In Payson, the Building Division of the Community Development Department at 303 N. Beeline Highway issues building permits. Homeowners and residential contractors apply online in Cityworks; a single-family or duplex permit typically takes 10 working days. The Town moved to the 2024 International Codes on October 9, 2026, and plan review costs 65% of the permit fee.
What requires a building permit in Payson?
The Town’s rule is short: you need a building permit when you construct, add to or alter a building. Its amendments to the 2024 residential code, in force since October 9, 2026, add local detail.
Permit needed
- New homes, additions, remodels and detached garages
- Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work (each has its own permit and fee table)
- Park models: a building permit for placement, with hold-down anchors at the corners
- Hard-wired electrical, mechanical equipment or plumbing outside a park model (separate permits)
- Manufactured and modular home installation
- Swimming pools, private or public
- Solar electric and solar water heating systems
- Demolition
- Retaining walls 4 ft or higher, which also need engineering
Exempt in the Town’s amendments
- Fences not over 7 ft high
- Masonry or concrete fences not over 4 ft high
- Retaining walls under the model-code height, measured in Payson from the top of the footing
The Building Division’s older FAQ gives tighter fence figures: no permit for 6 ft or less at the rear and 4 ft or less at the front. If your fence falls between the two sets of numbers, ask the Division before building, and check that it stays clear of Town right-of-way and easements.
Starting work before the permit is issued doubles the permit fee. Emergency work escapes the penalty if the permit is obtained at the start of the next business day.
Who issues building permits in Payson?
The Building Division, one of four divisions of the Town’s Community Development Department (with Planning & Zoning, Economic Development and Code Enforcement). Under Town Code Chapter 150 the designated Building Official administers the building codes and the Fire Chief administers the fire code. The Division covers property inside the Payson town limits; outside them, Gila County’s Building Safety Division permits construction and keeps an office in Payson at 608 E. Highway 260 (928-474-7110).
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Town of Payson Building Division, Community Development Department |
| Address | 303 N. Beeline Highway, Payson, AZ 85541 |
| Phone | 928-472-5030 (TDD 928-472-6449) |
| building@paysonaz.gov | |
| Town Hall hours | Monday to Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
| Residential applications | Cityworks Permit Center (online) |
| Commercial applications | Directly with the Building Division |
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Get a free quote →Payson Cityworks portal, commercial filing and forms
Residential: since December 16, 2024, all residential permits have been filed in the Cityworks Permit Center. Create an account, pick the permit type, upload plans and supporting documents as PDFs, pay the fees and track status in the same place. The Town publishes a Cityworks tutorial for account set-up.
Commercial: commercial applications and submittal requirements are handled by the Building Division itself. Call 928-472-5030 for the current application and forms. The Division hands out its forms and checklists directly, so that applicants always get the current version; most are no longer posted for download.
Documents the Town still publishes online:
- Contractor Exemption/Owner-Builder Form, which also lets the owner-builder name an agent to sign for the permit.
- Manufactured Home Installation Permit application.
- Residential Site Plan/Grading and Drainage Plan Checklist.
- Solar Plan Submittal Checklist.
Contractors need an active Registrar of Contractors licence and an active Town of Payson business licence.
Payson building permit fees
Fees are in Exhibit B of the Town’s 2026/2027 Fees and Charges Schedule (Resolution No. 2026-020, effective July 1, 2026). For new homes and commercial buildings the Town values the project from the International Code Council’s current building valuation data, then reads the permit fee from Valuation Table 3-A:
| Total valuation | Permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $1,000 | $0 |
| $1,001 to $2,000 | $25 for the first $1,001, plus $3 per additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $40,000 | $69 for the first $2,001, plus $11 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $40,001 to $100,000 | $487 for the first $40,001, plus $9 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,027 for the first $100,001, plus $7 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,827 for the first $500,001, plus $5 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 | $6,327 for the first $1,000,001, plus $3 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $5,000,001 and up | $18,327 for the first $5,000,001, plus $1 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
Plan review is 65% of the building permit fee, and the trade fees below are added. A project valued at $300,000 pays a $2,427 building permit fee and $1,577.55 for plan review, before electrical, mechanical and plumbing fees.
