Permitting how-to’s and local municipal guides.
Need to pull a building permit in Idaho? Whether you're working in Boise, Coeur d'Alene, or a rural county, we’ll walk you through what construction activities require a permit, who issues them, how much they cost, and the steps to secure approval. Idaho’s permitting process is decentralized, so knowing how things vary by jurisdiction is essential to keep projects on track.
Permitting in Idaho is primarily handled at the city or county level, with some exceptions for statewide trades:
Examples of issuing agencies include:
Permit requirements vary slightly by jurisdiction, but most submissions require:
Some jurisdictions also require a zoning compliance check or architectural design review, particularly in historic districts or high-growth areas.
Idaho currently uses the 2018 versions of the International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), and other ICC codes — with local amendments allowed.
Permit fees in Idaho vary depending on project valuation, square footage, and scope.
Here are general cost examples:
In addition to the base permit fee, you may encounter:
Always review the local fee schedule or request a pre-application estimate.
The DBS handles trade permits in many areas, especially rural counties. Contractors need to coordinate with both state and local offices when working outside city limits.
Some areas near national forests or fire-prone regions require fire-resistant materials or defensible space plans.
Northern and mountainous regions (e.g., Bonner, Blaine, Teton Counties) may require stricter structural engineering for snow and earthquake loads.
These must comply with Idaho-specific installation requirements, and permits must often go through DBS even in incorporated areas.
Fast-growing areas like Boise and Meridian may have longer review times, moratoriums, or phased development plans.
The steps to get a building permit in Idaho typically include:
Yes! As part of our commitment to deliver the best possible experience for pulling permits, we’re here to help you whether you permit in the municipality you frequent as well across multiple municipalities nationwide.
We have a team that is ready to support you with all of your permitting needs. Speak with an expert today to get onboarded with PermitFlow.
The time it takes to pull a permit is dependent on your project specifics as well as the municipality you are pulling the permit in; however, with PermitFlow’s platform, you will be able to submit requirement ready, error-free applications that save your team hours of time and shorten municipal review cycles by as much as 60%. Speak with an expert today to better understand what your estimated permitting cycle time would be.
In short, the benefits of using our permit software are two-fold:
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