Maricopa County
Maricopa County Planning and Development Department
In short
Maricopa County Planning and Development Department issues 9 permits we publish for Maricopa County, last verified 2026-09-25. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Use Permitonly if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | $3,000 plus $100 per acre or portion thereof, maximum $50,000, under Zoning Ordinance §1302.1. | one-time, per application; the use runs subject to the conditions the Board of Supervisors imposes | 2026-09-25 |
| Residential Home Occupation (accessory use)only if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | No fee | not applicable as an accessory use meeting Article 603.9; a Zoning Clearance filed for the property would carry its own separate term | 2026-09-25 |
| Zoning Clearance (Commercial) — unincorporated Maricopa County | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | $250 one-time, per application (commercial; residential is $100) | the Clearance itself has no stated renewal term, but a use that has not commenced within 180 days causes it to expire (Art. 1204.6.1) | 2026-09-25 |
| Temporary Use Permitonly if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | $250–$750 one-time, per application, by use type | one-time, per application; the permitted temporary use runs for the period the permit states | 2026-09-25 |
| Zoning Varianceonly if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | $250–$750 one-time, per application, plus a per-additional-request charge | one-time, per application | 2026-09-25 |
| Contractor Licensing — State Preemption under A.R.S. § 32-1101.01 (Maricopa County)only if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-25 |
| Plan of Development (POD) — non-residential development, unincorporated areaonly if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | Plan of Development fee: $1,200 plus $100 per acre or portion thereof, maximum $50,000, under Zoning Ordinance §1302.1 (p. 13-1). A commercial project going through this process also pays, from the same Chapter 13 fee table: Plan of Development Review $1,000 plus $500 per acre, maximum $11,000 (p. 13-3); Development Construction Plans for a commercial site, $2,000 plus $250 per acre, maximum $42,000 (p. 13-4); and, for smaller additions, Minor Accessory Construction on Precise Plans (which includes signs), a $400.00 flat fee (p. 13-4). | one-time, per project | 2026-09-25 |
| Commercial Building Permit (new construction and alterations) — unincorporated Maricopa Countyonly if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | TABLE 1-A building permit fee, by project valuation, printed exactly as the Local Additions and Addenda states it (the source has an internal arithmetic inconsistency at one tier — printed as $391.75, though $69.25 plus $14.00 per $1,000 over $2,000 computes to $391.25 — the printed figures are used here rather than a recomputation): $23.50 for $1 to $500; for $501 to $2,000, $23.50 for the first $500 plus $3.05 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof; for $2,001 to $25,000, $69.25 for the first $2,000 plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; for $25,001 to $50,000, $391.75 for the first $25,000 plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; for $50,001 to $100,000, $643.75 for the first $50,000 plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; for $100,001 to $500,000, $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; for $500,001 to $1,000,000, $3,233.75 for the first $500,000 plus $4.75 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; for $1,000,001 and up, $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.65 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof. PLUS a plan review fee equal to 65% of that calculated permit fee, which entitles the applicant to three submissions and reviews of documents. Shell buildings are valued at 80% of new building value; alterations are valued at 20% of new building value. Flat-rate fees: Air Conditioner $50; Electrical Service, Residential 1-200 amps $50, Residential or Commercial 201-400 amps $75, over 400 amps $120; Plumbing (install or replace equipment/fixture/device) $50; Sprinkler $50; Mechanical $50; Occupancy Change $75; Special Event Fee (tents) $100 per event; Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, without bonding $250, with bonding $500; extra copy of a Certificate of Occupancy $2; reinspection fees $150 per residential inspection, $250 per commercial inspection. | one-time, per permit | 2026-09-25 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | No fee | one-time, per permit; no expiration once issued | 2026-09-25 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Special Use Permit
Required in the unincorporated area for a use the Zoning Ordinance's Uses Table marks with an 'S,' at $3,000 plus $100 per acre (maximum $50,000) under §1302.1, granted legislatively by the Board of Supervisors. This is the real zoning-cost path for a commercial kennel or a standalone pet-grooming business: the Zoning Ordinance's own KENNEL definition covers 'commercial breeding, boarding, training, grooming or bathing of dogs, cats, and/or other small, domesticated household pets,' and the Uses Table marks Kennel with an 'S' — Special Use Permit required — in most districts from Rural-190 through C-2; only in C-3 and industrial districts does a kennel or grooming shop instead go through the Plan of Development process recorded separately for Maricopa County. A 'Cottage Industry' home occupation that cannot meet Article 603.9's residential home-occupation conditions also escalates to this same Special Use Permit. Ask Planning and Development at 602-506-3301 which zoning district a parcel sits in before assuming either path.
