Priest River building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Priest River, Idaho.
Last verified 2026-07-08 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 552 High St, P.O. Box 415, Priest River, ID 83856
- Phone
- (208) 448-2123
- Office hours
- Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (City Hall; closed holidays)
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Priest River — 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 Idaho amendments
- 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), Parts I, II, III and IX, with Idaho amendments — collectively named the Idaho Residential Code (2020 Edition)
- 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), with Idaho amendments — collectively named the Idaho Energy Conservation Code (2020 Edition)
- 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC)
- 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — state-administered via Idaho DOPL
- 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — state-administered via Idaho DOPL
- 2018 International Residential Code Parts V & VI (mechanical/fuel gas) — state-administered via Idaho DOPL
- 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code, based on the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code — state-administered via Idaho DOPL
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), with amendments — state-administered via Idaho DOPL
- 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) — administered by the Idaho State Fire Marshal
- Priest River City Code Title 9 (Building Codes and Regulations), adopting the above codes for city-administered building permits
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for all new single-family residential construction in the City of Priest River. Building plan review and inspections are performed by James A. Sewell & Associates, LLC under contract as the City's Building Official; the permit itself is issued by the City.
Solar PV Permit (State-Issued Electrical + City Building Permit)
Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems within the City of Priest River. Idaho does not allow cities to administer their own electrical permitting: the electrical-connection scope of a solar install is permitted directly by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL, formerly the Division of Building Safety), while the structural/roof-mounting scope requires a City of Priest River Building Permit, with plan review performed under contract by James A. Sewell & Associates, LLC as the City's Building Official.
Sign Permit
Required for the construction or installation of signs within the City of Priest River, including free-standing signs. Building plan review is performed by James A. Sewell & Associates, LLC under contract with the City.
EV Charging Station Permit (State-Issued Electrical Permit)
Required for installation of a Level 2 (or higher) electric vehicle charging station/EVSE within the City of Priest River. As with solar PV, Idaho does not allow the City to administer its own electrical permitting: the electrical-connection scope is permitted directly by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). No separate City building permit is required for a standalone EVSE install unless it triggers a service/panel upgrade or a new structure (e.g. carport), in which case the City's standard Building Permit process, reviewed under contract by James A. Sewell & Associates, LLC, applies to that scope.
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)
- No data reported
- Trailing 12 months
- No data reported
- Year to date
- No data reported
- Latest full year
- No data reported
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
- Priest River's building permits are issued by the City, but plan review and inspections are performed under contract by James A. Sewell & Associates, LLC (208-263-4160) — the same third-party building official used by several other small North Idaho cities.
- Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing permits are NOT city-issued in Priest River — they are handled entirely by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), (208) 332-4700, applications available through Idaho's online DOPL system.
- Separate permits are required for electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work even on projects with an active city building permit — the building permit application explicitly states this.
- Water and sewer connection approval from the City must be obtained BEFORE a building permit application will be accepted.
- Local structural design criteria: 85 PSF ground snow load, 90 mph basic wind speed, Seismic Design Category C, Severe weathering, 24-inch minimum frost line depth, -10°F winter design temperature — all confirmed from the City's official Sign Design Criteria document, which applies citywide.
- A stormwater plan is required for any building site within 300 feet of surface water or on a slope of 15% or greater.
- Structures exempt from a building permit: detached accessory structures (sheds) up to 200 sq ft, fences up to 6 feet high, retaining walls up to 4 feet, water tanks up to 5,000 gallons, sidewalks, and driveways.
- Commercial, industrial, and pole buildings must be wet-stamped by an Idaho-licensed architect or engineer per state law.
- The City has not published a specific review-timeframe SLA for any permit type; none was found in the FY2026 budget/appropriation ordinance either (see permit-level reviewTimelineNote fields for details of the search).