Phoenix exempts small sheds and low fences, but patio covers, block walls, garage conversions, and porch enclosures go through residential plan review, with grading or hillside permits needed first where they apply.
Phoenix homeowners build a lot of outdoor space: shade structures, block walls, pools, and storage sheds for everything the garage cannot hold.
The City of Phoenix publishes a clear list of work that is exempt from building permits, and it is more specific than many cities. This guide walks through the Phoenix building permit rules for sheds, fences and walls, decks, retaining walls, and a few other common projects.
Everything below comes from the City of Phoenix "Work Exempt from Permit" document. Exempt work must still meet zoning and code requirements. Confirm current rules for your address. See our disclaimer.
Phoenix shed, fence, deck, and wall exemptions in one table
| Project | Phoenix exemption |
|---|---|
| Tool and storage sheds | One-story detached, aggregate floor area not over 200 sq ft |
| Fences | Not over 3 ft high is exempt; 3 to 6 ft needs a permit for zoning and drainage review |
| Decks and platforms | Not more than 30 inches above grade, with no roof covering |
| Retaining walls | Not over 3 ft, measured from top of footing to top of wall |
| Prefabricated pools | Capacity not over 5,000 gallons, at a single-family home |
| Siding | Replacing pieces of siding, soffits, or fascia |
| Outdoor A/C units | Repair or replacement in kind, not over 5 tons, at one- or two-family homes |
| Water heaters | Replacement in one- and two-family homes by a licensed contractor |
Source: City of Phoenix: Work exempt from permit.
Phoenix sheds: 200 square feet in aggregate
Phoenix exempts "one-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds ... provided the aggregate floor area does not exceed 200 square feet." Note the word aggregate: two 120-square-foot sheds add up to 240 square feet, which is over the limit. Sheds still have to meet zoning setbacks, and electrical wiring to a shed needs an electrical permit. See our shed permit guide.
Phoenix fences and block walls over 3 feet
This is where Phoenix differs from many cities. Only "fences not over 3 feet high" are fully exempt. Fences between 3 and 6 feet still need a permit, mainly so the city can review zoning and drainage. That matters in Phoenix because block walls are common and can block stormwater flow between lots. Taller walls and masonry walls may need structural review. See our fence permit guide.
Phoenix decks, patios, and shade structures
Decks, sport courts, and platforms not more than 30 inches above grade, with no roof covering, are exempt. Once you add a roof, you are in patio cover territory, which generally needs a permit. The city's exemption for shade cloth structures applies to nursery and agricultural uses, not typical back-yard shade covers. See pergola and patio cover permits and our deck permit guide.
Phoenix retaining walls over 3 feet
Phoenix exempts retaining walls "not over 3 feet in height measured from the top of the footing to the top of the wall." That is lower than the common 4-foot threshold used elsewhere, and it is measured from the top of the footing. Walls holding back a slope, a driveway, or a structure (a surcharge) need a permit even when shorter. See retaining wall permits.
Phoenix pools and the 5,000-gallon line
Only small prefabricated pools up to 5,000 gallons are exempt. In-ground pools and spas need building, electrical, and often plumbing permits, plus barrier (fence) requirements. See our pool and spa permit guide.
A/C and water heaters
Phoenix lets like-for-like replacement of outdoor refrigeration units up to 5 tons skip a permit at one- and two-family homes, and water heater replacement by a licensed contractor is exempt. New systems, mini-splits, and upgrades still need permits. See mini-split permits and our HVAC permit guide.
Walls and retaining walls: what Phoenix actually checks
Phoenix's technical guideline on fences and retaining walls fills in details the exemption list leaves out (Phoenix: Required Permits for Fences and Retaining Walls (PDF)):
- "Fence" includes block. The term covers wood, metal, masonry and concrete fences, plus screen walls, view walls, sound walls and decorative walls.
