This is PermitBase’s published record for Melba as of 2026-07-20. It has since been superseded — see the current record. A historical record reflects what PermitBase had verified at that time; it may not capture a real-world change the jurisdiction had made but PermitBase had not yet verified, and it includes any errors we later corrected. Snapshots are never edited retroactively.
Melba building permits
Melba, Idaho — as published 2026-07-20.
Reviewed 2026-07-08 · Source
Codes adopted
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Dwelling / Addition / Remodel)
Required for new single-family dwellings, residential additions/remodels, and detached structures within Melba city limits. Issued by the City of Melba's own Building Department under Melba City Code §9-2-1; the City contracts with outside inspection professionals to perform plan review and inspections, but the permit and its legal authority are the City's, not Canyon County's. This same application form and process — not a separate product — is also how Melba permits new commercial construction, commercial additions/remodels, and tenant improvements to existing commercial space; the City has no distinctly-named Commercial Building Permit or Tenant Improvement permit (see localAmendments and tipsAndGotchas for full sourcing on this finding).
Reviewed 2026-08-02 · Source
Requirements
- Building permit required before starting construction, per Melba City Code §9-2-1(A)
- Two (2) plot plans drawn to scale showing proposed work
- Two (2) complete sets of plans and specifications (one set is returned to applicant)
- A copy of the full legal description (recorded) or Subdivision, Lot & Block of property
- Contractor Registration Number required on the application
- Zoning classification must be identified on the application
- Mechanical permits are required separately through the City of Melba, with a copy of the Manual J calculation kept on site
- Commercial new construction, commercial additions/remodels, and interior tenant improvements to existing commercial space use this SAME Building Permit Application and process — Melba publishes no separate commercial-specific application, fee schedule, or design-review/site-plan-review step. Confirmed directly against the live Melba City Code: Title 9 (Building Regulations) contains only Chapter 1 (Building Codes) and Chapter 2 (General Building Regulations, i.e. §9-2-1/§9-2-2), and Title 10 (Zoning Regulations)'s full chapter list (General Provisions, Definitions, Residential Zones, Mixed Use Zones, Commercial and Industrial Zones, Planned Unit Developments, Supplementary Regulations, Manufactured Housing, Amendment Procedure, Conditional Use Permit Procedure, Variance Procedure) contains no Design Review or Site Plan Review chapter comparable to those found in some peer Idaho cities of similar size
Required documents
- RequiredMelba Building Permit ApplicationCity of Melba's own building permit application form, capturing applicant/builder/owner information, zoning classification, project type (new dwelling, new commercial, residential/commercial addition or remodel, detached structure), site address, square footage breakdown, and project value. Confirmed by directly reading the form itself: it has checkboxes for 'New Dwelling,' 'New Commercial,' 'Residential Addition or Remodel,' 'Commercial Addition or Remodel,' 'Detached Structure,' and 'Other – Specify' all on one page, with identical blank 'Permit Fee' and 'Plan Review Fee' lines regardless of which box is checked — one form serves both residential and commercial projects, including tenant improvements filed under 'Commercial Addition or Remodel' or 'Other – Specify'
- RequiredPlot Plans (2 copies, drawn to scale)
- RequiredConstruction Plans and Specifications (2 complete sets)
- RequiredLegal Description or Subdivision/Lot/Block Documentation
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Building Permit Fee | Unpublished — the Building Permit Application itself leaves the "Permit Fee" line blank/hand-filled, and Melba City Code §9-2-1(B) states the fee schedule is on file with the City as Exhibit A. This Exhibit A fee schedule is not published on the City's website, its linked Google Drive document library, Municode/AmLegal codification, or in Wayback Machine snapshots of cityofmelba.org checked as of this verification. | Confidence for this fee line is intentionally NOT verified — see confidence field below. Show full citationHideConfidence for this fee line is intentionally NOT verified — see confidence field below. Contact City Hall at (208) 495-2722 for the current Exhibit A valuation table. New chase 2026-07-23: re-read the live, Browser-rendered AmLegal ordinance text directly (the prior chase only had the static page shell) — §9-2-1(B) still reads only 'the building permit fee schedule is on file with the City as exhibit A and made a part hereof' (Ord. 147, 1-19-1994; amd. Ord. 258, 7-9-2018), no table included; checked the City's full Historical Documents/Development Services 'Documents & Permits' library (15 forms enumerated) — no fee-schedule PDF present; checked the complete City Council minutes archive 2017-2025, including the 7/9/2018 meeting that adopted Ord. 258 — the entire pre-August-2020 minutes host (gbm.wef.mybluehost.me) is now dead (404) with zero Wayback Machine captures for any of those files (confirmed via CDX API); found and chased a 2021 'Notice of Proposed Fee Increase' PDF via Wayback CDX search, but only the PDF-viewer wrapper page was ever archived, not the PDF itself (also dead on the live site). Gap remains unrecoverable short of a phone call to City Hall — not a live-source figure, so left unfilled rather than estimated. |
| Plan Review Fee | Unpublished — same as Building Permit Fee; line is blank on the City's own application form | Not found in any published source as of verification. Show full citationHideNot found in any published source as of verification. New chase 2026-07-23: same unpublished Exhibit A document as the Building Permit Fee line above — the live ordinance text, City document library, and full 2017-2025 council-minutes archive were all re-checked (pre-2020 minutes host now entirely dead, no Wayback captures); still unrecoverable without a direct call to City Hall. |
| Water Hookup Fee | $1,800.00 | Published directly on the City of Melba Building Permit Application form (fixed amount, not valuation-based) |
| Sewer Hookup Fee | $4,500.00 | Published directly on the City of Melba Building Permit Application form (fixed amount, not valuation-based) |
Mechanical Permit (New Residential / Retro-Residential / Commercial)
VerifiedRequired through the City of Melba for HVAC, gas piping, fireplace/stove, and related mechanical work, separate from the general building permit. Melba publishes fixed and percentage-based fees directly on its own mechanical permit application forms.