Smaller single-family structures are valued by the square foot before the table is applied: $60 for an Arizona room, $30 for a metal barn, $25 for a wood covered porch or carport, $20 for a wood open deck or a pre-manufactured metal carport and $15 for a metal awning. These are valuations, not fees.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Demolition permit | $50 |
| Private swimming pool | $300 plus plan review by the hour |
| Public swimming pool | $800 plus plan review by the hour |
| Park model | $300 |
| Modular building or manufactured home | Maximum allowed by the Arizona Department of Housing; includes 3 inspections |
| Re-inspection, or inspection with no listed fee | $85 per hour, 1 hour minimum |
| Extra plan review for changes, additions or lost plans | $85 per hour, half-hour minimum |
| Residential stock plan, after the first review | $90 |
| Temporary certificate of occupancy | $250 per month residential, $500 per month commercial; doubles every 6 months |
| Outside consultants for plan check or inspection | Actual cost plus 20% |
The adopted schedule is posted on the Town Fees and Charges page under Government. A 10% administration fee may be added whenever the Town incurs outside costs.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire permits in Payson
Each trade permit has an issuance fee, and unit fees for the equipment are added to it (Fee Tables 3-C, 3-D and 3-E):
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical, mechanical or plumbing permit issuance | $109 each |
| Supplemental permit | $24 |
| Electrical, home remodels and additions | $0.06 per sq ft plus the electric meter fee |
| Electrical service up to 200 A (under 600 V) | $30 |
| Receptacles, switches, lights and outlets | $1.10 each for the first 20, then $0.75 each |
| Single-family solar electric system | $175 total |
| Furnace with ducts, 100,000 BTU or less | $15 |
| Pellet or wood stove | $11 |
| Plumbing fixture (per trap) | $10 |
| Water heater | $12 |
| Gas piping, 1 to 5 outlets | $6 |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Fire sprinklers: Payson’s fire code amendments require sprinklers in any one- or two-family dwelling with more than 4,800 sq ft of livable area under roof (garages, covered porches and patios excluded). A smaller home needs none if a municipal hydrant is within 600 ft by fire apparatus travel; without that water supply, a house of any size must add an approved water source or sprinklers.
The Fire Department issues its own permits under Exhibit E of the fee schedule, for example $60 for an LPG tank up to 124 gallons, $90 for a motorized access gate and $180 for a commercial hood system, each including the inspection.
Payson building-permit application documents
Have the plans and supporting documents ready as PDFs before you open the Cityworks application, along with the property address, parcel number, owner details and applicant contact. The Town’s residential site plan and grading checklist asks for:
Site plan
- Address and tax parcel number
- Property lines with dimensions and total lot area
- All existing and proposed structures, with the nearest distance to every property line
- Distances between detached structures
- Driveway location, length, width and surface
- Easements, utilities, adjacent right-of-way and street name
- Distance to the nearest fire hydrant
- Scale and north arrow (1 inch = 10 ft preferred)
Regular grading and drainage plan
- Existing contours at 2 ft intervals or closer
- Finish floor elevations for every structure (pad elevation for a manufactured home)
- Elevations of all building corners and finish grades
- Limits, depth and total volume of cut and fill
- Retaining walls with top-of-wall and adjacent ground elevations
- Drainage arrows, and erosion protection where a natural drainage course is disturbed
- Any structure within 15 ft of the grading
Sites that need an engineered or hillside grading plan submit it separately on 24 by 36 inch sheets. A solar application needs one plan set with a site plan, one-line and three-line diagrams, equipment cut sheets and mounting details with wind and gravity calculations, plus a bonding certificate when the project exceeds $50,000.
Who must design it: no architect is needed for a one- or two-family home or its additions. A commercial building needs a registered professional if it is 3,000 sq ft or more, has an occupant load of 20 or more, or has a structural member spanning 20 ft or more outside an engineered system.
Review times: typically 10 working days for a single-family or duplex project. For commercial work, the Town says initial comments reach the applicant within 20 working days.
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Get a free quote →How to apply in Payson: 6 steps
Plans drawn to the 2018 codes are accepted until December 31, 2026. From January 1, 2027 every new submittal must meet the 2024 codes and the 2023 NEC with Payson’s amendments.
Use a 48 psf ground snow load, a 40 psf roof snow load, 115 mph wind (Exposure B) and an 18-inch frost depth.
Residential: create a Cityworks account and start the permit there. Commercial: call the Building Division for the application packet.
Attach the site plan, grading plan, building plans and the Owner-Builder Form if you are your own contractor, then pay through Cityworks.