- Front yards stay low. Zoning and traffic visibility rules "in most cases limit the height of fences to 3' in required front yards and visibility triangles at driveways and street intersections."
- No engineering for ordinary fences. Structural calculations aren't required for an individual fence 7 feet or less in height.
- Surcharge means more than a driveway. A retaining wall 3 feet or shorter still needs a permit if it's loaded by a house, building, road or pool, or if it supports a fence on the wall or within 3 feet uphill of it.
- Combination walls get engineered. A fence on top of a retaining wall needs structural calculations regardless of height, and combinations over 9 feet need zoning approval before the permit is issued.
- Hillside lots are case by case and may not follow the guideline at all.
Fence permits can be issued over the counter, but only with a plot plan and zoning approval first (Phoenix: Residential Over the Counter Permits (PDF)). The fence application itself has you sign that you're responsible for finding your property lines, and it notes you can hire a registered land surveyor to do it (Phoenix Fence Permit Application (PDF)). With block walls on shared lot lines, that step is worth taking seriously.
Patio covers: what goes in the permit package
Since a roof over a deck or patio ends the exemption, most Phoenix shade projects become patio cover permits. The city's guideline defines a patio cover as a one-story structure no taller than 12 feet, open on at least two sides and attached to the house. It also says homeowners may draw the plans themselves if they're "accurate, legible and complete" (Phoenix: Residential Patio Covers Guideline (PDF)).
The package the guideline asks for:
- Plot plan showing setbacks and lot coverage.
- Cross section with the size and spacing of framing, the rafter-to-wall, beam and post connections, roofing material, and footing size and depth.
- Roof framing plan showing every member and the openings in the house wall that will carry the cover.
- Foundation plan. Footings go at least 12 inches below undisturbed ground, with concrete of at least 2,500 psi.
Structural calculations can be skipped when the patio rafters don't tie into the house's rafter tails, the roof stays light (the guideline's 10 psf dead-load limit rules out tile), and the framing is conventional. Hillside lots need grading and drainage approval, historic subdivisions need Historic Preservation Office approval, and floodplain properties need Floodplain Management approval, all before plan review starts (same guideline).
Projects Phoenix can permit over the counter
If the drawings are complete, many small residential projects don't wait in a review queue. Phoenix's over-the-counter guideline lists attached patio covers and carports that meet the prescriptive IRC rules, enclosures of existing patio covers, carports or garages where no structural parts change, and single-level detached accessory structures with 500 square feet or less of habitable area. Projects needing hillside, grading, floodplain or historic approval can't be issued over the counter until those approvals are in hand (Phoenix OTC guideline (PDF)). A rejection counts against you: projects turned down twice, or that use an hour or more of documented review time, may be charged hourly plan review fees or sent to full review. Our carport permit guide covers the open-sides question that comes up with carports.
Re-roofing, re-stucco, and small pools
- Re-roofing with the same type of material is exempt, as long as no more than two layers of asphalt shingles end up over an existing asphalt shingle roof.
- New stucco or other non-structural weatherproof covering over an existing one is exempt if it doesn't change the wall's fire rating. EIFS ("synthetic stucco") is the exception and needs a permit.
- Above-ground prefab pools up to 5,000 gallons are exempt, but the city's commentary says the pool barrier still needs a permit.
Source: Phoenix: Work exempt from permit (PDF). Our how to apply guide walks through putting together a complete application.
Fences in a Phoenix historic district: the Certificate of No Effect
In a Phoenix historic district, a fence or patio cover needs Historic Preservation approval as well as the building permit. The Historic Preservation Commission’s list of projects eligible for a Certificate of No Effect, approved May 20, 2024, names minor work that staff can sign off on. It includes rear-yard fences up to 6 feet tall that sit at least 3 feet behind the front corner of the house on each side, and rear or side fences along major arterial streets up to 8 feet with the same 3-foot setback. A rear alley fence over 6 feet may qualify after a variance, case by case. Single-story rear patio covers and attached carports, and pools on corner lots placed in the rear yard, are on the same list.
