The permit office for land that is not inside a city.
Last verified: September 2, 2026. Housing-stock figures use the same unincorporated-county single-family dataset measured for Waddell and the White Tank Mountains.
The short answer
This is not a city. "Unincorporated" is a legal status. It issues no permit.
Maricopa County Planning & Development issues the permit for land outside any city. The office is at https://www.maricopa.gov/planning, 602-506-3301.
Places in this city
These communities are grouped by permitting authority. Open a linked guide for local boundary and housing details.
- Waddell — URL: /service-areas/maricopa-county/waddell
- White Tank Mountains — URL: /service-areas/maricopa-county/white-tank-mountains
- Sun City — URL: /service-areas/maricopa-county/sun-city
- Sun City West — URL: /service-areas/maricopa-county/sun-city-west
- Rio Verde — URL: /service-areas/maricopa-county/rio-verde
- Anthem — URL: /service-areas/maricopa-county/anthem
- Wigwam — URL: /service-areas/maricopa-county/wigwam
Other local names in the source data:
- Corte Bella — 95.94% unincorporated Maricopa County / 4.06% Mesa.
A Waddell, Litchfield Park, or Phoenix mailing address does not determine the permitting authority. The linked communities here are grouped under unincorporated Maricopa County because the County issues their permits.
What is built out here
Across unincorporated Maricopa County there are 115,245 single-family parcels. The median home was finished in 1997, has 1,949 square feet, and sits on 0.221 acres—a lot about one-third larger than the median across the West Valley cities measured in the same dataset. Of these parcels, 22.7% have a pool, and the middle 80% were built between 1971 and 2020.
Local zoning still needs confirmation
What you may build depends on county zoning and parcel conditions. A.R.S. §§ 9-461.18 and 9-462.13 apply to municipalities over the population thresholds, not unincorporated Maricopa County. Confirm the applicable county zoning before planning.
CHECK YOUR ADDRESS FIRST → /contact
How Coker works here
/ ONE POINT OF RESPONSIBILITY
ONE BUILDER FOR HOME AND SMALL-COMMERCIAL WORK
Start with the parcel and the goal. We help turn them into a buildable scope, a permit path through the right authority, and a clear next decision.
During construction, we coordinate the work and keep you informed about what is complete, what is next, and what needs a decision.
When regulated electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire protection, pool, spa, well, or other specialty work is required, a properly licensed trade partner handles it.
Rules and project guidance
/ ARIZONA PROJECT GUIDANCE
PLAN WITH BETTER INFORMATION
Read the rules before you draw the plans. Our resource library cites the statute or ordinance for every claim and shows the date we last checked it.
Arizona Residential Building Rules → /resources Is the Arizona Starter Homes Act law? → /blog/az-starter-homes-act
Ready to plan your project?
Tell us the address and what you are planning. The first thing we will help you settle is who issues the permit.
START A CONVERSATION → /contact
FAQ
Is unincorporated Maricopa County a city?
No. Unincorporated is a legal status, not a city. The office that issues the permit is Maricopa County Planning & Development.
Who issues a building permit in unincorporated Maricopa County, AZ?
Maricopa County Planning & Development. The permit office is at https://www.maricopa.gov/planning, 602-506-3301.
If my mailing address says Waddell or Litchfield Park, who permits me?
The mailing city is not the test. Confirm the parcel. Land outside any city is permitted by Maricopa County; land inside a city is permitted by that city.
Sources
- Official permitting authority: https://www.maricopa.gov/planning
- Maricopa County Assessor parcel and taxing-jurisdiction data: https://gis.maricopa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/GIO/PermittingSupport/MapServer/1
- Maricopa County city/county boundary control: https://gis.maricopa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Reference/ParcelCityCounty/MapServer/1
- US Census TIGERweb incorporated-place control: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/4
- Arizona ADU statute, A.R.S. § 9-461.18: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/9/00461-18.htm
- Arizona middle-housing statute, A.R.S. § 9-462.13: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/9/00462-13.htm