Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Benson, Arizona

Benson’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Water, gas and sewer yard-line and tap work for a home inside Benson city; the Building Department issues the permit

  • Source is the city's utility meter/tap request form (revised 8/2015); it addresses utility service work, not general construction permits.
  • General construction permit scope under the 2024 IBC/IRC work-exempt lists (exhibit a amends section 105.2) was not separately verified.

  “call the building department for permit and inspection (520-720-6318)”

• InspectionsRequired

  Water, gas and sewer yard-line and tap work for a home inside Benson city; inspection by the Building Department

  • Source is the utility meter/tap request form; general inspection requirements for new homes were not verified.

  “call the building department for permit and inspection (520-720-6318)”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Benson city limits

  • Zoning regulations title page is stamped 'revised 01/13/2025'; that revision stamp is not treated as an effective date.
  • Districts per Section Four: R-1 (R-1-7, R-1-8, R-1-12, R-1-21, R-1-43), R-2, R-3, RT, B-1, B-2, I-1, I-2.

  “the city of benson, arizona is divided into zoning districts enumerated as follows”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning district map and classifications inside Benson city

  • District list: R-1 (R-1-7, R-1-8, R-1-12, R-1-21, R-1-43), R-2, R-3, RT, B-1, B-2, I-1, I-2.
  • The official zoning map is on the city site; it was not opened.

  “the city of benson, arizona is divided into zoning districts enumerated as follows”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Dwellings in the R-2 multi-family residential district inside Benson city

  • Multi-family residences are excluded from this 700 sq ft minimum by the text.

  minimum enclosed floor area per dwelling unit: >= 700 square feet (multi-family residences)

  “(c) all buildings or structures for living quarters, except multi-family residences, shall contain at least 700 square feet of enclosed floor area per dwelling unit.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Dwellings in the R-3 multi-family and manufactured home residential district inside Benson city

    “(d) all buildings, structures or manufactured homes for living quarters, except mobile homes and multi-family residences, shall be at least 500 square feet of enclosed floor area per dwelling unit.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings for living quarters in the R-2 multi-family residential district inside Benson city

  • Each dwelling unit also needs at least 1,500 sq ft of plot area per ground-floor dwelling unit.

  minimum lot area: >= 5000 square feet

  “each building or structure for living quarters shall have a lot area of not less than 5,000 square feet”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Lots in the R-3 multi-family and manufactured home residential district inside Benson city

    “(e) each lot shall have a plot area of not less than 5,000 square feet; each dwelling unit shall have a plot area of 1,250 square feet per ground floor unit.”

  • District specific (with conditions) — Parcels in the RT rural transitional district inside Benson city

    “area, bulk, and placement requirements shall be identical to district r-1-8 requirements listed in table one for those parcels not requiring a special use permit, except that minimum lot area will be four acres.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Rear yard in all residential districts (R-1, R-2, R-3) inside Benson city

  • Corner lots: the side yard must still meet the corner-lot setback in Table One.
  • Detached accessory buildings on the rear one-third of a lot may be within 4 ft of a property line (the regulations' own exception).

  minimum rear yard depth: >= 10 feet

  “in all classes of residential districts, there shall be a rear yard of not less than ten (10) feet in depth measured from the principal building.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in the RT rural transitional district inside Benson city

  • Structures not for human occupancy (towers, spires, tanks, etc.) may exceed the height limit under the regulations' exception, subject to a 25% lot-area cap and a 25 ft setback.

  maximum building height: <= 30 feet

  “building height - the height of buildings shall not exceed thirty (30) feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes installed inside Benson city limits (as stated in the R-2 and R-3 use regulations)

  • Only HUD-labeled manufactured homes may be installed in the city.
  • Existing mobile or manufactured homes used as residences are grandfathered if they comply with current applicable building codes.

  “only manufactured homes bearing the united states department of housing and urban development identification plate will be permitted to be installed within the city, except that any mobile home or manufactured home presently existing and used as a residence within the city provided it complies with the current applicable building codes.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Residential subdivisions under a community master plan (CMP) inside Benson city

  • Open space: 15% usable open space if average lot size is under 10,000 sq ft; 10% if over 10,000 sq ft.
  • Community master plan approval is required under Section Three A.

  “a subdivision with an average lot size of less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet shall require a minimum of fifteen percent (15%) usable open space”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Pools and spas in flood hazard areas inside Benson city

  • Adopted codes use the flood insurance study for Cochise County, Arizona and incorporated areas (dated August 28, 2008, and February 3, 2016).
  • General floodplain development permits for other construction were not found.

  “pools and spas located in flood hazard areas require written authorization by the floodplain administrator.”

• Permit processPartial

  Utility yard-line and tap permits inside Benson city; the Building Department issues permit and inspection

  • The published process covers meter and tap requests only; the general building-permit application process was not found.

  “call the building department for permit and inspection (520-720-6318)”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Benson or Cochise County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders of homes inside Benson city
• Certificate of occupancy — New homes inside Benson city
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage in residential districts inside Benson city
• Living in an RV — Occupying an RV on private land inside Benson city
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Benson city

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.