Which plumbing code does Scottsdale use?

Section 31-80 adopts the 2021 IPC with Appendices B (rainfall rates), D (design temperatures) and E (sizing of water piping). Section 31-88 says only those three appendices are adopted, so the other IPC appendices are not part of Scottsdale's code. Section 31-100 adopts the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) with Appendices A (gas pipe sizing) and B (vent sizing).

The city's Building Code Information page lists the 2021 amendment set as effective January 1, 2023. One wrinkle: the ordinance line under the fuel gas sections in the code reads "eff. 1-1-22", while the plumbing sections read "eff. 1-1-23". The city's own page uses 2023 for the whole set.

Scottsdale amends only a few places. Everything else is the 2021 IPC as published.

For fuel gas, Section 31-102 adds one exception to the IFGC vent termination rule for houses with flat to 6/12 roofs.

• Adopted by reference: the city did not retype the IPC. It made the ICC's published book the law, then listed what it changed.
• Amendment: a city change that overrides the model text on that point only.
• Model code: the ICC book. The UPC is a different book from a different publisher, so a UPC table is not Scottsdale law unless the city amendments say so.

It covers plumbing and fuel gas work inside the City of Scottsdale, residential and commercial, for owners, contractors and designers. It does not cover Paradise Valley, which has its own town code, or unincorporated Maricopa County. State law such as A.R.S. 32-1121 sits on top of the city code and is not changed by it.

A plumber who mostly works in Phoenix. A plan set that sizes water piping with UPC tables is working from a book Scottsdale did not adopt. Scottsdale adopted IPC Appendix E for sizing the water piping system.

A remodeled bathroom in an older Old Town home. The new toilet must meet the 1.28 gallon rating in Table 604.4. The exception for 1.6 gallons applies only where the toilet connects to existing drain piping, so check which case your job is.

The edge case: a very large house. Section 31-84 adds that when a single-family home has more than 12,000 square feet under roof, the meter must be at least 1 1/2 inches and the supply pipe from the meter at least 2 inches. Below that size, the 1 inch minimum governs.

1. 1Open the code text on Municode using the link in the key facts above and read Sections 31-81 to 31-88 for the IPC, or 31-101 to 31-103 for gas.
2. 2Download the city's 2021 IPC amendment PDF from the Building Code Information page if you want the amendments in one document.
3. 3Use the current plan-submittal process linked from Scottsdale's One Stop Shop and confirm the permit workflow for your project.
4. 4For projects started after January 6, 2026, use the Scottsdale SPUR portal to request inspections. Older projects still use the legacy eServices system.

• "Scottsdale uses the same code as Phoenix." Phoenix adopted the UPC alongside the IPC. Scottsdale adopted only the IPC, and the code text says so.
• "The IPC amendments are just paperwork." Several are design rules, such as the 12 inch sewer depth, the shower trench drain and the water service size.
• "The gas code date is unclear." The fuel gas sections carry a 2022 date in the code, but the city lists the 2021 amendments as effective January 1, 2023. The code text and the city page differ only on the date. Both name the 2021 IFGC.

This page summarizes the code. The adopted text on Municode governs.