Maricopa County lot split survey and Arizona lot split cost with city fees and the five lot rule
An Arizona lot split (a minor land division) lets you divide a parcel into up to five lots without a subdivision plat, and who reviews it depends on where the land sits. Unincorporated Maricopa County does not review minor lot splits at all, Pima and Pinal counties review them under A.R.S. 11-831, and cities such as Phoenix and Glendale run their own process. The survey and legal descriptions from an Arizona registered land surveyor usually cost $1,500 to $3,500 for one new lot and $3,000 to $6,000 for three to five, and city filing fees run from $780 in Phoenix to $1,102.59 in Glendale.
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Who needs an Arizona lot split survey, and what you are paying for
You need a lot split when you divide one Arizona parcel into two to five parcels to sell one, deed one to family or build a second house. State law draws the line at six. A.R.S. 32-2101 defines a subdivision as land divided for sale or lease into six or more lots, parcels or fractional interests, and exempts divisions where every parcel is 36 acres or more. Five or fewer is a minor land division, which is the cheap path, and it is the one most owners in the Phoenix and Tucson suburbs are looking for.
The statute that governs it on county land is A.R.S. 11-831. A county may review a division of five or fewer lots where any lot is ten acres or smaller, and it must approve one where each lot meets the zoning minimums, a title report shows legal access, a licensed surveyor or engineer states whether each lot has physical access a two wheel drive car can use, the applicant reserves eight foot utility easements and signs an affidavit about acting in concert. If the county does not finish its review in 30 days, the split is deemed approved. Cities are different: Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa and the rest regulate splits inside their limits under their own codes.
You pay for three things. An Arizona registered land surveyor researches the parent deed, recovers the existing corners, lays out lots that meet the zoning minimum area and width, sets new corner pins and writes a legal description for each new parcel. A filing fee, which is zero in unincorporated Maricopa County and $780 to $1,102.59 in the two Valley cities we checked. And whatever the reviewer adds: an ALTA survey in Glendale, a title report, recorded access easements, or a septic review for a lot without sewer. If you would rather post the job once, the matcher at the top of this page sends it to Arizona surveyors who work in your county.
How much does a lot split cost in Arizona?
One new lot off a suburban parcel with clean records costs $1,500 to $3,500 from the surveyor. City review, an ALTA requirement and new access easements are what push the total up, not the filing fee.
| Line item | Typical cost | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Survey, corner pins and legal descriptions, one new lot plus the remainder | $1,500 - $3,500 | Arizona registered land surveyor |
| Survey for 3 to 5 resulting lots | $3,000 - $6,000 | Arizona registered land surveyor |
| Physical access statement under A.R.S. 11-831(B)(3), if bought on its own | Quoted as a short site visit, ask | Licensed surveyor or engineer |
| ALTA/NSPS survey where the city asks for one (Glendale) | $2,500 and up | Arizona registered land surveyor |
| City lot split fee (Phoenix single family, Phoenix hillside or multifamily) | $780; $1,560 | City of Phoenix |
| City minor land division fee (Glendale) | $1,102.59, a third review costs another fee | City of Glendale |
| County minor land division fee (Pima County) | $146 per lot created, $292 minimum | Pima County |
| Title report, new deeds and recording | Title company and county recorder fees | Title company, attorney, recorder |
Surveyor ranges are market ranges for 2026 and assume a parent deed that can be traced and corners that can be recovered. Desert acreage described by aliquot parts, missing section corners, a split that needs a new ingress and egress easement, or a reviewer asking for right of way along an arterial all add field and drafting time. If the new lot needs a septic system, the county environmental review comes before the building permit, and the perc test cost guide prices that work. Before you split land you plan to sell, check what each new parcel is worth on its own, because two smaller lots do not always add up to more than the whole.
