Pinal County Ends Building Permits and Inspections Inside San Tan Valley Town Limits Nov. 1
This builds on earlier community-news coverage of the Town's incorporation, San Tan Valley Incorporates.
The Change
Pinal County will stop handling building plan review, permits and inspections for properties in the Town of San Tan Valley on Nov. 1, 2026. The county's Development Services department announced the change Oct. 1. The change covers plan review, permitting, inspections, final sign-off and the certificate of occupancy. New applications go to the Town.
What Stays With the County
Plans submitted to the county before Nov. 1 will be processed until complete, per the county notice. The Town's staff report says the Town has not asked to take over those projects. The change applies only inside town limits. Pinal County still issues building permits in the unincorporated part of the San Tan Valley area.
What the Town Is Doing
The Town's staff report for its Oct. 7 Council meeting says new building submittals go to the Town starting Nov. 1 and that its permitting system is operational. Consultants will help with plan review and inspections under contracts the Council already approved. On Oct. 7 the Council adopted a resolution, on its consent agenda, ratifying the Town Manager's Sept. 29 notice ending the Town's agreement with the county and setting the Nov. 1 date.
How We Got Here
Since July 1 the Town has handled zoning, right-of-way, engineering and sign permits within its limits, while building permits stayed with the county. That meant a Town zoning clearance first, then a county building permit. Earlier guidance said the county would keep building permits through the end of 2026.
Building Code Timeline (per the staff report)
Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026: applicants may submit new plans under either the Pinal County building code the Town adopted or the Town's own technical codes. Starting Jan. 1, 2027: new applications must follow the Town Code. Plans using Pinal County-approved Standard Plans may keep using the county code until March 1, 2027.
Open Questions
The county notice does not say where applicants go next; the Town's staff report does. As of Oct. 8 the Town had not posted step-by-step instructions for Nov. 1 submittals, and no fee amounts for the new process were reported. SanTanValley.com says it will update its story once the Town publishes its process.
Contacts: Town of San Tan Valley, 623-462-5650 (projects inside town limits). Pinal County Building & Safety, 520-866-6405 (plans already with the county).
Source: SanTanValley.com, Oct. 11, 2026.
From Brian
Starting Nov. 1, anyone pulling a building permit inside San Tan Valley town limits applies to the Town, not Pinal County, whether you own here now or are about to. Projects already filed with the county stay there.