Blackfoot building permits

Building department

Address

157 North Broadway, Blackfoot, ID 83221

Phone

(208) 812-4198 (Building & Safety Department); (208) 785-8600 opt 3 (Planning & Zoning Department, for permit application requests); (208) 785-8602 (fax, per Residential Building Permit Application form)

Email

cclark@cityofblackfoot.org (Chase Clark, Building Official); mmyler@cityofblackfoot.org (Misty Myler, Building Permit Technician)

Website

Official site

Permit portal

Apply online at Blackfoot's portal

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Blackfoot — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.

Codes adopted

Idaho adopts a statewide baseline building code set under the Idaho Building Code Act (Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 41) and IDAPA rules administered by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). Effective January 1, 2021, the statewide baseline includes the 2018 International Building Code (IBC), 2020 Idaho Residential Code (based on the 2018 IRC Parts I–III and IX with Idaho amendments), 2020 Idaho Energy Conservation Code (based on the 2018 IECC with Idaho amendments), 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), and 2018 International Fire Code (IFC). The National Electrical Code is adopted separately by the Idaho Electrical Board (IDAPA 24.39.10), not bundled with the building code: Idaho enforces the 2023 NEC, effective July 1, 2024 (the state used the 2017 NEC with amendments before that and skipped the 2020 edition). Local jurisdictions must enforce the state baseline and may adopt amendments only where those amendments are at least as stringent as the state-adopted editions; local amendments may not be less restrictive. Enforcement is local — each city or county issues permits and performs inspections. Always confirm the current adopted edition and any local amendments with your specific jurisdiction before submitting plans.

• Blackfoot Municipal Code 10-1-1 ('Administrative Code Adopted; Building Department Established') adopts 'the administrative code, current edition as adopted by the state... Show full textShow less

  Blackfoot Municipal Code 10-1-1 ('Administrative Code Adopted; Building Department Established') adopts 'the administrative code, current edition as adopted by the state... published by the International Conference Of Building Officials,' for administration, organization, and enforcement of the technical codes governing site preparation and construction within the city. (2003 Code sec 4-01-01; amd. 2012 Code). Source: Blackfoot Municipal Code 10-1-1, American Legal Publishing (codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/blackfootid/latest/blackfoot_id/0-0-0-4456).

• Blackfoot Municipal Code 10-2-1 ('Building And Residential Codes Adopted') adopts 'the building code, current edition as adopted by the state... Show full textShow less

  Blackfoot Municipal Code 10-2-1 ('Building And Residential Codes Adopted') adopts 'the building code, current edition as adopted by the state... published by the International Conference Of Building Officials' (excepting automatic sprinkler system requirements for 3- and 4-unit Group R buildings) and 'the residential code, current edition as adopted by the state,' as the city's code governing erection, construction, alteration, repair, demolition, occupancy, and permitting of all buildings and structures in the city. (2003 Code sec 4-02-01; amd. 2012 Code). Source: Blackfoot Municipal Code 10-2-1, American Legal Publishing (codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/blackfootid/latest/blackfoot_id/0-0-0-4470).

• Both codified sections tie the city's adopted building/residential code editions to whatever edition 'is adopted by the state' at any given time (i.e., the Idaho Building Code Board / DOPL Building Safety Program's… Show full textShow less

  Both codified sections tie the city's adopted building/residential code editions to whatever edition 'is adopted by the state' at any given time (i.e., the Idaho Building Code Board / DOPL Building Safety Program's statewide-adopted IBC/IRC cycle under the Idaho Building Code Act, Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 41), rather than freezing a specific year in the municipal code text itself. No City of Blackfoot source was found stating a specific current IBC/IRC/IECC edition year independent of this 'as adopted by the state' language.

