Arizona building code

How Arizona adopts building codes

A.R.S. §§ 9-801 to 9-813; A.R.S. §§ 11-861 to 11-867

• Adopted locally. Arizona is classified as a home rule state, meaning that local codes are adopted and enforced locally.¹
• City or town governing body, by ordinance. A municipality may enact the provisions of a code or public record theretofore in existence without setting forth the provisions, but the adopting ordinance shall be published in full.²
• "Code" means a published compilation of rules or regulations prepared by a technical trade association and includes any building code, electrical wiring code, health or sanitation code, fire prevention code, wildland-urban interface code…³
• County board of supervisors, unincorporated zoned areas; rural or unclassified areas may be exempted. In any county that has adopted zoning pursuant to this chapter, the board of supervisors may adopt and enforce, for the unincorporated areas of the county so zoned, a building code and other related codes to regulate the quality, type of material and workmanship of all aspects of construction of buildings or structures, except that the board may authorize that areas zoned rural or unclassified may be exempt from the provisions of the code adopted.⁴
• Any building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical code that has been adopted by any national organization or association that is organized and conducted for the purpose of developing codes or that has been adopted by the largest city in that county.⁴
• Adopted locally. Residential Commercial Current State Code Home Rule Home Rule…⁵
• 2021 IECC / 90.1-2019. Equivalent Code* 2021 IECC 90.1-2019…⁵
• 2009 IECC. Residential: 2009 IECC…⁵
• If a public building is built in an area that has not adopted local codes, the building shall be designed or constructed according to the state fire code adopted by the office of the state fire marshal and the building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical codes that apply in the largest city in the county in which the building is located.⁶
• The standards and specifications referred to in this article and its implementing rules as applying to public entities shall be incorporated in any building code in existence on or adopted after the effective date of this article by this state or any agency, department or political subdivision of this state.⁷
• A municipality shall not adopt a code or ordinance or part of a uniform code or ordinance that prohibits a person or entity from choosing to install or equip or not install or equip fire sprinklers in a single family detached residence or any residential building that contains not more than two dwelling units.⁸
• A penalty clause contained in a code or public record adopted by reference shall be set forth in full in the adopting ordinance.⁹
• The penalty provisions of section 11-815 may be applied by the county in enforcing this article.¹⁰

Applies to

County board of supervisors, unincorporated zoned areas; rural or unclassified areas may be exempted⁴

Can local rules be stricter?

Yes²

Residential code in Arizona cities

The edition each city enforces, from the city’s own adoption page or ordinance.

For permits, exemptions and owner-builder rules, see Arizona building permits. To compare editions across states, see the code adoption map.