Building permits in unincorporated Gila County are issued by the Building Safety Division of the Community Development Division, under the county's own Building Code Ordinance. Gila is a large, rural, high-relief county running its building function from two staffed offices, and the building permit is usually one of several county records a project needs.
This guide covers what requires a permit in unincorporated Gila County, how the Globe and Payson offices divide the work, the local amendments inside the county ordinance including the accessory-structure exemption and its second half, the septic, floodplain and grading records issued by the same division, and how fees, payment and inspections work in a rural county.
This guide covers unincorporated Gila County. The incorporated towns, national forest land and tribal land are each separate.
An exempt shed is not an exempt project. Gila County's local amendment exempts small one-storey detached non-habitable accessory structures from the building permit on two tests — floor area measured using the outside dimensions of the foundation, and floor height above grade. But plumbing, electrical and mechanical work in that structure still requires separate permits, setback distances still apply, and the county states that exemption from the permit requirement does not authorise work that violates the code or any other ordinance.
What requires a permit in Gila County?
The Gila County Community Development Division issues building permits through its Building Safety Division, which regulates the construction, demolition and occupancy of all buildings within the unincorporated areas of Gila County. The division provides plan review, issues building permits, and inspects new construction, additions and alterations.
Community Development is broader than building alone, and on a rural parcel you will usually need more than one of its records. The division issues building permits, septic system permits, floodplain permits, and grading and drainage permits, and also handles zoning applications and code enforcement complaints. On most new construction in this county the septic permit and the building permit are the same conversation rather than two separate projects.
The governing document is the county's own Building Code Ordinance for the Unincorporated Areas of Gila County, which provides for the issuance of permits, the collection of fees, penalties for violation, and an advisory board. The ordinance has been amended and replaced several times, most recently in 2017, and it is where the county's local amendments to the model codes actually live. The county also publishes a Building Code Handbook and a separate Design Criteria document giving the loads and conditions to design against.
The permit trigger follows the model code: any owner or authorised agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure must first apply to the building official and obtain the required permit. The county is explicit that the property owner is responsible for determining whether a permit is required for a specific project and for obtaining it before work begins.
Permit required
- New construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, relocation and demolition
- Change of occupancy of a building or structure
- Manufactured home and factory-built building installation or relocation
- Septic and on-site wastewater systems, permitted by the same division
- Floodplain development, permitted separately by the same division
- Grading and drainage work
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, including on exempt accessory structures
- Swimming pools and spas, with barrier compliance
Typically exempt
- One-storey detached non-habitable accessory structures within the published floor-area limit
- Those structures only where the floor surface sits within the published height above grade
- Purely cosmetic finish work that alters no regulated system
- Routine maintenance that does not extend or reroute a regulated system
Gila County building department: who handles permitting
Gila County is geographically large and runs its building function from two offices rather than one: Globe in the south and Payson in the north, each staffed and each holding the reference code books. That is a practical answer to a county where the drive between the two ends is substantial, and it means the office you deal with depends on where the parcel is rather than where the county seat is.
There is an administrative detail in the ordinance that is worth knowing because it tells you where the authoritative documents live. To satisfy the requirement that the adopted Building Code be kept available for public use and inspection, the ordinance designates the Globe and Payson offices of Community Development as branch offices of the Office of the Clerk of the Board, with a copy of the Building Code kept in each. If you need to establish what the county had adopted on a given date, that is the record.
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Get a free quote →The county publishes a good deal of its own output. Alongside the ordinance, the handbook and the design criteria, Community Development publishes separate residential and commercial permitting timelines and an annual list of permits issued going back more than a decade. The permits-issued series is a useful public record if you are assessing construction activity in the Rim Country or the Globe-Miami area rather than relying on anecdote.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Building Safety Division, Community Development |
| Globe office | 745 North Rose Mofford Way, Globe, AZ 85501 · (928) 402-4224 |
| Payson office | 608 East Highway 260, Payson, AZ 85541 · (928) 474-7110 |
| Jurisdiction | Unincorporated Gila County only |
| Governing document | Building Code Ordinance for the Unincorporated Areas of Gila County |
| Also issued here | Septic, floodplain, and grading and drainage permits |
| Published guidance | Building Code Handbook and Gila County Design Criteria |
| Published timelines | Separate residential and commercial permitting timelines |
| Payments | Card by phone with a service fee, or cash or cheque payable to the county |
| Appeals | Advisory and Appeals Board, with published agendas and minutes |
Check which office and which code edition before you draw anything. Gila County adopts its codes by its own ordinance on its own timetable, and the editions in force are the 2012 International Residential, Building, Existing Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes, the 2012 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code and the 2011 National Electrical Code, with county amendments, in effect since 2 October 2014. That cuts both ways: a design drawn to the newest model code may reference provisions the county has not adopted, and a design drawn to the county’s edition will not transfer to a Phoenix-area job. Confirm the current adopted list and the county’s amendments with the Globe or Payson office before the design is fixed.
