The Town of Fountain Hills Building Safety Division, part of Development Services at Town Hall, issues building permits inside town limits and accepts applications only online, through TOPPS, the Town’s Online Permitting and Planning System. A new house is charged $0.73 per square foot of air-conditioned living area and $0.55 per square foot of garage and patio, with plan review included, plus an $8,816 development fee.
What requires a building permit in Fountain Hills?
Fountain Hills rewrote the exemption lists when it adopted the 2024 codes through Ordinance No. 25-06, and its thresholds are tighter than the model codes. A shed over 120 sq ft, a fence over 30 inches and a retaining wall over 2 ft all need a permit.
Permit needed
- New homes, additions and remodels
- Commercial and tenant buildings, additions and remodels; apartments and condominiums
- Fence walls and retaining walls above the exempt heights
- Pools and spas, including stand-alone spas
- Solar photovoltaic systems
- Single-trade work such as a water heater, HVAC replacement or electrical panel repair
- Fire sprinkler, fire alarm and kitchen hood systems
- Signs
- Demolition
Exempt for homes (Town amendment to R105.2)
- One-storey detached accessory structures of 120 sq ft or less
- Fences not over 30 inches high
- Retaining walls not over 2 ft from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge
- Sidewalks and driveways
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and countertops
- Prefabricated pools less than 24 inches deep
- Swings and playground equipment
- Window awnings projecting no more than 54 inches without extra support
- Detached decks of 200 sq ft or less, no more than 30 inches above grade, that do not serve the required exit door
An exemption from the permit does not authorize work that breaks other Town ordinances, so zoning rules still apply to exempt structures.
Who issues building permits in Fountain Hills?
The Building Safety Division processes permit applications for homes, commercial buildings, fences, swimming pools and other structures, coordinates plan review and carries out construction inspections. It sits in the Development Services Department alongside Planning and Zoning, Code Compliance and Mapping and Graphics. The Engineering Division of Public Works reviews and inspects the site work plans attached to building permits and issues encroachment permits.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Building Safety, Town Hall, 16705 E. Avenue of the Fountains, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 |
| Building Safety phones | 480-816-5123 and 480-816-5177 |
| Town Hall | 480-816-5100 |
| Office hours | Monday to Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
| Inspection hours | Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Apply | TOPPS (fountainhillsaz.gov/TOPPS) |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Town permits cover property inside the Town of Fountain Hills. Maricopa County Planning and Development provides building permit review and inspection for unincorporated Maricopa County.
Fountain Hills permit applications in TOPPS
The Town accepts applications online only. To start, go to fountainhillsaz.gov/TOPPS, choose Login, then Register Now, pick the registration type and submit. Once you are logged in, select Apply for a Permit under Permitting and choose the project type from the drop-down list. Everyone who needs access to the permit should have their own account and be added as a contact when the permit is created.
Checklists and details the Building Safety Division posts for applicants:
- Residential Submittal Checklist (2024 IRC) for one- and two-family homes.
- Pool Checklist, with a pool barrier detail and a terraced pool barrier detail.
- Solar checklist for photovoltaic and energy storage systems under the 2023 NEC.
- Erosion and Sediment Control Plan and Checklist and the ADEQ Storm Water Permit Notice of Intent.
- Special Inspection Form.
- 4-inch and 8-inch masonry wall details for fence walls.
- 2024 Required Inspections sheet.
Registered Arizona architects can also submit generic house, duplex, triplex and accessory dwelling unit plans to the Town’s Permit-Ready House Plans Program. Approved plans go into an online library, and an owner who obtains the right to use one applies for a building permit with a lot-specific site plan.