• The City's own Residential Building Permit Application / Residential Plan Review Checklist (PDF, cityofblackfoot.org/DocumentCenter/View/89) states plans are to be designed to the '2012 IRC Code & 2012 IECC (with Idaho… Show full textShow less

  The City's own Residential Building Permit Application / Residential Plan Review Checklist (PDF, cityofblackfoot.org/DocumentCenter/View/89) states plans are to be designed to the '2012 IRC Code & 2012 IECC (with Idaho amendments)' -- however this document appears to be a reused/adapted template (it also references 'Twin Falls Highway District,' 'SUI zone,' and 'Twin Falls' designated flood plain areas,' which are not Blackfoot or Bingham County features), so its cited 2012 IRC/IECC edition year is treated as potentially stale/templated rather than authoritative, and is superseded per Municipal Code 10-2-1's 'current edition as adopted by the state' language. Flagged rather than relied upon for the codesAdopted edition year. Source: City of Blackfoot Residential Building Permit Application (PDF).

• Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Building Safety Program, administers the statewide building code framework (Idaho Building Code Act, Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 41) and issues… Show full textShow less

  Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Building Safety Program, administers the statewide building code framework (Idaho Building Code Act, Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 41) and issues HVAC/mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits directly for jurisdictions that have not assumed those trades locally. Source: DOPL Building Safety Program overview (dopl.idaho.gov/bld/). Note: the formerly-cited 'DOPL Permits portal' at dbs.idaho.gov/permits/ no longer resolves to a permits page — it redirects to the bare dopl.idaho.gov homepage, consistent with DOPL's dbs.idaho.gov-to-dopl.idaho.gov domain migration. The current pages for purchasing Electrical, HVAC, and Plumbing permits are dopl.idaho.gov/ele/, dopl.idaho.gov/hvac/, and dopl.idaho.gov/plb/ respectively, each carrying a 'Purchase a[n] [Trade] Permit' button linking to DOPL's shared ArcGIS-based online permit tool (idaho.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/sidebar/index.html?appid=c568d3c03d5f43f0841dcfa9c2a9537e).

• The City of Blackfoot's own Permits & Applications page states verbatim: 'All HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing permit applications are acquired through the State of Idaho at https://dbs.idaho.gov/permits/.' This directly… Show full textShow less

  The City of Blackfoot's own Permits & Applications page states verbatim: 'All HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing permit applications are acquired through the State of Idaho at https://dbs.idaho.gov/permits/.' This directly confirms the prior research's claim that Blackfoot routes mechanical (HVAC), electrical, and plumbing permitting to the state DOPL system rather than self-administering those trades -- the City issues and reviews only the Building Permit (and related general permits: demolition, retaining wall, mobile home block-set, roof repair, fence) itself. Source: City of Blackfoot Permits & Applications page (cityofblackfoot.org/166/Permits-Applications). [2026-07-16 note: this is an accurate quote of the City's own page, but the URL it cites (dbs.idaho.gov/permits/) is itself now dead -- see the live DOPL replacement pages noted in the codesAdopted entry above.]

• CONFLICT NOTE: The City of Blackfoot's own Fee Schedule (Resolution No. Show full textShow less

  CONFLICT NOTE: The City of Blackfoot's own Fee Schedule (Resolution No. 425, effective October 1, 2025) contains detailed 'MECHANICAL PERMITS,' 'ELECTRICAL PERMITS,' and 'PLUMBING PERMITS' fee sections with itemized city-charged fees for HVAC units, gas lines, residential/commercial electrical services, and residential/commercial plumbing -- which appears to directly contradict the Permits & Applications page's statement that all HVAC/electrical/plumbing permit applications are 'acquired through the State of Idaho.' Both documents are official City of Blackfoot publications, and neither is treated here as superseding the other: the Permits & Applications page's explicit routing statement is reported as the department's self-described intake process, the Fee Schedule's mechanical/electrical/plumbing fee tables are published as-is as City-published figures, and the discrepancy should be resolved with the Building & Safety Department directly at (208) 812-4198. Sources: City of Blackfoot Fee Schedule, Resolution No. 425 (PDF, cityofblackfoot.org/DocumentCenter/View/2021/City-of-Blackfoot-Fee-Schedule-10-01-2025); City of Blackfoot Permits & Applications page (cityofblackfoot.org/166/Permits-Applications).