Gila County permits the unincorporated county only, and a large part of this county is not county jurisdiction at all. Globe, Payson, Miami, Star Valley and the other incorporated towns run their own building departments. Beyond that, the county states that 95 per cent of its land is under federal control, much of it national forest, and the county also contains portions of tribal reservations, which are sovereign jurisdictions outside county building authority entirely. Establish the parcel’s status before assuming a county permit is the record you need.
Gila County permits: record types and what each covers
Gila County's record catalog is unusual in that four of the permits a rural project needs are issued by the same division. Treat them as one coordinated application rather than four separate errands.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Residential permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | New dwellings, additions, and accessory structures above the local size threshold | Plan review against the jurisdiction's adopted residential code and local amendments, plus zoning and setbacks | Valuation-based |
| Addition | Added conditioned or unconditioned space attached to an existing dwelling | Structural and energy review where the jurisdiction has adopted an energy code; most Arizona homes are in hot, dry climate zones, so envelope and equipment sizing draw attention | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural changes, layout changes, or added plumbing, mechanical, or electrical | Plan review scaled to scope; a change that alters egress, structure, or a system is reviewed even where the footprint does not move | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Roof covering replacement, recover, and structural deck repair | Deck and dry-in inspection; plan review rarely required, but a change of assembly type can trigger a structural check | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Rooftop or ground-mount arrays, with or without battery storage | Single local review covering both the structural attachment and the electrical scope; there is no separate state electrical record in Arizona | Flat or system-size based |
| Battery energy storage | Wall or floor-mounted storage added to a dwelling | Electrical review plus fire separation, ventilation, and location check | Flat or per-permit minimum |
| Electrical | Service changes, panel upgrades, new circuits, EV chargers, meter sets, and rewiring | Local trade review and local inspection against the National Electrical Code edition the jurisdiction has adopted | Per-permit or per-device |
| Plumbing | New piping, repipes, fixtures, gas piping, and water heater replacement | Local trade review; performed by a contractor holding the matching Registrar of Contractors specialty classification | Per-permit minimum or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Changeouts, new ductwork, and refrigeration | Local trade review; changeout volume is heavy in Arizona given summer design temperatures | Per-permit minimum or per-unit |
| Patio cover and shade structure | Attached and detached covers, ramadas, and carports | Structural review for wind uplift and attachment, plus zoning for setbacks and lot coverage | Valuation or flat |
| Swimming pool | In-ground and above-ground pools and spas | Barrier, bonding, and electrical review; the local pool barrier rules apply, and Arizona’s state barrier law covers places with no local barrier ordinance | Valuation or flat |
| Manufactured home set-up | Placing or re-siting a manufactured or modular home | Installation permit and inspection through the Arizona Department of Housing’s Office of Manufactured Housing, or the local agency acting for it, with local zoning, setback, floodplain and utility connection review | Flat or per-unit |
| Demolition | Full or partial demolition of a dwelling or accessory structure | Utility disconnect confirmation, dust control where earthmoving is involved, and site restoration check | Flat |
| Septic system permit | Any rural parcel without a public sewer connection | Issued by Community Development alongside the building permit | Assessed separately from the building permit |
| Manufactured home permit | Installation or relocation of a manufactured or factory-built home | Reviewed against the state manufactured housing installation standards | Flat or per-unit under the county ordinance |
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Commercial permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New commercial construction | Ground-up commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings | Concurrent review against the jurisdiction's adopted building code and amendments, plus fire and zoning | Valuation-based |
| Tenant improvement / upfit | Interior fit-out of an existing tenant space | Building, trade, and life-safety review; accessibility attaches on change of use | Valuation-based |
| Change of occupancy | Converting a building or space to a different use group | Occupancy classification, egress, and accessibility review | Valuation or flat |
| Commercial electrical | Service, distribution, and branch circuit work | Local trade review and local inspection; Arizona has no central state electrical permit for either residential or commercial work | Per-permit or valuation |