Fountain Hills building permit fees
Fountain Hills charges by floor area, not by valuation. The figures below are from the Town’s Comprehensive Fee Schedule for fiscal year 2026-2027, and the building permit rates include plan review.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single-family home or addition, livable area with A/C | $0.73 per sq ft |
| Single-family garage or patio (covered, no A/C) | $0.55 per sq ft |
| Single-family remodel | $0.24 per sq ft, or $0.15 for non-A/C area |
| Commercial or tenant building and additions | $0.80 per sq ft with A/C, $0.65 covered non-A/C |
| Commercial remodel, area with A/C | $585 for 3,000 sq ft plus $0.20 per sq ft after |
| Apartments and condominiums | $1.10 per sq ft livable, $0.75 covered non-A/C |
| Fence walls | $200 for the first 100 ft plus $2 per linear foot after |
| Retaining walls | $300 for 100 linear feet plus $3.20 per linear foot after |
| Pool or attached spa | $320 up to 450 sq ft plus $0.72 per sq ft above |
| Stand-alone spa | $140 |
| Solar photovoltaic | $150 |
| Sign permit | $85 under 32 sq ft, $105 for 32 sq ft or more |
| Minor demolition | $60 |
| Re-inspection | $170 per inspection |
| Plan review after the third review | 50% of the building permit and plan review fee |
| Building without a permit | Penalty of 100% of the building permit and plan review fee |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →For example, a house with 2,500 sq ft of air-conditioned living area and 700 sq ft of garage and covered patio pays $1,825 plus $385, or $2,210, for the building permit and plan review. On top of that come the residential fire sprinkler review ($340 for up to 4,400 sq ft) and the single-family development fee of $8,816 per dwelling. The schedule lists a $50 landscape plan review under its planning fees and in its commercial building section, not in the single-family block.
Development fees for other uses are $5,462 per multi-family dwelling and, per 1,000 sq ft, $4,815 for commercial, $4,503 for office, $4,719 for institutional and $2,095 for industrial space. Commercial construction also pays a public art contribution of 1% of construction cost on projects of $1 million or less, 0.75% between $1 million and $10 million and 0.50% above that. If landscaping is not installed when you want the certificate of occupancy, the Town takes a $2,500 deposit, refunded once it approves the landscaping within 6 months.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire permits in Fountain Hills
Trade permits are filed in TOPPS with the Building Safety Division. The fee schedule prices small jobs as single-discipline permits:
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| One-discipline permit (minimum permit) | $140 |
| Water heater replacement or solar water heater (minor) | $140 |
| HVAC replacement (minor) | $140 |
| Electrical panel repair (minor) | $150 |
| Residential automatic sprinkler system, plan review and inspection | $340 for up to 4,400 sq ft, then $0.08 per sq ft |
| Commercial automatic sprinkler system | $340 for the first 3,000 sq ft, then $0.11 per sq ft |
| Commercial hood system | $290 |
| Commercial fire alarm system | $385 |
| Residential LPG installation | $170 |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Fire sprinklers matter more here than in most towns. The Town kept its own sprinkler rules when it adopted the 2024 codes: its amendments require an automatic sprinkler system throughout all Group R (residential) occupancies, and the residential checklist tells applicants that sprinklers are required and that the sprinkler plans are submitted separately from the house plans.
Plans and documents for a Fountain Hills home
In TOPPS, upload the plans as one single PDF and the supporting documents as a second PDF. The residential checklist for the 2024 IRC asks for:
General and site
- Project description stating the 2024 code edition
- Correct address and legal description on the drawings
- Site plan with property lines, setbacks, easements and distances to other buildings
- Square footage summary for livable, garage, covered patio, porch, storage and mechanical areas, plus existing areas for an addition
- Landscape plans, the Notice of Intent and erosion control plans
- Special inspection forms where special inspection applies
- A note on the house plans that fire sprinklers are required
Structure and building
- Floor plan with every room identified and dimensioned
- Window and door schedules showing safety glazing, emergency escape openings and energy values
- Engineering, such as lateral analysis and retaining wall design, sealed by an Arizona-registered architect or engineer
- A soils report where footings bear on compacted fill, with third-party compaction testing
- Footing, stem wall, slab and retaining wall details
- Floor framing, wall bracing and wall sections
- Roof plan and connections; truss calculations may be deferred if the plans say so
- Garage-to-dwelling fire separation details
The checklist’s design criteria are a 105 mph wind speed, Seismic Design Category B, no ground snow load and a 12-inch frost line. After submitting, check the Reviews tab in TOPPS and wait until every department has finished and the status changes to “waiting for resubmittal” before you respond; redlined documents appear in the Documents tab.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply in Fountain Hills: 6 steps
Create an account at fountainhillsaz.gov/TOPPS for each person who needs to see or pay for the permit.
Pick the project type, complete the form and add the other contacts.
One file holds the full plan set and one holds the supporting documents. Fire sprinkler plans are a separate submittal.
Read the redline comments, correct the plans and upload the corrected set after the status reads waiting for resubmittal.
