What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Maricopa County?

Dust Control Permit (Rule 310)

Required countywide, including inside incorporated cities, of a business or contractor that disturbs 0.1 acre (4,356 square feet) or more of ground, or a set of cumulative contiguous areas under common control totaling that much (Rule 310 §302.2). Rule 310 §102 makes the rule apply 'to all dust-generating operations except for those... listed in Section 103,' which exempts normal farm cultural practices and certain non-traditional sources — so the requirement is broad but not truly universal. The annual fee scales with total disturbed acreage, from $570.00 (0.1 to under 1 acre) to $16,490.00 (500 acres or more); a Block Permit covering multiple smaller sites costs $2,000.00 per year, and a subcontractor working under someone else's permit pays a $50.00 annual fee. Fees are set under Rule 280 and may be adjusted each January 1. The permit runs one year from issuance. Air Quality: 602-506-6010.

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.

Contractor License

Arizona licenses commercial and residential work separately, with dual licenses covering both, and the price follows: a specialty commercial license is $580 new while a general dual license is $1,050. Residential and dual licensees pay a further recovery fund assessment of $370 on a new license and $270 on renewal, unless they post a $200,000 bond instead; commercial-only licensees pay neither. The ordinary bond is separate again and scales with the volume of work contemplated, from $2,500 for a small commercial specialty up to $100,000 for a general commercial contractor above ten million dollars, and it must be continuous with no termination date. The exemption threshold is the number to know and it is not only about money: work under $1,000 in aggregate is exempt, but not if a building permit is required, not if it is part of a larger project split up to evade the rule, and not if you advertise without stating that you are not a licensed contractor. Three classifications carry hard project caps — small commercial at two million, carpentry and remodelling at fifty thousand, minor home improvements at five thousand. A license suspends automatically the next business day after its renewal date.

Shared with other businesses in Maricopa County

• Residential Home Occupation (accessory use) — 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. Also required for salons and barbers, childcare centres and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the childcare centres page.