| Commercial plumbing | Process piping, fixtures, backflow, and grease waste | Local trade review; backflow and grease interceptor sign-off where applicable | Per-fixture or valuation |
| Commercial mechanical | Rooftop units, kitchen exhaust and hood systems, and refrigeration | Local trade review; hood and suppression systems draw fire review alongside mechanical | Per-unit or valuation |
| Commercial reroof | Roof covering replacement on a commercial structure | Deck, dry-in, and attachment inspection | Valuation or squares |
| Signage | Wall, ground, and illuminated signs | Zoning review for size and placement, plus electrical where illuminated | Flat or per-sign |
| Grading and drainage | Clearing, grading, and site work that alters drainage | Civil review of grading and drainage, separate from the building permit; monsoon-season flows drive the design | Acreage or valuation |
| Dust control permit | Earthmoving, trenching, and construction dust on a qualifying site | County air quality department, not the building department; required under the county’s dust (PM-10) rules, which are strictest in the Phoenix-area PM-10 nonattainment area | County air quality fee schedule |
| Commercial demolition | Full or partial demolition of a commercial structure | Utility disconnect, asbestos notification, dust control, and site restoration | Flat or valuation |
| Floodplain permit | Development within the regulated floodplain | Issued by Community Development, separate from the building permit | Assessed separately |
| Grading and drainage permit | Site grading and drainage work on any project disturbing ground | Reviewed by the same division as the building permit | Assessed separately |
Residential
- Building and trade permits are issued and inspected by the same local authority
- There is no separate state electrical permit — electrical is a local record
- Work that needs a permit must be done by a Registrar of Contractors licensee, at any job value, unless the owner is doing it under the owner-builder exemption
- A new or changed septic system needs approval from ADEQ, or the county agency acting for it, before it is installed
Commercial — multi-discipline
- Concurrent review across building, trades, fire, and zoning
- Signed and sealed plans from Arizona-registered design professionals, apart from the small buildings and alterations state law exempts
- The licensee's classification must match the actual scope of work
- Accessibility and life-safety review attach to any change of occupancy
Records you will actually see in Gila
| Record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, relocation, demolition and change of occupancy |
| Septic system permit | On-site wastewater, issued by Community Development |
| Floodplain permit | Development within the regulated floodplain |
| Grading and drainage permit | Site grading and drainage work |
| Manufactured home permit | Installation or relocation, against state manufactured housing standards |
| Trade permit | Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, including on exempt accessory structures |
| Zoning application | Filed with the same division under the county zoning ordinance |
| Solar photovoltaic permit | Arrays, inverters and battery storage |
| Appeal to the Advisory and Appeals Board | Where a building official determination is contested |
Solar permits in Gila
Solar in unincorporated Gila County is permitted and inspected by the county’s Building Safety Division, with no state electrical record to file. Two local factors shape the design. The county amends the model code locally, including on loads, and publishes a Design Criteria document — use it rather than a Valley assumption, because this county spans a wide elevation range and the conditions at the Rim end differ sharply from those around Globe. And the county enforces the 2011 National Electrical Code, so a design drawn to a newer edition may cite provisions the county has not adopted.
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Get a free quote →Roofing permits in Gila
Re-roofing in unincorporated Gila County follows the ordinary sequence, with the deck condition available for inspection before the covering goes on. The design conditions are genuinely different at the two ends of this county: the Payson and Rim Country end sits at elevation with real winter weather, while the Globe end is closer to desert conditions. The county's published design criteria is the document to work from. Inspection scheduling deserves extra notice here, since inspectors cover long rural distances.
Arizona solar and roofing work is permitted and inspected locally, against the code edition each jurisdiction has adopted; utilities run interconnection on their own timeline. Arizona rules
Gila County permit cost
Fees are set under the county's Building Code Ordinance, which provides for the issuance of permits and the collection of fees, with plan review assessed alongside the permit. Because Community Development issues septic, floodplain, and grading and drainage permits as well as building permits, a rural new-build here often carries several county fees rather than one, and they are not all assessed at the same moment.
