Existing-building work
Tenant Improvement Electrical in Phoenix
What the as-builts do not show, what the existing service will carry, and how Phoenix plan review decides your delivery date.
Tenant improvement work gets priced twice: once off the drawings, once off what the building actually gives you. The drawings are the easy half. This page is the other half in Phoenix and Maricopa County: the panel capacity you inherit, what is above the ceiling, and the plan review clock that sets your date.
Start at the panel you inherit
Three answers decide a TI bid before the drawings do. What spare capacity is really in the panel feeding the suite. How the service is metered today. Whether the work pulls the utility onto the job. Once that third answer is yes, the date is no longer the general contractor's to set.
The metering threshold is where the money moves. APS Electric Service Requirements Manual paragraph 302.9 puts commercial services of 200 amps and below on self-contained enclosures with EUSERC-approved test block and bypass provisions, and requires a EUSERC-approved CT-rated enclosure above 200 amps. SRP lands on the same line: sockets rated 100, 200 and 400 amps, the 400 amp Class 320 socket residential only. Going from 200 to 400 amps is not a bigger panel. It is a CT cabinet, a utility submittal and a utility crew — see panel and service upgrades.
Two more utility facts belong in the schedule. APS approves every commercial meter enclosure before it is manufactured, and inspects the service equipment on top of the AHJ inspection — called twice by the contractor, when the gear lands and again after corrections. Only APS employees energize, and SRP will not energize the load side until the AHJ approves or a Certificate In-Lieu is provided.
What we ask for before pricing
- The panel schedule for the feeding panel, and a photograph of its interior with the dead front off. Directories lie; breakers do not.
- The service size, the metering arrangement, and which utility is on the meter. A city name will not tell you: APS and SRP each serve parts of Phoenix.
- Enough billing history for an existing-load calculation, plus any previous occupancy. A former kitchen, lab or server closet usually explains where the spare breaker spaces went.
What is actually above the ceiling
As-builts for a 1990s Phoenix office or retail building are a hypothesis, not a record. That ceiling has been through several tenants, two lighting retrofits and a low-voltage contractor in a hurry. We open a representative number of tiles before bid, and say in the proposal how many.
The amendment that catches out-of-state crews is grounding. Phoenix, unincorporated Maricopa County and Glendale all amend NEC 250.118(4) to read "Electrical metallic tubing with an additional equipment grounding conductor." EMT alone is not an equipment grounding conductor here, so the circuit you meant to extend may carry no wire-type EGC, and the inspector will not accept it as found. Phoenix and Glendale also strike commercial construction from NEC 334.10, so NM cable is out.
Glendale writes fixture support into the code: its NEC 410.36(B) addition takes an intermediate or heavy-duty ceiling system, positive attachment of every fixture, and a device rated for 100 percent of fixture weight in any direction. Luminaires under 56 pounds and track lighting also take two 12-gauge wires at opposing corners run to the structure above, three tight twists within 3 inches.
Ceiling items we price rather than assume
- Abandoned wiring and dead fixtures that come out before the new grid goes in.
- Junction boxes above hard lid, where access has to be kept or the box moved.
- Shared neutrals, which decide whether a home run gets reused or pulled new.
- Circuits crossing demising walls both ways: landlord circuits feeding your suite, yours feeding the neighbor.
The plan review clock sets your delivery date
Phoenix moved commercial plan review, permitting and inspections onto the SHAPE PHX portal on 27 April 2026; projects accepted before then finish in the legacy system. A TI or change of use is expressly a permitted activity, and electrical is a separate trade permit.
| Tier | Definition | Goal | July 2026 actual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | Over 50,000 sq ft and over $5 million | 45 days | 30 days |
| Medium | 5,000 to 50,000 sq ft and $350,000 to $5 million | 35 days | 33 days |
| Minor | Under 5,000 sq ft or under $350,000 | 25 days | 33 days |
Read the bottom row twice. Most TIs land in Minor, and in July 2026 Minor ran eight days past its own goal and slower than Major. Assuming small means fast is the most common schedule error on Phoenix TI work.
Carry the fees. Phoenix permit fees are valuation-based under the schedule effective 20 January 2026 (Ordinance G-7465): on the $50,001 to $200,000 band, $703 plus $9 per additional $1,000. A $150,000 TI valuation is a $1,603 permit fee, and commercial plan review adds 80 percent of that, about $1,282 more, on the higher of the department's valuation and yours. Expedited initial review is three times the plan review fee; a temporary or partial certificate of occupancy is $780 per request.
