Bolthole Index

Maricopa County, Arizona

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Glendale, Arizona

Glendale, Arizona writes its own zoning under its Unified Development Code1, and its Development Services office takes applications for building permits2. Septic permits inside city limits are not confirmed; Maricopa County Environmental Services runs them for unincorporated land3. Living in an RV is limited4, and camping is prohibited5.

At a glance

Zoning
Glendale sets its own zoning under its Unified Development Code1
Building permit
Applications go to Glendale Development Services; the homeowner, an architect or a licensed contractor may apply2
Building code
2024 International Residential Code, locally amended, for one- and two-family homes6
Septic
Not confirmed inside city limits; Maricopa County Environmental Services handles unincorporated land3
RV living
Limited: occupancy only in an authorized park or subdivision, or as otherwise authorized4
Camping
Prohibited on public and private land, with exceptions5
Minimum lot (A-1)
40 acres net lot area in the Agricultural District7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Glendale Development Services (Building Safety, Codes & Services)

Building permits and building safety inside Glendale city limits; counter assistance Monday to Friday

623-930-2800

5850 W. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85301

Building permits

Glendale Building Permits (application process)

How to apply for a building permit and submit plans electronically

Septic permits

Maricopa County Environmental Services - Onsite Wastewater Program

Onsite wastewater (septic) applications, Construction Authorizations and final inspections for unincorporated Maricopa County; ask them whether an address inside Glendale falls under their program

602-506-6666

septicquestions@maricopa.gov

Online permits →

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 Glendale means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Glendale, Arizona have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Yes. Glendale administers its own Unified Development Code and zoning districts for land inside city limits1. The code publishes the Agricultural (A-1) district and residential district standards8.

In the A-1 Agricultural District, the minimum net lot area is 40 acres7, with front, side and rear setbacks of 75, 50 and 50 feet9. Some older parcels that fall short of the minimum get alternative setback rules9.

RVs are limited. An RV placed on a lot must be onsite fewer than 180 consecutive days, or be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet the city's permit, elevation and anchoring requirements4. Occupying an RV is separately prohibited outside an authorized park or subdivision4. Camping on public or private land is unlawful, except that owners and their family may camp on their own private property5.

Manufactured homes may be occupied only in a park, a subdivision or as otherwise authorized, and a home under 600 square feet may not be used as a dwelling in a manufactured-home subdivision10. We could not confirm how Glendale treats tiny homes; ask Development Services at 623-930-280011.

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

Glendale takes building permit applications through its own Development Services office; the homeowner, an architect or a licensed contractor may apply2. Glendale has adopted the 2024 International Residential Code, locally amended, for one- and two-family dwellings inside the city6.

We could not confirm the full residential permit rule, inspection rule or certificate-of-occupancy rule from the city's code, so confirm with Development Services before you start work. The city reviews drawings against the zoning ordinance and the building codes2.

Maricopa County's building permit rules cover unincorporated land only, not addresses inside Glendale12.

Who is the Glendale building department, and how do you reach it?

Building permits inside Glendale come from the city's Development Services office, not the county. The office lists its counter at 5850 W. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85301, with phone 623-930-2800 and counter assistance Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.11.

Plans go in by email for electronic review: the city asks for a completed permit application, construction drawings and calculations, combined into one PDF where possible2.

How do septic permits work in Glendale, Arizona?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits for an address inside Glendale city limits. In unincorporated Maricopa County, the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department's Onsite Wastewater Program handles septic permits3, and Glendale's city rules do not change that for county land.

If a lot inside Glendale is not on city sewer, call the Onsite Wastewater Program at 602-506-6666 or septicquestions@maricopa.gov and ask whether the address falls under their program13. Soil matters: about 28% of soils in Maricopa County rate "not limited" for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system14.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Glendale?

Living in an RV on your own lot inside Glendale is tightly limited. The city allows occupancy of an RV or manufactured home only in a mobile/manufactured-home park, a mobile/manufactured-home subdivision or as otherwise authorized10. An RV may be onsite fewer than 180 consecutive days, or be fully licensed and ready for highway use, but occupying it is a separate matter4.

Camping is a Class 3 misdemeanor if it is not excepted, though owners and their family may camp on their own private property5.

We could not confirm any Glendale rule on tiny homes. The county's rules for unincorporated land do not apply inside city limits15.

