Bolthole Index

Maricopa County, Arizona

Zoning, building permits and land rules in El Mirage, Arizona

The City of El Mirage, Arizona adopts and administers its own zoning code inside city limits1, and its Building Safety office requires permits for new construction and enlargements2. Maricopa County's rules cover only unincorporated land3. Who issues septic permits for an address inside the city is not confirmed; ask Maricopa County Environmental Services.

At a glance

Zoning
El Mirage's own zoning code (Chapter 154) applies inside city limits1
Building permit
Required for new construction and enlargements, issued by the city's Building Safety office2
Rural lots (RA zone)
43,560 sq ft minimum lot and 120 ft width, 25% maximum lot coverage45
Typical house lots (SN zone)
5,000 sq ft minimum lot, 55% maximum coverage67
RV living
Living quarters in a parked RV are prohibited on residential property outside the RA zone, unless the city grants occupancy8
Manufactured homes
Listed as a permitted dwelling only in the Mobile/Manufactured Park zone9
Septic
Not confirmed inside city limits; Maricopa County handles it in unincorporated areas10

Who to call

Building permits

City of El Mirage Building Safety

Building permits and inspections inside El Mirage city limits

623-972-8116

10000 N El Mirage Rd, El Mirage, AZ 85335-3607

Septic permits

Maricopa County Environmental Services - Onsite Wastewater Program

Septic applications, Construction Authorizations and final inspections in unincorporated Maricopa County

602-506-6666

[email protected]

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in El Mirage means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does El Mirage, AZ have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and lot size?

Yes. El Mirage adopted its own zoning code, Chapter 154 of the city code, and applies it inside city limits only1. The code names districts including Rural Area (RA), Suburban Neighborhood (SN) and Mobile/Manufactured Park (MP)11.

In the Rural Area district, the code's standards table appears to set a 43,560 sq ft minimum lot with 120 ft of width and 25% maximum lot coverage45. In Suburban Neighborhood, the same table appears to set 5,000 sq ft, 45 ft of width and 55% coverage67. RA principal buildings appear to need 30 ft front, 20 ft street-side, 20 ft interior-side and 30 ft rear setbacks12. Confirm the district and numbers with the city before you rely on them.

On residential property outside the RA zone, no one may live in a parked RV unless occupancy is granted under the code's procedure, and it must sit in a garage, carport, side or rear yard, or behind the front plane of the home8. Manufactured homes are listed as a permitted dwelling only in the Mobile/Manufactured Park zone9. Vacation home rentals are permitted in SN and RA13.

Do you need a building permit in El Mirage, and who issues it?

The City of El Mirage issues its own building permits through its Building Safety office. The city says permits are required for new construction, for some repairs or alterations to an existing structure, and for remodels, renovations or enlargements2. Unincorporated Maricopa County has a separate process, and the county tells city residents to start with their city or town14.

Building Safety is at 10000 N El Mirage Rd, phone 623-972-8116, open 8 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday2. Which building code edition the city enforces, the permit fees and whether an owner-builder can pull their own permit inside the city were not confirmed; ask Building Safety before you plan a budget.

How do septic permits work inside El Mirage?

Septic permits for unincorporated Maricopa County come from the county's Environmental Services Department Onsite Wastewater Program, acting on behalf of the state1015. Whether that program also handles an address inside El Mirage, or whether the lot must connect to city sewer, was not confirmed. Ask Building Safety about sewer availability, then call the county program at 602-506-6666 or [email protected]16.

Building a home in El Mirage: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district with the city; Chapter 154 sets lot size, coverage and setbacks by district11.
  2. Call El Mirage Building Safety at 623-972-8116 about the building permit for new construction2.
  3. Ask Building Safety whether the lot connects to city sewer; if not, contact Maricopa County's septic program16.
  4. Drilling a well in Arizona requires a Notice of Intent to Drill filed with the Arizona Department of Water Resources17. Whether the city adds its own well rules was not confirmed.
  5. Build to the permit and request inspections through Building Safety2.

What stays with Maricopa County, and what to check before you buy

For land outside city limits, use Maricopa County's own rules and offices; see the Maricopa County page. The county zoning ordinance regulates only unincorporated land18.

County-level numbers: the effective property tax rate in Maricopa County is about 0.5%19, and the typical home value is about $461,31520. Annual rainfall is about 8.6 inches21. Floodplain rules inside El Mirage sit in the city code's floodplain chapter, which we could not confirm; ask the city before you buy.

Watch-outs

  • Do not assume Maricopa County's unincorporated rules apply inside El Mirage; the county's zoning and permit processes cover unincorporated land only3.
  • Living in an RV on a residential lot inside El Mirage is prohibited outside the RA zone unless the city grants occupancy8.
  • Tiny-home rules, accessory dwelling rules, building permit fees and septic authority inside city limits were not confirmed; ask El Mirage Building Safety at 623-972-81162.

