Somerton building permits are issued by the Building Safety Division of the Community Development Department, on the second floor of City Hall at 143 N. State Avenue (928-722-7369). Plans can be filed in the City’s iWorQ permit portal, by email or in person. The published review clock for a new house is 11 business days, and fees come from the FY26-27 schedule that took effect on July 1, 2026.
What requires a building permit in Somerton?
Somerton’s building code says no person may begin work without a valid building permit. The City’s own lists spell out both sides of that rule.
Permit needed
- New homes, duplexes to fourplexes, apartments and townhomes
- Remodels and additions
- Garage or carport construction or conversion
- Porch enclosures and patio covers
- Fences and walls
- Demolition
- Installing, replacing or relocating A/C units, evaporative coolers, furnaces and water heaters
- New or altered electrical circuits, gas lines, plumbing fixtures, water and sewer service lines
- Moving or altering walls or other structural parts
- Changing the size or location of exterior doors; replacing or modifying windows
- Water softeners, and irrigation tied into the potable water supply
Generally no permit
- Detached accessory structures of 200 sq ft or less with no utilities, if zoning setbacks are kept
- Uncovered patio slabs or decks less than 30 inches above grade
- Low-voltage landscape accent lighting
- Landscape irrigation repairs
- Minor non-structural repairs: glass, doors, hardware, cabinets, carpet, flooring, trim
- Repairing or replacing an existing evaporative cooler
- Re-roofing with the same material, with no more than two layers of asphalt shingles
A new business moving into an existing building needs a Change of Use Permit and certificate of occupancy update even when little construction is planned.
Who issues building permits in Somerton?
The Building Safety Division, one of three divisions of the City’s Community Development Department alongside Planning and Zoning and Code Enforcement. It reviews plans for new construction, additions and remodels, issues the permit once plans are approved, inspects the work and issues the certificate of occupancy. Fernando Villegas, AICP, is the Community Development Director.
Somerton’s permits apply inside the city limits. For unincorporated land around the city, the permitting office is Yuma County’s Department of Development Services in Yuma (928-817-5000).
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Building Safety and Code Enforcement Office, City of Somerton |
| Address | 143 N. State Avenue, 2nd Floor, Somerton, AZ 85350 |
| Building Safety office | 928-722-7369 (fax 928-627-3794) |
| Inspection scheduling | 928-722-7399 |
| Community Development Director’s office | 928-722-6714 |
| City Hall hours | Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; open Fridays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed every other Friday |
| Online filing | Somerton permit portal (iWorQ) |
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Get a free quote →Somerton applications and the online permit portal
Plans can reach Building Safety three ways: through the Online Permit Portal, by email, or over the counter at City Hall. The portal also shows application status, lets you schedule inspections and takes code enforcement complaints. To check status you only need the permit tracking number printed on your copy of the application; no account is required.
The City posts a separate PDF application for each kind of work:
- New Residential, Remodel (Residential & Non-Residential) and Commercial Multi-Family/Industrial
- General Permit, Block Wall, Demolition and Sign
- Solar PV Installation, Main Panel Upgrade, A/C Replacement and Water Heater Replacement
- Swimming Pool, with a Pool Barrier Affidavit
- Manufactured Home / Factory-Built Building Installation
- APS Clearance and Gas Clearance, for turning service back on where no work is being done
- Change of Contractor, Special Inspection Form and the Arizona Owner-Builder Exemption Notice
Remodel applications are priced from the Unit Fee Sheets posted beside them, so complete those sheets with the application.
Somerton building permit fees
The City Council adopted the FY26-27 fee schedule by Resolution No. 2026-004 on June 2, 2026, effective July 1, 2026. For new structures and added square footage, Building Safety values the work from the International Code Council’s August 2023 building valuation data (square footage, occupancy and construction type) and applies the City’s permit fee table. Remodels are priced from job cost or the unit fee sheets.
| Total valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $50 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $50 for the first $500, plus $4 per additional $100 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $80 for the first $2,000, plus $16 per additional $1,000 |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $450 for the first $25,000, plus $12 per additional $1,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $740 for the first $50,000, plus $8 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,140 for the first $100,000, plus $6 per additional $1,000 |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,720 for the first $500,000, plus $6 per additional $1,000 |
| $1,000,001 and up | $6,450 for the first $1,000,000, plus $4 per additional $1,000 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →The City’s sheet prints “first $50,000” in the $500,001 to $1,000,000 row; the band limits show $500,000 is meant.