Residential Home Occupation (accessory use)
No separate fee is published for a home occupation in the Zoning Ordinance's Chapter 13 fee table the way other zoning products are. In the unincorporated area, a home business meeting Article 603.9's conditions is an allowed accessory use (the Uses Table marks 'Home occupations P*' — permitted): the number of non-resident employees 'shall not exceed three, unless the non-resident employees are an immediate family member'; the number of customers, clients or students on the premises 'shall not exceed five at any time'; a sign of no more than four square feet is permitted; one commercial vehicle is allowed; no visitors between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.; 'No mechanical equipment or power tools shall be used, except that used for normal household purposes'; and 'No toxic, explosive, flammable... material shall be used, sold, or stored.' Home day care under Art. 602.4 is separately capped at four children under compensated care at any one time. Article 603.9 itself states: 'If these conditions cannot be met, a Special Use Permit per Section 1001.1.5... shall be required,' which is the $3,000-plus-per-acre Special Use Permit recorded separately for Maricopa County. Separately, Article 1204.4 requires a Zoning Clearance for the 'creation... of a... use'; ask Planning and Development at 602-506-3301 whether a specific home business needs a Zoning Clearance, and its $100 residential fee, in addition to meeting the Article 603.9 accessory-use conditions.
Zoning Clearance (Commercial) — unincorporated Maricopa County
Applies only where the business sits on unincorporated Maricopa County land — Planning and Development regulates 'development activity and land use within the unincorporated areas of Maricopa County' and nothing inside a city or town. Article 1204.4 makes it 'unlawful to construct, alter, repair or improve... a building, structure or use' without first filing an application for and obtaining a Zoning Clearance from the Zoning Inspector. The fee under §1302.1 ('The following fees shall be charged with no provision for refund') is $250.00 for a commercial use and $100.00 for a residential one. Work begun before the Clearance is obtained has its fees doubled, per the Zoning Ordinance's own fee-schedule note (p. 13-6), and a Clearance for a use that has not commenced construction or occupancy within 180 days expires under Art. 1204.6.1. Non-residential development also typically needs an approved Plan of Development, recorded separately for Maricopa County. Ask Planning and Development at 602-506-3301 for the parcel's zoning district and whether a Plan of Development, Special Use Permit or Variance is also required.
Temporary Use Permit
Covers a short-run or interim use in the unincorporated area — a seasonal sales lot, a temporary structure, or similar use the Zoning Ordinance treats as temporary rather than permanent. A commercial business applying for one pays the non-residential rate of $750.00 under §1305.1; the residential rate of $250.00 applies to a residential temporary use. Ask Planning and Development at 602-506-3301 whether a specific short-term commercial use needs this permit or falls under the ordinary Zoning Clearance or Plan of Development process instead.
Zoning Variance
A departure from a development standard the Zoning Ordinance otherwise requires, needed in the unincorporated area. A non-residential (commercial) variance costs $750.00 plus $100.00 for each additional request in the same application; a residential variance costs $250.00 plus $50.00 for each additional request; a blanket variance covering multiple similarly-situated lots costs $750.00 plus $100.00 per additional request — all under §1307.1. Ask Planning and Development at 602-506-3301 whether a specific project's departure from the ordinance's standards can be resolved this way or requires a Special Use Permit instead.
Contractor Licensing — State Preemption under A.R.S. § 32-1101.01 (Maricopa County)
Under A.R.S. § 32-1101.01, Maricopa County issues no contractor license and charges no fee for one: the statute states that 'the licensing of construction contractors is a proper state function' and that 'cities, including charter cities, towns and counties shall not require licenses of any construction contractors licensed by statute prior to the effective date of this section.' The Arizona Registrar of Contractors licenses contractors statewide, recorded at the state layer. A contractor's actual Maricopa County obligations, in the unincorporated area, are the Zoning Clearance, Plan of Development (where it applies) and Commercial Building Permit recorded separately for Maricopa County, plus the Air Quality Dust Control Permit for ground disturbance of 0.1 acre or more anywhere in the county, including inside a city. Questions: Planning and Development, 602-506-3301.
