The Graham County Planning and Zoning Department issues building permits and manufactured home installation permits for the unincorporated county, and every application is submitted through the County’s online permitting portal. The County values a home at $100 per square foot of living area, reads the fee from a short table and adds a $100 administrative fee. The City of Safford and the towns of Thatcher and Pima run their own permitting.
What requires a building permit in Graham County?
The County’s answer is short. Dirt work does not need a permit; everything else does. Its FAQ names sheds, fences, walls, conex (shipping container) boxes, pools and shops as examples that all need permits, so do not assume the usual small-structure exemptions apply on county land.
County permits
- Site-built residential, commercial and industrial buildings
- Manufactured home installation
- Factory-built buildings
- Accessory structures, including sheds, shops and shipping containers
- Fences and walls
- Pools
- Electrical upgrades
- Communication towers and tower modifications
- Signs and billboards
- Temporary RV permit while a home is being built
No county building permit
- Dirt work
Building without a permit is expensive to fix. The County can charge up to 5 times the normal permit fee for construction done without one, and it points out that utilities, insurance adjusters and lenders ask for proof of a permit.
Who issues building permits in Graham County?
The Planning and Zoning Department issues building permits and manufactured home installation permits, administers zoning and answers complaints. The department’s contact list includes two building inspectors, and Darrin Griffin is the Planning and Zoning Director. The County’s adopted codes apply within the unincorporated areas of Graham County.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Planning and Zoning Department, 921 Thatcher Boulevard, 2nd Floor, Safford, AZ 85546 |
| Phone | 928-428-0410 |
| P&Z@graham.az.gov | |
| Hours | Monday to Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
| Director | Darrin Griffin |
| Apply | Graham County permitting portal (grahamcounty.portal.iworq.net) |
Graham County has three incorporated municipalities, and each one issues building permits for land inside its limits.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| City of Safford | The City’s Planning & Community Development Department, 808 S. 8th Avenue, 928-432-4140. It enforces the building codes with its own building inspectors and uses a City building permit application. |
| Town of Thatcher | The Town’s Planning and Zoning Division, 3700 W. Main Street, 928-428-2290. It has a Town building inspector and an online permit portal. |
| Town of Pima | The Town’s Planning and Zoning Division, 928-322-4860, through the Town’s online permit portal. Town Hall is at 110 W. Center, 928-485-2611. |
Graham County permit applications
All building and installation permits are submitted through the County’s permitting portal, which is linked from the Planning and Zoning page as the Permitting Software Portal. The County asks for three uploads so that a submission is not rejected: the building plans, the plot plan sketch and, where someone applies for the owner, the Special Power of Attorney form. The plot plan sketch page is in the portal and the power of attorney form is a PDF on the Permits and Hearing Forms page.
- Building permit: site permits for residential, commercial and industrial construction, accessory structures and electrical upgrades.
- Installation permit: manufactured homes and factory-built buildings. A manufactured home can only be set up by a state-licensed installer, and homes built before June 1976 cannot be moved.
- Temporary Use Permit: a manufactured home or travel trailer used as a temporary residence for up to 90 days, or for up to 12 months while a permanent residence is under construction. The process starts with the installation permit in the portal.
- Hearing applications: use permits and other hearing items go through a second County portal.
Paper forms are also kept at the Planning and Zoning office.
Graham County building permit fees
The County’s fee schedule works in two steps. First it sets a value for the structure: $100 per sq ft for residential livable area, $125 per sq ft for commercial usable area and $50 per sq ft for utility space such as garages, carports, sheds, awnings and porches. Those are valuations, not fees. Then Section 5.15 of the Planning and Zoning Ordinance converts the total value into the fee, and a $100 administrative fee is added. The County posts the schedule for reference as of August 2, 2022 and notes that the Board of Supervisors may adjust it by resolution.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Total valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $20 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $20 for the first $500 plus $1 per additional $100 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $20 for the first $2,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000, as the ordinance prints it |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $112 for the first $25,000 plus $3 per additional $1,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $187 for the first $50,000 plus $2 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $287 for the first $100,000 plus $1.50 per additional $1,000 |
| Over $500,000 | $887 for the first $500,000 plus $1 per additional $1,000 |
For example, a house with 1,800 sq ft of living area and a 500 sq ft garage is valued at $205,000. The table fee is $444.50, and with the administrative fee the building permit comes to $544.50.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Manufactured home installation | $700, including 3 inspections |
| Factory-built building | $650 per storey |
| Electrical upgrade | $50 |
| Accessory structure of 120 sq ft or more | Valued at $50 per sq ft, $150 minimum |
| Communication tower | $500, or $150 for modifications |
| Temporary RV permit | $100, renewable annually if not on septic |
| Re-inspection or skipped inspection | $50, plus 2 business days |
| Building without a permit, or late fee | 5 times the permit fee |
| Plan review of development plans for commercial development | 65% of the building permit |
For accessory structures under 120 sq ft, the schedule says only that no formula applies.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work in Graham County
The County’s portal takes building permits and installation permits. Trade work on a new building is inspected under the building permit, at the rough electrical, mechanical, top-out plumbing and gas test inspection. The one trade item the fee schedule prices on its own is an electrical upgrade, at $50.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →The codes the inspectors apply are the 2024 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, adopted with the 2024 building, residential, fire and existing building codes under Ordinance No. 2026-01. Pools also have to meet Arizona’s swimming pool safety requirements. Copies of the codes can be inspected at the Planning and Zoning office during working hours.