Sources

  1. Chapter 154: Zoning Code, El Mirage Code of Ordinances (El Mirage), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of El Mirage Building Safety (elmirageaz.gov)
  3. Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance Update, quoted and re-checked
  4. § 154.050 Zoning districts and map established; § 154.053 Zoning standards (El Mirage), quoted and re-checked
  5. codelibrary.amlegal.com (El Mirage), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 154.050 Zoning districts and map established; § 154.053 Zoning standards (El Mirage), quoted and re-checked
  7. codelibrary.amlegal.com (El Mirage), quoted and re-checked
  8. codelibrary.amlegal.com (El Mirage), quoted and re-checked
  9. § 154.052 Permitted uses by zone (El Mirage), quoted and re-checked
  10. Site Investigation and Soils Evaluation for an On-Site Wastewater Treatment Facility Instructions, quoted and re-checked
  11. § 154.050 Zoning districts and map established; § 154.053 Zoning standards (El Mirage), quoted and re-checked
  12. codelibrary.amlegal.com (El Mirage), quoted and re-checked
  13. § 154.052 Permitted uses by zone (El Mirage), quoted and re-checked
  14. Permitting Services, quoted and re-checked
  15. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Facility | ADEQ (Arizona statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Maricopa County Environmental Services - Onsite Wastewater Program (swm.maricopa.gov)
  17. Permitting and Wells Overview, quoted and re-checked
  18. Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance Update, quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  21. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for El Mirage

El Mirage’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside El Mirage city limits: El Mirage city's own zoning ordinance (Code Chapter 154, Zoning Code) administered by the city.

    • Chapter 154 was adopted by Res. R22-05-08 and Ord. O22-05-02, both passed 5-3-2022 (per the section history).
    • Amendments to the § 154.053 zone standards table are recorded in the section history (ord. o25-06-03, passed 6-3-2025; ord. o25-11-10, passed 11-4-2025); the code is current through ord. o26-06-02, passed 6-16-2026.
    • The zoning ordinance applies only inside city limits; it does not govern the unincorporated county area.
    “this chapter is adopted as the city’s zoning ordinances relating to comprehensive planning and zoning, pursuant to provisions of arizona law”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside El Mirage city limits. Main single-family district is Suburban Neighborhood (SN); agricultural/rural-residential district is Rural Area (RA).

    • Zone list in § 154.050 names Natural Reserve (NR), Rural Area (RA), Suburban Neighborhood (SN), Mobile/Manufactured Park (MP), Mixed Urban (MU), Urban Corridor (UC), Transit Development (TD), and Commerce Park / Employment-Industry (CP/EI) zones.
    • Zoning district map not opened.
    “(3) suburban neighborhood (sn) zone. the sn zone promotes and preserves safe and attractive low-density, single-family neighborhoods.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Rural Area (RA) zone parcels inside El Mirage city limits (agricultural / rural-residential district)

    • Column reading: second value of each row after the 'per site plan' first cell, i.e. the RA column. Verify against the printed table.
    • Consistent with the § 154.050 statement that RA lots are generally larger than in other districts.

    minimum lot area: >= 43560 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 120 ft

    “lot area (sq. ft.) per site plan 43,560 5,000 2,000 4,000 2,000 1,000 2,000”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Principal buildings on parcels in the Rural Area (RA) zone inside El Mirage city limits

    • Front 30 ft; street side 20 ft; interior side 20 ft; rear 30 ft.
    • Column reading inferred from table order (RA is the second value after 'per site plan').

    front setback: >= 30 ft · street side setback: >= 20 ft · interior side setback: >= 20 ft · rear setback: >= 30 ft

    “side st. (minimum) per site plan 20 ft. 10 ft. 5 ft. 10 ft. 5 ft. * 5 ft.* 10 ft. int. side (minimum) per site plan 20 ft. 5 ft. 5 ft. * 5 ft. * 5 ft. * 5 ft. * 5 ft. * rear (minimum) per site plan 30 ft. 20 ft.**** 5 ft. 10 ft. 5 ft. * 5 ft. * 5 ft. *”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Parcels in the Rural Area (RA) zone inside El Mirage city limits

    • Maximum lot coverage 25% (RA column).

    maximum lot coverage: <= 25 percent

    “lot cover (maximum) per site plan 25% 55% 80% 90% 90% 90% 90%”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Parcels in the Suburban Neighborhood (SN) zone inside El Mirage city limits
      “lot cover (maximum) per site plan 25% 55% 80% 90% 90% 90% 90%”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Motor homes and recreational vehicles parked or stored on residential property inside El Mirage city limits, outside the Rural Area (RA) zone

    • Living quarters in a parked or stored RV are prohibited, except where occupancy is granted under the code's procedure (the exception text was not fully captured).
    • RVs must be in a garage, carport, side or rear yard, or behind the front plane of the home.
    • RVs must be owned by a permanent occupant or be currently registered or licensed unless the zoning code permits otherwise.
    “(a) no living quarters shall be maintained, or any business practiced in the motor home or recreational vehicle while the motor home or recreational vehicle is so parked or stored; except granted for occupying the recreational vehicle, under procedures established in § 154.159.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured-home dwellings inside El Mirage city limits (listed as a permitted use only in the Mobile/Manufactured Park zone)

    • Use table shows manufactured home dwellings permitted (p) only in the MP zone; not listed as permitted in SN or RA.
    • Footnote 5 to the dwelling rows was not opened, so any further limits are unverified.
    “dwelling, manufactured home 5 -- -- -- p -- -- -- -- --”
  • Short-term rentalsAllowed

    Vacation home rentals in the Suburban Neighborhood (SN) zone inside El Mirage city limits

    • Use table shows vacation home rentals as permitted (p) in SN, RA, MP, MU, UC and TD; not permitted in NR, CP or EI.
    • The definition of vacation home rental (§ 154.020) and any short-term rental registration or license were not opened.
    “vacation home rentals -- p p p p p p -- --”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask El Mirage or Maricopa County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permit for a new home inside El Mirage city limits
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside El Mirage city limits
  • Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside El Mirage city limits
  • Inspections — Building inspections for a new home inside El Mirage city limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new construction inside El Mirage city limits
16 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that El Mirage publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Maricopa County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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