Lot split rules in Maricopa County, Phoenix, Glendale, Pima and Pinal
Arizona has no statewide lot split form. The county or city that holds the land writes its own, and the five we read disagree on almost everything: whether anyone reviews the split, how many lots it allows and how much survey it wants.
| Office | Lots allowed | Filing fee | What the survey must be | Rule that bites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County (unincorporated) | 5 or fewer | None, the county does not review | Not reviewed; the county recommends a surveyor, title company or real estate professional | You complete the split by recording new deeds, and each lot must still meet the zoning minimum area and width or you cannot get a permit |
| City of Phoenix | Up to 2 lots; 3 or more need a subdivision plat | $780 single family; $1,560 non-residential, hillside or multifamily | Fully dimensioned plot plan; a licensed surveyor is recommended for the survey and legal descriptions | About 3 months or more; you record the deed after conditional approval and send back the recording number |
| City of Glendale | 2 or 3 lots; 4 or more need a plat | $1,102.59 | Map by an Arizona registered land surveyor, 18 x 24 or 24 x 36 inches, two corners tied to a city approved monument, sealed | An ALTA survey on first review and a title report within 30 days; 20 working days to review |
| Pima County (unincorporated, around Tucson) | 5 or fewer | $146 per lot created, $292 minimum, invoiced on approval | Survey sealed by a registered surveyor, or an ALTA, showing area, dimensions, structures, septic and access | Notarized acting in concert statement |
| Pinal County (unincorporated) | 5 or fewer, each 10 acres or less | Per county fee schedule | Survey map at 24 x 36 inches with deed and title report | Online submittals only |
From each office's own page or form: City of Glendale Minor Land Division Process Guide revised February 17, 2026 (read in full), City of Phoenix lot split page, A.R.S. 11-831 and 32-2101 (read in full). Maricopa County, Pima County and Pinal County terms are from the county pages as quoted in search results, because those sites block automated reading; confirm the current fee with the county before you file. Cities not listed here, including Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Tucson and Gilbert, have their own forms.
Lot split, subdivision plat or lot line adjustment in Arizona
How many lots you make, their size and whether they sit inside a city decide the process, and the process decides the survey scope. Settle this before you ask for quotes.
| Your split | Arizona path | What the surveyor delivers | Typical survey cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 to 5 lots on unincorporated county land, any lot 10 acres or less | Minor land division under the county rules adopted under A.R.S. 11-831 | Boundary survey, corner pins, legal descriptions, access statement | $1,500 - $6,000 |
| 2 or 3 lots inside a city | City lot split or minor land division under the city code | Sealed map to the city standard, sometimes an ALTA | $1,500 - $3,500 plus any ALTA |
| 6 or more lots, any under 36 acres | Subdivision: preliminary and final plat, state subdivision law applies | Full plat, engineering and planning approval | $5,000 - $8,000+ |
| Every parcel 36 acres or more | Outside the statutory subdivision definition | Survey and legal descriptions for each parcel | $2,000 - $5,000 plus acreage |
| Moving a line between two neighbors, no new lot | Lot line adjustment | Survey of the strip and new descriptions for both parcels | See lot line adjustment |
When the surveyor sets new corners, Arizona may also require a record of survey: under A.R.S. 33-105 a survey that establishes boundary points and shows a material discrepancy with the record is filed with the county recorder within 90 days. If you are only moving a line with a neighbor, the lot line adjustment survey page covers that product. The national picture, including full plats, is on cost to subdivide land.
Does Arizona require a survey for a lot split?
Not always by statute, but nearly always in practice. In December 2022 the Arizona Attorney General (opinion I22-006) answered no to the question whether a county may require a survey as part of a land division under A.R.S. 11-831: if you supply a licensed surveyor or engineer statement on physical access and meet the other conditions, the county must approve the split even without a land survey. Here is why most owners still buy one, and what gets a split rejected or costs more.
- Cities are not bound by 11-831. The opinion is about counties. Glendale wants a sealed map tied to a city monument plus an ALTA, and Phoenix asks for a dimensioned plot plan and recommends a surveyor for the legal descriptions.
- The deeds need legal descriptions. Each new parcel needs a description someone can stake on the ground. A description written from an aerial or an old plat is how two owners end up claiming the same strip.
- Zoning minimums are checked later. Unincorporated Maricopa County does not review the split, but a lot below the minimum area or width cannot get a building permit, and you find out after the deeds are recorded.
