Frequently Asked Questions

A professional activity or use which is clearly a secondary use of a residential dwelling unit, and which does not alter the exterior of the property or affect the residential character of the neighborhood.

Check out our Citizens Guide for Home Occupation(PDF, 3MB) for additional information.

• Services: hairdresser, dressmaking, handicrafts, tailoring, home cooking, baking
• Education/Childcare: microschools, daycares (occupancy limitations apply, please contact Development Services for consultation)
• Office/Studio: accountant, planner, architect, surveyor, artist, attorney, engineer, interior designer, landscape architect, musician, photographer.

The following uses are not permitted:

• Firearms manufacturing/storage/on-site sales
• Medical marijuana dispensaries or commercial cultivation or medical marijuana infusion
• The repair, reconditioning, servicing or manufacture of any internal combustion or diesel engine or of any motor vehicle, including automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, and boats
• Drop-off, repair, fix-it, or plumbing shops
• Kennels, storage, caring, or grooming of animals

• Incidental/Secondary: The home occupation must be clearly incidental and secondary to the principal use as a residence by the person conducting the occupation
• Exterior: No exterior evidence of the home occupation; all equipment, supplies and materials used in business must be stored inside home or in attached carports/garages
• Floor Area: A home occupation shall not occupy more than 25% of the total floor area in the principal building and any accessory building on the lot
• Signage: No sign visible from a street *Except for approved live/work units in mixed-use zoning districts
• On-Site Employees: No more than two persons shall be employed or work on site, excepting occupants of the dwelling who are members of the resident family. However, with approval of a conditional use permit, one additional employee may be allowed if the planning and zoning commission determines that there would be no adverse impacts on the immediately adjoining neighborhood in addition to the other required findings
• Merchandise: A salesroom or display window is prohibited
• Storage: Storage related to the home occupation must be confined to the interior of the dwelling or accessory building. No hazardous materials storage is allowed

Home occupations require a Home Occupation Permit to verify that the proposed use complies with related applicable requirements(PDF, 3MB). We highly encourage you to consult with the Planning & Zoning prior to applying for a zoning permit to discuss your particular need.

To apply for zoning permit, please visit our VIP Portal and be sure to check out our tutorial.

For additional zoning questions, please contact Planning & Zoning: (520) 316-6928.

• Project narrative
• Property owner authorization
• Site plan: at minimum, site plan should include
  • All existing and proposed structures with dimensions
  • Property lines and setbacks
  • Existing and proposed access points

There is a $112 per hour review fee. Average review is 1-2 hours.

Generally, business licenses are not required by the city; however, certain business uses do require a Regulated Business License. Regulated Businesses include:

• Auctioneers
• Pawnbrokers
• Scrap Dealers and Secondhand Dealers
• Tobacco Retail Establishments
• Massage Establishments
• Tattoo and/or Body Piercing Establishments
• After Hours Establishments

For information on regulated business licensing, please contact Maricopa Police Department Administration: (520) 316-6800.

A building permit is required if you are altering a space. Alterations include relocation, repair or demolition of structural and non-structural walls, changes to mechanical, plumbing, gas or any electrical work. Depending on the scope of work, licensed professionals may be required to prepare your building plans.

A building permit is not required when the above criteria does not apply to your improvements, and the scope of work is wholly cosmetic (painting and/or furniture).

To apply for a building permit, please visit our VIP Portal. Once the building permit is approved, the appropriate permit fees will be collected and building permit will be issued. You can review our Fee Schedule(PDF, 2MB) here. Upon building permit issuance, you may begin with construction. Construction must be performed by a license contractor in the state of Arizona.

To pay for your permits you can do so online via the VIP portal. You can also come into the office and pay in person with EXACT cash, credit card or by check.

See Instructional Guide(PDF, 477KB) for step by step instructions on how to pay for your permit.

The City of Maricopa accepts Visa, Mastercard, and Discover Card, cash, and checks.

Please visit the Parks and Recreation website for information about the city’s Special Event Permit.

Please contact the Development Services Department Director at 520-316-6986 or by email at rodolfo.lopez@maricopa-az.gov.

Call 811 or visit Arizona811.com at least two full working days in advance so underground utilities can be located and marked. It’s free. It’s easy. It’s the law.

Submit a Public Records Request. Request can be completed and submitted online through JustFOIA. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at 520-568-9098.

Use our Addressing web mapping application to determine if your address is within the city limits. Type in your address in the search bar (on the right side) and the result will show "City Limits" or "Not Within City Limits".

Visit the FEMA Flood Mapping Service. Enter your address in the search bar and click search. A map will appear at the bottom of the page. If your property or a portion of your property is within a blue area, the property is considered to be in the floodplain.

To purchase flood insurance, contact your insurance company. If you need help finding a provider, go to National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or call 877-336-2627.

Monday - Friday
5am – 8pm

Saturday and Sunday
7am – 7pm

For residential yard sales, no. No permit is necessary. For HOA's having community yard sales and advertising it with banners, yes. A temporary sign/banner permit is required. Please see 

• Temporary Signs Guide(PDF, 2MB)
• Yard Sale Sign Rules(PDF, 655KB)

If you are any of the following:

1. Auctioneers, pawnbrokers, scrap dealers and secondhand dealers
2. Tobacco retail establishments
3. Massage establishments
4. Tattoo and/or body piercing establishments
5. After-hours establishments.

