Bolthole Index

Mohave County, Arizona

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Kingman, Arizona

Kingman, Arizona requires building permits for construction covered by its adopted building codes.1 Kingman’s Planning & Zoning Division handles city zoning questions; Mohave County Development Services handles conventional and some alternative septic systems under ADEQ delegation.23 Kingman’s tiny-house definition allows detached dwellings of 300–859 square feet, excluding lofts, subject to zoning and other land-use requirements.4

At a glance

Building permits
Required for construction covered by Kingman’s adopted codes1
Zoning
City Planning & Zoning Division; confirm the parcel’s district and intended use2
Septic permits
Mohave County Development Services under ADEQ delegation35
Tiny houses
Detached dwellings of 300–859 square feet, excluding lofts; zoning still applies4
Small sheds
Building-permit exemption for qualifying one-story detached accessory structures up to 200 square feet1
Wells
ADWR well permit; maintain required separation from septic systems6

Who to call

Building permits

City of Kingman Building & Life Safety Fire Inspection Division

Questions about construction projects, construction plans, building permit fees and required clearances in Kingman.

(928) 753-2891

Zoning

City of Kingman Planning & Zoning Division

Parcel zoning, permitted uses, site plans and land-division questions in Kingman.

(928) 753-8130

Septic permits

Mohave County Development Services, Environmental Quality

Conventional and some alternative septic-system applications, site investigations, construction authorizations, inspections and discharge authorizations.

(928)757-0903

[email protected]

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Kingman, AZ?

Kingman requires a building permit for construction regulated by the city’s building chapter and adopted codes, with specific exemptions.1 Kingman applies the 2018 International Residential Code to detached single-family homes, qualifying townhouses and accessory structures, with local amendments.7 A qualifying one-story detached tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar accessory structure is exempt from a building permit when its floor area does not exceed 200 square feet.1 Kingman’s regulated building work also involves plan review and field inspections.8 Ask the city Building & Life Safety Fire Inspection Division to identify the building permit, construction plans and clearances needed for your proposed project.9

Who handles Kingman building permits and permit fees?

For Kingman construction-project questions, call the city Building & Life Safety Fire Inspection Division at (928) 753-2891.9 Ask the division about construction plans, permit fees and county or state clearances for the proposed work.9 Kingman’s published building permit fees vary with project valuation and permit type, while inspection and grading charges depend on the work involved.10 Kingman lists building plan review at 65% of the building permit fee and a manufactured-home permit at $350, including 3 inspections.10 Request a project-specific fee estimate from the city before setting the construction budget.9

Does Kingman have zoning, and can you build a tiny home?

Kingman’s Planning & Zoning Division is the city contact for a parcel’s zoning district and permitted-use questions.2 Call the Planning Division at (928) 753-8130 with the parcel and proposed use.2 Kingman has adopted IRC Appendix Q for tiny houses, and the city defines a tiny house as a detached single-family dwelling of 300–859 square feet, excluding lofts.4 That building-code definition still leaves zoning and other land-use requirements applicable to the proposed tiny house.4 We could not confirm Kingman’s private-land RV occupancy, temporary-camping or accessory-dwelling rules; ask the city Planning Division about the intended use before buying.2

How do septic permits work inside Kingman?

Mohave County Development Services administers conventional and some alternative septic-system permitting under authority delegated by ADEQ, including for property inside Kingman.3 Mohave County requires the septic application and a Construction Authorization before septic construction, followed by a Discharge Authorization before wastewater discharge begins.5 The county’s site investigation helps select and size the system for the property.11 Construction must be completed and the Request for Discharge Authorization submitted within 2 years; the county requires documentation of the tank’s post-installation watertightness test and inspects the facility before authorizing discharge.12 Contact Environmental Quality at [email protected] or (928)757-0903 for the septic application and site-review questions.11

Building a home in Kingman: what are the steps?

  1. Ask Kingman’s Planning Division for the parcel’s zoning district and whether the proposed use is permitted.2
  2. Contact Kingman’s Building & Life Safety Fire Inspection Division about construction plans, building permit fees and required clearances.9
  3. If the project uses septic, submit the septic application to Mohave County Development Services and obtain Construction Authorization before starting septic construction.5
  4. Obtain the city building permit for regulated construction and arrange the required building inspections.18
  5. Complete the county septic inspection and discharge-authorization process before using the septic system.125

We could not confirm Kingman’s certificate-of-occupancy requirements or a city owner-builder exemption; ask the city building division to resolve both for the project.9

What should you check before buying land in Kingman?

For a Kingman property needing a well, obtain the well permit through the Arizona Department of Water Resources; the well and septic system must have at least 100 feet of separation.6 Where public water is unavailable, the septic system must also maintain a 50-foot property-line buffer unless the required agreement is notarized and recorded.6 Fit the proposed house, well and wastewater system on the parcel before committing to a design.6 Kingman also regulates subdivisions and land splitting, so ask the city Planning Division about a proposed new parcel.132 Outside Kingman city limits, consult the Mohave County guide for unincorporated-area building rules.14

Watch-outs

  • Kingman’s tiny-house size definition does not waive zoning or other land-use requirements.4
  • We could not confirm private-land RV living in Kingman; ask the city Planning Division before planning to occupy an RV while building.2
  • A Mohave County septic Construction Authorization does not authorize wastewater discharge; obtain the separate Discharge Authorization before using the system.5

