Tucson building & ADU permits
Recent permit activity, updated continuously.
Tucson, in southern Arizona and home to the University of Arizona, falls under the state's 2024 ADU and middle-housing reforms. Its residential feed carries a structured 'Residential ADU – Casitas' work class, which Igni reads directly to flag accessory-dwelling permits, crediting the City of Tucson as requested.
Igni is tracking 3,395 residential and building permits in Tucson, AZ — including 60 classified accessory-dwelling-unit (ADU) filings. The most active ZIP is 85711. The most recent filing Igni tracked was Nov 1, 2026. All records come from City of Tucson PDSD (ArcGIS), an official government open-data feed, and are refreshed continuously.
3395
Permits tracked
60
ADU permits
18
Distinct ZIP codes
Nov 1, 2026
Newest permit
Recent permits
A sample of the freshest permits in this jurisdiction — ZIP and city only (no street addresses).
| ZIP | Permit type | ADU type | Valuation | Applied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85712 | Residential | — | $0 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| 85719 | Residential | — | $5,000 | Nov 1, 2026 |
| 85711 | Residential | — | $0 | Nov 1, 2026 |
| 85719 | Residential | — | $0 | Nov 1, 2026 |
| 85747 | Residential | — | $0 | Oct 28, 2026 |
| 85719 | Residential | — | $0 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85705 | Residential | — | $0 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85716 | Residential | — | $1,000 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85712 | Residential | — | $26,614 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85710 | Residential | — | $0 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85719 | Residential | — | $24,764 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85714 | Residential | — | $9,142 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85712 | Residential | — | $22,434 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85711 | Residential | — | $23,880 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85711 | Residential | — | $22,733 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85705 | Residential | — | $0 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85719 | Residential | — | $5,750 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85710 | Residential | — | $18,174 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85711 | Residential | — | $0 | Oct 30, 2026 |
| 85714 | Residential | — | $60,000 | Oct 30, 2026 |
Top ZIP codes by recent activity
ADU types in the recent set
Permit activity in Tucson
Igni counted 4,747 permits issued in Tucson over the last 12 months (Nov 2025 – Oct 2026).
The source's volume stepped up around August 2025 (×1.8) — likely a change in what the city publishes, so we don't compare year over year across it.
Not enough history for a seasonal forecast yet. How we forecast
| Permit type | Last 12 months | Year over year |
|---|---|---|
| All permits | 4,747 | —* |
| Residential building | 1,572 | —* |
| Commercial building | 0 | —* |
| Trade (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) | 3,175 | —* |
| ADU | 119 | —* |
* No year-over-year figure: the source's volume for this permit type stepped up within the last two years — likely a change in what the city publishes — so the two 12-month windows are not comparable.
Monthly figures
| Month | Permits | 10th–90th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2023 | 328 | — |
| Dec 2023 | 258 | — |
| Jan 2024 | 364 | — |
| Feb 2024 | 281 | — |
| Mar 2024 | 314 | — |
| Apr 2024 | 358 | — |
| May 2024 | 310 | — |
| Jun 2024 | 315 | — |
| Jul 2024 | 286 | — |
| Aug 2024 | 262 | — |
| Sep 2024 | 209 | — |
| Oct 2024 | 187 | — |
| Nov 2024 | 173 | — |
| Dec 2024 | 148 | — |
| Jan 2025 | 232 | — |
| Feb 2025 | 214 | — |
| Mar 2025 | 195 | — |
| Apr 2025 | 291 | — |
| May 2025 | 258 | — |
| Jun 2025 | 260 | — |
| Jul 2025 | 301 | — |
| Aug 2025 | 357 | — |
| Sep 2025 | 442 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 461 | — |
| Nov 2025 | 402 | — |
| Dec 2025 | 388 | — |
| Jan 2026 | 274 | — |
| Feb 2026 | 282 | — |
| Mar 2026 | 333 | — |
| Apr 2026 | 403 | — |
| May 2026 | 348 | — |
| Jun 2026 | 409 | — |
| Jul 2026 | 435 | — |
| Aug 2026 | 406 | — |
| Sep 2026 | 492 | — |
| Oct 2026 | 575 | — |
Counts are permits issued per calendar month as Tucson publishes them to its open-data feed — not a complete census; a change in what the city publishes moves them too. The current month is left out, and the most recent months are provisional. A forecast is a statistical estimate with a range, not a prediction for any project. Informational only.
How long do permits take in Tucson?
Based on 9,398 Tucson permits applied for between Nov 2023 and Aug 2026, the typical (median) permit was issued 14 days after application, and the middle half of permits took 4–50 days. One in ten took longer than 193 days.
| Permit type | Median | Typical range | Permits |
|---|---|---|---|
| All permits | 14 days | 4–50 days | 9,398 |
| Residential building | 51 days | 20–148 days | 3,543 |
| Trade (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) | 5 days | 2–18 days | 5,855 |
| ADU | 169 days | 82–302 days | 235 |
Typical, not guaranteed: individual permits vary with project scope, application completeness and plan-review workload. Days are calendar days from application to issuance; applications still pending are counted as not-yet-issued rather than dropped. Informational only, not legal advice. How we calculate approval times.
Housing law — Arizona
Arizona's HB 2720 (2024) requires municipalities with more than 75,000 residents to permit at least one accessory dwelling unit on lots where single-family homes are allowed; cities that did not adopt conforming rules by January 1, 2025 must allow ADUs on all residential lots.
Arizona's HB 2721 (2024) requires cities over 75,000 to allow 'middle housing' — duplexes through fourplexes and townhomes — by right near central business districts, with compliance by January 1, 2026. A separate 'Starter Homes Act' did not become law (vetoed in 2024, stalled in 2025).
Tucson ADU rules
Tucson allows accessory dwelling units — locally branded 'casitas' — across its residential zones, and the Mayor and Council adopted amendments on October 22, 2024 (effective November 21, 2024) that align the city's rules with Arizona's House Bill 2720. The update increased the number of ADUs allowed per lot, changed how maximum size is calculated, adjusted height limits and setbacks, and removed minimum-parking requirements.
A Tucson casita is generally capped at 75 percent of the primary dwelling's gross floor area, up to a maximum of 1,000 square feet; importantly, every qualifying lot may build an ADU of at least 650 square feet regardless of the main home's size. Consistent with HB 2720, the city may not require additional off-street parking or impose an owner-occupancy mandate, and setbacks are limited by state law. Casitas may be detached, attached, or conversions of existing space, and because state law caps how restrictive local rules can be, a casita's height and setback standards are no more limiting than those for a single-family home in the same zone.
To make building easier, Tucson runs a 'Casitas in Tucson' program with permit-ready and pre-approved plan resources that help homeowners shorten design and review time. A code-compliant casita is approved administratively through the building permit rather than a discretionary hearing.
This is an informational summary — verify current rules with the city's planning/permitting department; not legal advice.
See also: Arizona ADU law and what is an ADU?
Data source
Sourced from City of Tucson PDSD (ArcGIS). Public records (credit: City of Tucson).
Nearby cities — Arizona
Learn more about ADUs & building permits
Background reading on accessory dwelling units, building permits, and how Igni turns Tucson permit records into leads.
Tucson permit data — FAQ
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Does Tucson allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs)?
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Informational only, not legal advice. Headline counts reflect all permits Igni has tracked for this jurisdiction; the table shows recent activity. Housing law changes — verify current statutes before relying on this.