Before You Build in Gilbert, AZ: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Every fence, screen wall and retaining wall in Gilbert has to stay safe, structurally sound and free of blight under Code of Gilbert § 42-316(c). Leaning panels, rot, missing slats or blocks, graffiti or peeling paint all count as violations, and code compliance officers can issue a notice of violation giving the owner 30 days to fix it before a citation and civil fine follow.

A worn-out wall or fence sitting on a Gilbert property line can stay put if it's well maintained, but rebuilding it to today's height standards takes written sign-off from every owner it abuts. Land Development Code § 5.2.9(A)(3) puts that call in the neighbors' hands, not one owner's, and routes disagreements into the Town's formal Wall and Fence Modification process rather than letting either side act unilaterally.

Gilbert's Land Development Code bars retaining walls from reading as a single flat surface and caps them at the base zoning district's maximum wall height. Walls stacked within five feet of another wall trigger a mandatory five-foot planted terrace between them, with height measured from the top of the highest wall to the toe of the lowest.

Gilbert's Community Preservation Ordinance requires every pond, pool, and spa on a property to be kept free of stagnant or foul water and clear enough that the main drain is visible from the pool deck. The same section cross-references the LDC's enclosure fencing requirement as part of the maintenance duty.

Above-ground pools in Gilbert must meet the same barrier requirements as in-ground pools. Pools with non-climbable walls at least 5 feet high with secured ladders may serve as the barrier.

Gilbert's LDC caps single-family lots at one detached and one attached accessory dwelling unit, with a second detached unit allowed only on parcels of an acre or more if one ADU is restricted-affordable. Every ADU is also capped at 75% of the primary home's floor area and cannot exceed the base district's height or lot coverage.

In Gilbert's SF-43 single-family district, the Land Development Code lets you build an unlimited number of detached accessory structures like sheds and workshops, but caps them at 30 feet tall and ties every one to the same setbacks as the house unless it sits in the rear two-thirds of the lot, where a reduced 5-foot setback applies only under 10 feet in height.

Code of Gilbert § 42-253 makes it unlawful and a public nuisance to burn refuse anywhere in town except in incinerators permitted by the county and the town's director of public works. Any refuse burning that produces particulate matter or offensive, obnoxious or dangerous fumes or odors is a nuisance and is flatly prohibited, permit or not.

Gilbert's Land Development Code sets a minimum planting size for every approved tree: six feet for deciduous and non-deciduous trees (typically a 24-inch box), five feet for palms, and a 0.75-inch trunk caliper measured four inches above the soil line for single- and multi-trunk trees.

Gilbert restricts lawn watering only when the town manager or council declares a water-shortage stage under Code of Gilbert § 66-381. Stage three lets the town publish time-of-day, address or other restrictions on lawn watering, and stage four bans watering lawns outright, along with lawn overseeding, fountain operation and new pools, per § 66-383.

Gilbert makes the owner, occupant or person controlling a property responsible for keeping the sidewalk out front clear of grass, weeds and rubbish and for trimming vegetation so it doesn't block pedestrian or street travel, under Code of Gilbert § 54-5. The same section requires frontage irrigation ditches and retention berms to be kept in repair so they don't dump water onto public property.