Building a home in Glendale: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district with Development Services; the A-1 Agricultural District has different standards than residential districts8.
  2. Check setbacks and lot size for that district9.
  3. Prepare drawings; the city reviews them against the zoning ordinance and building codes2.
  4. Email the application, drawings and calculations for electronic review2.
  5. Confirm septic or sewer with the Onsite Wastewater Program if the lot is not on city sewer13.
  6. Plan a dustproof driveway connecting the street to all required parking spaces16.
  7. Ask Development Services which inspections and certificate of occupancy apply; we could not confirm the full rules11.

What stays with Maricopa County, and what to check before you buy in Glendale

Land outside Glendale city limits falls under Maricopa County's rules; see the Maricopa County page for unincorporated land. The Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance covers unincorporated areas only17.

Before buying, check flood hazards: new subdivisions and developments over 50 lots or 5 acres, whichever is lesser, must identify flood-hazard areas and base flood elevations18. Drilling any new well in Arizona requires a Notice of Intent to Drill filed with the Arizona Department of Water Resources19.

Maricopa County's effective property tax rate is 0.5%20, with a median bill of $1,965 per year21.

Watch-outs

  • Maricopa County's building, zoning and septic rules apply to unincorporated land, not to addresses inside Glendale city limits22.
  • We could not confirm Glendale's residential permit, inspection, certificate-of-occupancy, owner-builder or septic rules inside city limits; call Development Services at 623-930-280011.
  • Occupying an RV or manufactured home in Glendale is prohibited outside an authorized park or subdivision10.

Sources

  1. Glendale Unified Development Code, Agricultural District Development Standards (Glendale), quoted and re-checked
  2. Glendale Building Permits (application process) (glendaleaz.gov)
  3. Site Investigation and Soils Evaluation for an On-Site Wastewater Treatment Facility Instructions (2026 county census)
  4. Glendale City Code, Standards for recreational vehicles (Glendale), quoted and re-checked
  5. Glendale City Code, Camping prohibited; exceptions (Glendale), quoted and re-checked
  6. Glendale City Code, Amendments to the 2024 International Residential Code (Glendale), quoted and re-checked
  7. Glendale Unified Development Code, Agricultural District Development Standards (Glendale), quoted and re-checked
  8. Glendale Unified Development Code, Agricultural District Development Standards (Glendale), quoted and re-checked
  9. Glendale Unified Development Code, Agricultural District Development Standards (Glendale), quoted and re-checked
  10. Glendale Unified Development Code, Mobile/Manufactured Home Overlay (Glendale), quoted and re-checked
  11. City of Glendale Development Services (Building Safety, Codes & Services) (glendaleaz.gov)
  12. Permitting Services, quoted and re-checked
  13. Maricopa County Environmental Services - Onsite Wastewater Program (swm.maricopa.gov)
  14. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  15. Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  16. Glendale City Code, Parking on residential lots (Glendale), quoted and re-checked
  17. Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance Update, quoted and re-checked
  18. Glendale City Code, Additional development standards, including subdivisions (Glendale), quoted and re-checked
  19. Permitting and Wells Overview, quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance Update, 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 Glendale

Glendale’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    One- and two-family dwellings inside Glendale city limits.

    • The 2024 International Residential Code is locally amended by Glendale.
    “The International Residential Code, 2024 Edition is amended in the following respects:”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Glendale city limits; Glendale administers its own Unified Development Code and zoning districts.

    “the following development standards identified in table 2.100-2 apply to all principal uses and structures in the agricultural district, except as otherwise expressly stated in this code.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Glendale city limits, including the A-1 Agricultural District and residential districts referenced by the Unified Development Code.

    • The opened code publishes district standards and the City's official zoning service publishes zoning layers.
    • The complete residential district schedule was not included in the selected code excerpts.
    “table 2.200-2: rural/suburban residence districts development standards”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Mobile/manufactured-home subdivisions inside Glendale city limits.

    • The minimum applies to a mobile/manufactured home used as a dwelling in a mobile/manufactured-home subdivision.

    minimum dwelling size: >= 600 square feet (Mobile/manufactured homes in mobile/manufactured-home subdivisions.)

    “no mobile/manufactured home containing less than six hundred (600) square feet shall be used as a dwelling.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed or occupied on land inside Glendale city limits.