Neighbors run different clocks. Mesa publishes an 18-working-day first commercial review, counting working days Monday through Thursday, and sells 10-day and 5-day turnarounds at double and triple the fee. Unincorporated Maricopa County issues electrical permits up to 200 amps in one to two business days; above that, technical review with a site plan. Statewide, A.R.S. section 9-835 limits a city to one comprehensive written correction request during substantive review.
Phoenix self-certification can issue a permit in one to five business days, but the self-certifying professionals are architects, structural engineers, civil engineers and landscape architects; electrical engineers act as peer reviewers. It is not a route around electrical plan review, and we will not sell it as one.
The code edition changes at the city line
Arizona has no statewide building or electrical code. Cities adopt by reference under A.R.S. section 9-801, the county under A.R.S. section 11-861. Two suites of the same tenant, twelve miles apart, get designed and inspected to different NEC cycles.
| Jurisdiction | NEC edition | Adoption |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 2023 NEC | Ordinance G-7397, effective 1 August 2025 |
| Mesa | 2023 NEC | Effective 8 January 2026 |
| Chandler | 2023 NEC | Ordinance 5108, plans submitted on or after 1 July 2025 |
| Glendale | 2023 NEC | Effective 9 January 2026 |
| Scottsdale | 2020 NEC | Effective 1 January 2023 |
| Unincorporated Maricopa County | 2017 NEC | Adopted 17 August 2022 |
| Gilbert, Peoria, Tempe | Confirm before design | Unverified here; call the city building department (Gilbert Development Services, 480-503-6700) |
Energy code is where one tenant standard becomes two different bids. Phoenix's 2024 IECC amendments delete C405.12 automatic receptacle control, C405.13 energy monitoring and C405.15 renewable energy systems outright, and make C408 commissioning optional. A jurisdiction that adopted the 2024 IECC straight still carries them, so controlled receptacles and end-use metering can be a real line item one city over and nothing in Phoenix. Scottsdale runs the 2021 IECC with the 2021 green construction code mandatory; the county energy code is voluntary.
One more for rooftop scopes. Phoenix has deferred enforcement of the 2023 NEC 210.8(F) Exception No. 2 GFCI requirement for HVAC equipment outlets until 1 March 2027, which we confirm with Planning and Development on 602-534-6502 before each submittal. And where new conduit runs on the roof, NEC 310.15(B)(2) adds 33 degrees C to the ambient under 7/8 inch of clearance in direct sun; XHHW-2 is exempt.
Occupied buildings and the shifts they force
Most Valley TI work happens with tenants on the other side of the demising wall and a landlord who has promised them power. Shutdowns get planned as scheduled outages: a written switching sequence, a defined window, a named person on each end.
Inspections cost more outside normal hours, and that belongs in general conditions, not a change order. Phoenix charges $195 an hour within two hours either side of department inspection hours, minimum $390 per request per permit; further out, or any weekend or holiday, the minimum is $585. The initial inspection and first correction re-inspection come with the permit fee; after that, every re-inspection, early call and no-access visit is $195.
Two Phoenix mechanisms matter on existing buildings. A service inactive more than six months generally needs an Electrical Utility Clearance Only permit and inspection before the utility re-energizes it, which catches dark second-generation retail constantly. The Annual Facilities Program, at Phoenix City Code Appendix A.2 Section 218, puts the same staff on plan review and inspection, with electrical submittals requiring a one-line diagram, load calculations and fault current calculations — usually the right vehicle for a facility manager running steady fit-outs, and it pairs with maintenance.
Our posted hours are Monday to Thursday 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Friday 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Night and weekend work happens on planned shifts, priced in advance. We are not an emergency call-out service.
Scope splits, and where we are the wrong contractor
Most TI change orders are not technical. They come out of a scope split nobody wrote down. Three questions settle most of it, in writing, at bid time.
- Who owns spare capacity in the house panel when the existing-load calculation finds less than the lease exhibit assumed.
- Who pays for metering changes: a new tenant meter, the CT cabinet a service above 200 amps requires, or a landlord submeter the utility has nothing to do with.
- Where shell scope ends. Base-building lighting and controls, fire alarm, the life-safety branch and exit signage are each routinely assumed to be the other party's.
We would rather decline a TI than mis-price one. We do not bid a suite with no access to the panel, meter room or ceiling; where access cannot happen before bid date, the unknown is priced as a stated allowance and labeled as one. Abatement stays with the general contractor, and we do not start installation before the electrical permit is issued. A fit-out that needs engineered drawings rather than design assist gets routed through design-build.