A Certificate of No Effect (CNE) needs a complete application, and the work has to meet the commission’s design guidelines. Staff also have to find that it will not diminish or harm the historic character of the property or the district, as Section 812.C of the Zoning Ordinance requires. Work that would make a house ineligible for the historic register, or turn it into a noncontributor, cannot be approved as a CNE. Work that does not fit the list goes through the Certificate of Appropriateness process instead.
The city’s historic preservation approvals page is the place to start. Talk to HP staff before you file the fence permit, not after the inspector asks for the approval.
When your Phoenix project needs plan review
Phoenix says residential construction permits are needed for remodels and additions such as garage or carport construction or conversion, porch enclosure, demolition, patio covers, and fences or walls (Phoenix residential additions and remodels). The city’s plan review steps:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Submit | Two sets of building plans go to the residential permit counter with a completed Construction Permit/Plan Review Application; staff check completeness, and minor work may be handled sooner |
| 2. Review | Staff review the plans and contact you if corrections are needed; you pick up, correct, and resubmit |
| 3. Issue | You are notified when plans are approved, pay the permit fees, and the building permit is issued |
| Before issue | Grading and drainage or hillside permits, if required, must be obtained first |
Source: Phoenix residential additions and remodels.
For how these limits compare across cities, see our permit-free limits by city table.
Phoenix shed, fence, and deck questions
Do I need a permit for a shed in Phoenix?
Not if your storage sheds total 200 square feet or less and are one story. Zoning setbacks still apply.
Do I need a permit for a block wall in Phoenix?
Usually yes. Only fences 3 feet or lower are exempt; walls from 3 to 6 feet need a permit for zoning and drainage review.
Do I need a permit for a patio cover in Phoenix?
Generally yes. Decks and platforms are only exempt when they have no roof covering.
Can I draw my own patio cover plans in Phoenix?
Yes. The city's patio cover guideline lets homeowners prepare the drawings if they're accurate, legible and complete, and conventionally framed covers may not need structural calculations (Phoenix patio cover guideline).
Does a fence on top of a retaining wall need engineering?
Yes. Phoenix requires structural calculations for any fence and retaining wall combination, regardless of height (Phoenix fence and retaining wall guideline).
Do I need a permit for an above-ground pool in Phoenix?
Not for a prefab pool up to 5,000 gallons with walls entirely above grade, but the barrier around it does need a permit (Phoenix exemptions).
How many sets of plans does Phoenix want for a patio cover or addition?
Phoenix’s residential additions and remodels process says to submit two sets of building plans with a completed Construction Permit/Plan Review Application.
Does a garage conversion in Phoenix need a permit?
Yes. Phoenix lists garage or carport construction or conversion among residential projects that need a construction permit.
Before you build in Phoenix
Phoenix's exemptions are generous for sheds (200 square feet total) and low decks, but strict for fences and walls (over 3 feet needs a permit) and retaining walls (over 3 feet). Check zoning and drainage before building walls.
Next steps for a Phoenix project: run the 10-minute AHJ permit checklist, then read fence height limits and corner lots, retaining wall permits, and historic COA vs a building permit. Compare with our Houston and Austin guides.
Comparing desert cities? Our Las Vegas building permits guide covers the City of Las Vegas Building and Safety process.
Last checked: October 2026.
Official sources
- City of Phoenix: Work exempt from permit
- City of Phoenix: Residential additions and remodels
- City of Phoenix: Required permits for fences and retaining walls (PDF)
- City of Phoenix: Residential patio covers guideline (PDF)
- City of Phoenix: Residential over-the-counter permits (PDF)
- City of Phoenix: Fence permit application (PDF)
- City of Phoenix: Projects Eligible for Certificates of No Effect (PDF)
- City of Phoenix Historic Preservation: Approvals and Guidelines
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