Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Winslow, Arizona

At a glance

Building permit

City building permit and approved site plan required before construction or remodeling¹

Zoning

City zoning with district-specific development standards²

Septic

County-administered ADEQ approval, subject to delegation limits⁴⁵

Lot size

R1-12 minimum lot size: 12,000 square feet⁶

Building height

R1-7 maximum building height: 35 feet⁷

Owner-builder

State contractor-license exemption can apply to qualifying owner-occupied construction; city building approval still applies⁸

Who to call

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

Do you need a building permit in Winslow, AZ?

Winslow requires a building permit and approved site plan before construction or remodeling of any building or accessory structure.¹ Applications follow the city’s development procedures ordinance, so take the proposed footprint and use to the city before ordering a structure or starting work.¹ Winslow’s adopted code lists the 2018 International Residential Code, including Appendix Q, alongside related construction codes and city amendments.⁹ Arizona’s owner-builder exemption concerns contractor licensing for qualifying owner-occupied work; the exemption does not remove local building-permit requirements or cover a project intended for sale or rent.⁸

Who handles building permits and zoning in Winslow?

Start with Winslow Community Development through the City Hall contact at (928) 289-2422 or [email protected]; the city website also links a building-permit application.¹⁰ Ask the city to confirm the parcel’s zoning district, the site-plan submission requirements and the applicable building-permit fee before preparing final plans.¹² Navajo County’s zoning ordinance excludes incorporated towns and cities, so use the Navajo County guide for land outside Winslow city limits.³ Septic approval remains a separate county-administered ADEQ process rather than part of the city building-permit application.⁴

Does Winslow have zoning, and what does it mean for a small home?

Winslow has city zoning with district-specific development standards; a parcel’s district matters more than a general description such as residential land.² In Winslow’s R1-12 Single-Family Residence District, the minimum lot size is 12,000 square feet.⁶ In the R1-7 Single-Family Residence District, maximum building height is 35 feet.⁷ These are district standards, not citywide averages.² Winslow’s adopted residential code includes Appendix Q, but that adoption alone does not establish permission to occupy a tiny home on a particular lot.⁹ Ask Community Development to confirm the proposed dwelling type, setbacks and allowed use together before choosing a house plan.¹⁰

How do septic permits and wells work inside Winslow?

Arizona directs onsite wastewater applications to the county where the property is located; Navajo County administers delegated septic approval on ADEQ’s behalf, with ADEQ retaining projects outside the delegation.⁴⁵ For residential onsite wastewater construction, submit a Notice of Intent to Construct and obtain approval before installing the system; construction, inspection and testing precede the Notice of Intent to Discharge, and operation requires Discharge Authorization.¹¹ Before buying a Winslow lot, ask the city about public sewer availability and whether connection is mandatory, then ask Navajo County Planning & Development Services to confirm the onsite system’s jurisdiction.¹⁰¹² A new groundwater well requires an ADWR Notice of Intent to Drill and a licensed well-drilling contractor.¹³

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Winslow?

Do not use Navajo County’s unincorporated-land RV allowances as authorization for a Winslow address: the county zoning ordinance excludes incorporated towns and cities.³ Ask Winslow Community Development for the city’s written answer on RV occupancy, temporary camping and living onsite during construction before planning a move.¹⁰ For a small permanent dwelling, Winslow’s residential code adoption includes Appendix Q, while the parcel remains subject to its city zoning district’s development standards.⁹² Arizona’s long-term RV rental-space law concerns rented spaces in RV or mobile-home parks; that law does not establish permission to live in an RV on a private Winslow lot.¹⁴

What steps should you take before building a home in Winslow?

1. Ask Community Development to confirm the parcel’s city zoning district and whether the proposed use fits that district.¹⁰²

1. Prepare the site-plan and building-permit application through the city’s development procedures.¹

1. Resolve sewer service with the city or obtain county-administered onsite wastewater construction approval before installing a septic system.¹⁰¹¹

1. Ask the city for the inspection sequence, occupancy sign-off, floodplain review and street-access requirements for the proposed project.¹⁰

1. If the purchase depends on splitting land, discuss Winslow’s subdivision process before closing: the process includes pre-application review, preliminary and final plat stages, with information on water supply, streets, sewage disposal, drainage and open space.¹⁵

Watch-outs

• Winslow’s R1-12 minimum lot size is a lot-area requirement, not a minimum dwelling floor area.⁶
• A qualifying Arizona owner-builder licensing exemption does not waive Winslow building approval.⁸
• For a resale home served by septic, the seller’s qualified inspection must occur within six months before transfer, and the buyer must submit the Notice of Transfer within 15 calendar days after transfer.¹⁶

Sources

1. City of Winslow — building and site-plan requirements (ecode360.com)
2. City of Winslow, AZ Municipal Code Table of Contents (Winslow), quoted and re-checked
3. Navajo County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
4. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Facility | ADEQ (Arizona statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. Construction Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
6. Chapter 17.20 R1-12 Single-Family Residence District (Winslow), quoted and re-checked
7. Chapter 17.24 R1-7 Single-Family Residence District (Winslow), quoted and re-checked
8. Persons not required to be licensed; penalties; applicability (Arizona statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. ecode360.com (Winslow), quoted and re-checked
10. City of Winslow Community Development — City Hall contact (winslowaz.gov)
11. Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Type 4.02–4.23 General Permit, quoted and re-checked
12. Navajo County Planning & Development Services (navajocountyaz.gov)
13. Well Drilling in Arizona, quoted and re-checked
14. 33-2101 - Application; duration of stay; exclusions; notice and pleading requirements (Arizona statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Chapter 16.08 Subdivision Approval Process (Winslow), quoted and re-checked
16. Notice of Transfer and Inspection, 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.