Plan check guide · Phoenix
Phoenix’s Planning & Development Department reviews building plans against the 2024 Phoenix Building Construction Code, submitted through two linked portals and published turnaround-time goals by project tier. This guide collects what P&D and its discipline checklists publish: review paths, code basis, submission rules, and what the plan-review checklists ask designers to show.
In Phoenix, the Planning & Development Department (P&D) reviews building plans under the 2024 Phoenix Building Construction Code, using the SHAPE PHX portal to apply and pay fees and a separate ProjectDox login to upload drawings and resolve reviewer changemarks. Arizona state law limits the city to two substantive plan reviews before it must approve or deny the permit, so corrected files are uploaded under the exact same file names for ProjectDox to version, and the applicant confirms every changemark has been addressed before resubmitting.
Phoenix at a glance
| Question | What the official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who reviews building plans? | The Planning & Development Department (P&D), with the Fire Prevention Division, Street Transportation, Water Services, and Maricopa County Environmental Services reviewing the scopes that touch their systems. | Planning and Development Department – Online Services |
| Which code applies? | The 2024 Phoenix Building Construction Code: the 2024 IBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC and ISPSC, plus the 2024 IPC/UPC and 2023 NEC, with Phoenix amendments effective August 1, 2025. | City of Phoenix – Building Construction Codes |
| How are plans submitted? | Through SHAPE PHX to apply and pay fees, then a separate ProjectDox login to upload the drawing set, view reviewer changemarks, and complete resubmittal tasks. | City of Phoenix – Electronic Plan Review |
| How long does review take? | Published July 2026 goals and averages by tier: commercial Major projects 45 days (30-day average), Medium 35 (33 average), Minor 25 (33 average); custom or standard residential plans 30 days (30 average); plot plans 5 days (2 average). | Plan Reviews: Turnaround Times for July 2026 |
| How many correction rounds are allowed? | Arizona state law (A.R.S. §9-836) limits Phoenix to two substantive plan reviews before it must approve or deny the permit; further redesign has to go back in as a new submittal. | Electronic Plan Review (EPR) – Uploading Corrected Files in ProjectDox (TRT/DOC/00675) |
| How do I resubmit corrected plans? | Upload only the corrected sheets to ProjectDox under the exact same file name as the original so the system versions them, and confirm every changemark has been addressed before completing the resubmit task. | Electronic Plan Review (EPR) – Uploading Corrected Files in ProjectDox (TRT/DOC/00675) |
Sources reviewed September 12, 2026. Requirements change; confirm the current version with City of Phoenix Planning & Development Department.
Who reviews
P&D coordinates building review, while other city and county offices review the scopes that touch their systems, some of which must clear before P&D can issue the permit.
Fire protection system plans (sprinklers NFPA 13/13R/13D, alarms, standpipes, hydrants, fire pumps) are mostly routed through Planning & Development, while Fire Prevention itself reviews and permits items such as spray booths, hazardous-materials and compressed-gas systems, private hydrant flow tests, firefighter breathing-air systems, and removal of fire protection systems out of its own office.
Handles rezoning, zoning adjustments and variances, Planned Unit Development processing, General Plan Amendments, Planning Commission appeals, and zoning verification letters.
Reviews driveway approach, paving and right-of-way plans and coordinates private-utility construction permits in the public right-of-way; the residential submittal checklist separately flags added Street Transportation review for sites on a designated Transportation Corridor.
Reviews water main, sewer main and combined water/sewer civil plans against its own design checklists, and issues water meter and water/sewer tap approvals through the Civil Permits/Water Services counter.
Review paths
Default review for new buildings, additions, remodels, tenant improvements and miscellaneous commercial work; for review-time reporting, Planning & Development groups projects as Major (over 50,000 sq ft and more than $5 million), Medium (5,000-50,000 sq ft and $350,000-$5 million), or Minor (under 5,000 sq ft or less than $350,000).
Covers one-of-a-kind custom homes and repeated subdivision 'standard' plans; once a standard plan is checked and approved, it is reused for multiple individual lot permits under the same plan number and a set of pre-approved options.
A narrower, faster review limited to the lot-specific plot plan for new homes already built from an approved standard plan, and for residential swimming pools.