Plan of Development (POD) — non-residential development, unincorporated area
Applies to non-residential development in the unincorporated area: Art. 305.1 states 'All development involving non-residential zoning districts, two-family or multi-family residential development... shall be subject to a plan of development (POD) approval.' Its 'single building with no more than four units on one lot of record shall not require a POD' exemption is limited to two-family or multi-family residential development and does not exempt a commercial project. The exemption that does matter for a commercial tenant moving into an existing building is a different one, at p. 5-11: 'Commercial uses which were developed prior to September 22, 2008 shall be exempt from the Plan of Development process; provided, however, that in the event all commercial structures on the property are removed or destroyed in excess of 75% of value... require a Plan of Development.' A commercial project not exempt this way pays the base $1,200-plus-per-acre POD fee plus the Plan of Development Review, Development Construction Plans, and Minor Accessory Construction fees described in the formula above. A pet-grooming shop or boarding kennel is a 'kennel' under the Zoning Ordinance's own definition, which reaches 'commercial breeding, boarding, training, grooming or bathing' — in most zoning districts (Rural-190 through C-2) that use needs a Special Use Permit rather than a POD, recorded separately for Maricopa County, while C-3 and industrial districts route it through this POD process instead. Ask Planning and Development at 602-506-3301 which path applies to a specific parcel and district.
Commercial Building Permit (new construction and alterations) — unincorporated Maricopa County
Applies only in the unincorporated area. Table 1-A prices the building permit by project valuation, from $23.50 for the first $500 of value up through $5,608.75 plus $3.65 per additional $1,000 above $1,000,000; a plan review fee of 65% of that permit fee is charged on top of it, so the total for a specific project is the sum of the two parts rather than a single figure computed here for a hypothetical valuation. Shell buildings are valued at 80% of new building value and alterations at 20% of new building value for fee-calculation purposes. Flat fees cover items such as electrical service (201-400 amps, $75; over 400 amps, $120), sprinklers ($50) and an occupancy change ($75). §114.4 addresses work started before a permit issues: the Building Official assesses 'a fee established by the Building Official that shall be in addition to the required permit fees. Said fee to be the building permit fee doubled' — quoted plainly here because its wording is ambiguous about whether the total charge is twice or three times the ordinary permit fee, rather than asserting a specific multiplier. A Certificate of Occupancy is required for all permits under §111, and a full read of the fee schedule finds no separate charge for issuing it — only an extra copy ($2) and the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy ($250 or $500 with bonding) carry their own fees; the Certificate of Occupancy record states this plainly. Fire code sign-off comes from the fire district having jurisdiction, not the county. Apply through Planning and Development; questions to 602-506-3301.
Certificate of Occupancy
No separate fee applies. §111 of the Local Additions and Addenda states plainly that 'A Certificate of Occupancy is required for all permits,' with limited exceptions for over-the-counter permits, minor permits, unoccupied structures and exempt work. The county's own Table 1-A fee schedule was read in full and lists no separate charge for issuing this certificate — only an additional copy ($2.00), the Occupancy Change permit ($75.00) and the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy ($250.00 without bonding, $500.00 with bonding) carry their own listed fees. The Code lists no separate fee for the final Certificate of Occupancy; its cost is bundled into the building permit and plan review fees recorded in the Commercial Building Permit record. Occupying a building without a Certificate of Occupancy is a violation under the Building Code's enforcement provisions.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Maricopa County
- Phone
- 602-506-3301
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- A.R.S. § 32-1101.01 — Legislative findings on the licensing of construction contractors as a state function, and the prohibition on cities, towns and counties requiring a separate licence of a contractor already licensed by statuteArizona Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Commercial Construction — Planning and Development's own current page stating the Department regulates development activity and land use only 'within the unincorporated areas of Maricopa County'Maricopa County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Fee Schedule and Estimators — Planning and Development's own current page confirming its fee schedules are found in the Zoning Ordinance and the Local Additions and AddendaMaricopa County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Licenses & Permits — the Clerk of the Board's own current page, stating the County issues no general business license for unincorporated areas, describing how liquor license applications on unincorporated land are reviewed, and listing every other county-processed licenseMaricopa County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Maricopa County Local Additions and Addenda to the 2018 I-Codes (adopted September 19, 2022, TA2022001) — §109.2, §111 (Certificate of Occupancy), §114.4 (work without a permit) and the building permit FEE SCHEDULE including TABLE 1-AMaricopa County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance — comprehensively updated by the Board of Supervisors December 10, 2025, effective January 9, 2026; Chapter 13 fees (§§1302-1307), Chapter 6 Uses Table, §305 Plan of Development, the KENNEL definition, and Article 603.9 (Home Occupation, Residential)Maricopa County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Planning and Development Summary of the Fee Schedule (June 2024) — reproduces the Zoning Ordinance Chapter 13 fees and the Local Additions and Addenda Table 1-A fees unchanged, confirming both editions were still current after this reissueMaricopa County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
Other offices serving Maricopa County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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Arizona jurisdictions
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