The White Tanks are a mountain range, and the county permits almost all of it.
Last verified: September 2, 2026. Every count below was queried from the Maricopa County Assessor parcel file on that date with SubdivisionName LIKE '%WHITE TANK%'. Percentages are computed from those counts.
The short answer
The White Tank Mountains are a mountain range, not a jurisdiction. The federal names file records them as a range; there is no city, town, or Census-designated place of that name.
Almost everything platted out here is unincorporated Maricopa County, which issues the permit. Maricopa County Planning & Development is at https://www.maricopa.gov/planning, 602-506-3301.
What we measured
- Unincorporated Maricopa County — Parcels: 2,288; Share: 97.3%
- City of Glendale — Parcels: 56; Share: 2.4%
- City of Buckeye — Parcels: 7; Share: 0.3%
- Total — Parcels: 2,351
Those are the parcels whose recorded subdivision name contains "White Tank" — 97.3% of them are taxed by unincorporated Maricopa County.
Their mailing addresses tell the same story from another direction:
- Waddell — Parcels: 1,880; Share: 80.0%
- Unincorporated Maricopa County — Parcels: 306; Share: 13.0%
- Buckeye — Parcels: 165; Share: 7.0%
- Total — Parcels: 2,351
Most White Tank parcels carry a Waddell mailing address, which is itself not a jurisdiction. See /service-areas/maricopa-county/waddell.
What that means for your project
Plan against Maricopa County rules unless the parcel says otherwise, and confirm the parcel before design starts. County zoning, county review, county inspection.
What is built out here
Across all of unincorporated Maricopa County there are 115,245 single-family parcels. The middle one was finished in 1997, has 1,949 square feet, and sits on 0.221 acres — a lot about a third larger than the median inside any West Valley city on this site. 22.7% have a pool. The middle 80% were built between 1971 and 2020.
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.
Resources bridge
/ 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
Closing CTA
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
The answers below are the same sentences as the JSON-LD FAQPage block.
Is the White Tank Mountains area a city?
No. The White Tank Mountains are a mountain range. There is no city, town, or Census-designated place of that name.
Who issues a building permit in the White Tank Mountains area?
Unincorporated Maricopa County, for almost all of it. Of 2,351 parcels with a White Tank subdivision name, 97.3% are taxed by unincorporated Maricopa County.
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