Commercial Certificates of Occupancy
Before requesting a certificate of occupancy for commercial projects:
- Obtain approvals from the fire district, fire department, or State Fire Marshal
- Complete all permit conditions
- For food-related businesses, obtain approval from the Pima County Health Department
All approvals must be submitted to submittals [at] southtucson.org (submittals[at]southtucsonaz[dot]gov) prior to a final inspection and at least (48) hours before a certificate of Occupancy is requested.
What is a certificate of occupancy?
A Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) is a formal document that certifies the building was inspected for safety and is suitable for tenancy, complying with the applicable building codes and other development regulations when it was issued.
When is a certificate of occupancy required?
A certificate of occupancy may be issued for the following types of projects after all of the work specified on the City approved construction documents has been completed:
- New commercial and residential buildings
- Tenant improvement of a newly occupied space
- Tenant improvements resulting in a change of square footage
- Tenant improvement or renovations involving a change in the occupancy type, occupancy classification, or requires a greater degree of safety
- Other projects as determined by the Building Official
When is a certificate of occupancy not required?
A certificate of occupancy is not required and will not be issued for the following types of projects:
- Minor improvements such as flooring or paint which do not include a change in layout or square footage, a change in the occupancy type or classification, and do not impact accessibility or egress.
- A certificate of occupancy is granted to a space, not a business. If you are occupying a space that has the same intended use as specified on the existing Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) from the previous tenant, and you are not making any changes to the space, then you do not need to obtain a new certificate. The previous CofO is still valid and should be used for the new tenant. PDSD does not use tenant names on the certificate, only the type of business.
Can I apply for a new certificate of occupancy?
The following documents must be submitted at the time of application. They must be prepared and stamped by a registered Arizona architect or engineer:
- Complete Code analysis for the proposed use of the building
- Complete site plan
- Complete floor plan
- Complete egress plan
Please note, additional information may be required as determined by the Building Official.