INSPECTIONS
Tucson Unified Development Code § 7A.4.4
in effect7A.4.4. INSPECTIONS
A. General
1. All signs
Sign (7A)
Every advertising message, announcement, declaration, display, illustration, insignia, surface or space erected or maintained in a location outside any building and visible to the public for identification, advertising or promotion of the interest of any person, entity, product or service.
for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection, and certain types of construction shall have continuous inspection by special inspectors.
2. A survey of the lot
Lot
A tract of land bounded on all sides by property lines, of sufficient size to meet minimum zoning standards, with legal access to a public street.
may be required by the zoning administrator to verify that the structure
Structure
A physical element constructed or erected with a fixed location on the ground or attached to another physical element having a fixed location at, below, or above grade. Structures include such elements as, but are not limited to, buildings, paved areas, walls, fences, posts, and patios.
is located in accordance with approved plans. It shall be the duty of the permit applicant to cause the work to be accessible and exposed for inspection purposes. The City
City
Same as City of Tucson.
shall not be liable for expense entailed in the removal or replacement of any material required to allow inspection.
B. Inspection Requests
It shall be the duty of the person
Person
Any individual as well as any firm, corporation, partnership, company, or any other form of multiple organization for the carrying on of business.
doing the work authorized by a permit to notify the Planning and Development Services Department that such work is ready for inspection. The zoning administrator or chief building
Building
A structure having a roof supported by columns, posts, or walls and intended for the shelter, housing, or enclosure of any person, entity, animal, process, equipment, goods, or materials of any kind or nature.
official may require that every request for inspection be filed at least one working day before such inspection is desired.
C. Approval Required
No work shall be done on any part of the structure
Structure
A physical element constructed or erected with a fixed location on the ground or attached to another physical element having a fixed location at, below, or above grade. Structures include such elements as, but are not limited to, buildings, paved areas, walls, fences, posts, and patios.
beyond the point indicated in each successive inspection without first obtaining the approval of the zoning administrator. Such approval shall be given only after an inspection shall have been made of each successive step in the construction as indicated by each of the inspections required.
D. Required Inspections
1. A site
Site
The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity.
review inspection is required on all permit applications, except for portable signs
Portable Sign (7A)
A sign that is capable of being moved and not designed to be permanently attached to a building or permanently anchored to the ground that is constructed of paper, cloth, canvas, light fabric, cardboard, plywood, light plastic or other non-permanent similar materials.
and for temporary signs
Temporary Sign (7A)
Any sign constructed of cloth, canvas, light fabric, cardboard, wallboard, plastic or other light material and not rigidly and permanently installed in the ground or attached to a building. Political election signs are not included in this definition.
for which a sign
Sign (7A)
Every advertising message, announcement, declaration, display, illustration, insignia, surface or space erected or maintained in a location outside any building and visible to the public for identification, advertising or promotion of the interest of any person, entity, product or service.
permit is required.
2. At the time of the required site
Site
The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity.
inspection, the inspector will verify that the site
Site
The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity.
complies with the information contained in the sign
Sign (7A)
Every advertising message, announcement, declaration, display, illustration, insignia, surface or space erected or maintained in a location outside any building and visible to the public for identification, advertising or promotion of the interest of any person, entity, product or service.
permit application. The inspector will inform the applicant of any discrepancy or violations
Violation
Any improvements that are constructed or any use established on a property without zoning compliance or any improvements under construction that are not in compliance with plans approved for zoning or other City code compliance are considered a violation of this chapter. The Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) shall enforce compliance with this chapter by suspending construction or through other available means until compliance is achieved.
found on the site
Site
The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity.
. The requested permit shall not be issued until the site
Site
The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity.
is brought into compliance with the sign
Sign (7A)
Every advertising message, announcement, declaration, display, illustration, insignia, surface or space erected or maintained in a location outside any building and visible to the public for identification, advertising or promotion of the interest of any person, entity, product or service.
standards
Standards
Design principles, criteria, and specifications that describe the manner in which development and related improvements are accomplished in order to obtain development approval.
or plans are modified to conform to the site
Site
The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity.
. At the time of the required site
Site
The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity.
review, billboard
Billboard (7A)
An off-site sign relating to a business, activity, use or service conducted off the site or to a product not sold on the site.
sites must be staked indicating property lines
Property Line
The lot line that defines the legal exterior limits of a lot.
, required zoning setback
Setback
The distance from a set point and is frequently used interchangeably with the term “perimeter yard.” Setbacks may also pertain to drainage-related or other setbacks.
, type and size of billboard
Billboard (7A)
An off-site sign relating to a business, activity, use or service conducted off the site or to a product not sold on the site.
, and where the leading edge of the billboard
Billboard (7A)
An off-site sign relating to a business, activity, use or service conducted off the site or to a product not sold on the site.
will be. Site
Site
The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity.
address must be on billboard
Billboard (7A)
An off-site sign relating to a business, activity, use or service conducted off the site or to a product not sold on the site.
.
3. Footing inspections are required on all detached signs
Detached Sign (7A)
Any sign not supported in whole or in part by a building or structure other than a sign structure that is supported wholly by the ground.
that require an engineering plan.
4. The Planning and Development Services Department, upon notification from the permit holder or his agent, shall make the required inspections and shall either approve that portion of the construction as completed or shall notify the permit holder or his agent wherein the same fails to comply with the sign
Sign (7A)
Every advertising message, announcement, declaration, display, illustration, insignia, surface or space erected or maintained in a location outside any building and visible to the public for identification, advertising or promotion of the interest of any person, entity, product or service.
standards
Standards
Design principles, criteria, and specifications that describe the manner in which development and related improvements are accomplished in order to obtain development approval.
.
E. Re-inspection
1. A re-inspection fee may be assessed for each inspection or re-inspection when such portion of work for which inspection is called is not complete or when corrections called for are not made. A re-inspection fee may be assessed when the permit card is not properly posted on the work site
Site
The land area consisting of a portion of a lot, an entire lot, or contiguous lots, not including dedicated public property, designated for development as a single entity.
, when the approved plans are not readily available to the inspector, for failure to provide access on the date for which inspection is requested, or for deviating from plans requiring the approval of the zoning administrator. This fee must be paid prior to the acceptance of any further re-inspection requests by the Planning and Development Services Department and is in addition to any fee due for a subsequent re-inspection.
2. The re-inspection fee shall be charged for the third and subsequent inspections.
3. To obtain a re-inspection, the applicant must pay the re-inspection fee in accordance with Section 4-01 Development
Development
Any human alteration to the state of land, including its vegetation, soil, geology, or hydrology, for any residential, commercial, industrial, utility, or other use, such as, but not limited to, clearing, grubbing, or grading of land, and structural improvements, e.g., buildings, walls, fences, signs, and vehicular use areas.
Review Fee Schedule of the Administrative Manual.
4. In instances where re-inspection fees have been assessed, no additional inspection of the work will be performed until the required fees have been paid.
F. Final Inspection
The person
Person
Any individual as well as any firm, corporation, partnership, company, or any other form of multiple organization for the carrying on of business.
erecting, altering or relocating a sign
Sign (7A)
Every advertising message, announcement, declaration, display, illustration, insignia, surface or space erected or maintained in a location outside any building and visible to the public for identification, advertising or promotion of the interest of any person, entity, product or service.
shall request a final inspection upon completion of the work for which permits have been issued.
(Am. Ord. 11803, 12/8/2020)
Source: City of Tucson, Tucson Code (Charter and General Ordinances) and Unified Development Code (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tucson/latest/tucson_az_udc/0-0-0-26066Fetched: 10/28/2026