City of Tempe — Permit by Inspection (PBI)

The Process, Step by Step

1. Submittal & Administrative Acceptance
   SOKO submits your project to the City. Once accepted, you'll receive an "administratively accepted" notice — the project then enters the PBI review queue.
2. PBI Review Queue
   The City's inspection team reviews the project as a PBI. This step takes some patience — timing depends on the City's current queue.
3. Permit Released / Cleared to Build
   Once the review clears, the permit is issued and the approved job-copy plans are released. This is the green light — no construction should begin before this point.
4. Schedule Inspections
   Inspections are requested through the Tempe Citizen Access Portal or the automated IVR line, using your permit number. Requests made before midnight are typically completed the next business day.
5. Phased Inspections
   Work is inspected in stages. Each phase must be approved by the inspector before it's covered up or the next phase begins.
6. Final Inspection & Close-Out
   A final inspection signs off the work (and a Certificate of Occupancy is issued where the use requires one) before the space or structure is put into use.

What You Need to Do

• Be patient during review. The project is in the City's PBI queue — no action is needed from you while it's being reviewed.
• Do not start work until the permit is released. Beginning construction before the City clears the project can cause costly delays and corrections.
• Keep the approved plans on the jobsite. Once released, a stamped set must stay on site — the inspector works directly from it.
• Schedule each inspection in advance using your permit number, and call for every required phase before covering the work.
• Track progress anytime on the City's Citizen Access Portal (below). We're monitoring it on our end too.

Key City of Tempe Contacts