Panel and EV charger permits depend on the city
Each city sets its own permit rules, and the answers below come straight from the cities' own pages. Three cities are confirmed for panel upgrades. For every other city, check with the city.
| City | Panel upgrade | The city's own words |
|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale | Permit required (minimum electrical permit) | "Work that requires a Minimum Permit ... Relocate panel box Raise electrical mast Service upgrade or change out (400 AMP max.)"[18] |
| Tucson | Permit required | "It is the homeowner/property owner's responsibility to provide plans and obtain a permit for:...Electrical reconnections, service increases, panel replacement or repair"[19] |
| Lake Havasu City | Permit required | "HOME REPAIRS AND HOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT REQUIRE PERMITS ... Electrical Panel Change-outs"[20] |
The cost is in each city's fee schedule. None of those pages publish a fee for this job. Pages: Scottsdale, Tucson, Lake Havasu City.
For Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria, Goodyear, Queen Creek, Maricopa, San Tan Valley, Flagstaff, Yuma and Prescott, check with the city.
The statewide breakdown is on the electrical panel permit page. Phoenix and Mesa have their own city pages.
EV chargers are a separate question. No city's answer is confirmed here, so this page states no rule.
Check with the city before you buy equipment. The permit rules by city and job list each city's permit link.
One local rule is on record. Flagstaff's building code requires qualifying new residential buildings to provide at least one 208/240-volt branch circuit for EV charging, at 50 amperes minimum.[22]
Which license class covers electrical work
Does Arizona require an electrician license? Arizona licenses the contracting business through the Registrar of Contractors (ROC), not the individual electrician.
So the license that matters to you is the one the company on your contract holds.
Two ROC electrical classes exist, as the Administrative Code defines them:
| Class | What the code says |
|---|---|
| R-11, Electrical | "This classification allows the licensee to install and repair residential electrical systems."[16] |
| CR-11, Electrical (dual) | "This classification allows the scopes of work permitted by the commercial C-11 Electrical and residential R-11 Electrical licenses."[17] |
For a house, both classes appear in the code's scope language. See the full list on the license classes page.
Ask in writing who pulls the permit and who books the inspection.
Ask also whether the quote includes a load calculation before you add a charger, a new AC circuit or another large load.
Monsoon storms put your home's wiring to the test
The monsoon runs July through September in the rainfall normals below. In Northern Arizona, the National Weather Service lists the season as June 15 through September 30, with many areas getting 40% to 50% of annual precipitation in that window.[23]
These are NOAA climate normals for one station per county, July through September combined:
| County (station) | Monsoon rain |
|---|---|
| Apache (Saint Johns) | 5.02 in[1] |
| Cochise (Bisbee) | 10.04 in[2] |
| Coconino (Flagstaff airport) | 7.49 in[3] |
| Gila (Globe) | 5.8 in[4] |
| Graham (Safford) | 4.27 in[5] |
| Greenlee (Duncan) | 5.07 in[6] |
| La Paz (Parker) | 1.02 in[7] |
| Maricopa (Phoenix Sky Harbor) | 2.41 in[8] |
| Mohave (Kingman airport) | 2.7 in[9] |
| Navajo (Winslow) | 2.92 in[10] |
| Pima (Tucson airport) | 5.51 in[11] |
| Pinal (Casa Grande) | 3.06 in[12] |
| Santa Cruz (Nogales) | 9.73 in[13] |
| Yavapai (Prescott) | 7.11 in[14] |
| Yuma (Yuma) | 1.12 in[15] |
For storm and dust safety, see the National Weather Service pages for Phoenix, Tucson and the national wind and dust storm guidance. Our monsoon prep guide covers the home side.
Depth
Monsoon rain, July through September, selected stations
Ground level
- 1.02 inchesLa Paz (Parker)
- 1.12 inchesYuma (Yuma)
- 2.41 inchesMaricopa (Phoenix Sky Harbor)
- 7.49 inchesCoconino (Flagstaff airport)
- 9.73 inchesSanta Cruz (Nogales)
- 10.04 inchesCochise (Bisbee)
During an outage, check the utility and your neighborhood before calling an electrician.
Ask any electrician you hire about surge protection and grounding.
How to check an electrician's license
The Arizona Registrar of Contractors runs its own contractor search.[21] Follow these steps before you sign:
- Ask the contractor for the ROC license number and the class.
- Enter the license number or business name in the ROC search.
- Compare the class with the work: R-11 or CR-11 for electrical.
- Match the business name on your contract to the one you looked up.
More detail is on the license check page.
If you are in the Phoenix metro and need an electrician, the sister directory at 602electric.com covers the area.
Quick answers
Does Arizona require an electrician license?
Arizona licenses the contracting business through the Registrar of Contractors, not the individual electrician. The license that matters is the one the company on your contract holds.
Which ROC classes cover residential electrical work?
R-11 allows the licensee to install and repair residential electrical systems. CR-11 covers the scopes of both the commercial C-11 and residential R-11 licenses.
Do I need a permit for a panel upgrade?
Scottsdale, Tucson and Lake Havasu City each list panel work as requiring a permit. For other cities, check with the city.
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Saint Johns (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USC00027435&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Bisbee 1Wnw (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USC00020775&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USW00003103&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Globe #3 (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USC00023501&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Safford Ag Ctr (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USC00027390&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Duncan (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USC00022754&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Parker (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USC00026250&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USW00023183&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Kingman Mohave Co Airport (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USW00093167&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Winslow Muni Airport (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USW00023194&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Tucson International Airport (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USW00023160&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Casa Grande Nm (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USC00021314&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Nogales 6 N (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USC00025924&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Prescott (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USC00026796&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. "NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Yuma Mcas (monthly normals)." https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?includeStationName=1&format=csv&stations=USW00003145&dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- Cornell Legal Information Institute. "Arizona Administrative Code R4-9-103 (contractor classifications)." https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/arizona/Ariz-Admin-Code-SS-R4-9-103. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- Cornell Legal Information Institute. "Arizona Administrative Code R4-9-104 (contractor classifications)." https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/arizona/Ariz-Admin-Code-SS-R4-9-104. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- City of Scottsdale. "Scottsdale: electrical panel upgrade permit." https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/planning-development/home-improvement. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- City of Tucson. "Tucson: electrical panel upgrade permit." https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Departments/Planning-Development-Services/Permits/Residential-Permits. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- City of Lake Havasu City. "Lake Havasu City: electrical panel upgrade permit." https://www.lhcaz.gov/229/Building-Permits. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors. "Arizona ROC contractor search." https://azroc.my.site.com/AZRoc/s/contractor-search. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- City of Flagstaff. "Energy Efficient & Resilient Construction." https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/5125/Energy-Efficient-Resilient-Construction. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- National Weather Service, Flagstaff. "Northern Arizona Monsoon Season." https://www.weather.gov/fgz/monsooninfo. Accessed October 21, 2026.