Building permits, zoning and land rules in Apache County, Arizona

Yes, for most residential projects: Apache County requires a permit for living quarters, solar electric systems and outbuildings over 200 square feet, and off-grid status does not remove that requirement¹. A pre-built shed is exempt only when it is under 200 square feet, is not used for living and has no utility connection¹. Apache County applies the 2015 International Residential Code to residential construction and the listed 2015 building and plumbing codes plus the 2011 electrical code to other construction¹⁰. Once all required submittals are in, plan review may take up to 15 business days, although the county says typical and smaller projects are often completed sooner¹⁰.

Apache County Building Safety is part of Community Development at 75 W. Cleveland, PO Box 238, St Johns, and its direct number is (928) 337-7527³. Community Development publishes its fee schedule and forms for administrative variances, conditional use permits, plats, subdivisions, temporary uses, variances and zone changes^3,11. The Planning and Zoning Commission reviews subdivision, zone-change and conditional-use applications, so those requests involve a different process from a routine building permit³. The county's building permit form includes a Building Final checklist and a certificate of occupancy or completion that takes effect once the building official validates it¹². After a building permit is issued, work must start within 180 days and at least one inspection must pass every six months to keep the permit open¹. Inside Springerville, the town issues its own building permits and sets its own zoning^13,14; Eagar sets its own zoning¹⁵, and we could not confirm who issues building permits there, so ask the town. The county rules on this page apply to unincorporated Apache County.

Apache County administers zoning districts in unincorporated areas; Springerville and Eagar set their own zoning inside town limits^14,15. Other incorporated places and specially regulated communities may have different local ordinances, so identify the parcel's jurisdiction and district before relying on county standards^2,3. In the Agricultural General zone, a single-story building has a minimum 10-foot side setback; taller buildings add side clearance, and front and rear setbacks equal the building height plus 10 feet¹⁶. A newly installed manufactured home must be 15 years old or newer, while an older unit requires a Conditional Use Permit in a zone that allows manufactured homes; mobile homes are prohibited in every zone². We could not confirm a general minimum dwelling floor area for conventional homes, so ask Community Development what the parcel's district requires; the county does set a 200-square-foot minimum for a tiny house^2,6. In the county residential districts, maximum building height is 30 or 35 feet depending on the district (for example 35 feet in R-5 and RF-2, 30 feet in RF-1, RE-1 and SF-10), measured from the first finished floor to the highest gable end². Dividing land is regulated too: before recording a deed and survey map that splits land into five or fewer parcels, any of which is 10 acres or smaller, you must file a minor land division application with Planning and Zoning, and lots under 1 acre must use a common sewerage system approved by ADEQ¹⁷. Septic permits are not part of zoning approval: they come from the Environmental Division or ADEQ in every jurisdiction⁴.

Apache County's Public Health Environmental Division holds delegated state authority to permit only certain on-site wastewater technologies⁵. Every other technology must be permitted through the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and each is evaluated case by case⁵. The same split applies inside Springerville¹⁸. Most rural areas lack sewer service, and a parcel without sewer needs an approved septic system or other treatment process¹⁹. The permit process starts with a Notice of Intent to Discharge, plans, drawings, site-evaluation data and the applicable fee, followed by a Request to Discharge after satisfactory construction⁴. Only 28.8% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so obtain a parcel-specific evaluation before fixing the house site⁹. The county conducts a minimum of 2 inspections during construction, and the applicant then submits a Request to Discharge for approval⁵. Every on-site wastewater treatment facility needs a permit, even a temporary or stopgap one, and the county says short-term use of a parcel without a septic system is acceptable only if it creates no environmental health hazard; ask Community Development about temporary-use ordinances and check deed restrictions⁵. Selling later matters too: Arizona's statewide program requires a certified septic inspection when a home with a conventional or alternative onsite system is resold²⁰. Call the Environmental Division at 928-337-7607 to begin⁵.

Apache County's Building Safety FAQ says a person may live in an RV on their land¹⁰. An RV may connect to electric utility service only after an approved septic system is installed on the property¹⁰. Apache County defines a tiny house as a dwelling smaller than 600 square feet and no smaller than 200 square feet, and requires it to follow the 2015 International Residential Code with listed modifications; it needs a building permit even when off-grid^1,6. A tiny house on wheels brought in as a dwelling needs plan review and special inspection by the county building inspector, and the county issues a certificate of occupancy only for tiny houses set on a permanent foundation⁶. Zoning setbacks, drainage, 911 addressing and floodplain rules still apply, and wastewater goes through the Health Department⁶. A newly installed manufactured home must be 15 years old or newer unless it receives a Conditional Use Permit in a zone that allows manufactured homes, and installation must be done by a state-licensed installer^2,10. Because zoning varies by jurisdiction and district, confirm the parcel's rules with Community Development before buying an RV, tiny home or manufactured home³.

1. Ask Community Development to confirm the parcel's jurisdiction, zoning district, allowed use and setbacks because rules vary by district and some communities have separate local ordinances^3,16.
2. If sewer is unavailable, call the Public Health Environmental Division at 928-337-7607 for a site evaluation and the on-site wastewater permit process^4,5,19.
3. Plan access, then request a 911 address from Engineering with the parcel ID and either an established driveway or a drawing marked with the proposed driveway location²¹.
4. Submit the building-permit package to Building Safety; complete applications may take up to 15 business days for plan review^3,10.
5. An owner-builder may perform the work or use employees, but a hired builder must be properly licensed⁷.
6. Start within 180 days and pass at least one inspection every six months to keep the permit open¹.

Septic and soils: only 28.8% of Apache County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so arrange the site evaluation before choosing a house location⁹. Water: a new, deepened or modified well requires a Notice of Intent to Drill with the Arizona Department of Water Resources and work by a licensed well driller; a domestic well on a parcel of 5 acres or fewer also needs local health-authority review before filing²². Access: Apache County requires an established driveway or a parcel drawing showing the proposed driveway before issuing a 911 address, but that rule does not establish a universal driveway-construction permit²¹. Agriculture: at least 5 contiguous commercial acres used and capable of normal-profit agricultural production may qualify for a county zoning exemption, while hobby or primarily residential property does not⁸. Taxes: the effective property-tax rate is about 0.8%, and the median annual bill is $574⁹.