Building a home in Arizona: the first 10 steps

The first 10 steps

1. Vet the land

   Look into zoning, setbacks, access, utilities, water and flood zone before you commit. Ask the planning office that has jurisdiction over the parcel.

   Source: Graham County Planning & Zoning, Cochise County Development Services: Residential Projects

2. Confirm jurisdiction

   Find out which office issues permits for your parcel. Gila Valley: Graham County Planning & Zoning issues building permits, and the City of Safford and the Town of Thatcher handle permits inside their limits; see who issues building permits in Graham County. Greenlee County and Willcox: see the Gila Valley, Greenlee County and Willcox section below. Sierra Vista area: Cochise County Development Services says a residential building permit is required for a new home in unincorporated Cochise County (online portal; 520-432-9300); inside Sierra Vista or another city, contact that city. White Mountains: ask Navajo or Apache County, or your town (for example Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Snowflake, Taylor, Springerville or Eagar), which office handles your parcel.

   Source: Graham County Planning & Zoning, City of Safford Planning & Community Development, Town of Thatcher Planning & Zoning, Cochise County Development Services: Residential Projects, Greenlee County Planning and Zoning, City of Willcox Building Permits

3. Survey and grading

   Ask your permit office what it needs with your plans; Cochise County, for example, lists its residential submittals online. Grading matters for termite protection later: AZDA asks homeowners to report slab or foundation-soil disturbance to the company that treated the home.

   Source: Cochise County Development Services: Residential Projects, AZDA Homeowner Termite Guidance

4. Decide who builds

   Use a licensed contractor (the Arizona Registrar of Contractors licenses contractors), or look at the owner-builder exemption in A.R.S. 32-1121(A)(5). That exemption only applies if the home is not intended for sale or rent, and selling or renting it, or offering to, within one year of completion is prima facie evidence it was built for sale or rent. Some cities have owner-builder forms; the City of Safford, for example, offers a 'Contractor License Exceptions for Home Owners' form. General information, not legal advice.

   Source: A.R.S. 32-1121, City of Safford Building/Development Permits & Codes, Arizona Registrar of Contractors

5. Septic or sewer

   Outside sewer service, ask your county about septic permits. In Graham County, the Septic & Wastewater page has the septic system application, permit requirements and setback requirements.

   Source: Graham County Septic & Wastewater

6. Call Arizona 811 before you dig

   Arizona law (A.R.S. 40-360.22) gives facility operators up to two working days to mark lines. Don't dig until marking is done.

   Source: Arizona 811, A.R.S. 40-360.22

7. Submit plans and apply for your building permit

   Apply with the office that has jurisdiction (see step 2). In Graham County, see who issues building permits in Graham County.

   Source: Graham County Planning & Zoning, City of Safford Building/Development Permits & Codes, Town of Thatcher Planning & Zoning, Cochise County Development Services: Residential Projects

8. Choose your termite pre-treatment company before the slab pour

   Arizona rules (R3-8-308(D)) require a horizontal termiticide barrier before the slab under roof is poured, a vertical barrier in critical areas such as plumbing penetrations and the inside of stem walls, and a tag posted at the site. Read what to ask a pre-treatment company and who chooses the pre-treatment company. Check whether your loan requires it: see does your lender require a termite pre-treatment?.

   Source: Ariz. Admin. Code R3-8-308

9. Inspections

   For permitted work, the building inspectors at your permit office inspect at set stages. The City of Safford's Residential Building Inspection Checklist, for example, includes foundation, concrete slab or under-floor, framing and final inspections. Ask your office for its list. A private home inspection is optional and separate from these permit inspections.

   Source: City of Safford Residential Building Inspection Checklist, Graham County Planning & Zoning, Arizona Board of Technical Registration: Home Inspections General Information

10. Final grade, landscaping and records

    Arizona rules require the final grade treatment within 18 months of the original pre-treatment, once grading and construction soil disturbance are complete (R3-8-308(F)(1)). Recent update: this deadline was adjusted from 12 to 18 months; some public statute and rule pages still show 12 months while they are updated. Current rule: R3-8-308(F)(1). The treating company files an eTARF with the Arizona Department of Agriculture within 30 days of a pretreatment and of a final grade. Keep treatment records with your closing documents. AZDA's landscaping cautions: don't regrade so water drains toward the house, keep drip irrigation away from the slab, don't let wood bridge soil and siding, keep dense plants about 16 inches back from the foundation, and don't pour cool-deck or concrete flush against the foundation. More in the final grade guide.

