Bolthole Index

Pinal County, Arizona

Building permits, zoning and land rules in the Town of Kearny, Arizona

Inside the Town of Kearny, Arizona, the town has its own zoning ordinance, and the Town Clerk's office handles permitting questions.12 Septic permits for every Kearny address without a sewer connection come from Pinal County's Aquifer Protection Division, and floodplain use permits come from Pinal County.34 We could not confirm which office issues building permits inside town limits.

At a glance

Building permit
Issuing office not confirmed; start with the Town Clerk2
Zoning
Town of Kearny has its own zoning ordinance1
Septic
Pinal County permit required where there is no sewer connection option3
Floodplain
Pinal County Floodplain Use Permit before the town approves plans4
Wells
Pinal County reviews applications for parcels of 5 acres or smaller5
RV living
Town rule not confirmed; ask the Town Clerk2

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Kearny, Town Clerk's Office

First contact for Kearny town permitting, zoning ordinance and records questions

(520) 363-5547

374 Alden Rd, Kearny, AZ 85137

Septic permits

Pinal County Aquifer Protection Division

Septic (on-site wastewater) permits and inspections, and well-permit review on parcels 5 acres and smaller, for Pinal County

520-509-3555

85 N Florence Street, First Floor, Florence, AZ 85132

Floodplain permits

Pinal County Flood Control District

Floodplain Use Permits and base flood elevation determinations for development in Pinal County

520-866-6411

31 N Pinal Street, Florence, AZ 85132

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Kearny, Arizona?

We could not confirm which office issues building permits inside Kearny town limits or which building code the town enforces. Start with the Town Clerk's office, which the town says is responsible for permitting, and ask for a written answer on your project.2

Pinal County Building Safety serves unincorporated land and any city that has signed an agreement with the county for building code services, so ask whether Kearny has such an agreement before you submit plans to the county.6 Do not assume the county's unincorporated-area building permit rules apply on a lot inside town limits.

Who handles zoning and permits in the Town of Kearny?

The Town of Kearny publishes its own Town Zoning Ordinance, so zoning inside town limits is set by the town, not by Pinal County.1 Call the Town Clerk at (520) 363-5547 or visit 374 Alden Rd, Kearny, AZ 85137.2

Pinal County's zoning rules apply only to unincorporated land, and the county itself tells people inside a city or town to check with that municipality.7 We could not confirm Kearny's zoning districts, minimum lot sizes, setbacks, height limits or lot coverage, so ask the Town Clerk for the zoning map and ordinance for your parcel.

How do septic permits work inside Kearny?

Septic permits inside Kearny town limits come from Pinal County, not the town. Where a property has no sewer connection option, you must apply for a septic permit with Pinal County's Aquifer Protection Division, and a qualified inspector must do a site inspection; an off-grid lot with no sewer connection option follows the same path, by email or by appointment.38

The county program permits and inspects conventional systems up to 24,000 gallons per day and alternative systems up to 3,000 gallons per day under authority delegated by the state, and the same division handles the inspections.910 Only about 19.7% of soils in Pinal County rate as not severely limited for a conventional drain field, so budget for a site evaluation and possibly an alternative system.11 Call the Aquifer Protection Division at 520-509-3555.12

What about wells and floodplain permits in Kearny?

For well permit applications on parcels of 5 acres or smaller, Pinal County reviews and endorses the application and refers it to the Arizona Department of Water Resources.5 The state is the agency that issues the well permit.13

Kearny is one of seven Pinal County dependent communities that rely on the county for floodplain management, so a project in a regulated floodplain needs a Floodplain Use Permit from Pinal County before the town approves your plans.4 Call the Pinal County Flood Control District at 520-866-6411.14

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

We could not confirm Kearny's rules on RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings, because the town's zoning ordinance provisions were not available to us. Ask the Town Clerk before you buy or place a unit.2

Pinal County's rule that a park model or RV may not be placed on a vacant parcel applies to unincorporated land, not necessarily to a lot inside town limits.15

Building a home in Kearny: the steps, in order

  1. Call the Town Clerk at (520) 363-5547 and ask for the zoning ordinance, the permit process and which office issues building permits.2
  2. If there is no sewer connection option, apply to Pinal County for a septic permit and book a qualified inspector.3
  3. For a parcel of 5 acres or smaller needing a well, ask Pinal County to review your well permit application for referral to the state.5
  4. Check whether the parcel is in a regulated floodplain and get the Pinal County Floodplain Use Permit if so.4
  5. Submit building plans to the office the town names.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Kearny's building code, certificate of occupancy, owner-builder, setback or driveway rules; ask the Town Clerk at (520) 363-5547.2
  • Pinal County's Building Safety and Planning rules cover unincorporated land and do not automatically apply inside Kearny.7

