Commission backs $65 one‑time fee to reinstate expired single‑family permits after staff explanation
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Summary
Mohave County staff proposed and the commission approved a building‑ordinance amendment to allow a one‑time $65 inspection fee to finalize expired single‑family permits; supporters said the fee helps owner‑builders and avoids charging a full new permit fee.
The Planning & Zoning Commission approved a recommendation to amend the county building ordinance to allow a one‑time $65 inspection fee to reinstate an expired single‑family residential permit and conduct a final inspection.
Chief building official and presenter explained staff has encountered rare cases where a final inspection was never completed and the old permitting system did not reliably track expirations; reinstating a permit previously could require repaying the full permit fee (SEG 2201–2224). The proposed amendment would permit a single $65 inspection fee to finalize an expired permit when the lapse was not the homeowner’s fault; the Building Code Advisory Board had unanimously recommended the change (SEG 2231–2233).
Commissioners debated whether the county should bear responsibility for missed final inspections and whether property taxes are tied to certificates of occupancy. One commissioner argued homeowners should not pay full fees when a permit lapsed through no fault of their own and called $65 reasonable; another urged the county to improve notification systems (Commissioner comments SEG 2279–2316, SEG 2415–2416). Staff said the new permitting system will notify applicants before permits expire and that the $65 fee covers the inspector’s time to confirm compliance and finalize the record (staff remarks SEG 2320–2328, SEG 2342–2344).
After clarifying questions and assurance that the fee already exists in the county fee schedule as an additional inspection charge, the commission approved the staff recommendation (motion and vote recorded SEG 2456–2465). The amendment applies to single‑family residences and is intended to avoid charging homeowners the full permit fee when only a reinspection and final sign‑off are required.
What happens next: Staff will forward the ordinance amendment to the Board of Supervisors; the change will be incorporated in the county fee schedule and apply to qualifying single‑family permit reinstatements.