Sources

  1. Article II Building Code (Kingman), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Kingman Planning & Zoning Division (choosekingman.com)
  3. Septic & Well Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  4. ecode360.com (Kingman), quoted and re-checked
  5. Notice of Intent to Discharge On-Site Wastewater Treatment Facility, quoted and re-checked
  6. Septic & Well Permitting (Kingman), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article II Building Code (Kingman), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article II Building Code (Kingman), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Kingman Building & Life Safety Fire Inspection Division (choosekingman.com)
  10. ecode360.com (Kingman), quoted and re-checked
  11. Mohave County Development Services, Environmental Quality (mohave.gov)
  12. Notice of Intent to Discharge On-Site Wastewater Treatment Facility, quoted and re-checked
  13. ecode360.com (Kingman), quoted and re-checked
  14. Building Ordinance 2021-03, quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 Kingman

Kingman’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction requiring a permit under the City of Kingman building chapter and adopted codes.

    • One-story detached accessory structures used as tool or storage sheds, playhouses, or similar uses are exempt when the floor area is not greater than 200 square feet.
    • Permit fees and inspection fees apply.
    • Other code-specific exemptions may apply.

    permit-exemption accessory structure size: <= 200 square feet (One-story detached accessory structures used as tool/storage sheds, playhouses, or similar uses)

    “Section 105.2 Work exempt from permit. Building: 1. One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, provided that the floor area is not greater than 200 square feet (18.5 m2).”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building construction inside Kingman city limits.

    • The 2018 International Building Code applies to buildings except detached one- and two-family dwellings and qualifying townhouses.
    • The 2018 International Residential Code applies to detached one- and two-family dwellings, qualifying townhouses, and accessory structures.
    • The 2018 International Existing Building Code is allowed for existing buildings.
    • The 2018 International Energy Conservation Code applies to commercial buildings; specified residential energy provisions are not adopted.
    • Appendix Q Tiny Houses is adopted as part of the Residential Code.

    IBC edition: 2018 Edition (Except detached one- and two-family dwellings and qualifying townhouses) · IRC edition: 2018 Edition (Detached one- and two-family dwellings and qualifying townhouses) · tiny-house minimum floor area: >= 300 square feet (Definition excludes lofts)

    “International Residential Code, 2018 Edition, published by the International Code Council, third printing, containing the administrative, fire and life safety, plan review, and field inspection provisions including all nonstructural provisions and those structural provisions necessary for field inspections, for all detached one (1) and two (2) family dwellings and townhouses not more than three (3) stories above grade plane in height with separate means of egress and their accessory structures.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Building work subject to the adopted City of Kingman building codes.

    • The adopted IBC and IRC include plan-review and field-inspection provisions.
    • Fees apply to required inspections; additional and re-inspection fees are listed in § 5-2.
    “published by the International Code Council, third printing, containing the administrative, fire and life safety, plan review, and field inspection provisions including all nonstructural provisions and those structural provisions necessary for field inspections”
  • Tiny homesLimited

    Tiny houses constructed or occupied as detached single-family dwellings inside Kingman city limits.

    • The City of Kingman adopted IRC Appendix Q Tiny Houses.
    • The city-amended definition states that a tiny house is a single-family detached dwelling smaller than 860 square feet excluding lofts and not smaller than 300 square feet.
    • Zoning and other land-use requirements remain applicable.

    tiny-house floor area: 300 square feet (300SF to 859SF excluding lofts)

    “Appendix Q – Tiny Houses [...] A single-family detached dwelling smaller than 860 square feet in floor area excluding lofts. Tiny houses shall not be smaller than 300 square feet. (300SF to 859SF)”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land-splitting activity inside Kingman city limits.

    • The city code separately identifies subdivision rules, regulations, and fees and land-splitting regulations.
    • Residential subdivisions may also require grading permits.
    “No owner, or agent of the owner, of any parcel of land located within the corporate limits of Kingman shall create any new parcel of land two and one-half (2 1/2) acres or less without first complying with these regulations.”
  • Permit feesPublished

    City of Kingman building permits, special permits, inspections, plan review, and grading permits.

    • Fees vary by valuation, permit type, inspection count, plan review, grading volume, and whether work occurs outside normal business hours.
    • The listed building permit fee table ranges from $23.50 for $1-$500 valuation to a formula for valuations over $1,000,000.
    • A manufactured-home permit is listed at $350 and includes three inspections.

    manufactured home permit: 350 USD (Includes 3 inspections) · building plan review fee: 65 percent (Of building permit fee) · grading plan review fee: 65 percent (Of grading permit fee)

    “Manufactured home permit: includes 3 inspections $350.00”

Rules another office applies inside Kingman

Kingman does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Well permitRequired

    Drilling, deepening, replacing, or modifying a well serving property inside Kingman city limits.

    • The Mohave County page directs applicants to obtain the well permit from ADWR.
    • The septic system and well must have at least 100 feet of separation.
    • Where public water is unavailable, the septic system must maintain a 50-foot property-line buffer unless a notarized and recorded agreement exists.

    septic-to-well separation: >= 100 feet (To prevent contamination) · septic property-line buffer where public water unavailable: >= 50 feet (Unless an agreement is notarized and recorded with the deed)

    “Access the well permit from the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) website.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from City of Kingman building-permit requirements.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate-of-occupancy requirements for buildings inside Kingman city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Kingman city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Rural Residential (RR) district inside Kingman city limits.
  • Setbacks — Single-family and rural-residential zoning districts inside Kingman city limits.
9 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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 Kingman publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Mohave County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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