(The Center Square) — A new analysis finds that Arizona’s building permit process is adding significant time to construction and improvement projects statewide.
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A report released by Common Sense Institute Arizona shows that completing the building permit process adds an average of 23 days to a project’s timeline.
Researchers examined nearly 3 million building permit records across Arizona’s 106 permitting jurisdictions, according to Glenn Farley, CSI’s director of policy and research.
The data focuses primarily on improvement permits — such as permits required to repair or replace existing property components — rather than new construction permits, Farley told The Center Square.
The brief found that for every extra day it takes to obtain a permit, an additional four days are added to the overall project timeline.
According to the report, the fastest 25% of Arizona jurisdictions complete permit approvals in five days, while the slowest jurisdictions take more than 16 days.
Arizona has “tremendous variance” in permitting requirements, Farley said.
The differences span multiple areas, including who is required to obtain a permit, how long approvals take and how much applicants must pay in fees. Nearly half of Arizonans, the report noted, are not required to obtain permits for certain replacements, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, roofs or water heaters.
The variance “speaks to the opportunity for policymakers at the state Legislature to improve things by setting some standards and establishing some consistency across” Arizona’s permit-issuing jurisdictions, Farley said.
He added that rural counties generally process permits more slowly than urban counties.
The brief stated that 65% of Arizona’s permitting jurisdictions cover less than 0.5% of the state’s population. Farley noted this is not unexpected, as urban jurisdictions often have more staff and larger budgets to handle permit requests efficiently.
However, one notable exception is Pima County. The report found that in Pima County, both the time required to obtain permits and to complete projects has tripled over the past 20 years.
Permit fees also vary widely depending on where residents live. According to the report, costs range from approximately $200 to more than $600.
”There's a correlation between how long it takes to get a permit and how long it takes to complete a project," Farley said. "If it takes longer to get a permit, it's gonna take you longer to complete a project."
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The added time and costs affect more than just contractors. Builders, property owners, subcontractors and municipalities all experience downstream impacts from extended permitting timelines, Farley said.
Longer approval periods can delay housing improvements, postpone commercial upgrades and increase overall project costs due to labor scheduling disruptions and extended financing timelines. In a state experiencing continued population growth and housing demand, such delays may also influence broader construction capacity.
The findings raise questions about whether statewide permitting standards could improve efficiency while maintaining local control. Policymakers could examine whether standardizing certain permit categories or timelines would reduce inconsistencies without undermining safety or inspection quality.
For now, the report highlights a clear trend: permitting timelines are not uniform across Arizona, and where a project is located can significantly shape both its cost and completion schedule.
Originally reported by Zachery Schmidt | The Center Square contributor in The Center Square.
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