You get an email when the application is approved, with the fees due. Pay through Make a Payment in TOPPS or in person at Town Hall.
On a new home, the stormwater controls and the limits-of-disturbance fence are inspected before the permit is issued.
Fountain Hills inspections
Anyone with a permit issued through TOPPS, or an older permit transferred into it, must schedule inspections in TOPPS. Inspectors work 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, although the office itself is open Monday to Thursday.
The Town’s required inspections sheet for a new home runs in this order: stormwater controls and limits fence before permit issuance; retaining wall footings and walls; footing, with copies of compaction tests, and foundation; under-slab plumbing, heating and electric; pre-slab; roof diaphragm and wall shear nailing before dry-in; fire sprinkler rough; the combined top-out of rough framing, plumbing, electrical and mechanical; stucco lath and shower pan; insulation; drywall; fire sprinkler final; final grade and site improvements; sewer final; landscaping; and the final building inspection, when gas and electric meters are set and blower door test results are provided.
The sheet ends with a warning that no occupancy is given if required inspections are missed. A re-inspection costs $170, an off-hours inspection on a night or weekend costs $85, and an inspection that is not tied to an active building permit costs $60.
Local Fountain Hills details that matter
Limits of disturbance: the site plan has to be on site for the final grade inspection and the limits-of-disturbance fence must not be removed during construction. The encroachment section of the fee schedule lists a land disturbance fee of $10 per sq ft plus revegetation, and a $160 haul route permit for moving 500 cubic yards or more.
Site work and washes: Public Works Engineering reviews site work plans for building permits and handles encroachment permits, and the department maintains the town-owned wash parcels and dams.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Pool barriers: the Town’s pool checklist treats any body of water more than 18 inches deep or more than 8 ft across as a swimming pool and calls for a barrier at least 60 inches high, with self-closing, self-latching gates that open away from the pool.
Code cycle: the 2024 codes apply to every building permit application received on or after September 1, 2025, including the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code and the 2023 National Electrical Code.
Permit extensions and refunds: an extension costs $460 for new construction or additions and $120 for a remodel, if the Town has all the records and the code cycle has not changed. A cancelled permit is refunded at 35% of the fee paid when the written request is made within 180 days.
Arizona statewide rules
Arizona licenses contractors through the state Registrar of Contractors, and the small-job exemption never covers work that needs a permit. Arizona rules
Official Fountain Hills permit resources
Town of Fountain Hills pages and documents where these facts are published:
- Fountain Hills Building Safety
- TOPPS, the Town’s Online Permitting and Planning System
- How to Use TOPPS instruction guide (PDF)
- Building Permit Forms and Checklists
- Residential Submittal Checklist, 2024 IRC (PDF)
- 2024 Required Inspections (PDF)
- Fountain Hills Adopted Codes
- Ordinance No. 25-06, 2024 building code amendments (PDF)
- Comprehensive Fee Schedule, FY 2026-2027 (PDF)
- Permit-Ready House Plans Program
- Fountain Hills Development Services
- Fountain Hills Public Works
- Maricopa County Planning and Development
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Fountain Hills building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Fountain Hills?
The Town of Fountain Hills Building Safety Division, at Town Hall, 16705 E. Avenue of the Fountains. The Building Safety numbers are 480-816-5123 and 480-816-5177.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Fountain Hills?
$0.73 per sq ft of air-conditioned living area and $0.55 per sq ft of garage and covered patio, with plan review included. A 2,500 sq ft house with 700 sq ft of garage and patio pays $2,210, before the fire sprinkler fee and the $8,816 development fee.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Fountain Hills?
Yes, for any fence over 30 inches high. The fence wall fee is $200 for the first 100 ft plus $2 per linear foot after that.
Do I need a permit for a shed?
A one-storey detached accessory structure of 120 sq ft or less is exempt from a building permit. Anything larger needs one.
Can I file a paper application?
No. The Town only accepts applications online through TOPPS, although fees can be paid in person at Town Hall.
Are fire sprinklers required in a new home?
Yes. The Town’s residential checklist states that automatic fire sprinklers are required, and the sprinkler plans are submitted separately.
How do I schedule an inspection?
In TOPPS. Inspections are carried out Monday to Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
How much is a solar permit?
$150 for a solar photovoltaic system under the FY 2026-2027 fee schedule.
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More Arizona permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Fountain Hills permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.