Payment methods are more limited than in the metropolitan jurisdictions and worth knowing in advance. The county accepts credit or debit card payment by phone, with a service fee added to cover the card cost, and accepts cash or cheques made payable to Gila County. There is no assumption of a full self-service online payment path, so build the payment step into the schedule rather than treating it as instant.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit fee | Set under the county's Building Code Ordinance |
| Plan review | Assessed alongside the building permit |
| Septic system permit | Issued by the same division, assessed separately |
| Floodplain permit | Issued by the same division, assessed separately |
| Grading and drainage permit | Assessed separately from the building permit |
| Card payments | Taken by phone, with a service fee added to cover the card cost |
| Other payment methods | Cash, or cheque payable to Gila County |
Want a precise number for a specific Gila project? Send us the scope and we will price the permit path before you file.
Gila County trade permits
The trades are permitted and inspected by the county under the codes adopted in its ordinance. Arizona has no central state electrical permit, so the whole job sits with Community Development — with the one exception that on-site wastewater is regulated under a separate state-delegated framework.
Electrical permits
Required for service work, panel changes, photovoltaic systems and most wiring alterations. Note the specific trap in the county's accessory-structure exemption: a shed may be exempt from the building permit on floor area and height, but the electrical, plumbing and mechanical work inside it still requires separate permits. Exemption from one permit is not exemption from all of them.
Plumbing permits
Required for new piping, repipes, fixtures and water heaters. On a rural parcel the plumbing scope connects directly to the on-site wastewater system, and the septic permit is issued by the same division — which is an advantage if you engage both at once rather than sequentially.
Mechanical permits
Required for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning work, ductwork and refrigeration. Gila County spans an unusual range of elevation, from the desert around Globe to the Mogollon Rim country around Payson, so heating and cooling loads differ sharply between the two ends of the same county. Use the county's published design criteria rather than a single assumption.
Manufactured home installation
The county will not issue a permit for the installation or relocation of a manufactured home in the unincorporated county unless the home can be shown to comply with the applicable standards, and the county adopts the state manufactured housing publication for installation standards. This is a real category of work in Gila County rather than an edge case.
Arizona licenses contractors through the state Registrar of Contractors, and the small-job exemption never covers work that needs a permit. Arizona rules
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Get a free quote →Gila County permit application: how to apply step by step
Here is how to get a building permit in Gila County, from confirming the requirement through to close-out. Each step below corresponds to a real decision point where projects commonly stall.
Gila County permits unincorporated land only. Globe, Payson, Miami, Star Valley and the other incorporated towns permit their own, national forest land is federal, and tribal land is sovereign. Settle this first.
The county runs staffed offices in Globe and in Payson, each holding the reference code books. Deal with the office covering the parcel rather than the one nearest to you.
Ask the office for the current adopted list and the county amendments, and pull the published Design Criteria and Building Code Handbook. The county amends the model code locally, including on live loads, so the unamended model code is not the design basis.
Building, septic, floodplain, and grading and drainage permits are all issued by Community Development. On a rural new-build, several of them usually apply. Identify them together at the start.
The county publishes separate residential and commercial permitting timelines. Use those rather than a generic assumption, and submit complete — an incomplete application does not start a substantive review.
Pay by card over the phone with the service fee, or by cash or cheque. Inspections are performed by county staff and scheduled by phone. Leave work exposed until it has been inspected.
Inspections in Gila County
Inspections in Gila County are performed by county staff and requested by phone through the office covering the parcel. In a county this large, the geography is part of the scheduling reality: an inspector covering rural parcels is travelling substantial distances, so book with as much notice as you can and make sure the work is genuinely ready when the visit happens.
Building on the exemption trap noted above, sequence the trade inspections carefully on accessory structures. A detached shed within the exempt floor area and height still needs separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits if any of those systems are installed, and those permits carry their own inspections. Owners regularly build the structure exempt, wire it, and discover the second half of the rule afterwards.
The county publishes an annual list of permits issued going back more than a decade, which is worth knowing for two reasons. It is a genuine public record of construction activity in the county, and it is a reminder that permit records here are durable and searchable — unpermitted work is not invisible, and it surfaces at resale, at insurance claim, and whenever a later permit is applied for on the same parcel.
The Building Safety Division regulates occupancy as well as construction, so the close-out is the point at which the building becomes lawfully occupiable rather than merely finished. Where the project also carried septic, floodplain or grading records, expect those to need clearing as well — the same division holds all of them, which makes the close-out efficient if they have been kept current and slow if they have not.
Gila County permit search and official resources
These are the primary Gila County and Arizona sources behind this guide. The county's ordinance and adopted editions change by Board action, so confirm against these sources before you file.