What to upload with a Graham County application
- Building plans for the structure.
- Plot plan sketch, on the County’s sketch page, showing where the structure sits on the parcel.
- Special Power of Attorney when the applicant is not the owner.
- Parcel number, which is on the tax bill or valuation notice; the Assessor’s Office (928-428-2828) can also supply it.
Plan the layout around the County’s standard setbacks. Unless a subdivision’s CC&Rs say otherwise, they are 20 ft in the front yard, 25 ft in the rear and 10 ft on each side, with outbuildings 20 ft from the main structure and 5 ft from each other. The County’s zoning map, searchable by address or parcel number, shows the land use zone.
The final inspection checklist lists the other approvals the inspector expects to see in place: Planning and Zoning, the Health Department, the Highway Department and, where it applies, floodplain. Line those up while the plans are being drawn.
How to apply in Graham County: 6 steps
Land inside Safford, Thatcher or Pima is permitted by that city or town, not by the County.
Call the Graham County Health Department on 928-428-0110 about septic approval before you finalize the site layout.
A floodplain permit is needed in a FEMA special flood hazard area, and a new driveway onto a county road needs a Highway Department encroachment permit.
Choose the building or installation permit and upload the plans, plot plan sketch and any power of attorney.
Fees are paid to the Planning and Zoning office: the Section 5.15 table fee plus the $100 administrative fee for a site-built structure.
Have the permit number ready; the County will not schedule an inspection without a permit in hand.
Rather not deal with the Graham County building department?
Get a free quote →Graham County inspections
Inspections are arranged directly with the County’s building inspectors by phone or email, at least one business day in advance. The County’s FAQ lists the inspectors’ direct numbers, and the department line is 928-428-0410. Work has to stay exposed until it is approved.
| Inspection | When to call |
|---|---|
| 1. Setback | Pad complete and forms set, before any plumbing goes in |
| 2. Underground plumbing | Before covering, with water, sewer and drain lines pressure tested |
| 3. Footings and stem wall | Before concrete is poured, with all rebar visible |
| 4. Sheathing and framing | Before any paper goes on the roof |
| 5. Rough electrical, mechanical, top-out plumbing and gas test | After wiring is run and plumbing is in, before insulation |
| 6. Drywall nailing | After drywall is up and before any tape goes on |
| 7. Final | When everything is done, including outlet covers, carpet and paint |
A failed final costs a $50 re-inspection fee. At the final the inspector looks for posted address numbers, completed final grading and driveway, working plumbing fixtures and HVAC, and a site free of debris.
Local Graham County details that matter
Septic: septic approval and clearance come from the Graham County Health Department (928-428-0110), which publishes the septic system application, permit fees and setback requirements on its Septic and Wastewater page.
Floodplain: a Floodplain Permit is required when building in a FEMA-designated special flood hazard area, and the County has areas in Zones A, AE and AO. The County directs questions to its Engineering office on 928-428-0410. An elevation certificate is needed for a home in one of those areas.
Driveways: the Highway Department issues the driveway encroachment permit for work in a county road right of way.
Wells: Graham County does not regulate water wells; the Arizona Department of Water Resources does.
Living on site: you may live in an RV while your home is being built, with a temporary RV permit as well as the building permit. Camping on a vacant lot is not allowed.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Land splits: the County reviews divisions that create 2 to 5 parcels through a Minor Land Division Affidavit. Approval lets the documents be recorded but is not approval to build; septic, floodplain, driveway and building reviews stay separate.
Lighting: a Lighting Code protects the dark night sky in the county and in Safford, Thatcher and Pima.
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 Graham County permit resources
County and municipal pages where the facts above are published:
- Graham County Planning and Zoning
- Graham County permitting portal
- Graham County Permits and Hearing Forms
- Graham County Planning and Zoning fees
- Graham County fee schedule (PDF)
- Graham County Planning and Zoning FAQs
- Residential Building Inspection Schedule (PDF)
- Graham County Planning and Zoning Ordinance and Lighting Code
- Graham County Health Department: Septic and Wastewater
- Graham County Floodplain Information
- Graham County Highway permits
- City of Safford Building and Development Permits and Codes
- Town of Thatcher Planning and Zoning
- Town of Pima Planning and Zoning
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Graham County building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Graham County?
For unincorporated land, the Graham County Planning and Zoning Department at 921 Thatcher Boulevard in Safford, 928-428-0410. Safford, Thatcher and Pima issue their own permits inside their limits.
How much is a building permit in Graham County?
The County values living area at $100 per sq ft and garages and porches at $50 per sq ft, then applies its fee table and adds $100. A home with 1,800 sq ft of living area and a 500 sq ft garage comes to $544.50.
Do I need a permit for a shed, fence or shipping container?
Yes. The County says only dirt work is exempt, and it lists sheds, fences, walls, conex boxes, pools and shops as needing permits.
Can I submit a paper application?
The County’s instructions say all building and installation permits are to be submitted through its online portal. Forms are also available at the Planning and Zoning office.
How do I get septic approval?
Through the Graham County Health Department, on 928-428-0110.
What happens if I build without a permit?
The County can charge up to 5 times the normal permit fee, and getting a permit after the fact is difficult.
Can I move a manufactured home onto my property?
Yes, with a County installation permit ($700, including 3 inspections) and a state-licensed installer. Homes built before June 1976 cannot be moved.
Which building codes does Graham County use?
The 2024 International Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Existing Building Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code.
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More Arizona permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Graham County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.