Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Idaho Falls, Idaho

Idaho Falls requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Building permit required for new one- and two-family dwelling construction per IRC Section R105.1 as adopted by the City; Plans must comply with the 2018 IRC and 2018 IECC as adopted by Idaho Falls City Code Title 7, Chapters 6 and 11; A complete digital set of building plans with accurate scales, submitted via the Cityworks portal; Site plan showing all property lines, zoning setbacks, legal description, job address, north arrow, new/existing structures with dimensions, and street infrastructure profile; Fully dimensioned floor plans (1/4" = 1'-0") showing all window/door sizes, glazing in hazardous locations, plumbing fixtures, braced wall panel layout, framing plans, beam/header/post sizing, room identification with smoke/CO detector locations, and wall/ceiling heights; All four elevations (1/4" or 1/8" = 1'-0") showing extent of foundation walls and footings below finished grade; Building sections showing wall section (roof to footing), stair sections (handrail/guardrail heights, riser/tread dimensions), and foundation section with rebar schedule; Energy code compliance certificate (REScheck or Prescriptive Path) and a Heating Design Report (Manual J Load Calculation); Floor joist/floor truss layout and complete roof truss layout/design package from the manufacturer; Structural engineered design required for designs falling outside prescriptive code provisions; City-licensed General Contractor required unless the homeowner is performing the work on their own single-family residence (Homeowner as General Contractor Form required if applicable); Sites over 5,000 sq ft requiring excavation require a City of Idaho Falls Certified Erosion Control Contractor on the project. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Idaho Falls Building Division (Department of Community Development Services) at 208-612-8270 before starting work.

In Idaho Falls, the published Residential Building Permit Fee — valuation $1 to $499 is: $30.18. Additional published fees: Residential Building Permit Fee — valuation $10,000 to $19,999 — $164.97; Residential Building Permit Fee — valuation $100,000 to $104,999 — $458.00; Residential Building Permit Fee — valuation $500,000 to $1,000,000 — $2,865.25 for the first $500,000, plus $4.10 for each additional $1,000 of valuation or fraction thereof; Residential Building Permit Fee — valuation $1,000,001 and beyond — $4,972.74 for the first $1,000,000, plus $2.67 for each additional $1,000 of valuation or fraction thereof; New Residential Dwelling Unit Valuation Multiple — $90.00 per square foot; Finished Basement Total Valuation Multiple — $25.00 per square foot; Unfinished Basement / Wood Frame Garage Valuation Multiple — $15.00 per square foot; Residential Plan Check Fee — 25% of the permit valuation; Residential Combination Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing (MEP) Fee — $0.08 per square foot total; Residential Combination Energy Code Fee — $55.00 each; Permit Issuance Fee — $30.18 each. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Allow up to 10 business days for the initial plan review once a complete digital plan set is submitted through the Cityworks portal, per the City's Residential Plans Requirements List.

You'll need: Cityworks New Residential Construction and Addition Permit Application; Site Plan; Architectural Drawings, Floor Joist/Truss Layout, Roof Truss Design; Heat Load Calculation / Signed Prescriptive Path Form. Depending on your project, Idaho Falls may also ask for: Homeowner as General Contractor Form. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Idaho Falls requires 12 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Footing, Foundation, Underground Plumbing, IF Power Trench, Wall Sheathing, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Rough-In, Framing, Firestop, Insulation, Drywall, Electrical Service, Final. Schedule each through City of Idaho Falls Building Division (Department of Community Development Services) (208-612-8270).

Applications are submitted through the City's Cityworks online permitting portal (linked from the Apply for a Permit page), which replaced the prior eTrakit Online system on April 1, 2024. The Building Division is located at 380 Constitution Way.

Idaho Falls, Idaho has adopted: Idaho has a mandatory statewide baseline building code under the Idaho Building Code Act (Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 41), administered locally by certified jurisdictions. The City of Idaho Falls independently administers its own Building Division (Department of Community Development Services) and adopts its own codes and amendments by ordinance under Idaho Falls City Code Title 7 (Building Regulations), rather than relying on the Idaho Division of Building Safety for direct administration. Source: Idaho Falls City Code Title 7, https://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/DocumentCenter/View/139/Title-7---Building-Regulations-PDF; 2018 International Building Code (IBC), published by the International Code Council, adopted as the official building code of the City per Idaho Falls City Code § 7-1-1, with local amendments in § 7-1-2 (e.g., day-care/custodial-care occupancy classifications, relocatable building provisions). Source: Idaho Falls City Code Title 7, Chapter 1; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, including Appendix M, adopted per Idaho Falls City Code § 7-6-1, with local amendments in § 7-6-2 (e.g., owner-occupied lodging house exceptions, Table R301.2(1) design criteria, Section R405.1 exception). Source: Idaho Falls City Code Title 7, Chapter 6; Idaho State Plumbing Code, adopted statewide in 2017 pursuant to Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 26, and adopted as the City's official Plumbing Code per Idaho Falls City Code § 7-5-1, with local amendments in § 7-5-2 (Chapter 1 replaced with 2018 IBC Chapter 1; fixture-count table cross-referenced to the City's 2018 IBC). The Idaho State Plumbing Code is based on the Uniform Plumbing Code (per City of Idaho Falls Plumbing page, citing epubs.iapmo.org/2017/Idaho/) and is administered at the state level by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) Plumbing Bureau for licensing, but permits within Idaho Falls city limits are issued and inspected by the City's own Building Division, not DOPL. Source: Idaho Falls City Code Title 7, Chapter 5; City of Idaho Falls Plumbing page; National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted per Idaho Falls City Code § 7-8-1 as "the same National Electric Code adopted by the State of Idaho pursuant to Idaho Code Section 54-1001" (Ord. 3627, 9-11-25); the City of Idaho Falls Electrical page identifies the currently adopted edition as the 2023 NEC (NFPA 70). Electrical permits within Idaho Falls city limits are issued and inspected by the City's own Building Division (Chief Electrical Inspector and Electrical Inspector on staff), not the Idaho DOPL Electrical Bureau. Source: Idaho Falls City Code Title 7, Chapter 8; City of Idaho Falls Electrical page and staff directory; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), per the City of Idaho Falls Mechanical page's Documents, Codes & Resources list. Mechanical/HVAC permits within Idaho Falls city limits are issued and inspected by the City's own Building Division (Chief Plumbing/Mechanical Inspector and Mechanical Inspector on staff). Source: City of Idaho Falls Mechanical page; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted per Idaho Falls City Code § 7-11-1, with local amendments in § 7-11-2 (industrial/manufacturing equipment exemption; large-building air-leakage testing exception). Source: Idaho Falls City Code Title 7, Chapter 11; 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), adopted per Idaho Falls City Code § 7-2-1. Source: Idaho Falls City Code Title 7, Chapter 2; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted per Idaho Falls City Code Title 7, Chapter 10 (referenced in Title 7 table of contents; administered by the Idaho Falls Fire Department). Source: Idaho Falls City Code Title 7, Chapter 10; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted per Idaho Falls City Code Title 7, Chapter 12. Source: Idaho Falls Municipal Code Online, Title 7 Chapter 12; Idaho Falls City Code Title 11, Comprehensive Zoning, governs land-use, setback, fence-height, and accessory dwelling unit (ADU) standards enforced in conjunction with Building Division permitting. Source: Idaho Falls City Code Title 11. Local amendments apply — see the Idaho Falls overview page for the full list.