On that table a $200,000 valuation produces a $1,740 permit fee. Resolution 2026-004 states that the fee for all permits includes plan check review with up to 2 resubmittals and 2 inspections per phase. The City’s Permit Fees sheet, which carries the valuation table, still prints a plan check fee of 65% of the building permit fee, so the quote from Building Safety may show plan check as a separate line. The City posts spreadsheet calculators for new homes and for additions and remodels.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Fence construction permit | $50 |
| Demolition permit (2 inspections required) | $50 |
| A/C replacement; water heater or plumbing replacement in the same location | $50 each |
| Gas clearance; electrical (APS) clearance | $50 each |
| Solar photovoltaic system, 0 to 10 kW | $150 |
| Solar photovoltaic system, above 10 kW | $350 |
| Change of Use Permit / certificate of occupancy update | $50 base plus any remodel fees |
| Deferred submittal of separate plan components | $100 residential, $300 commercial |
| Expedited plan review (3 business days residential, 10 commercial) | Double the plan review fee |
| Re-inspections not covered by the permit fee | $50 per hour |
| Temporary certificate of occupancy | $100 |
| Change of contractor or subcontractor | $25 |
| Reinstating a permit expired less than one year (once only) | $50 |
| Work done before the permit (after-the-fact) | Double the permit fee |
Manufactured home and factory-built building installation follows the State fee schedule. Phased, partial or deferred-submittal permits are charged at 200% of the single permit fee. Electronic payments can carry a convenience fee of up to 3%.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits in Somerton
For remodels and alterations, each trade is priced from a unit fee schedule: a base fee for issuing the permit plus a charge for each item. When a remodel involves two or more trades, the schedule sets $100.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical permit, base fee | $50 |
| Service entrance panel up to 200 A | $50 |
| Service entrance panel up to 800 A | $75 |
| Each feeder circuit / each branch circuit | $5 / $2 |
| Temporary power service | $50 |
| Mechanical permit, base fee | $50 |
| Plumbing permit, base fee | $25 |
| Building sewer | $15 |
| Plumbing sewer tap or sewer connection | $20 each |
| Fuel gas permit, base fee | $50 |
| Gas piping system, 1 to 5 outlets | $7, plus $1 per additional outlet |
| Gas furnace up to 100,000 BTU/h, with ducts and vents | $15 |
| Supplemental permit on an open permit | $7 electrical, mechanical or fuel gas; $17 plumbing |
Somerton enforces the 2014 National Electrical Code and the 2012 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, each with City amendments. The fire code is NFPA 1 (2018), and the Fire Department has its own fee schedule in the same resolution, for example $38 for sprinkler alterations of 1 to 25 heads and $38 for a fire alarm of 1 to 10 devices.
Somerton building-permit application documents
When you file through the portal, the City wants these as separate PDF files:
- One PDF holding the full plan set: site plan, architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing and electrical sheets together, not split up
- Truss calculations
- Manual J calculations
- Structural calculations, stamped and signed by an Arizona registered engineer
- Other supporting documents, such as a geotechnical report
New homes and room additions
- Plot plan
- Foundation plan
- Floor plan
- Roof plan
- Exterior elevations
- Building sections and required details
- Structural plans and calculations
Tenant improvements
- Plot plan and floor plan
- Wall section and required details
- Plumbing and mechanical plan
- Electrical plan
- State energy conservation information
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Who can draw the plans: no Arizona architect or engineer is required for a one-storey single-family dwelling, residential garage or accessory structure of conventional wood frame construction and limited structural complexity. Structurally complex homes and certain occupancies must be prepared by a licensed professional, whose name and licence number go on the drawings and calculations at first submittal. Design for Seismic Design Category D and a 115 mph basic wind speed.
Published review time frames (business days, under A.R.S. 9-835): a new house, a residential addition or a residential solar system gets 1 day for completeness, 5 for the first review and 5 for a second review if needed, 11 in all. A new commercial or multi-family building gets 2, 15 and 10, or 27 in all. A manufactured home or park model gets 5. The City notes that turnaround depends on the plans examiner’s workload.