Send the panel schedule, a photograph of the meter and the reflected ceiling plan with the drawings, and you get a real number instead of a hedged one. Our Phoenix office is on (602) 396-5216; the contracting entity is Arizona Electrical Solutions, LLC, with ROC classifications on the credentials page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a tenant improvement electrical permit take in Phoenix?
Plan review is the long pole, not the permit itself. Phoenix sorts commercial plan review into three tiers and most tenant improvements fall into Minor, defined as under 5,000 square feet or less than $350,000. In the department's published July 2026 turnaround report, Minor projects averaged 33 calendar days for first review against a 25-day goal, which was slower than the Major tier at 30 days. Budget roughly a month for first review plus a correction cycle, and remember that commercial plan review, permitting and inspections now run through the SHAPE PHX portal. Expedited initial review is available at three times the basic plan review fee, subject to department approval.
Do I need a separate electrical permit for a tenant improvement?
Yes. Phoenix requires a commercial building permit for non-residential remodels, tenant improvements and changes of use, with individual trade permits covering electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire protection. Small scopes sometimes fit Permits By Appointment or Permits By Inspection, which are alternatives to a full plan review submittal and are priced at 80 percent of the permit fee with a minimum of $195 per hour per discipline. Mesa offers a similar Permit by Inspection route for minor interior remodels. Which path applies depends on the scope, so it is worth asking the jurisdiction before the drawings are finished rather than after.
Will the existing panel carry my new load?
That is answered with an existing-load calculation, not by counting spare breaker spaces. We want the panel schedule, a photograph of the panel interior with the dead front off, and enough billing or demand history to establish the real existing load. The answer also has a utility dimension. At APS, commercial services of 200 amps and below use self-contained metering with EUSERC test block and bypass provisions, and everything above 200 amps requires a CT-rated meter enclosure. SRP meter sockets are rated 100, 200 and 400 amps, with the 400 amp Class 320 socket restricted to residential use. Crossing 200 amps turns a panel change into a utility project on a utility schedule.
The suite has been vacant for a year. Does that change anything?
It usually does. Phoenix requires an Electrical Utility Clearance Only permit covering inspection of an electrical service before the utility energizes it at an apartment, condominium or other commercial facility, and it is typically required when the service has been inactive for more than six months. There is also a non-refundable conditional utility clearance application fee charged at $195 per hour with a one hour minimum, plus a $195 inspection fee. Build that inspection and the utility's own scheduling into the program rather than discovering it the week you want power on.
Does an office fit-out in Phoenix need automatic receptacle control and energy monitoring?
Not under the Phoenix energy code as adopted. Phoenix's 2024 IECC amendments delete Section C405.12 automatic receptacle control, Section C405.13 energy monitoring and Section C405.15 renewable energy systems in their entirety, and make Section C408 commissioning optional. That is a genuine scope difference from a jurisdiction that adopted the 2024 IECC without those deletions, where controlled receptacles and end-use metering remain real line items. Scottsdale is on the 2021 IECC and has had the 2021 International Green Construction Code mandatory since 1 July 2023, and the Maricopa County energy code is voluntary. Confirm the adopted energy code for the specific address before pricing those systems in or out.
Is the electrical code the same across the Valley?
No, and that is the most useful thing a Phoenix general contractor can know. Arizona has no statewide building or electrical code; cities adopt by reference under A.R.S. section 9-801 and the county under A.R.S. section 11-861. Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler and Glendale are on the 2023 NEC, Scottsdale is on the 2020 NEC, and unincorporated Maricopa County is still on the 2017 NEC. Gilbert, Peoria and Tempe should be confirmed directly with each city's building department before design, because we have not verified those editions ourselves. Local amendments matter as much as the edition: Phoenix, unincorporated Maricopa County and Glendale all require a wire-type equipment grounding conductor, so electrical metallic tubing alone does not qualify.
Can you work nights and weekends in an occupied building?
Yes, as planned shifts scheduled and priced in advance, not as emergency call-outs. Our posted hours are Monday to Thursday 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Friday 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and off-hours work is arranged around those. The cost driver most people miss is inspection timing. Phoenix charges $195 per hour for inspections within two hours either side of department inspection hours with a $390 minimum, and a $585 minimum for anything further outside those hours or on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday. Shutdowns are planned as scheduled outages with a written switching sequence and an agreed window.
Get a price on this scope
Ready to price your Phoenix project?
Send us the plans, the scope, or just the problem. We will tell you what it takes. Call (602) 396-5216 or request a bid online.