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Boundary Structure Permit (Fences and Retaining Walls) in City of St. Maries, Idaho

Required for construction, extension, or alteration (other than routine maintenance) of a boundary structure — defined as a fence, retaining wall, or other such structure located on or within 10 feet of a city street or alley — within St. Maries city limits. Unlike a general Building Permit, a Boundary Structure Permit is issued by the City Clerk rather than the Building Inspector, per St. Maries City Code 9-2-1(B). Trees and hedges are not considered boundary structures and do not require this permit.

Verified 2026-07-19 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Required for any fence, retaining wall, or similar structure located on or within 10 feet of a city street or alley — St. Maries City Code 9-2-1(B), (D).
  • A field survey in accordance with 9-2-1(A)(1) is generally required, unless an original licensed-surveyor corner marking is already in place and visible, or the property owner signs a liability waiver acknowledging potential city right-of-way encroachment and agreeing to remove the structure if later found to encroach — St. Maries City Code 9-2-1(B)(1)-(2).
  • If a field survey is provided showing the structure entirely on the owner's property, the City Clerk shall issue the permit; if no survey is provided or the structure is shown encroaching on the right-of-way, the City Clerk may only issue the permit if the owner signs the liability waiver AND the City Clerk determines the structure will not interfere with sight lines, street maintenance, snow removal, or utility maintenance/monitoring — St. Maries City Code 9-2-1(B)(3).
  • A denied Boundary Structure Permit may be appealed to City Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting — St. Maries City Code 9-2-1(B)(3)(c).
  • Each boundary structure waiver/acknowledgement/removal agreement must be recorded by the City Clerk within 30 days of permit approval and runs with the land — St. Maries City Code 9-2-1(B)(3)(d).

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Boundary Structure / Fence Permit FeeThe Fee Schedule's Table 3/3-A valuation-based Building Permit fee schedule is the only construction-permit fee table published; since the Building Permit Application (which lists 'Fence' as a Building Type option) is the form used, the same Table 3-A valuation-based fee appears to apply, but no boundary-structure-specific fee line or minimum was found — confirm with the City Clerk's office, (208) 245-2577, before budgeting.
Not separately itemized in the City's published Fee Schedule (Resolution 2026-362)

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Boundary Structure Permit (Fences and Retaining Walls) permit actually take in City of St. Maries?

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

Inspection process

    See the full City of St. Maries inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

    Tips

    • This is a genuinely distinct permit and approval pathway from the standard Building Permit — it is issued by the City Clerk, not the Building Inspector, and has its own survey-exception and right-of-way-encroachment review criteria under St. Maries City Code 9-2-1(B).
    • Trees and hedges are explicitly excluded from the 'boundary structure' definition and do not require this permit — St. Maries City Code 9-2-1(D).

    Frequently asked questions

    Yes, if the fence, retaining wall, or similar structure is located on or within 10 feet of a city street or alley, St. Maries City Code 9-2-1(B) requires a Boundary Structure Permit, issued by the City Clerk rather than the Building Inspector, using the same Building Permit Application form.

    In City of St. Maries, the published Boundary Structure / Fence Permit Fee is: Not separately itemized in the City's published Fee Schedule (Resolution 2026-362). These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

    City of St. Maries does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of St. Maries Building Department at (208) 245-2577 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Building Permit Application; Survey or Liability Waiver. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of St. Maries Building Department at 602 College Avenue, St. Maries, ID 83861. Phone: (208) 245-2577, email: frontdesk@cityofstmaries.org (general/building permits); kwise@cityofstmaries.org (Building Permit Coordinator Kasie Wise); jparsons@cityofstmaries.org (Building Official Jacob Parsons); jkinzer@cityofstmaries.org (Demolition Permit contact). Office hours: Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Friday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, per City of St. Maries Building Department and Forms pages.. Official information: https://cityofstmaries.org/building-department.

    City of St. Maries, Idaho has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC), with Idaho amendments (as 'Building Code 2018 of Idaho' adopted by the Idaho Building Code Board) — St. Maries City Code 9-1-1(A)(1).; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), with Idaho amendments — St. Maries City Code 9-1-1(A)(2).; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), Parts I, II, III and IX, with Idaho amendments (as 'Idaho Residential Code (2020 edition)') — St. Maries City Code 9-1-1(A)(3).; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), with amendments (as 'Idaho Energy Conservation Code (2020 edition)') — St. Maries City Code 9-1-1(A)(4).; Uniform Building Code for Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, 1997 edition — St. Maries City Code 9-1-1(A)(5).; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), with Idaho amendments — St. Maries City Code 9-1-1(A)(6).; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), as adopted and amended by the Idaho State Fire Marshal — St. Maries City Code 9-1-1(A)(7).; 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), with Idaho amendments — St. Maries City Code 9-1-1(A)(8).; 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code, with Idaho amendments — St. Maries City Code 9-1-1(A)(9).; St. Maries City Code 9-1-1(A) states adopted code editions are automatically superseded by successive Idaho Building Code Board versions effective January 1 of the year following state-level adoption — so the city's in-force edition can advance without a separate local ordinance.. Local amendments apply — see the City of St. Maries overview page for the full list.

    Sources & verification

    Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-19.

    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 City of St. Maries building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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