Window Replacement in Fountain Hills, AZ

The only window-related item on the Fountain Hills exempt-work list is awnings. Windows themselves are not on it, and an awning is not a window. That puts Fountain Hills with Cave Creek and Carefree rather than with Phoenix and Mesa, and it means the exemption a contractor is used to quoting a few miles away does not exist here. A separate glass rule gets quoted at homeowners and does not apply to them.

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Fountain Hills
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Read the list carefully

Fountain Hills amended R105.2 into a nine-item list: accessory structures up to 120 square feet, fences not over 30 inches high, retaining walls up to two feet, sidewalks and driveways, "painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, counter tops and similar finish work", prefabricated pools under 24 inches, playground equipment, decks up to 200 square feet, and "window awnings supported by an exterior wall that do not project more than 54 inches".

An awning is not a window. Glass, glazing and sash replacement appear nowhere in the section, which puts Fountain Hills with Cave Creek and Carefree rather than with Phoenix and Mesa.

A rule that doesn't apply, and one that does

The town's zoning ordinance says at section 19.06 that "glass must be nonreflective and not heavily tinted" and that large glass areas be recessed at least four inches. Chapter 19 applies to commercial, industrial and multifamily development, so it doesn't reach a detached house. It gets quoted at homeowners anyway.

Fountain Hills is an International Dark Sky Community with an outdoor lighting control ordinance. That governs lighting, not glazing.

The town runs the 2024 IRC and 2024 IBC, amended by Ordinance 25-06 in June 2025 and Ordinance 26-01 in January 2026.

Questions to ask before a Fountain Hills window job

The first question matters more here than in most of the metro, because there is no published window exemption to fall back on.

  • Have you confirmed with the town whether this job needs a permit?
  • Are you quoting an exemption from a neighboring city rather than from Fountain Hills?
  • Is anyone telling me my glass must be nonreflective, and is that rule actually about commercial buildings?
  • Are you working to the 2024 IRC and 2024 IBC the town runs?
  • Is this a bedroom, and does the replacement still meet the egress opening?
  • What is your ROC license number and classification?

Common questions

Is a window replacement exempt from permit in Fountain Hills?

Not on the published list. The town amended R105.2 into nine items, and the only window-related one is window awnings supported by an exterior wall that do not project more than 54 inches. Glass, glazing and sash replacement appear nowhere in the section.

What is actually on the exempt list?

Accessory structures up to 120 square feet, fences not over 30 inches high, retaining walls up to two feet, sidewalks and driveways, painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, counter tops and similar finish work, prefabricated pools under 24 inches, playground equipment, decks up to 200 square feet, and window awnings.

Does the rule about nonreflective glass apply to my house?

Almost certainly not. Section 19.06 of the zoning ordinance says glass must be nonreflective and not heavily tinted, and that large glass areas be recessed at least four inches, but Chapter 19 applies to commercial, industrial and multifamily development. It gets quoted at homeowners anyway.

Does the dark sky ordinance affect windows?

No. Fountain Hills is an International Dark Sky Community with an outdoor lighting control ordinance, and that governs lighting rather than glazing.

Which codes does Fountain Hills run?

The 2024 IRC and 2024 IBC, amended by Ordinance 25-06 in June 2025 and Ordinance 26-01 in January 2026.