Building Permits in Glendale, Arizona

Glendale requires a building permit for most construction, alteration, and repair work that affects structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical systems. Permits are issued by the City of Glendale Development Services Department — Building Safety Division, which also handles plan review, zoning clearances, and field inspections.

Glendale is located in Maricopa County in the West Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Arizona has no mandatory statewide building code — Glendale enforces its own locally adopted codes. Glendale has adopted the 2018 International Codes (IBC, IRC, IMC, IPC, IFC, IFGC, IECC) and the National Electrical Code (NEC), each with local Glendale amendments.

Glendale is home to State Farm Stadium (NFL's Arizona Cardinals) and the Westgate Entertainment District, generating significant large-venue and commercial permit activity. Assembly-occupancy projects, major entertainment facilities, and large mixed-use developments in the area involve multiple review disciplines and typically require pre-application coordination with the Building Safety Division and Glendale Fire.

When You Need a Permit

You generally need a Glendale building permit for:

• New construction, additions, and accessory structures including ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units)
• Structural alterations, load-bearing wall changes, and foundation work
• Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical (HVAC) changes
• Reroofing and window or door openings in exterior walls
• Swimming pools, spas, and retaining walls above applicable height thresholds
• Demolition of any habitable structure
• Assembly occupancy improvements, tenant improvements, and entertainment venue buildouts

Minor cosmetic work (painting, floor coverings, cabinetry without plumbing or electrical changes) is typically exempt. When in doubt, contact Glendale Development Services Building Safety before starting work.

Glendale Online Permit Portal — Citizen Access

Citizen Access is the City of Glendale's online permitting portal, accessible through glendaleaz.com. Through the portal you can:

• Create a personal or contractor account
• Submit new residential and commercial permit applications
• Upload plans for electronic plan review
• Respond to correction comments without visiting the Development Services office
• Pay permit fees online
• Request and track inspections

The portal supports permit submissions and inspection requests outside normal business hours. Large or complex commercial, assembly, and entertainment venue projects may benefit from a pre-application meeting with Building Safety staff before submitting through Citizen Access.

Permit Costs

Glendale permit fees are established in the Development Services Fee Schedule published by the City of Glendale. Fees are typically calculated based on:

• Building permit fee — scales with project valuation
• Plan review fee — a percentage of the building permit fee
• Impact fees — for new construction or added square footage (water, sewer, transportation, parks)
• Trade permit fees — separate fees for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work
• Fire review fees — required for commercial, assembly, and entertainment venue projects reviewed by Glendale Fire

Do not rely on third-party fee estimates. Always check the current Glendale Development Services Fee Schedule linked in the sources above for exact amounts.

Typical Timeline

Second and subsequent correction cycles are typically shorter than the initial review if the applicant fully addresses all review comments.

The Process

1. Pre-submittal: Verify zoning and applicable codes for your parcel on the Glendale zoning map. Assembly occupancy and entertainment venue projects should schedule a pre-application meeting with Building Safety and Glendale Fire.
2. Plans: Prepare drawings stamped by a licensed Arizona architect or engineer where required. Large commercial and assembly projects often require additional specialty engineering documentation.
3. Submit via Citizen Access: Upload documents and application for electronic plan review through glendaleaz.com.
4. Plan review: Glendale Development Services reviews plans for building code, zoning, fire, and engineering compliance. Commercial, assembly, and entertainment projects are reviewed by multiple disciplines.
5. Corrections: Respond to review comments in Citizen Access and resubmit revised plans.
6. Permit issuance: Pay remaining fees and download or receive the approved permit.
7. Inspections: Schedule required inspections at each construction phase through the Citizen Access portal.
8. Final: Pass final inspection and receive a Certificate of Occupancy where applicable.

Inspections

Typical inspection stages for a residential project include:

• Footing and foundation
• Underground plumbing and electrical
• Framing
• Rough plumbing, electrical, and mechanical
• Insulation
• Drywall
• Final building and trade inspections

For commercial, assembly, and entertainment venue projects, additional inspection stages may include fire sprinkler rough-in, fireproofing, specialty structural elements, egress systems, and accessibility compliance. Schedule all inspections through the Glendale Online Permit Portal (Citizen Access) or by contacting Development Services Building Safety by phone. Submit inspection requests at least one business day in advance.

Common Reasons for Denial or Corrections

• Plans don't meet the 2018 International Codes as locally amended by Glendale
• Missing structural calculations, energy compliance documentation, or design-professional stamps
• Zoning conflicts (setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, permitted use)
• Missing site or civil review items (drainage, right-of-way, water or sewer clearances)
• Fire review comments not addressed — required for commercial, assembly, and entertainment venue projects
• Incomplete submittal or missing documents in the Citizen Access portal
• HOA or private covenant review not completed (note: the City does not enforce private CC&Rs)

Official Sources

Always verify current requirements with the City of Glendale Development Services Department — Building Safety Division and the Glendale Online Permit Portal (Citizen Access) before starting your project. See the sources listed in the frontmatter for direct links to Building Safety, the Citizen Access portal, adopted building codes, and the fee schedule.

Disclaimer: This guide summarizes publicly available information from official City of Glendale sources and is provided for general orientation only. It does not constitute legal or engineering advice. Building code and permitting requirements change — always confirm current rules with the City of Glendale Development Services Department — Building Safety Division before submitting plans or starting construction.