Bolthole Index

Gila County, Arizona

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Globe, Arizona

The City of Globe, in Gila County, Arizona, divides land into zoning districts under its own city code1, and its Building Safety Department runs plan review, building permits and inspections2. Living in an RV inside Globe is unlawful beyond five days unless the zone specifically allows it3. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside city limits; Gila County issues them elsewhere in the county4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: city-adopted districts, set by Globe's own code15
Building permit
Issued by the City of Globe's Building Safety Department2
RV living
Five days, then unlawful unless the zone allows it; a City Hall permit can add 14 days, 38 days a year in total3
Manufactured homes
Allowed in the MHS district and the R1-MH overlay; barred in R1-6 and R1-9 outside the overlay6
Minimum home size (R1-MH)
940 square feet of livable space and 20 feet wide7
Septic
Gila County issues septic permits on delegated state authority; inside Globe, ask the county wastewater office4

Who to call

Building permits

City of Globe Building Safety Department

Plan review, building permits and inspections inside Globe city limits

928-425-7146

150 North Pine Street, Globe, AZ 85501

Online permits →

Septic permits

Gila County Wastewater Division

Septic permits, inspections and soils testing for Gila County; confirm with this office whether it covers a lot inside Globe

928-474-9276

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Globe means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Globe, Arizona have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and manufactured homes?

Yes. The City of Globe divides land inside city limits into zoning districts, from open space to residential, commercial and overlay districts5. The rural residential district, R1-43, allows one acre per dwelling unit5.

Manufactured homes depend on the district. Globe's MHS district allows manufactured or modular homes on individually owned lots6. The R1-6 and R1-9 districts prohibit them unless the lot sits in an R1-MH overlay zone6. In the R1-MH overlay, a manufactured home needs at least 940 square feet of livable space and a width of at least 20 feet7, on a lot of at least 3,000 square feet8, and buildings top out at 26 feet9.

We could not confirm a Globe rule for tiny homes or accessory dwelling units, so ask the Building Safety Department before you plan one.

Do you need a building permit in Globe, and who issues it?

Globe's Building Safety Department handles plan review, permits and inspections inside city limits, and the department says its staff will explain whether a project needs a building permit, plan review, inspections and zoning approval2. Call 928-425-7146 or apply through the city's online portal2.

In the R1-MH overlay, a building permit is required before a manufactured home is built or installed10, and nobody may occupy the home until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy11. We could not confirm which building code edition Globe has adopted or an owner-builder exemption, so confirm both with the department.

These are city rules. Land outside city limits falls under Gila County, where unincorporated parcels have a separate building office.

Can you live in an RV in Globe, Arizona?

Only briefly. Staying in an RV, motorhome, travel trailer or mobile home inside Globe for more than five days is unlawful unless the zone specifically permits it3. A permit from City Hall can allow a motorhome or travel trailer to camp on private property for an additional 14 days, and the annual total is 38 days3. Camping on private property also requires written permission from the owner or tenant12.

Inside an RV park, a stay is limited to less than three years unless a hardship conditional-use process applies3. An RV in a flood-hazard area can stay fewer than 180 consecutive days only if it is licensed and ready for highway use13. Globe is not the place for a long-term RV homestead; the county's rural districts follow different rules.

How do septic permits work in Globe?

Arizona's environmental agency delegates septic permitting to counties, and Gila County issues permits on its behalf4. Septic inspections and soils testing are done by county staff14. We could not confirm whether any city rule or the county covers a lot inside Globe, so call the Gila County Wastewater Division before buying a lot without sewer service.

When a home served by a septic system changes hands in Arizona, the seller must hire a certified inspector within six months of the sale15. Wells are a separate matter: a water well outside an Active Management Area requires a Notice of Intention to Drill filed with the state water department16.

Building a home in Globe: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district for your lot, and whether it falls in an R1-MH overlay, with the city5.
  2. Call the Building Safety Department on 928-425-7146 to learn what permits and plan review your project needs2.
  3. Submit plans for review and obtain the building permit before work starts2.
  4. Request inspections as work proceeds2.
  5. For a manufactured home in the overlay, obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in11.
  6. Call the Gila County Wastewater Division if the lot is not on sewer14.

Watch-outs

  • City rules apply only inside Globe; unincorporated land around the city is governed by the county's own zoning and building rules17.
  • We could not confirm Globe's permit fees, driveway rules or short-term-rental rules; ask the Building Safety Department2.
  • Short RV stays are tightly limited inside city limits: five days, plus a City Hall permit for up to 14 more3.

Sources

  1. Globe Code, Sec. 14-4-1, Establishment of zoning districts (Globe), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Globe Building Safety Department (globeaz.gov)
  3. Globe Code, Sec. 16-1-3, Location of mobile homes (Globe), quoted and re-checked
  4. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Facility, quoted and re-checked
  5. Globe Code, Sec. 14-4-1, Establishment of zoning districts (Globe), quoted and re-checked
  6. Globe Code, Sec. 14-5-5, Manufactured Home Subdivision District (Globe), quoted and re-checked
  7. Globe Code, Sec. 14-5-16, Manufactured Home Overlay District (Globe), quoted and re-checked
  8. Globe Code, Sec. 14-5-16, Manufactured Home Overlay District (Globe), quoted and re-checked
  9. Globe Code, Sec. 14-5-16, Manufactured Home Overlay District (Globe), quoted and re-checked
  10. Globe Code, Sec. 14-5-16, Manufactured Home Overlay District (Globe), quoted and re-checked
  11. Globe Code, Sec. 14-5-16, Manufactured Home Overlay District (Globe), quoted and re-checked
  12. Globe Code, Sec. 16-1-17, Camping (Globe), quoted and re-checked
  13. Globe Code, Sec. 12-8-6, Standards for recreational vehicles (Globe), quoted and re-checked
  14. Gila County Wastewater Division (gilacountyaz.gov)
  15. Inspection and Notice of Transfer, quoted and re-checked
  16. NOI Drill Card Application, quoted and re-checked
  17. Gila County Board of Supervisors agenda, December 18, 2018, quoted and re-checked

Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Globe

Globe’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Globe city limits.

