The Scottsdale process
The City's Residential Plan Review page (last updated 3 September 2026, read 26 October 2026) says a "construction of a new single-family home" begins "in the Plan Review phase and typically do[es] not require a pre-application meeting, public outreach, or hearings".
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Submittal | Apply in Scottsdale SPUR and upload plans showing "the location, nature and extent of the work proposed" |
| 2. Administrative review | Address check and completeness; 7 business days for single-family residential |
| 3. Substantive review | Five disciplines: Planning, Building, Engineering, Stormwater and Fire; 15 business days |
| 4. Approval | Permit Services calculates fees; the permit issues after payment |
Review fees are due after administrative review, and "Applications will not be processed until payment is received." An application is "abandoned" 180 days after its last review unless pursued, and a permit not obtained within 180 days of approval means resubmitting and paying review fees again. After issue, the first inspection must follow within 180 days and each later one within 180 days of the last (Home Improvement). After the final inspection, the City issues a Certificate of Occupancy.
Homes on a Scottsdale lot may also be subject to HOA covenants, which the City says it does not enforce; get HOA approval separately.
What it costs
From the City's Permit Fee Schedule: Single Family Residential and Plan Review Fee Schedule: Single Family Residential, effective July 1, 2026 (Resolution No. 13661). The last column is our arithmetic for a home with 3,000 sq ft of air-conditioned space and 800 sq ft of covered patio and garage:
| Fee line (Single Family Custom) | Rate | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Base fee | $237 | $237 |
| Livable area with A/C | $0.94 per sq ft | $2,820 |
| Covered area (non A/C) | $0.54 per sq ft | $432 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | $195 | $195 |
| GIS fee | $379 | $379 |
| Plan review, livable area | $0.54 per sq ft | $1,620 |
| Plan review, covered area | $0.34 per sq ft | $272 |
| Total of these lines | $5,955 |
Not in the total: grading and drainage review, charged "per sheet, based on landform"; a $363 lowest floor certificate review in special flood hazard areas; engineering sheets at $1,057 each for civil and improvement plans; and separate permits such as the pool or walls. The schedules note they are "not all-inclusive and other fees may apply". A builder's standard plan adds a 15% administrative site review fee.
Who can build it
A licensed contractor, or you. Arizona's A.R.S. 32-1121 exempts owners who build "structures or appurtenances on such property and who do the work themselves, with their own employees or with duly licensed contractors", when the house is for the owner's own occupancy and "not intended for sale or for rent". Selling or renting it, or offering it, "within one year after completion or issuance of a certificate of occupancy is prima facie evidence" that it was built for sale. Owners building to sell must hire a licensed general contractor and list its license in the sales documents. Check a builder's license class with the Scottsdale contractor license lookup.
What 1,067 Scottsdale new-home permits show
| Measure | Scottsdale new single-family homes |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,067 |
| Builders | 304 |
| With a permit in the last 12 months | 155 |
| Usual filed value | $865,193 |
| Middle half of builders' usual value (64 builders) | $839,085 to $1,217,603 |
| Finalled (permits a year or more old) | 78.9% |
| 10th / 90th-percentile builder (10+ permits, 16 builders) | 60.7% / 93.4% |
| Share held by the five busiest | 33.9% |
| Builders with one permit | 183 (60.2%) |
| Busiest / quietest month | October (127) / May (59) |
Scottsdale's new-home file has two halves: production builders filing dozens of permits in subdivisions, and 183 builders with a single permit in three years. A custom-home buyer is usually choosing among smaller builders, so a builder's finalled share matters more than its size: among builders with ten or more permits, the 10th percentile finalled 60.7% and the 90th 93.4%, and 4 were under 70%. Prices by home value are on the Scottsdale new-home cost page.
See every Scottsdale home builder by permits finalled →
Related
Other cities' rules: do I need a permit to build a house; the county around Scottsdale: Maricopa County new home permit. National prices: new home construction cost. Choosing the builder: hiring a home builder. Doing it yourself: owner-builder vs contractor. Past permits on a lot: Scottsdale building permit search. Monthly counts: Scottsdale permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Filed values are what the builder wrote on the permit and usually leave out land, design and site work. Scottsdale records no final date, so we cannot time permits from issue to final. We have not matched Scottsdale firms to the ROC license file. Utility and other development fees outside these two schedules are not covered here. Fees change each July 1.
How we know this
The process and review times are quoted from the City of Scottsdale's Residential Plan Review page and inspection deadlines from its Home Improvement page; fees from the Single Family Residential permit and plan review fee schedules effective July 1, 2026 (Resolution No. 13661); the owner exemption from A.R.S. 32-1121; all read 26 October 2026. Counts are City of Scottsdale new single-family home permits, October 2023 to September 2026; finalled share uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Scottsdale building permits (the City's open-data permit file up to January 2026, and the City's SPUR permit system since), with the contractor named on each permit, data through October 22, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Scottsdale?
Yes. A new single-family home starts in Scottsdale's Plan Review phase in SPUR, where plans are reviewed for Planning, Building, Engineering, Stormwater and Fire before a permit is issued. Most single-family projects do not need a pre-application meeting or hearings.
- How much is a building permit for a new house in Scottsdale?
Under the fee schedules effective July 1, 2026, a custom home pays a $237 base fee, $0.94 a sq ft of air-conditioned area and $0.54 of covered non-A/C area, plus $195 for the certificate of occupancy and a $379 GIS fee; plan review adds $0.54 and $0.34 a sq ft. For 3,000 sq ft livable and 800 sq ft covered that is about $5,955 before grading and drainage review and other fees.
- How long does plan review take for a new house in Scottsdale?
The City's published time frames for single-family residential are 7 business days of administrative review and 15 business days of substantive review per cycle. Corrections send the plans back for another cycle.
- Can I be my own builder in Scottsdale?
Arizona's owner exemption (A.R.S. 32-1121) covers owners who build on their own property, themselves or with licensed contractors, for their own occupancy and not for sale or rent. Selling or renting within a year of completion is prima facie evidence the house was built for sale.
- How much does it cost to build a house in Scottsdale?
The usual new-home permit in our file was filed at $865,193, and the middle half of builders usually filed between $839,085 and $1,217,603. That is the value on the permit, not a quote, and it leaves out land.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Scottsdale ESL and NAOS rules: building in north Scottsdale's desert overlay, and what it means for your contractor
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
For one city
- Residential Plan Review — City of Scottsdale Planning and Development (last updated 2026-09-03, accessed 2026-10-26)
- Permit Fee Schedule: Single Family Residential, effective July 1, 2026 (Resolution No. 13661) — City of Scottsdale (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Plan Review Fee Schedule: Single Family Residential, effective July 1, 2026 (Resolution No. 13661) — City of Scottsdale (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Home Improvement — City of Scottsdale Planning and Development (accessed 2026-10-26)
- A.R.S. 32-1121 Persons not required to be licensed (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Planning and Permitting Portal — City of Scottsdale (2026-10-23)