Repair and remodeling permits for simple structures of roughly 500 sq ft or less, conventional construction, 200-amp or smaller electric service, and not a second story or basement, can be issued over the counter without a full plan review cycle; new homes and additions still require plan review.
A premium, individually negotiated-schedule service for projects meeting City Council-approved criteria and demonstrating adverse scheduling or financial impact if excluded; a team supervisor sets first- and second-review calendar-day targets before the plans are logged in, and submitted plans are expected to already be essentially code-compliant.
For changes after a plan set has already been approved and permitted: building-plan revisions start a new EPR application marked 'Revision to Previously Approved Plan' and upload only the revised sheets, cover sheet and sheet index, while civil, site and fire-plan revisions re-upload the entire plan set with clouding to show what changed.
July 2026 published goals/averages (calendar days) for initial commercial building-plan review: Major (>50,000 sq ft and >$5M) goal 45 / average 30; Medium (5,000-50,000 sq ft, $350K-$5M) goal 35 / average 33; Minor (<5,000 sq ft or <$350K) goal 25 / average 33. (source) Residential building plans: Custom & Standard Plans goal 30 / average 30 days; Major Remodels & Additions (over 2,000 sq ft and/or more than one level) goal 30 / average 37; Minor Remodels & Additions goal 20 / average 24; Plot Plans (new homes on standard plans, pools) goal 5 / average 2. (source) Civil plans: Major (16+ sheets, more than 20 acres or 50 lots) goal 30 / average 36; Medium (7-15 sheets, 3-20 acres, 15-50 lots) goal 25 / average 40; Minor (6 or fewer sheets, under 15 lots) goal 20 / average 26; Landscape review goal 30 / average 38. (source) Site plans: Major Pre-application goal 28 / average 43; Major Preliminary goal 30 / average 30; Major Site Plans Final goal 30 / average 35; Minor Site Plans Final goal 20 / average 36. (source) The monthly report defines 'goal' as the target calendar days for the initial review and 'average' as the prior month's typical calendar days; plan review timeframes for the first and second correction cycles are typically slightly reduced when the corrections are not significant. (source) For PEPR, the team supervisor must tell the applicant within two business days whether the expedited-review request is approved and, if so, the number of calendar days set for the first and second review, based on the department's turnaround-times tracking document. (source) Applications with no activity for 180 days expire; reviving one after expiration requires resubmitting plans and paying a new plan review fee. (source)
What P&D asks for
Phoenix does not publish one unified correction list. These items come from P&D’s discipline-specific Plan Review Checklists (structural, mechanical, plumbing, accessibility) and its commercial and residential submittal checklists. Paraphrased from the department’s published documents, grouped by topic. The documents do not rank items by how often they are issued.
| Topic | What the published document asks for | Code cited | Sheets that usually change | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Code analysis | The general code data block (shown on the site plan or architectural cover sheet) must state occupancy, whether uses are separated or non-separated, construction type, square footage per building or tenant space, allowable-area calculation, sprinkler/fire-alarm/emergency-lighting status, exits required versus provided, floor count, and the governing code editions. | — | site plan or architectural cover sheet | Commercial Building Permit Submittal Checklist, General Code Data section |
| Occupant load and egress width | Architectural floor plans need a separate code/exiting plan showing the longest path of egress to the nearest exit, the number of exits provided, occupant load, and the required versus provided width at each egress component. | — | architectural floor/exiting plan | Commercial Building Permit Submittal Checklist, Architectural Plan section |
| Occupant load and egress width | Bedroom and basement egress windows must meet minimum opening requirements with a maximum sill height of 44 inches, coordinated between the floor plan and elevations. | IRC R310, R310.1 | floor plans; elevations | Residential Plan Submittal Checklist, Floor Plans items 4-5 |
| Number and separation of exits | The general code data block must separately list the number of exits required by code and the number of exits actually provided for the building. | — | site plan or architectural cover sheet | Commercial Building Permit Submittal Checklist, General Code Data section |
| Stairs, handrails, and guards | Residential stair details must dimension stair width, rise and run, landing width, handrail height, and guardrail height and intermediate rail spacing. | IRC R311.7 | floor plans; stair details | Residential Plan Submittal Checklist, Floor Plans item 13 |