Sources

  1. Administration | Town of Kearny, Arizona (Town of Kearny), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Kearny, Town Clerk's Office (kearnyaz.gov)
  3. pinal.gov (Town of Kearny), quoted and re-checked
  4. Floodplain Permitting | Pinal County, AZ (Town of Kearny), quoted and re-checked
  5. Community Development | Pinal County, AZ (Town of Kearny), quoted and re-checked
  6. Building Safety | Pinal County, AZ, quoted and re-checked
  7. Frequently Asked Questions | Pinal County, AZ, quoted and re-checked
  8. pinal.gov (Town of Kearny), quoted and re-checked
  9. Community Development | Pinal County, AZ (Town of Kearny), quoted and re-checked
  10. Community Development | Pinal County, AZ (Town of Kearny), quoted and re-checked
  11. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  12. Pinal County Aquifer Protection Division (pinal.gov)
  13. Well Drilling in Arizona, quoted and re-checked
  14. Pinal County Flood Control District (pinal.gov)
  15. pinal.gov, quoted and re-checked

Written October 10, 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 Town of Kearny

Town of Kearny’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Kearny town limits.

    “Town Code Town Zoning Ordinance Campaign Finance Reports”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    On-site wastewater systems inside Kearny town when sewer service is unavailable; Pinal County performs delegated septic functions and ADEQ is the delegating state agency.

    • Pinal County's authority is delegated by ADEQ.
    • The source states the program covers conventional systems up to 24,000 gallons per day and alternative systems up to 3,000 gallons per day.

    conventional system capacity: <= 24000 gallons per day · alternative system capacity: <= 3000 gallons per day

    “The Aquifer Protection Division, also known as the Septic Program, performs a variety of functions delegated by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). The Aquifer Protection Division carries out all aspects of permitting and inspections of conventional (up to 24,000 gallons per day) and alternative (up to 3,000 gallons per day) on-site wastewater disposal systems.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Property inside Kearny town without a sewer connection option.

    • A site inspection by a qualified inspector is required according to the source.
    “If your property does not have a sewer connection option you must apply for a septic permit which can be done, by email or by appointment. You must have a site inspection by a qualified inspector.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    On-site wastewater systems inside Kearny town subject to the Pinal County septic program.

    • The source states that Pinal County carries out inspections of conventional and alternative systems.
    • A site inspection by a qualified inspector is required when applying for a septic permit where no sewer connection option exists.
    “The Aquifer Protection Division carries out all aspects of permitting and inspections of conventional (up to 24,000 gallons per day) and alternative (up to 3,000 gallons per day) on-site wastewater disposal systems.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Off-grid sanitation inside Kearny town where a property lacks a sewer connection option.

    • A septic permit is required where no sewer connection option exists.
    • The source states that a qualified-inspector site inspection is required.
    “If your property does not have a sewer connection option you must apply for a septic permit which can be done, by email or by appointment. You must have a site inspection by a qualified inspector.”
  • Well permitLimited

    Well permit applications for parcels inside Kearny town measuring 5 acres or smaller.

    • Pinal County reviews and endorses the application for referral to the Arizona Department of Water Resources; the source does not state that Pinal County issues the state well permit.

    parcel area: <= 5 acres

    “review and endorse well permit applications for referral to the Arizona Department of Water Resources on parcels 5 acres and smaller”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Projects inside Kearny town located in a regulated floodplain or otherwise requiring floodplain review.

    • The Floodplain Use Permit is separate from a building permit for single-lot residential development.
    • The permit is required before the city or town approves development plans or permits for county-dependent communities.
    “If your project is located within a county-dependent community, a Floodplain Use Permit from Pinal County will be required before the city or town approves your development plans or permit. Pinal County has 7 County Dependent Communities that rely on Pinal County to perform Floodplain Management. These communities include Coolidge, Eloy, Kearny, Mammoth, Maricopa, Superior, and Winkleman.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Kearny or Pinal County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Kearny town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing inside Kearny town limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Kearny town limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Kearny town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Kearny town limits.
15 more unanswered
  • Zoning districts
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access

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 Town of Kearny publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Pinal County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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