A Regulated Business License is Required. Before a license can be issued, please make sure that a zoning permit has been approved.

A. Any person desiring to obtain a regulated business license must apply to the licensing office. Each application must be accompanied by all required application fees.

B. The annual fee for any license, including a renewal license, under this chapter shall be fifty dollars ($50.00), with each such license to expire one year from the date the license is issued. Any person who discontinues operating a regulated business during the period covered by the current license shall not be entitled to any refund of any license fee. A separate charge for a license shall be paid for each location or separate place of business in which any person operates a regulated business.

C. In order for an application or any renewal thereof to be administratively complete, all fees must have been paid.

D. An application will be granted or denied within the schedule of administrative and substantive review time frames, as established by the licensing office.

E. Fees are not prorated, transferable or refundable unless otherwise provided by law.

F. An application for a regulated business license will not be processed or renewed if the applicant is delinquent in any payment to the city for charges including, but not limited to, taxes, fees, renewal fees or fees incurred as a result of a code violation. [Ord. 18-16 § 1; Res. 18-29; Code 2004 § 8-3-3.]

All inspections are scheduled online via the VIP portal.

Visit our Inspections Page and Instructional Guide(PDF, 272KB) for step by step instructions on how to schedule an inspection.

Click here to see an Instructional Guide(PDF, 441KB) on how to print your issued permit.

Send your request for an extension to dsd@maricopa-az.gov.

Please provide the permit number and a brief description as to why the extension is needed.

Example: Due to lack of materials we are requesting an extension on permit SFR22-0000.

Do not request a revision until you have your revision documents ready to upload. Once you have your documents ready, send an email to dsd@maricopa-az.gov requesting a revision.

Once we receive the request we will add the line item and a revision fee will be added and you can pay for the revision online via the VIP portal.

For questions or concerns regarding your alarm permits please contact (520) 316-6982 or email alarm@maricopa-az.gov. The permit center does not process alarm permits.

If you need access to a particular permit that is not under your name, please contact the Permit Center by email at dsd@maricopa-az.gov or call (520) 316-6920.

An emergency utility reenergize service permit, is for homes that have been without power or gas due to emergent circumstances such as: fire, gas leak, break in the line, etc. and needed to be shut-off. An emergency utility reenergize service permit is an internal application process ONLY and cannot be applied for in the portal. You will need to contact the Permit Center by email at dsd@maricopa-az.gov or call (520) 316-6920 to provide details of why services were turned off. The Permit Center will make a determination if you are eligible for an emergency utility reenergize service permit.

No, permit is needed for floor work.

Pergolas over 200sf require a permit.

You do not need a permit if the pergola is under 200sf and does not have electrical or plumbing.

If the pergola includes electrical or plumbing, yes, you will need a permit, regardless of the pergola size.

Login to the VIP portal. Click on the “My Portal” go button, then click on the “Apply” button. From the drop-down menu, select “Refund Request”. Enter all pertinent information and upload a copy of the original receipt and submit application. (Red *’s need to be filled out in order to proceed with the application submittal.) After submitted, checking on the status of the refund will be on the portal, under “My Applications”.

Comprehensive guide on this process(PDF, 376KB)

• Building permits are not required for fences or walls under 7 feet, or retaining wall footings or less unless supporting a surcharge.
• Building permits are required for retaining walls over 4 feet and fences over 7 feet, designed by a Registered Design Professional, or if you live on a >10% slope.
• A Zoning permit will be required for zoning verification (setbacks, heights, design aesthetics).

Fence and wall guide(PDF, 3MB)

Login to your portal, click on “My Portal”. Then click on “View”, find your current permit/reference # needed for the status. The Status is listed on the right side of the page.

You can also click on the permit/reference # to enter into the permit and check the tab “Permit Approval Steps”. It will tell you the “Status” and the “Date” it was entered into that status.

Timeline for reviews(PDF, 492KB)

A site plan is a scaled drawing that shows the layout of a property, including existing and proposed structures, and any other features. It's also known as a plot plan.

Site plans are used by architects, engineers, landscape architects, and urban planners to design and approve new buildings. They can also be used by homeowners and builders to plan remodeling projects.

• Commercial Site Plan Example(PDF, 572KB)
• (PDF, 55KB)Residential Site Plan Example(PDF, 55KB)

See our Interactive Maps and click on the Zoning web mapping application. Type in your address or APN number in the search bar and the Zoning app will pinpoint to the location, providing the specific zoning designation.

• Regulations guide for Group Homes with 1-6 residents(PDF, 2MB)
• Regulations guide for Group Homes with 7-10 residents(PDF, 2MB)

To schedule your inspection, please contact us by email at dsd@maricopa-az.gov or by phone at (520) 316-6920. You will need to provide your Group Home permit number.

Go to our Atlas web mapping application. In the Layer List select Residential Setbacks and find your subdivision. Click on the subdivision and the Residential Setback information will appear.

Regulations guide for Mobile Vendors and Food Trucks(PDF, 957KB)

A residential traffic control plan (RTC) is a detailed plan that manages the movement of traffic around a work zone, such as landscaping materials that are delivered in front of your home, to ensure the safety of workers, the public, and equipment. A resident should apply for a temporary road restriction and closures (RTC) permit in the event of materials being delivered and will be sitting doormat for a few days, waiting for work to begin.