Unincorporated Bingham County building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Unincorporated Bingham County, Idaho.
Last verified 2026-07-08 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 490 N Maple, Suite A, Blackfoot, ID 83221
- Phone
- 208-782-3177
- Office hours
- Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed state & federal holidays)
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Unincorporated Bingham County — 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.
- 2018 International Building Code (IBC) with Bingham County Amendments — Bingham County Code 8-1-1
- 2018 International Building Code with State Amendments (IDAPA 24.39.30) — Bingham County Code 8-1-1A
- 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) with Bingham County Amendments — Bingham County Code 8-1-2
- 2018 International Residential Code with State Amendments (IDAPA 24.30.39) — Bingham County Code 8-1-2A
- 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) with State Amendments (IDAPA 24.39.30) — Bingham County Code 8-1-3
- 2018 International Energy Conservation Code with Bingham County Amendment — Bingham County Code 8-1-3A
- 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), no amendments — Bingham County Code 8-1-4
- International Mechanical Code (IMC) with State Amendments — Bingham County Code 8-1-5
- 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) with State Amendments — Bingham County Code 8-1-6
- IRC Part V (Mechanical) and Part VI (Fuel Gas) for one- and two-family dwellings — Bingham County Code 8-1-7
- Manufactured home installation standards — Bingham County Code 8-1-8
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel)
Required for new single-family dwellings, townhomes, additions, remodels, decks/porches, and structural repairs in unincorporated Bingham County. Governed by the 2018 IRC with Bingham County and State amendments (Bingham County Code 8-1-2, 8-1-2A). Applications are submitted through the county's online ViewPointCloud portal, reviewed by Planning & Development staff, and issued once code criteria are met.
Residential Accessory Structure Permit (Shop, Pole Barn, Garage, Shed)
Required for any detached accessory structure exceeding 200 square feet (120 square feet if commercial) in unincorporated Bingham County, and for any structure being occupied regardless of size. Governed by the 2018 IRC/IBC as adopted with Bingham County amendments. All metal buildings, pole barns, or shops over 60 feet in length or with 12-foot wood walls require stamped engineering.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit (Residential and Commercial)
Required for installation, replacement, or change-out of gas piping, furnaces, AC units, heat pumps, fireplaces, wood/pellet stoves, and other HVAC/mechanical systems in existing buildings in unincorporated Bingham County. Issued directly by Bingham County (not the state) under the 2018 IMC/IFGC with state amendments (Bingham County Code 8-1-5, 8-1-6, 8-1-7). New-construction mechanical work is bundled into the building permit application instead.
Manufactured / Modular Home Setting & Moving Permit
Required to place a new or used manufactured/modular home, or to move an existing residence, in unincorporated Bingham County. Governed by Bingham County Code 8-1-8 (Installation of Manufactured Homes). Requires the home's HUD data plate, HUD tag, and title/certificate of origin; homes manufactured before June 15, 1976 require the State of Idaho Rehab Program.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit
Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mount solar photovoltaic systems in unincorporated Bingham County. No solar-specific fee line item is published in the County's Planning & Development Service Fees schedule; the structural/mounting building permit is billed under the same residential/commercial valuation-based fee table used for general construction, plus the flat $25.00 technology fee applied to all permits. Electrical interconnection work is permitted separately by the State of Idaho DOPL, not the County — consistent with this database's residential-building-permit.json finding that 'DOPL only covers electrical and plumbing here, which are out of county scope.'
EV Charger / EVSE Electrical Permit
Installation of an electric vehicle charging station (EVSE) in unincorporated Bingham County is an electrical permit, issued by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), not Bingham County — the County's own Planning & Development Service Fees schedule (Resolution No. 2026-17) contains no electrical fee section at all, consistent with DOPL covering electrical/plumbing here. DOPL's statewide fee rule (IDAPA 24.39.10.500) has no distinct EV-charger/EVSE line item: a residential retrofit is billed as an 'Existing Dwelling Unit' inspection, and commercial installations use the wiring-cost-based commercial/industrial formula.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- 9units
9 buildings · $2.3M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 166units
12 of 12 months reported · #26 in Idaho coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 72units
72 buildings · $21.6M valuation
- Full year 2025
- 207units
205 buildings · $57.1M valuation
County-wide figures: BPS reports county-wide totals; jurisdiction is the unincorporated remainder — county totals include incorporated cities (Blackfoot, Shelley are separate PermitBase jurisdiction files); Bingham County Planning & Development also administers building permits for the non-building-department cities of Firth, Basalt, and Aberdeen per the county's own budget narrative, but this file's scope is the unincorporated area only
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Idaho building activity
Tips & gotchas
- All permits in unincorporated Bingham County are applied for entirely online at binghamcountyid.viewpointcloud.com — create a free account for permit tracking, payment, inspection requests, and printing your Certificate of Occupancy/Completion.
- Electrical and plumbing permits are NOT issued by Bingham County. Contact the Idaho Division of Building Safety (DOPL) at 1-208-334-3233 (dbs.idaho.gov) instead. Bingham County directly issues building, mechanical/HVAC, manufactured home, solar, and commercial permits.
- Septic permits/approvals come from Southeastern Idaho Public Health (208-785-2160), not the county. Well permits come from the Idaho Department of Water Resources (208-525-7161).
- Starting construction before your permit is issued doubles the permit fee. Failing to request a required inspection adds a 25% penalty on top of the permit fee. Living in a structure without a final Certificate of Occupancy/Completion also doubles the permit fee. (IBC 109.4 / Bingham County Ordinance 2020-10, Fee Schedule Resolution 2026-17)
- All accessory structure permits require a non-refundable $100 deposit at application, credited toward the final permit fee if approved.
- All commercial projects are charged an additional non-refundable Commercial Plan Review fee of 25% of the permit fee, and must have plans approved by the Fire Marshal before submission to the county.
- As of policy changes effective March 21, 2024: truss documents are no longer required at intake (only before framing inspection); setback inspections are combined with footing inspections; sheathing/house wrap/frame/rough-mechanical inspections are combined into one visit; and concrete inspections require the site to be 100% ready at the scheduled time (no exceptions or last-minute rescheduling accommodation).
- If any part of a structure sits in the floodplain, three separate FEMA Elevation Certificates are required at three distinct construction stages, using FEMA's current Elevation Certificate form.
- Bingham County Planning & Development also administers building permits (not zoning) for the cities of Firth, Basalt, and Aberdeen, which lack their own building departments — but those cities separately require their own zoning permit for any construction within city limits. This does not apply to unincorporated county land, which is this file's scope.
- No official, currently published turnaround-time or plan-review SLA exists on the county's own website, FAQ page (published empty), or its FY2024/FY2023 Annual Budget Narratives. A 2021 third-party vendor case study (OpenGov) quotes the Planning & Development Director stating plan review time was reduced to approximately three weeks after adopting online permitting; treat this as informal/dated context only, not a verified departmental commitment.
- Bingham County Planning & Development is located at 490 N Maple, Suite A, Blackfoot, ID 83221. Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, closed state and federal holidays. Building Official: Chase Clark. Planning & Development Director: Tiffany Olsen (per FY2024 Annual Budget Narrative).