- Access. Legal access in 11-831 means a public right of vehicular ingress and egress. A back lot reached across the front lot needs a recorded easement first, and Glendale wants any new ingress and egress easement recorded before it approves the map.
- Splitting in rounds. Dividing into six or more lots through a series of owners or deeds is unlawful acting in concert under 11-831(F). A family relationship alone is not acting in concert, but a quick second split of the remainder will draw questions.
- Conditional approval. A county can approve a split that fails a condition if you sign an acknowledgment that no building or use permit will issue until it is fixed. That approval sells; it does not build.
How to split a lot in Maricopa County and the rest of Arizona
1.
Find out who has jurisdiction
Check whether the parcel is inside a city or town or on unincorporated county land, and pull the zoning district. That one fact decides whether you face a city review with a fee, a county review under 11-831, or in unincorporated Maricopa County no review at all.
2.
Design the lots with the surveyor
The surveyor tests each lot against the zoning minimum area and width, plans access and the eight foot utility easements, and flags anything that pushes you toward a plat. This is where a two lot quote becomes a three lot quote or picks up an easement.
3.
Survey, pins and legal descriptions, 2 to 5 weeks
Field work recovers the existing corners, then the surveyor sets new pins, drafts the map at the size your city or county asks for and writes a legal description for each new parcel and the remainder. Order a title report at the same time.
4.
File, then fix the comments
Submit to the city or county with the fee. Glendale reviews in 20 working days and 13 on resubmittal; a county reviewing under 11-831 has 30 days before the split is deemed approved. Phoenix plans on three months or more.
5.
Record the deeds and the map
Record the new deeds and any approved map with the county recorder. In Phoenix you send the recording number back to close the case; in unincorporated Maricopa County the recorded deeds are the split.
Arizona lot split questions
How much does it cost to split a lot in Arizona?
Most two lot splits cost $1,500 to $3,500 for the survey and legal descriptions, plus a filing fee that is zero in unincorporated Maricopa County, $780 in Phoenix for a single family lot and $1,102.59 in Glendale. Three to five lots run $3,000 to $6,000 for the survey. Title work, recording and any ALTA the city asks for come on top.
Does Maricopa County approve lot splits?
Not on unincorporated land. Maricopa County treats a split into five or fewer parcels as a civil matter and does not review or approve it; you complete it by recording new deeds. Each lot still has to meet the zoning minimum area and width, so a surveyor should check that before you record anything.
How many times can you split a lot in Arizona?
Up to five lots from one parcel as a minor land division. Six or more lots under 36 acres is a subdivision under A.R.S. 32-2101 and needs a plat. Splitting a parcel in rounds to reach six through a series of owners or deeds is unlawful acting in concert under A.R.S. 11-831(F). Cities set lower limits: Phoenix allows two lots, Glendale three.
Do I need a survey to split my property in Arizona?
A county reviewing under A.R.S. 11-831 cannot insist on a full survey if a licensed surveyor or engineer certifies physical access, according to a 2022 Attorney General opinion. Cities can and do: Glendale requires a sealed map and an ALTA. And every new deed needs a legal description that a surveyor can stake, so most owners buy one anyway.
How long does a lot split take in Arizona?
Plan on six weeks in a county and three to five months in a city. The survey takes two to five weeks. A county reviewing under 11-831 has 30 days before the split is deemed approved, Glendale takes 20 working days per first review, and Phoenix estimates three months or more for its whole process.
Can I split my lot and build a second house in Phoenix?
Often, if both lots meet the zoning district minimums. Phoenix allows a lot split into two lots for $780 on a single family lot, with a fully dimensioned plot plan and legal descriptions. Three or more lots need a subdivision plat. Check deed restrictions too: Phoenix does not enforce private covenants, but your neighbors can.
Who can prepare a lot split survey in Arizona?
An Arizona registered land surveyor (RLS), licensed by the State Board of Technical Registration. Only a registrant can seal the map and set the corners. The physical access statement under A.R.S. 11-831 can come from a licensed surveyor or a licensed engineer.
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