    Source: Ariz. Admin. Code R3-8-308, AZDA Pest Management FAQs (eTARF), AZDA Homeowner Termite Guidance

Building in the Gila Valley, Greenlee County and Willcox

Graham County, the City of Safford and the Town of Thatcher each issue permits in their own area. See who issues building permits in Graham County. The City of Safford's posted design criteria list termite damage risk as 'moderate to heavy.'

In Greenlee County, County Planning and Zoning issues building permits for site-built homes in unincorporated areas, and the County Health Department issues septic and manufactured home permits. Inside town limits, the Town of Clifton's Building Department issues construction permits, and the Town of Duncan has its own building permit application. Willcox is a city in Cochise County with its own building permits page; outside city limits, Cochise County Development Services handles residential permits. For anywhere else, including Morenci, check with Greenlee County, Cochise County or your town.

You have a choice of pre-treatment company. Ask about products, methods, records and final grade follow-up, using our pre-treatment checklist. We do pre-treatments across the Gila Valley, Greenlee County and Willcox: Safford, Thatcher, Pima, Clifton, Duncan, Morenci, Willcox and surrounding areas.

Source: Greenlee County Planning and Zoning, Town of Clifton Code Enforcement/Building, Town of Duncan Building Permits & Fees, City of Willcox Building Permits, Cochise County Comprehensive Plan 2045 (adopted), Cochise County Development Services: Residential Projects

Building in Sierra Vista and Cochise County

Cochise County Development Services says a residential building permit is required to build a new home in unincorporated Cochise County, and applications are made online. Inside Sierra Vista or another city, contact that city.

You have a choice of pre-treatment company. Ask each one about products, methods, records and final grade follow-up. See our pre-treatment checklist, our Sierra Vista service area and termite control in Sierra Vista.

Building in the White Mountains (Navajo and Apache Counties)

Cold winters don't keep subterranean termites out of the high country. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension says the arid-land subterranean termite is found throughout Arizona, and U.S. Forest Service researchers have collected it on the Mogollon Rim at 6,000 to 7,000 feet. Read do you need a termite pre-treatment in the White Mountains?

We do pre-treatments in Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Snowflake, Heber-Overgaard and Eagar. See also termite control in the White Mountains.

Does your lender require a termite pre-treatment?

It depends on the loan. FHA requires a builder's termite guarantee (form HUD-NPMA-99-A) on new construction, and Arizona isn't one of HUD's exception areas. VA uses the same forms. USDA and conventional loans leave it to the lender. Paying cash? No lender rule applies, but the soil under the slab can only be treated before the pour. Details: does your lender require a termite pre-treatment?

Lender rules aren't the only requirement. The International Residential Code calls for termite protection in areas a local building department marks as subject to termite damage in its design criteria table (Table R301.2). That's Section R305 in the 2024 edition and Section R318 in earlier editions. The City of Safford, which follows the 2024 code, lists termite damage risk as 'moderate to heavy' in its posted design criteria. What applies to you depends on the code your city, town or county has adopted, so ask your local building department.

Source: International Code Council: 2024 International Residential Code, Chapter 3, City of Safford Building/Development Permits & Codes

Frequently asked

Related

• Termite pre-treatment
• Do I need a building permit in Graham County, and who issues it?
• Does your lender require a termite pre-treatment on a new home in Arizona?
• Do you need a termite pre-treatment in the White Mountains?
• What should I ask a termite pre-treatment company before I hire them?
• On a new build, who chooses the termite pre-treatment company?
• What is a termite final grade treatment, and when does it happen?
• When is termite season in Arizona?
• How do I know if I have subterranean termites?
• What are termite mud tubes?

Sources

• Graham County Planning & Zoning
• Graham County Septic & Wastewater
• City of Safford Building/Development Permits & Codes
• City of Safford Planning & Community Development
• City of Safford Residential Building Inspection Checklist
• Town of Thatcher Planning & Zoning
• A.R.S. 32-1121
• A.R.S. 40-360.22
• Arizona 811
• Ariz. Admin. Code R3-8-308
• AZDA Pest Management FAQs (eTARF)
• AZDA Homeowner Termite Guidance
• Cochise County Development Services: Residential Projects
• HUD: FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1
• University of Arizona Cooperative Extension: Arizona Termites of Economic Importance (AZ1369)
• USDA Forest Service: Reticulitermes Species in Arizona (Haverty & Nelson)
• Arizona Registrar of Contractors
• Arizona Board of Technical Registration: Home Inspections General Information
• Greenlee County Planning and Zoning
• Town of Clifton Code Enforcement/Building
• Town of Duncan Building Permits & Fees
• City of Willcox Building Permits
• Cochise County Comprehensive Plan 2045 (adopted)
• International Code Council: 2024 International Residential Code, Chapter 3