    • District-specific use and development controls apply.
    “In order to classify, regulate, restrict and separate the uses of land, buildings and structures [...] the city is hereby divided into the following districts:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Globe city limits.

    • The ordinance lists open-space, residential, commercial, and overlay zoning districts.
    “(a) open space district: os open space district (b) residential districts: r1-43 rural zoning district—one acre per dwelling unit”
  • Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

    RV, motorhome, travel-trailer, and mobile-home occupancy inside Globe city limits.

    • More than five days is unlawful unless specifically permitted in a zone for that use.
    • A City Hall permit may allow motorhome and travel-trailer camping on private property for an additional 14 days; the annual total is 38 days.
    • In an RV park, a stay is under three years unless the stated hardship conditional-use process applies.

    initial occupancy period: > 5 days (Prohibited beyond five days unless a stated exception applies) · private-property permit extension: 14 days (Motorhomes and travel trailers; City Hall permit) · annual private-property camping maximum: 38 days per year · RV-park temporary period: < 3 years (May be extended once by conditional use permit for bona fide hardship)

    “the total number of days allowed for camping on any private property is 38 days in a year.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping inside Globe city limits.

    • Municipal-property camping requires a specifically designated and posted area or a special-event permit.
    • Private-property camping requires written permission from the owner or lawful tenant.
    • Camping in waterways subject to flooding is prohibited.
    • Trailers, campers, and RVs remain subject to Sec. 16-1-3.
    “no person shall camp on private property, unless that person has in his or her possession written permission from the property owner or lawful tenant of that property.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured or modular homes inside Globe city limits.

    • MHS permits manufactured or modular homes for single-family residence.
    • R1-MH permits multi-sectional manufactured or modular homes as single-family homes subject to its standards.
    • R1-6 and R1-9 prohibit manufactured homes unless in a designated R1-MH Overlay Zone.
    “The MHS District provides for the placement and occupancy of manufactured or modular homes for residential purposes on individually owned lots.”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed on site under Globe's flood-hazard provisions.

    • The RV may be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days only if fully licensed and ready for highway use.
    • Otherwise it must meet Sec. 12-7-4 permit requirements and manufactured-home elevation and anchoring requirements.

    on-site period: < 180 consecutive days (Fully licensed and ready for highway use)

    “All recreational vehicles placed on site will either: A. Be on site for fewer than 180 consecutive days, and be fully licensed and ready for highway use [...] or B. Meet the permit requirements of Section 12-7-4 of this Chapter and the elevation and anchoring requirements for manufactured homes in Section 12-8-5.”

Rules another office applies inside Globe

Globe does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building permitRequired

    Manufactured or modular homes in Globe's R1-MH Manufactured Home Overlay District.

    • Permit is required before construction or installation.
    • The section requires a certificate of occupancy before occupation.
    “(d) additional requirements for manufactured home installation/construction. (1) a building permit shall be required prior to commenc”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Structures and homes authorized under Globe Code Sec. 14-5-16 in the R1-MH Overlay District.

    • Construction or installation must fully comply with applicable codes and the section before occupation.
    “(3) no structure or home authorized in this section may be occupied or inhabited until such time as the building official has issued a "certificate of occupancy" certifying that the construction and/or installation has fully complied with all applicable codes and all provisions of this section.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Manufactured homes in Globe's R1-MH Manufactured Home Overlay District.

    • Applies to MH erected or maintained pursuant to Sec. 14-5-16.
    • Carports and porch areas are excluded from livable-space measurement.

    minimum livable space: >= 940 square feet (Carports and porch areas excluded) · minimum width: >= 20 feet

    “(4) no mh shall be erected or maintained within the city pursuant to this section which has a livable space of less than 940 square feet or width of less than 20 feet, excluding carports and porch areas.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots within Globe's R1-MH Manufactured Home Overlay District.

    minimum lot area: >= 3000 square feet

    “(1) lot area. lots within the r1-mh zoning district shall have a minimum area of 3,000 square feet.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in Globe's R1-MH Manufactured Home Overlay District.

    • Measurement begins with the main-floor level.

    maximum height: <= 26 feet (Beginning with the main floor level)

    “(4) maximum height. twenty-six feet beginning with the main floor level.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Manufactured or modular home subdivisions in Globe's MHS District.

    • Applies to MHS subdivisions.
    • The section contains lot dimensions, setbacks, utilities, access, and parking standards.

    minimum development area: >= 10 acres (Manufactured or modular home subdivision)

    “Development Area. Minimum area for a manufactured or modular home subdivision shall be ten acres.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Globe or Gila County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Construction inside Globe city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Buildings inside Globe city limits.
  • Inspections — Building work inside Globe city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Land inside Globe city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Globe city limits.
11 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Globe publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Gila County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Gila County: county rules, score and offices