| Fire-rated assemblies | Fire-rated assemblies identified on the plans must include architectural details and the referenced UL or Gypsum Association assembly number along with a standard construction detail. | — | architectural floor plans; wall-assembly details | Commercial Building Permit Submittal Checklist, Architectural Plan section |
| Fire-rated assemblies | Garages must be separated from the residence with a minimum 1/2-inch gypsum board on the garage side (5/8-inch Type X where habitable rooms sit above), and any opening between the garage/carport and the house needs a solid-wood or 20-minute fire-rated, self-closing door. | IRC R302.6, R302.5.1 | floor plans; wall sections | Residential Plan Submittal Checklist, Floor Plans item 9 |
| Accessible toilet rooms | Architectural plans must show the location and dimensions of accessible restroom facilities and, where present, elevators; for remodels/alterations where the accessible route is not made fully accessible, the applicant documents that the cost of upgrading the route is at least 20% of the total alteration cost. | — | architectural floor plans; restroom enlarged plans | Commercial Building Permit Submittal Checklist, Architectural Plan section |
| Path of travel in alterations | For existing buildings, plan review checks a change of occupancy, alterations generally, and the path of travel required when an alteration affects an area of primary function (following the federal order-of-priority rule), plus toilet-room and historic-building provisions. | IEBC 306.5, 306.7, 306.7.1, 306.7.12, 306.7.18; 28 CFR Part 36 Subpart D 36.403(g)(2) | code analysis; existing-conditions/path-of-travel plan | Accessibility Plan Review Checklist – Guideline, item 9 Existing Buildings |
| Special inspection | Structural notes must identify all special inspection and structural observation requirements, and one copy each of the Special Structural Inspection Certificate and Special Geotechnical Inspection Certificate is submitted when applicable. | IBC 1705 | structural general notes | Plan Review Checklist, Structural, items 1 and 12 |
| Deferred submittals | Structural notes must identify every deferred submittal item, such as joists, trusses or alternate stairs, and the roof framing plan must include the loading and reactions assumed for those deferred elements. | IBC 107.3.4.1, 107.3.4.2 | structural general notes; roof framing plan | Plan Review Checklist, Structural, items 1 and 4 |
| Sheet coordination | All engineers and architects involved in the design must seal their related sheets and details per the state Board of Technical Registration rules, and a code section cited only to justify a correction should not be copied onto the plan unless requested as a plan note. | — | all sheets; title blocks | Residential Plan Submittal Checklist, items 11 and 14 |
| Accessible route and entrances | Exterior accessible routes, entrances, and interior and multilevel routes (including platform lifts used as part of an accessible route) are reviewed against the accessible-route provisions of the building code and ICC A117.1. | IBC 1104.1-1104.5, 1105, 1110.11; ICC A117.1 Chapter 4 | site plan; accessible-route plan; floor plans | Accessibility Plan Review Checklist – Guideline, item 1 Accessible Routes |
| Structural calculations and signatures | General structural notes, sealed by an Arizona-registered structural or civil engineer, must state design dead and live loads, posted live loads for storage and parking garages, wind design data and exposure category, seismic design data and risk category, special loads, and material specifications. | IBC 1603, 106.1, 1607.7.5, 1603.1.4, 1604.5, 1603.1.5 | structural general notes | Plan Review Checklist, Structural, item 1 (IBC 1603 General Structural Notes) |
| Geotechnical report | Geotechnical information (soils class, allowable bearing pressure) must be referenced to the geotechnical investigation report or the code's default bearing-pressure table, and one sealed copy of the soil report from the geotechnical engineer of record is submitted. | IBC Table 1806.2 | structural general notes; geotechnical report | Plan Review Checklist, Structural, items 1 and 8 |
| Energy compliance | Mechanical drawings must demonstrate energy-conservation-code compliance for HVAC equipment, duct and pipe insulation, and controls/economizers. | IECC C403 | mechanical plans | Plan Review Checklist, Mechanical, 2024 IMC section |
| Green building | Phoenix's list of adopted codes keeps the International Green Construction Code available for voluntary use only, rather than mandating it the way the International Energy Conservation Code is mandated. | — | cover-sheet code list | Residential Plan Submittal Checklist, item 15 (list of adopted codes) |
