for as a building permit under the 2024 IEBC.
  • The single most expensive surprise in a Yuma change of use is fire sprinklers. § 131-16(Z)(B) treats an existing building whose new occupancy is a greater hazard than the old one as a NEW building and requires a full sprinkler installation. § 131-16(B) tells you exactly how the determination is made: the Means of Egress Hazard Categories Table (for life safety) in the adopted IEBC. Run that table before signing a lease, not after.
  • Two more sprinkler retrofit triggers hide inside a normal build-out budget: renovations totalling more than 50% of value per the August 2024 ICC Building Valuation Data Chart, and expansions summing to a 50% increase in size (§ 131-16(Z)(C), (D)). A change of use plus a substantial remodel can trip a trigger even where the hazard category is unchanged.
  • Check parking before design. Under § 154-16.07 the Planning Director classifies a use whose parking demand is not readily determinable, on the Building Official’s recommendation, based on the permitted occupancy — and Yuma’s ratios vary widely (one space per 75 sq ft of public area for a sit-down restaurant, one per 100 sq ft for a drive-thru restaurant, one per 250 sq ft for an unspecified commercial building, one per 300 sq ft for a grocery).
  • Spend $45 first. A written verification of zoning under § 154-01.05(F) confirms whether the proposed use is even permitted in the district before any money goes into plans; if it is only a conditional use, budget $875 for a commercial/industrial conditional use permit application (§ 154-01.05(C)) plus hearing time.
  • Converting a residential-scale building to a 24-hour assisted living care home is the one change of use with a purpose-built carve-out: § 131-16(Z)(A) Exception 6 exempts a 24-hour assisted living care home within a one- or two-family dwelling with 10 or fewer persons receiving care from the sprinkler requirement, unless A.R.S. or the Arizona Administrative Code requires otherwise.
  • Rebranding forces the sign into conformance. § 154-17.02(C)(3) requires nonconforming on-site signage to be replaced or modified to current standards when the name of the activity changes, unless the sign was built with interchangeable panels, letters or copy.
  • Zoning and planning fee figures printed in § 154-01.05 escalate every July 1 by the previous year’s West B/C Cost of Living Index, so the $45, $275, $875 and $300 figures above may lag what the counter charges.
  • Do not let the application go stale: an application is deemed abandoned 180 days after filing unless pursued in good faith or a permit issues (§ 150-171(G)).

Frequently asked questions

Yes. The City of Yuma Building Permits page states that once construction is complete and all required inspections have been completed and approved, the building official issues the Certificate of Occupancy, and “there shall be no occupancy to any building or structure until this certificate is issued.” Changing the occupancy of a building contrary to approved construction documents, a building official directive, or a permit or certificate is a violation under § 150-171(Q).

There is no change-of-use fee. You pay the valuation-based building permit fee on the work performed (Table 1-A at § 150-171(I)/§ 150-016(I)) plus a plan review fee of 65% of that permit fee. Add $45 if you want a written verification of zoning, $275 to $875 if the new use needs a conditional use permit, and $75 over-the-counter plus $75 per hour inspection if a fire sprinkler or alarm alteration permit results. If a hazard-increasing change of occupancy forces a full sprinkler retrofit, the system installation itself will dominate the cost.

Yuma does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Yuma Department of Community Development, Building Safety Division at (928) 373-5163 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Construction Plans and Existing Building Evaluation. Depending on your project, Yuma may also ask for: Means of Egress Hazard Category Comparison; Fire Protection System Submittal; Written Verification of Zoning; Conditional Use Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Yuma requires 3 inspection(s) for a change of use / change of occupancy permit, in order: Rough-In / Framing, Fire Protection Systems (where a retrofit is triggered), Final / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through City of Yuma Department of Community Development, Building Safety Division ((928) 373-5163).

Apply through City of Yuma Department of Community Development, Building Safety Division at Yuma City Hall, Second Floor, One City Plaza, Yuma, AZ 85364-1436. Phone: (928) 373-5163, email: Inspection@YumaAZ.gov. Office hours: Monday - Thursday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM; every other Friday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM; closed on designated City holidays. Inspections: (928) 373-5170 (non-emergency, request by 3 p.m. for next-business-day scheduling); after-hours/emergency inspections (928) 373-5163.. Official information: https://www.yumaaz.gov/government/building-safety.

Not by that name. The City publishes no change-of-use application form (its Building Safety Forms and Applications page lists 20 documents, none of them change-of-use), no change-of-use fee line in Table 1-A or in the zoning fee schedule at § 154-01.05, and no web page describing a change-of-use process. A change of use is instead effected by confirming zoning conformity under § 154-01.02(A), obtaining a building permit reviewed under the adopted 2024 IEBC, satisfying the fire code’s change-of-occupancy provisions at § 131-16(B) and (Z)(B), and obtaining a new Certificate of Occupancy from the building official.

It will if the new occupancy is a greater hazard than the old one. Yuma City Code § 131-16(Z)(B) provides that in that case the building “will be treated as a new building and will require the installation of fire sprinklers”, and § 131-16(B) directs that the determination is made using the Means of Egress Hazard Categories Table (for life safety) in the edition of the International Existing Building Code currently adopted by the City. Yuma has adopted the 2024 IEBC (§ 150-170, Ord. O2025-035).

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-16.

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

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Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit in other cities

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