Did you just get two different new pool construction bids? One bid had a charge for permits and the other didn't. Our pool permits a valid cost of building a new pool?
Pool permit costs in Arizona aren't set by the state. Every city sets its own fee structure, and some calculate fees based on your project's estimated value. Your actual permit cost will depend on the city you live in.
At Shasta, we've been pulling permits and building pools since 1966. In 2025, we utilized 377 pool permits across every Arizona city we service. Our service area covers the entire Phoenix metro valley. We receive permits for building pools in Chandler, Mesa, Scottsdale, Gilbert, and 10 more Phoenix cities.
This article lists what pool permits cost in the cities we serve. We share which cities have flat fees and which cities use total construction value to calculate. By the end, you'll know the correct permit fee for your city.
Table of Contents
- Pool Permit Costs by City in Arizona
- Why Pool Permit Costs Are Different in Every Arizona City?
- How Arizona Cities Calculate Pool Permit Fees?
- How Shasta Handles Permits So You Don't Have To?
Pool Permit Costs by City in Arizona
Pool permit fees in Arizona are not set by the state. Every city runs its own fee structure. Some charge a flat fee. Some calculate based on your pool's square footage. Most use a valuation-based formula tied to the estimated cost of your project.
These figures are estimates based on an example pool project valued at $75,000. Your actual permit fee may vary depending on your pool's final construction cost. The data is calculated from each city's municipal fees and permit tables.
Central Phoenix
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Phoenix — $743
East Valley
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Scottsdale — $676
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Mesa — $700
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Gilbert — $625
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Chandler — $182
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Tempe — $1,388
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Queen Creek — $650
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San Tan Valley — $625
West Valley
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Glendale — $670
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Peoria — $680
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Surprise — $650
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Goodyear — $650
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Buckeye — $625
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Maricopa — $600
Why Pool Permit Costs Are Different in Every Arizona City?
Most homeowners assume permit fees are standard. They're not.
Phoenix charges a minimum of $180 plus a $30 aquatics surcharge. The total fees is based on your project's valuation. Next, Scottsdale uses a square footage formula. Basically, $0.61 per square foot of pool surface, plus a $237 base fee and a $195 planning inspection fee. Although, Chandler keeps it simpler with a flat $110 residential pool permit fee.
The permit fee is a city charge. It is set by your municipality and paid to the government. If one quote leaves it out, the cost will show up later.
Pool Licensing Fees
"And I guess when we're car shopping what we're used to doing, we expect those licensing fees and all that kind of stuff. Well, construction has them too, and they're all different depending on what you're being dealt with in your backyard." — James Arrowwood, Pool Designer, Shasta Pools
How Arizona Cities Calculate Pool Permit Fees?
There is no standard way Arizona cities create permit fees. Phoenix offers a tiered valuation table and Scottsdale charges by the square foot. Also, Chandler uses a flat fee. Tempe charges a permit fee plus a separate plan review fee. Each city has its own cost scale and fee table.
Central Phoenix
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Phoenix — Valuation-based using a tiered rate table. Minimum permit fee is $180 plus a mandatory $30 aquatics surcharge. Phoenix City Code Appendix A.2, Part 18
East Valley
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Scottsdale — Square footage formula: $0.61 per sq ft of pool surface area + $237 base fee + $195 planning inspection fee. Scottsdale Permit Fee Schedule
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Mesa — Valuation-based. Fees are applied to the total project valuation using the city's residential rate table. Mesa Development Services
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Gilbert — Valuation-based, calculated after plan review. Fees are determined once plans are reviewed. Town of Gilbert Development Services Fee Schedule, revised 7/1/2025
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Chandler — Flat fee structure. Residential pool permit is $110. Plan review is 65% of the permit fee, adding approximately $72. City of Chandler Building Permit Fees
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Tempe — Valuation-based using Table 1-A of the city's Plan Review and Building Permit Fee schedule. Plan review is charged separately at 65% of the permit fee. City of Tempe Building Safety Fees
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Queen Creek — Valuation-based. Final permit fees are calculated after plan review using ICC square footage valuation data. Queen Creek Fee Schedule
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San Tan Valley — Fees are valuation-based and vary by project scope and inspection requirements. Maricopa County Fee Schedule and Estimators
West Valley
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Goodyear — Valuation-based. Goodyear offers an interactive Project Estimate Form. City of Goodyear Project Fee Estimates
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Buckeye — Valuation-based per the city's Development User Fee Schedule (effective May 21, 2026). City of Buckeye Permit Center
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Maricopa — Valuation-based through the City of Maricopa's own Development Services Fee Schedule (revised October 2025). City of Maricopa Development Services
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Glendale — Valuation-based per Table 3A of the city's Building Safety Fee Schedule. Permit and pool fees are calculated on total construction cost. Glendale Fee Schedule
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Peoria — Valuation-based using ICC Building Valuation Data. Fees are calculated on total construction cost. Peoria Development Services
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Surprise — Valuation-based per the city's Development Services Fee Schedule (April 2025). Surprise Development Services Fee Schedule
How Shasta Handles Permits So You Don't Have To?
The permit fee on your quote is a city charge. However, every city in the Valley calculates it differently. Now you know why it changes depending on where you live.
A builder who leaves permits out of the quote isn't offering you a lower price. They're hiding a cost that will show up later.
When you build with Shasta, we pull the permit in our name. We handle the submissions, the plan review, the inspections, and the final sign-off. You don't have to figure out which city portal to use or what your project valuation should be
We've been pulling permits across the Valley since 1966. With 377 pool permits in 2025, we know the fee structures and what each city's building department needs.
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