| Plumbing fixture count | Plumbing drawings need a minimum plumbing fixture analysis sized from the code's occupant-load-based fixture tables, along with fixture specifications, backflow-prevention devices, and drain-waste-vent sizing isometrics. | IBC 2902.1, IBC Table 2902.1; UPC 422, 401-415, 603, 701, 801, 901 | plumbing floor plan; code analysis | Plan Review Checklist, UPC Plumbing |
| Fire sprinklers and alarms | Fire/smoke damper locations and specifications on the mechanical plan are checked against the mechanical and building codes, and duct smoke detectors on HVAC systems above 2,000 cfm must automatically shut the system down and provide audible/visual alarms and trouble lights. | IMC 606, 606.4, 607; IBC 717 | mechanical plans | Plan Review Checklist, Mechanical, page 2 |
| Site plan information | The site plan must show the lot's size and shape, dimensioned property lines, all buildings/structures and their separation from each other and the property lines, streets and alleys, a north arrow, standard and accessible parking counts with calculations, accessibility routes and ramps, and building area and height for each building on site. | — | site plan | Commercial Building Permit Submittal Checklist, Site Plan section |
Respond and resubmit
After a review cycle, only the corrected plan sheets need to be re-uploaded into ProjectDox, but each corrected file must keep the exact same file name as the original so the system versions it correctly (shown as V2, V3, etc.); a changed file name causes the resubmittal to be rejected. Source
Before completing the ProjectDox 'ApplicantResubmit' task, the applicant checks boxes acknowledging the state two-substantive-review limit, confirming every item listed in the changemarks section has been addressed, and confirming revised drawings (and any revised documents, under the same file names) have been uploaded. Source
The resubmittal task quotes Arizona state law, A.R.S. §9-836, effective December 31, 2012, which limits a jurisdiction to no more than two substantive plan reviews before it must approve and issue the permit or deny the plans and require the applicant to resubmit a revised or redesigned project as a separate submittal. Source
New files uploaded that were not part of the original submittal, or revisions that go beyond the scope of the requested corrections, can require additional plan review fees. Source
For post-permit plan revisions, building-plan sheets get their seal date updated and are clouded/deltaed to show what changed, with only the revised sheets, cover sheet and sheet index uploaded to the Drawings folder; civil, site and fire-plan revisions instead upload the complete plan set, also clouded to show the changed areas. Source
For non-electronic residential submittals, corrections and revisions are made on the original tracings rather than by redlining the final prints, and two clean corrected print sets are returned together with the redlined set; incomplete or uncoordinated corrections can delay approval. Source
Under the standard commercial process, if the first corrected resubmittal still needs further revisions, a third review round requires paying an additional review fee. Source
Official documents
Commercial construction submittals: project/owner/contractor information, site plan, general code data, architectural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, structural and other drawings
One- and two-family residential submittals: foundation, floor plan, elevations, framing, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, energy code, general notes, fees and special property designations
Structural drawings: general notes, foundation/floor/roof framing plans, calculations, geotechnical report, prefabricated metal buildings, post-tension slabs, special inspections
Mechanical drawings: HVAC layout, ventilation, exhaust systems, refrigeration, fire/smoke dampers, special inspection items
Plumbing drawings under the Uniform Plumbing Code: fixture analysis, water heating, backflow prevention, DWV sizing, and Aquifer Protection Permit 4.01 private sewage collection systems
Accessible routes, means of egress, toilet/bathing rooms, assembly and institutional/residential occupancies, storage, recreational facilities, existing-building alterations, parking and EV charging
Master index of Planning & Development's submittal and plan-review checklists by discipline: civil/grading, utilities, fire/life safety, elevators, plumbing/mechanical/electrical/structural, accessibility, landscaping, hillside, subdivision, signage and more
Before you submit
Upload the drawings with the 2024 Phoenix Building Construction Code PDFs that apply to the project. Groundbook compares the sheets with each other and with those references, and links each potential issue to its sources for your team to verify.
Look for incomplete information and conflicting requirements before the first plan check cycle.
Prepare for submissionCompare the stated design with the code and local references you supply.
Review against codesWhich code PDFs to bring, and how Groundbook uses them in a review.