• IRC Section 602.10 (wall bracing) compliance is explicitly required per the City's Residential Building Permit Application: 'All structures are required to be compliant with IRC section 602.10 for wall bracing... Any walls exceeding 10 feet tall are not prescriptive wall bracing and are required to be engineered for shear.' Source: City of Blackfoot Residential Building Permit Application (PDF).

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel)

  Required for new single-family dwellings, duplexes, zero-lot-line units, additions, remodels/repairs, and accessory structures over 200 sq ft in Blackfoot, administered by the City of Blackfoot Building & Safety Department against the building/residential code 'current edition as adopted by the state' per Municipal Code 10-2-1, plus city-specific design loads (Seismic Design Category D, 50 psf ground snow load, 30-inch frost depth, 90/105 mph wind).

  From$100→

• General Permits (Demolition / Retaining Wall / Mobile Home Block Set / Roof Repair / Fence)

  Flat-fee general permits issued by the City of Blackfoot Building & Safety Department for demolition, retaining walls, mobile home standard block-set installation, roof repair (truss and/or sheathing only), and fences (when non-exempt from the building code).

  From$70.00→

• Electrical / Mechanical (HVAC) / Plumbing Permit -- Routed to State of Idaho DOPL

  Per the City of Blackfoot's own Permits & Applications page, electrical, mechanical (HVAC), and plumbing permit applications within Blackfoot city limits are acquired directly through the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) Building Safety Program, not through the City Building Department. This entry documents the state-level routing and the itemized City fee tables that the City's own Fee Schedule publishes for these same trades — an unresolved conflict between the two City sources.

  See fee schedule→

• EV Charger / EVSE Installation Permit

  Blackfoot has no separate EV charger/EVSE permit category. The City's own Permits & Applications page states unambiguously: 'All HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing permit applications are acquired through the State of Idaho at https://dbs.idaho.gov/permits/' -- this resolves the routing question in favor of the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), not the City. An EV charging circuit is billed under DOPL's published Electrical Permit Worksheet (Fee Schedule), 'Existing Residence' category, since it is added wiring to an existing dwelling rather than new construction.

  From$65.00valuation-based→

• Solar PV Permit

  Blackfoot issues no separate solar-PV permit type; rooftop or ground-mounted PV is permitted as a City Building Permit (structural/racking, valuation-based fee table, per City Fee Schedule Resolution No. 425) plus an Electrical Permit for the wiring/interconnection portion. Per the City's own Permits & Applications page, electrical permit applications are acquired through the State of Idaho DOPL Building Safety Program rather than the City — though the City's own Fee Schedule separately publishes a City-charged electrical fee table for the same trade, an unresolved conflict noted under the Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing (state-routed) permit entry.

  From$100→

• Commercial Building Permit (New Complete Building / Shell Building / Addition / Multi-Family 3+ Units)

  Required for new commercial buildings, shell buildings (with or without interior walls, no occupancy), commercial additions, and multi-family buildings with 3 or more dwelling units, applied for on the City's dedicated Commercial Building Permit Application (distinct from the Residential Building Permit Application) and reviewed against the Commercial/Non-Residential/Multi-Family Plan Review Checklist. Billed on the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee Table as residential, but with a substantially higher Building Plan Review Fee (65% of the Building Permit Fee, versus 15% for residential).

  From$100→

• Commercial Tenant Improvement / Remodel Permit

  Covers interior build-out or renovation of existing commercial space -- filed on the same Commercial Building Permit Application used for new commercial construction, but with 'Tenant Improvement in Shell Building' or 'Remodel' checked as the Type of Permit/Land Use instead of 'New Complete Building.' Billed on the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee Table plus the 65% Commercial Plan Review Fee (no separate TI-specific fee line item is published), but reviewed to a materially faster published timeline than new commercial construction.

  From$100→

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