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New Commercial Building and Commercial Additions Permit (502) in Boise, Idaho

Required for new commercial building construction and commercial building additions in Boise. Uses the same building-permit valuation table as residential, but a distinct 65% commercial plan review fee, its own Planning pre-approval step, and its own published plan-review SLA.

Verified 2026-08-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • New commercial building construction and commercial building additions require a building permit and plan review approval (Form 502 — New Commercial and Commercial Additions)
  • In almost all cases, the Planning Division must pre-approve the land use before a building permit application can be submitted — via Design Review, conditional use, variance, or zoning certificate (contact Planning at (208) 608-7100)
  • A prescreen is required before the application is accepted, completed online through ePlanReview, and must include a completed #502 Submittal Checklist and a Verification of Legal Lot or Parcel form signed by the Planning Division
  • An accurate certificate of value is required before prescreen approval
  • Plans must meet the 2018 IBC, 2018 IEBC, and 2018 IECC as adopted by Boise (see codesAdopted)
  • ePlanReview required for digital plan submission; in-person submission also available at 150 N Capitol Blvd

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit — valuation $1 to $2,000Boise Building Code Fee Schedule, Table 1-A (Oct 2023) — same valuation table used for residential and commercial construction
$26.37 for the first $500, plus $2.95 per each additional $100 or fraction thereof
Building Permit — valuation $2,001 to $25,000
$70.76 for the first $2,000, plus $12.71 per each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
Building Permit — valuation $25,001 to $50,000
$362.80 for the first $25,000, plus $9.30 per each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
Building Permit — valuation $50,001 to $100,000
$595.30 for the first $50,000, plus $6.35 per each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
Building Permit — valuation $100,001 and up
$913.09 for the first $100,000, plus $5.17 per each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
Commercial Building Plan Review FeeBoise Building Code Fee Schedule item 8 (Oct 2023) — more than 3x the 20% residential plan review rate; confirmed independently in the #502-B Commercial Guide (June 2024)
65% of the building permit fee
Fire Plan Review Fee (where applicable)Per #502-B Commercial Guide; applies depending on project scope (fire/life-safety systems review by the Fire Department)
16% of the building permit fee
Additional plan review after the third resubmittalBoise Building Code Fee Schedule item 6 (Oct 2023) — higher than the $55/hr residential rate
$65 per hour (commercial/multi-family/fire rate), 1-hour minimum
Commercial Solar Photovoltaic SystemsBoise Building Code Fee Schedule item 12 (Oct 2023)
Total solar project valuation is halved, then permit and plan review fees are calculated using Table 1-A
Special investigation fee (work commenced before permit issuance)Boise Building Code Fee Schedule item 5
100% of the building permit fee, in addition to the original permit fee
Reinspection Fee
$55
After-hours inspection fee
$83 per hour, 2-hour minimum
Appeal Fee
$150
Public Works Street Lighting / Drainage Review / Drainage Inspection / Sewer Connection feesContact Public Works at (208) 608-7150; sewer connection fees depend on which Boise City sewer district the project falls in
Variable — determined by the Public Works Division based on project scope
ACHD Impact FeesSubmitted directly to ACHD, (208) 387-6100
Variable — determined and collected separately by the Ada County Highway District
Boise City Parks, Fire & Police Impact Fees(208) 608-8133 or (208) 972-8192
Variable — contact the Impact Fee Administrator
Erosion & Sediment Control Permit FeeContact the Permit Counter at (208) 608-7070 for an estimate
Variable — applies to all commercial land-disturbing activity in Boise City limits

Review timeline

Plan reviewBoise’s published plan-review target
20–99 business days

How long did your New Commercial Building and Commercial Additions Permit (502) permit actually take in Boise?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Footing

    Excavated piers, trenches, forms in place, required reinforcing steel in place — before concrete pour

  2. 2

    Foundation

    Forms and required reinforcing steel in place — before concrete pour

  3. 3

    Wall Bracing

    Bracing, sheathing, and attachments in place — before weather barrier installation

  4. 4

    Framing/Rough-In

    Roof, framing, firestopping, draftstopping, and bracing in place; all trade (electrical/plumbing/mechanical) rough-in inspections approved

  5. 5

    Fire and Smoke Penetrations

    Rated/listed joints and penetrations in fire-rated assemblies verified

  6. 6

    Energy Efficiency

    Air sealing, insulation, and window performance verified after framing/rough-in, before gypsum board installation

  7. 7

    Fire — Fire Life Safety

    Sprinklers, alarms, egress, fire access, and hydrants verified by the Fire Inspector

  8. 8

    Final

    All work complete, including any Public Works Drainage inspection and Planning zoning inspection where applicable — required before occupancy