Read the guideQuestions, answered
The 2024 Phoenix Building Construction Code, based on the 2024 IBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC and ISPSC plus the 2024 IPC/UPC and 2023 NEC, all with Phoenix amendments under Ordinance G-7397. It took effect August 1, 2025, and current plan-review checklists for accessibility, mechanical and UPC plumbing already cite it.
Start the application and pay the plan review fee through the EPR web portal / SHAPE PHX, then log into the separate ProjectDox system with the same email to upload the plan set and supporting documents, track reviewer changemarks, and complete the workflow tasks that move the project through review.
Published July 2026 goals (calendar days): commercial Major projects 45 days (30-day average), Medium 35 (33 average), Minor 25 (33 average); custom/standard residential plans 30 days (30 average); minor residential remodels/additions 20 days (24 average); plot plans 5 days (2 average). Correction-cycle reviews are typically a little shorter than the initial review.
Arizona state law (A.R.S. §9-836) limits a jurisdiction to two substantive plan reviews; after that Phoenix must approve or deny the permit, and any further redesign has to go back in as a new submittal. Corrected files are uploaded to ProjectDox under the exact same file name as the original so the system versions them, and the applicant must confirm every changemark item has been addressed before completing the resubmit task.
No. Groundbook surfaces potential conflicts and omissions in the drawings you upload, with links to the sources, for your team to verify before submitting. P&D reviews the application and makes every approval decision.
Official source directory
Current edition 2024 PBCC, effective August 1, 2025, adopted under Ordinance G-7397; lists every adopted model code and edition year plus the GFCI/HVAC enforcement deferral to March 1, 2027
SHAPE PHX portal description; department contact information; links to Electronic Plan Review and My Community Map
Describes the two-login EPR Web Portal / ProjectDox system and EPR Triage Team contact
Index of SHAPE PHX, PDD Online, PDD Maps, TRT documents, codes and ordinances, fees, and appeals resources
Rev. 06/25; site plan, general code data, architectural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, structural and other-drawing requirements for commercial permits
Rev. 11/25; 2024 IMC with Phoenix amendments; itemized mechanical plan-review checklist with code references
Rev. 08/26; 2024 IBC, 2024 IEBC, 2017 ICC A117.1; accessible routes, egress, occupancy-specific and existing-building items, EV charging
Rev. 7/13; structural notes, foundation/framing plans, calculations, geotechnical report, post-tension slabs, special inspections; IBC section numbers not updated to the current code cycle
Master alphabetical index of all P&D submittal/plan-review checklists by discipline
Describes the residential standard-plan review-once, permit-many-lots process and required submittal documents
Three-stage custom-home review process: completeness check, code-compliance review with pickup/correction/resubmit, permit issuance
Pre-application/site plan approval step before building plans are logged in; notes a third review requires an additional fee
Confirms commercial building permit applicability (3+ unit multifamily and non-residential) and directs to the EPR Web Portal
Links the Monthly Plan Review Turnaround Times report
Goal vs. average calendar-day figures by commercial/residential/civil/site-plan size category, dated July 2026
PEPR program overview: City Council-approved criteria, case-by-case evaluation, request-form process
Rev. 11/16; nine-step PEPR approval and scheduling process, two-business-day decision commitment
Routing table: which fire-related systems go to Planning & Development vs. Fire Prevention Division
General Fire Prevention overview page; did not yield detailed plan-review procedural content when fetched
Rev. 3/19; itemized residential plan requirements (foundation through general notes), adopted-code list (2018 cycle), processing times, fees, special designations
Rev. 11/18; post-permit revision process for building vs. civil/site/fire plans, clouding/deltas, sealed-date updates
Rev. 10/18; file-naming/versioning rules, ApplicantResubmit task steps, A.R.S. §9-836 two-substantive-review notice quoted in the task instructions
Rev. 08/25; 2024 UPC with Phoenix amendments; fixture analysis, water heating, DWV sizing, APP 4.01 private sewage collection requirements
Confirms the Development and Utility Coordination Division's role reviewing pre-application/preliminary site plans and utility construction permits
Confirms Water Services Department reviews and approves water/sewer plans against its own checklists
Confirms Planning & Zoning Division scope: rezoning, adjustments/variances, PUDs, General Plan Amendments, zoning verification letters
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Upload the drawing set with the code and local references that govern it. Groundbook links each potential issue to its sources for your team to verify.