Tenant Improvement Permit — Minor (518) and Major (520) in Boise, Idaho

Boise requires a tenant improvement permit — minor (518) and major (520) for: Minor TI Level 1 — Existing Tenant Space Remodel (10 working days or less first review): offices, restaurants with an occupant load of 49 or less, and retail sales tenants with an existing Certificate of Occupancy; limited scope; minor exterior work only if previously approved by PDS Planning; not an historic building; minor structural work only; NOT allowed: increase to building area, tenant space, or occupant load, change of occupancy/use, hazardous material storage/dispensing, building upgrade agreement items, or a first-time tenant improvement; Minor TI Level 2 — New Tenant Space Build-Out and Existing Tenant Space Remodels (15 working days or less first review): new finish for offices, retail sales, and storage occupancies; limited remodel to existing offices/retail/storage tenant spaces; change of restaurant tenants; same exterior/historic/structural constraints as Level 1; NOT allowed: increase to building area, change of occupancy/use, hazardous material storage/dispensing, building upgrade agreement items; Major TI (520) — any tenant improvement that goes beyond Minor Level 1/2 scope; PDS staff has final discretion to classify a project as Minor or Major; the 520 application packet also covers converting a dwelling to commercial space; In some cases (e.g., exterior site/building modifications), prior Planning Division pre-approval is required before submitting the building permit application; A prescreen is required through ePlanReview before the application is accepted; An Early Start TI Permit (IBC 107.3.3.1 as amended by Boise City Code) may be requested for nonstructural interior framing in retail, office, or warehouse space storing only non-hazardous materials, letting construction begin — up to the framing inspection stage only — before the full plan review is complete; not available for structural or exterior work; requires a complete full TI application plus a separate early-start application submitted together. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Boise Planning and Development Services — Building Division at (208) 608-7070 before starting work.

In Boise, the published Building Permit — valuation-based per Table 1-A is: Same valuation schedule as new commercial construction: $26.37 + $2.95/$100 (up to $2,000); $70.76 + $12.71/$1,000 ($2,001–$25,000); $362.80 + $9.30/$1,000 ($25,001–$50,000); $595.30 + $6.35/$1,000 ($50,001–$100,000); $913.09 + $5.17/$1,000 ($100,001+). Additional published fees: Building Plan Review Fee — 65% of the building permit fee; Fire Plan Review Fee (where applicable) — 16% of the building permit fee; Additional plan review after the third resubmittal — $65 per hour (commercial rate), 1-hour minimum; Early Start TI Permit — Billed at the hourly plan review rate under the Building Code Fee Schedule; a separate interior-demolition fee (valuation-based) is added if demolition is included in the early-start scope; Reinspection Fee — $55; Erosion & Sediment Control Permit Fee — Variable — applies to TI projects with exterior work and a ground-floor addition greater than 500 sq ft, or more than 2,500 sq ft of soil disturbance; ACHD Impact Fees — Variable — determined and collected separately by the Ada County Highway District; Boise City Parks, Fire & Police Impact Fees — Variable — contact the Impact Fee Administrator. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Per Boise's April–June 2026 Permit Processing Timeframes report: TI Level 1 (Minor, existing-space remodel) averaged 8 working days first review; Level 2 (Minor, new build-out) averaged 14 days; Level 3 (Major) averaged 19 days. All three were within or at their published targets. Ready-to-issue time after review is substantially longer — averaging 16, 45, and 47 days respectively.

You'll need: Application #518 (Minor) or #520 (Major) — Tenant Improvement Permit; Submittal Checklist (#518 Minor or #520 Major, April 2025); Form #304 — Registered Design Professional in Charge. Depending on your project, Boise may also ask for: Central District Health Department (CDHD) Food Establishment forms; ACHD Impact Fee Assessment and Tenant Improvement Submittal Form; Planning & Zoning letters of approval; Commercial Photovoltaic / Solar Thermal Systems Checklist (520 only). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Boise requires 5 inspection(s) for a tenant improvement permit — minor (518) and major (520), in order: Framing/Rough-In, Fire and Smoke Penetrations, Ceiling Grid, Erosion & Sediment Control Site Final, 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/.

Minor Tenant Improvement (518) covers two levels: Level 1 (existing tenant space remodels with a Certificate of Occupancy already in place, limited scope, no increase to building area/occupant load/hazmat storage) and Level 2 (new tenant space build-outs and existing-space remodels, no increase to building area or change of occupancy). Major Tenant Improvement (520) covers anything beyond that scope, including dwelling-to-commercial conversions. PDS staff makes the final call on classification.

Possibly, via an Early Start TI Permit. It allows nonstructural interior framing work in retail, office, or warehouse space (storing only non-hazardous materials) to begin — up to the framing inspection stage — while the full plan review is still in progress. It requires a separate application submitted alongside the full TI application, is billed at the hourly plan-review rate, and is not available for structural or exterior work.