See the full Boise inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Commercial plan review is priced very differently from residential: the Building Plan Review Fee is 65% of the building permit fee for commercial work, versus 20% for one- and two-family residential — confirmed both in the Building Code Fee Schedule (item 8) and independently in the #502-B Commercial Guide.
  • A Fire Plan Review Fee equal to 16% of the building permit fee may also apply, on top of the 65% Building Plan Review Fee, depending on project scope.
  • In almost all cases, Planning Division land-use approval (Design Review, conditional use, variance, or zoning certificate) must be secured BEFORE a commercial building permit application can be submitted — this is a distinct, often longer, upstream process not captured in the plan-review SLA below.
  • Boise publishes an actual quarterly plan-review SLA for commercial permits (the Permit Processing Timeframes report) — as of the April–June 2026 report, both New Commercial Buildings & Additions tiers (Level 1 and Level 2) were meeting their published first-review targets, though 'ready to issue' time (after review completes, before permit issuance) runs substantially longer than first-review time for both tiers.
  • No separate expedited/express commercial plan-review product (i.e., a paid line-skip) was found on Boise's site as of this research — the only speed-related option confirmed for commercial permits is the optional, no-fee preliminary conference with a plan reviewer before formal submittal.
  • The optional preliminary conference (contact (208) 608-7070) is recommended, not required, and helps flag major code-compliance issues before plans are formally submitted.
  • After the third plan resubmittal, additional review is billed hourly ($65/hr for commercial, vs $55/hr residential) — keeping resubmittals to a minimum matters more for commercial projects.
  • Large/complex commercial projects (Level 2: multi-building, multi-story, podium, high-rise, hospital, hazardous, semiconductor, industrial) are explicitly called out by PDS as its most complex review category and get a longer published target (≤45 days) than standard new commercial (≤30 days).

Frequently asked questions

Boise requires a new commercial building and commercial additions permit (502) for: New commercial building construction and commercial building additions require a building permit and plan review approval (Form 502 — New Commercial and Commercial Additions); In almost all cases, the Planning Division must pre-approve the land use before a building permit application can be submitted — via Design Review, conditional use, variance, or zoning certificate (contact Planning at (208) 608-7100); A prescreen is required before the application is accepted, completed online through ePlanReview, and must include a completed #502 Submittal Checklist and a Verification of Legal Lot or Parcel form signed by the Planning Division; An accurate certificate of value is required before prescreen approval; Plans must meet the 2018 IBC, 2018 IEBC, and 2018 IECC as adopted by Boise (see codesAdopted); ePlanReview required for digital plan submission; in-person submission also available at 150 N Capitol Blvd. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Boise Planning and Development Services — Building Division at (208) 608-7070 before starting work.

The Building Plan Review Fee is 65% of the building permit fee, per the Boise Building Code Fee Schedule (item 8) — confirmed independently in the City's #502-B Commercial Guide. A Fire Plan Review Fee of 16% of the building permit fee may also apply depending on scope.

Per Boise's official April–June 2026 Permit Processing Timeframes report, standard new commercial buildings/additions (Level 1) averaged 20 working days for first review (target ≤30 days), with a 68-day average time to become ready-to-issue. The most complex commercial projects (Level 2) averaged 34 working days first review (target ≤45) with a 99-day average ready-to-issue time.

You'll need: Submittal Checklist (Required); Registered Design Professional in Charge Form (#304); Verification of Legal Lot or Parcel; Construction Drawings. Depending on your project, Boise may also ask for: #502-B New Commercial/Commercial Additions Guide; How to Create a Multi-Building Project Guide. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Boise requires 8 inspection(s) for a new commercial building and commercial additions permit (502), in order: Footing, Foundation, Wall Bracing, Framing/Rough-In, Fire and Smoke Penetrations, Energy Efficiency, Fire — Fire Life Safety, Final. Schedule each through Boise Planning and Development Services — Building Division ((208) 608-7070).

Apply through Boise Planning and Development Services — Building Division at 150 N Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702. Phone: (208) 608-7070, email: permits@cityofboise.org. Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed holidays). Official information: https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/planning-and-development-services/building/.

Boise, Idaho has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC) — with Appendices H (Signs) and J (Grading); Mass Timber provisions only of the 2021 IBC; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), Parts I–IV and IX — with Appendices Q (Tiny Houses) and S (Strawbale Construction); 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code (based on the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code, including Chapter 13 – Medical Gas); 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — effective April 26, 2024; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) — with Appendices B, C, D, F and L; 2019 NFPA 13; 2019 NFPA 72; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — commercial and residential projects with 3+ units; 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — commercial and residential projects with 3+ units; 2018 IRC Parts V and VI — single- and two-family residential mechanical and fuel gas. Local amendments apply — see the Boise overview page for the full list.

Boise has a distinct commercial permit track (Form 502 — New Commercial and Commercial Additions) with its own Planning pre-approval step, its own 65% plan review fee (vs. 20% for residential), and its own published review-time SLA. The base building-permit fee uses the same valuation table (Table 1-A) as residential, but nearly everything else about the process differs.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-02.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Boise building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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