Scottsdale Building Codes
Adopted I-code editions, residential permit and inspection steps, hillside and Environmentally Sensitive Lands rules, zoning setbacks, green building, and fees for a custom home in Scottsdale.
Scottsdale Block Wall, Fence, and Retaining Wall Permits: When You Need One
In Scottsdale you need a permit to build any fence over 3 feet tall, a dry-stack or interlocking block wall over 30 inches, or any retaining wall at all. Walls and fences 3 feet and under skip the permit but still need a free courtesy site plan check. Every retaining wall needs engineered plans.
Read the referenceScottsdale Building Permit and Impact Fees for a New Home: What You Actually Pay
Scottsdale charges new-home permit fees by square foot, not by valuation. A custom home pays a $195 base fee, $0.94 per square foot of air-conditioned area, and $0.54 per square foot of covered non-A/C area, plus a $379 Certificate of Occupancy. Water and sewer development fees are billed separately by meter size.
Read the referenceScottsdale Pool and Spa Permit and Barrier Requirements: What You File and Fence
A pool or spa in Scottsdale needs its own building permit, and the city will not issue it until a permitted home already sits on the lot. You file a scaled site plan and pool engineering. State law requires a five-foot barrier with a self-latching gate around the water before you can fill it.
Read the referenceScottsdale Residential Building Permit Requirements: What You File and What It Costs
A new home in Scottsdale needs a building permit before any work starts. You apply through the Scottsdale SPUR portal with a site plan, floor plans, and engineered construction documents, pay plan-review fees based on square footage, and wait for staff review and approval before the permit issues.
Read the referenceScottsdale Solar PV Permit: The Small-Scope Review Path for Rooftop Panels
A rooftop solar PV system in Scottsdale needs a building permit, and every application gets reviewed. An array that meets the city's panel placement guidelines qualifies for a fast small-scope review. Ground-mounted systems and layouts that break the guidelines go to full plan review. Wiring follows the 2020 electrical code.
Read the referenceScottsdale Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance (ESL): Desert Preservation Limits on Your Lot
Scottsdale's Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance (ESL) is a zoning overlay covering 134 square miles of north and east Scottsdale desert and mountains. It forces each lot to permanently preserve a share of land as Natural Area Open Space, from about 15% on flat lower desert up to 80% on steep hillside, which shrinks where you can build a custom home.
Read the referenceScottsdale Green Building Program: The Voluntary Green Path for New Homes
Scottsdale's Green Building Program is a voluntary checklist that lets a new single-family home earn a Scottsdale Green Building designation for energy, water, and material efficiency. It is not required for a custom home. The mandatory International Green Construction Code (IgCC) that Scottsdale adopted in 2023 applies only to commercial and multifamily projects, not single-family houses.
Read the referenceBuilding in Scottsdale?
Tell us your lot and we'll walk you through the codes, permits, and fees that apply.