    • An RV must be onsite for fewer than 180 consecutive days; or be fully licensed and ready for highway use; or meet Section 17-28 permit requirements and the elevation and anchoring requirements for manufactured homes in Section 17-47.
    • Separately, occupancy of an RV is prohibited except in an authorized mobile/manufactured-home park, mobile/manufactured-home subdivision, or as otherwise authorized.

    maximum consecutive onsite period: < 180 days (Does not apply if the RV is fully licensed and ready for highway use or meets the cited permit, elevation, and anchoring requirements.)

    “all recreational vehicles that are placed on site shall: (1) be onsite for fewer than one hundred eighty (180) consecutive days; or (2) be fully licensed and ready for highway use.”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Camping on public or private land inside Glendale city limits.

    • Private-property owners and their family members may camp on private property for their own private use and enjoyment.
    • City-approved special events, special-use permits, other permissions, qualifying stadium or arena parking-lot camping of 24 hours or less, and government emergency or disaster camps are excepted.
    • Violation is a Class 3 Misdemeanor.

    stadium or arena parking-lot exception: <= 24 hours (Only for qualifying stadium or arena parking lots.)

    “It shall be unlawful for any person to camp upon any public or private land, whether or not such camping takes place in a motor vehicle.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile/manufactured-home occupancy inside Glendale city limits.

    • Occupancy is limited to a mobile/manufactured-home park, mobile/manufactured-home subdivision, or other authorization.
    • Mobile/manufactured-home parks and subdivisions must satisfy the overlay's development standards.
    • A mobile/manufactured home under 600 square feet may not be used as a dwelling in a mobile/manufactured-home subdivision.

    minimum mobile/manufactured-home dwelling size: >= 600 square feet (Applies to mobile/manufactured-home subdivisions.)

    “No person shall occupy any mobile/manufactured home or recreational vehicle in the city except in a mobile/manufactured home park, a mobile/manufactured home subdivision or as authorized otherwise.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Residential lots inside Glendale city limits.

    • If public-street access is through an alley, the alley and driveway must be dustproof.
    • The driveway connects the public street or private drive to all required parking spaces.
    “All residential lots shall provide a dustproof driveway between a public street or private drive and all required parking spaces. If access to a public street is provided via an alley, the alley and driveway shall be a dustproof surface.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    New subdivision proposals and other proposed developments inside Glendale city limits meeting the Section 17-46 threshold.

    • The development must identify flood-hazard areas and base flood elevations.
    • Plans must identify structure and pad elevations.
    • Development must minimize flood damage, place utilities to minimize flood damage, and provide adequate drainage.

    threshold: greater than 50 lots or 5 acres, whichever is lesser

    “All new subdivision proposals and other proposed developments (including proposals for manufactured home parks and subdivisions), greater than fifty (50) lots or five (5) acres, whichever is the lesser, shall:”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Planning and development applications inside Glendale city limits.

    • Fees are established by City Council resolution or Glendale City Code Chapter 2, Article I, section 2-3.
    • Fees are due at the time of application or submission.
    • The City or City Councilmembers acting officially are exempt from fees required by the UDC.
    “fees for all services as required by this ordinance, including, but not limited to, rezoning, text amendments, use permits, variances, design review, interpretations, and administrative reviews, shall be in the amount established by resolution of the city council or pursuant to glendale city code chapter 2, article i, section 2-3.”

Rules another office applies inside Glendale

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

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    A-1 Agricultural District inside Glendale city limits.

    • The cited table applies to principal uses and structures in the Agricultural District except as otherwise expressly stated in the Code.

    minimum net lot area: >= 40 acres

    “net lot area (acres) lot width (feet) [1] front (feet) side (feet) rear (feet) a-1 40 n/a 75 50 50 10 30”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    A-1 Agricultural District inside Glendale city limits.

    • The table provides front, side, and rear setbacks; special exceptions apply to certain older parcels that do not meet minimum lot area.
    • For specified older parcels, the Code provides alternative front, side, and rear setback rules.

    front setback: 75 feet (Subject to the parcel-age exceptions in Note 3.) · side setback: 50 feet (Subject to the parcel-age exceptions in Note 3.) · rear setback: 50 feet (Subject to the parcel-age exceptions in Note 3.)

    “a-1 40 n/a 75 50 50 10 30 notes: [1] lot width is measured at front setback”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permit requirement for residential construction inside Glendale city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for construction inside Glendale city limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Glendale city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate-of-occupancy requirement inside Glendale city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Glendale city limits.
5 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Agricultural exemption

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 Glendale publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Maricopa County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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