Plan on 10 working days for a house or duplex. Residential applicants are called only if a problem will delay that schedule.
Speak to a Permit Technician on 928-472-5030. Voicemail requests are not accepted.
Payson permit inspections and final approval
Inspections are scheduled only by phone: call the Building Division at 928-472-5030 and speak directly with a Permit Technician. A request left on voicemail does not count.
Ask for the inspection before any stage of work is hidden, and just before equipment such as an electrical panel goes into use. The Town’s example is the footing: depth, width and reinforcement are checked before concrete is placed.
Expired permits. The fee schedule prices an extension by how far the job has got: 10% of the original permit fee for a 6-month extension after drywall, 30% after framing and before drywall, and 100% for a one-year extension before framing. Under the 2024 amendments, a reactivation requested within 90 days of expiry can be granted free for good cause. After 90 days it costs 75% of the original fee if only the under-slab inspections have passed, 50% once the roof deck and shear inspections have passed, and 25% when only the final is outstanding. A permit expired for more than 365 days needs new plans to the current code.
Site conditions. Every worksite must have a toilet and hand-cleaning facility, at least one per site and one seat per 30 workers, placed no closer than 26 ft to a neighbouring occupied home or business. If it is not serviced, the Town puts a hold on active permits and suspends inspections.
Local permitting considerations in Payson
Code change in progress. The 2024 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Swimming Pool and Spa, Property Maintenance and Fire Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code took effect on October 9, 2026 (Ordinance 2026-105 and Resolution 2026-032). The 2024 energy code was adopted as an optional standard only, although Payson’s amendments still set minimum insulation and window values for Climate Zone 4, such as R-38 ceilings.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Garage walls. Payson requires 5/8-inch Type X drywall for the separation between a house and its garage, and under stairs.
Construction hours. Work may not begin before 5:00 a.m. from June 1 to September 1, or before 6:00 a.m. from September 2 to May 31, and must stop by 10:00 p.m. On Saturdays, Sundays and state or federal holidays the start is 6:00 a.m. all year.
Grading permits come from the Engineering Division. A regular single-family grading plan costs $30, $40 or $80 per lot depending on the zoning district, a site in a Special Flood Hazard Area pays 150% of the standard amount ($225 minimum), and a permit issued after work has started costs 200%.
After a fire. Debris from a burned building must be cleared, or rebuilding arranged, within 120 days, with clearing started within 60 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 Payson permit resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors
- Payson Building Division FAQs
- Town of Payson Building Division
- Payson Residential Permit Application (Cityworks steps)
- Payson Cityworks Permit Center
- Town of Payson Fees and Charges
- 2026/2027 Fees and Charges Schedule (Resolution 2026-020)
- 2024 Building Code Local Amendments
- 2024 International Fire Code Local Amendments
- Residential Site Plan/Grading and Drainage Plan Checklist
- Contractor Exemption/Owner-Builder Form
- Solar Plan Submittal Checklist
- Gila County Building Safety (outside town limits)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Payson building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Payson?
The Town of Payson Building Division, part of Community Development, at 303 N. Beeline Highway (928-472-5030). Property outside the town limits is permitted by Gila County.
How much is a building permit in Payson?
It is based on valuation. Under the schedule effective July 1, 2026, a $100,000 project pays $1,027 and a $300,000 project pays $2,427, plus 65% for plan review and the trade permit fees. Projects valued at $1,000 or less pay no building permit fee.
How long does it take to get a building permit in Payson?
Typically 10 working days for a single-family home or duplex. Commercial projects get initial review comments within 20 working days.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Payson?
The 2024 amendments exempt fences up to 7 ft and masonry or concrete fences up to 4 ft. The Town’s FAQ still quotes 6 ft at the rear and 4 ft at the front, so call the Building Division if your fence is taller than that.
Which building codes does Payson use?
The 2024 International Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, effective October 9, 2026. Plans prepared under the 2018 codes are accepted until December 31, 2026.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Payson?
Yes. Sign the Contractor Exemption/Owner-Builder Form, which applies when the building is for your own occupancy and is not intended for sale or rent.
How do I schedule an inspection in Payson?
Call 928-472-5030 and speak with a Permit Technician. The Town does not accept inspection requests by voicemail.
Does a new house in Payson need fire sprinklers?
Only if its livable area is over 4,800 sq ft, or if no municipal hydrant lies within 600 ft and no other approved water source is provided.
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More Arizona permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Payson permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.