How to apply in Somerton: 6 steps
A detached structure of 200 sq ft or less without utilities, or a low deck or slab, may not need a permit, though zoning setbacks still apply.
Download the New Residential, Remodel, Commercial, Block Wall, Solar PV or other form from the Building Permit Applications page, plus the Unit Fee Sheets for remodel work.
Combine all plan sheets into one PDF and keep truss, Manual J and structural calculations as separate files.
The Building Safety counter is on the second floor of City Hall. Remember that City Hall is closed every other Friday.
Enter the permit tracking number in the portal. The fee covers up to 2 resubmittals; further plan review is $50 per hour.
Call 928-722-7399 on a weekday, or use the portal, and have each stage inspected before it is covered.
Somerton permit inspections and final approval
To schedule a building inspection, call 928-722-7399 before 3:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, or request it in the portal. The City asks you to plan on a 24-hour response from its field inspectors, with inspections made the next business day. All work must be inspected before it is covered and before the next stage begins.
In summer the building inspector works adjusted hours to limit heat exposure, so the City asks permit holders to have the site ready and accessible during the scheduled window. Office staff keep regular business hours for scheduling.
After the last inspection is approved, Building Safety issues the Certificate of Occupancy as the final step. The permit fee covers 2 inspections per phase; re-inspections beyond that are $50 per hour, and so are after-hours inspections, with a 1-hour minimum.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Local permitting considerations in Somerton
Older trade codes than the building code. Somerton adopted its current set on December 17, 2019 (Ordinance 2019-002): the 2018 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Property Maintenance and Swimming Pool & Spa Codes, but the 2012 Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, the 2014 National Electrical Code and the 2009 Energy Conservation Code. The City publishes its amendments to each.
Special inspections. The City has its own Special Inspection Form for work that needs an outside special inspector.
Subdivision builders. A builder putting up 5 or more new homes in one subdivision can defer building permit impact fees for a charge of $50 per lot (3 to 10 lots) or $500 per subdivision (11 or more).
Reconnecting utilities. If the power or gas has been off and no work is needed, the APS Clearance or Gas Clearance application gets the City’s sign-off for the utility to restore service, at $50.
Appeals. Somerton has a Residential and Commercial Advisory and Appeal Board for building code matters.
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 Somerton 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
- Somerton Building Permit Processing Time Frames
- City of Somerton
- Somerton Building Safety Division
- Somerton Building Permit Applications
- Is A Building Permit Required? (Somerton)
- Somerton Plan Review Procedures
- Somerton Online Permit Portal (iWorQ)
- Resolution No. 2026-004, FY26-27 fee schedule
- Somerton Permit Fees sheet (valuation table)
- Yuma County Building Safety (outside city limits)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Somerton building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Somerton?
The Building Safety Division of the City’s Community Development Department, at 143 N. State Avenue, 2nd Floor (928-722-7369). Unincorporated land outside the city is permitted by Yuma County.
How much is a building permit in Somerton?
New construction is valued from ICC data and charged from the City’s fee table: $740 at $50,000 of valuation, $1,140 at $100,000 and $1,740 at $200,000. Many small jobs have a flat $50 permit, including fences, demolition, A/C replacement and water heater replacement.
How long does Somerton take to review a permit?
The published time frame for a new house is 11 business days in total, and 27 business days for a new commercial building. Expedited review, at double the plan review fee, is 3 business days for residential and 10 for commercial.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Somerton?
Generally not for a detached accessory structure of 200 sq ft or less with no utilities, as long as zoning setbacks are met.
Do I need a permit for a fence or block wall?
Yes. Fences and walls are on the City’s permit list, there is a Block Wall Application, and the fence construction permit is $50.
Can I apply online in Somerton?
Yes. Plans can be submitted through the Online Permit Portal, by email or in person. The portal shows status with just the permit tracking number.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 928-722-7399 before 3:00 p.m. on a weekday, or use the portal. Inspections are made the next business day.
What happens if I build without a permit?
The fee schedule charges double the permit fee for after-the-fact permits.
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More Arizona permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Somerton permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.