Maricopa County, AZ Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- IGCC adoption status
- Voluntary only (§101.1, Tab L)
- Governing document
- Local Additions and Addenda, TA2022001 (2022)
- Energy code status
- IECC use also optional (§[A]101.4.6)
- Path to mandatory status
- Requires separate Board of Supervisors ordinance
- Administering office
- Planning and Development Department
Summary
Unincorporated Maricopa County has adopted the International Green Construction Code, but only as a voluntary standard: the Local Additions and Addenda make clear no builder has to follow it unless the Board of Supervisors imposes it by a separate ordinance.
TAB L: International Green Construction Code (IGCC) Voluntary
101.1 Title These regulations shall be known as the Green Construction Code of Maricopa County [name of jurisdiction] hereinafter referred to as "this code." The use of this code is voluntary unless required through ordinance by Maricopa County. [A]103 - [A]109 Reserved
Replace with Chapter 1 of the IBC as amended in Tab F
Full Breakdown
" Sections [A]103 through [A]109 of the IGCC are struck and replaced wholesale with Chapter 1 of the county's amended International Building Code (Tab F), which is where actual enforcement, permitting and appeals procedures live for every adopted code, so the IGCC carries no independent administrative apparatus of its own. " In short, unincorporated Maricopa County has never made green building compliance, energy-index scoring above the base code, or IGCC-style site and materials standards a condition of getting a building permit. A builder who wants IGCC-based design or certification pursues it voluntarily; the Planning and Development Department's Building Official has no IGCC-based permit condition to enforce absent a future Board of Supervisors ordinance adopting specific mandatory provisions.
Violations & Fines
There is no violations regime tied to the Green Construction Code itself: because Tab L makes its use voluntary and Tab F's own energy chapter (§[A]101.4.6) is likewise optional, a builder who skips IGCC standards violates nothing. Any future mandatory provision would have to come from a separate Board of Supervisors ordinance, which would carry its own enforcement terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the green building code mandatory in unincorporated Maricopa County?
What is the Green Construction Code of Maricopa County?
Does Maricopa County require energy-efficient building beyond the green code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maricopa County
Compare Maricopa County to another location·View the Arizona building safety overview
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