- Gila County Building Safety
- Gila County adopted building code
- Gila County building safety FAQs
- Gila County Community Development
- Gila County Community Development ordinances and regulations
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors
- Arizona Department of Housing, manufactured housing
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Gila County?
For most work, yes. The county's ordinance requires any owner or authorised agent intending to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure to apply to the building official and obtain a permit first. The county states that the property owner is responsible for determining whether a permit is required and for obtaining it before work begins.
Does Gila County permit work inside Globe or Payson?
No. The Building Safety Division regulates construction, demolition and occupancy within the unincorporated areas of Gila County. Globe, Payson, Miami, Star Valley and the other incorporated towns operate their own building departments with their own adopted codes and fee schedules.
Which office do I deal with?
The county runs two staffed offices, one in Globe and one in Payson, and both hold the reference code books. Which one you deal with depends on where the parcel sits rather than which is closer to you. The ordinance designates both as branch offices of the Clerk of the Board for the purpose of keeping the adopted Building Code publicly available.
Which codes does Gila County enforce?
The 2012 International Residential, Building, Existing Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes, the 2012 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code and the 2011 National Electrical Code, with county amendments, in effect since 2 October 2014. The county also adopts an accessibility standard (ICC A117.1-2009) and the state manufactured housing publication for manufactured home and factory-built installation standards. Confirm the current adopted list with the Globe or Payson office before designing.
Is a small shed exempt from a permit?
Sometimes, on two tests rather than one. The county's local amendment exempts one-storey detached non-habitable accessory structures — garages, carports, storage sheds, tool sheds, playhouses, garden structures — where the floor area measured using the outside dimensions of the foundation is within the published limit and the floor surface is within the published height above grade. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical work still needs separate permits, and setback distances still apply.
What else does Community Development permit?
More than buildings, and this is the thing to plan for on a rural parcel. The division issues building permits, septic system permits, floodplain permits, and grading and drainage permits, and also handles zoning applications and code enforcement. On a new rural build several of those usually apply at once.
How do I pay a Gila County permit fee?
By credit or debit card taken over the phone, with a service fee added to cover the card cost, or by cash or cheque made payable to Gila County. Payment methods here are more limited than in the metropolitan jurisdictions, so treat the payment step as a scheduled task rather than an instant one.
How long does a Gila County review take?
The county publishes separate residential and commercial permitting timelines, which are the figures to plan against. Arizona counties also operate under a statutory licensing time-frame regime that requires published review periods split between an administrative completeness stage and a substantive review stage — the parallel of the rule that applies to cities.
Do the state accessory dwelling unit rules apply here?
Yes, since 2026. A 2025 law (A.R.S. 11-810.01) requires every Arizona county to allow at least one attached and one detached accessory dwelling unit as a permitted use on any lot where a single-family dwelling is allowed, with county regulations due by 1 January 2026. It does not apply on tribal land or near military and some public airports. The detail is in the county’s zoning ordinance, which is being updated, so check it before you design.
Can I appeal a building official decision?
Yes. The county's Building Code Ordinance provides for an advisory board, and the county publishes the Advisory and Appeals Board's agendas and minutes. That is a formal route where a determination is genuinely contested, and it is preferable to relitigating the same point at each resubmittal.
Is national forest or tribal land permitted by the county?
No. A substantial share of Gila County is federal forest land, and the county also contains portions of tribal reservations. Tribal land is sovereign and outside county building jurisdiction entirely, and federal land is administered under federal authority. Confirm the parcel's status before assuming a county permit is the record you need.
Where can I see what has been built in the county?
The county publishes an annual list of permits issued going back more than a decade. It is a useful public record of construction activity across the county, and a reminder that permit records here are durable — unpermitted work tends to surface at resale, at insurance claim, or when a later permit is sought on the same parcel.
Simplify Gila County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Gila County is a rural, two-office jurisdiction where the building permit is usually only one of several county records a project needs, and where the adopted code editions do not match the Valley. Getting that scoping right at the start is most of the work. Alliance Permitting prepares, files and tracks Gila County permits through issuance.
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- We settle jurisdiction first — unincorporated county, incorporated town, forest, or tribal land.
- We scope the septic, floodplain and grading records alongside the building permit rather than after it.
- We confirm the county's adopted editions and local amendments before the design is fixed.
- We track the file through issuance across whichever of the Globe and Payson offices covers the parcel.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and expediting service in Arizona. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice, and we are not the permitting authority.
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More Arizona permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Gila County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.