Verified 2026-07-08 · Source
Requirements
- Required for new dwelling HVAC systems, additions/remodels/shops, additional HVAC systems, radiant floor heat, pool heaters, heat pumps/AC for manufactured homes, gas piping (underground and house), fireplaces/stoves (wood/pellet/gas), and venting-only installations
- For commercial mechanical work: new or retrofit application, with permit fee calculated as 2% of the commercial bid price (minimum fee $60.00)
- Payment (cash, check, or money order) due at time of submittal
- It is the duty of the Contractor or Owner to notify the City when the project is ready for inspection
- Permits are issued subject to the Building, Mechanical, and Zoning Codes of Melba City, Idaho; commercial permits expire in 180 days if work is not started or is abandoned
Required documents
- RequiredNew Residential Construction Mechanical Permit ApplicationCity of Melba form (revised 12/23/2020) itemizing new dwelling ($150 flat), new addition/remodel/shop ($60 flat), and per-unit fees for additional HVAC systems, radiant floor heat, pool heaters, heat pumps, gas piping, fireplaces, and stoves
- RequiredCommercial Mechanical Permit ApplicationCity of Melba form (revised 12/23/2020) for new or retro commercial mechanical work; fee is 2% of commercial bid price, $60 minimum
- RequiredRetro-Residential Mechanical Permit ApplicationCity of Melba form for mechanical work in existing residential structures
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New Dwelling (residential mechanical, does not include fireplaces/stoves or gas piping) | $150.00 | City of Melba New Residential Construction Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020 |
| New Addition / Remodel / Shop (residential mechanical, does not include fireplaces/stoves or gas piping) | $60.00 | — |
| Any additional HVAC system | $75.00 each | — |
| Radiant floor heat | $60.00 each | — |
| Pool heater (gas only) | $40.00 each | — |
| New heat pump / air conditioner for manufactured home | $40.00 each | — |
| Gas piping — underground | $60.00 each | — |
| Gas piping — house piping | $60.00 each | — |
| Fireplace (wood / pellet / gas) | $40.00 each | — |
| Stove (wood / pellet / gas) | $40.00 each | — |
| Venting only for fireplace/stove | $40.00 each | — |
| Commercial Mechanical Permit (new or retrofit) | 2% of commercial bid price, minimum fee $60.00 | City of Melba Commercial Mechanical Permit Application, revised 12/23/2020 |
Solar PV Permit
VerifiedRequired for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems within Melba city limits. The structural/racking scope is permitted by the City of Melba's own Building Department under Melba City Code §9-2-1 (the same unpublished Exhibit A fee-schedule process used for other construction); the electrical interconnection is separately permitted and inspected by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), since Melba's own self-administered permitting program covers Building and Mechanical work but no electrical-permit application or fee schedule is published by the City.
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
Requirements
- Structural/racking mounting work requires a City of Melba Building Permit Application under City Code §9-2-1(A), including two plot plans and two complete sets of plans/specifications
- Electrical interconnection (wiring, inverter, grid tie-in) requires a separate State of Idaho electrical permit issued by DOPL, not the City — Melba publishes no electrical-permit application or fee schedule of its own, unlike its published Building and Mechanical permit forms
- Grid-connected renewable energy systems require a State plan-check permit number prior to purchasing the State electrical installation permit, per DOPL's own homeowner electrical permit process
- Contractor Registration Number required on the City Building Permit Application
Required documents
- RequiredMelba Building Permit ApplicationCity of Melba's own building permit application form, used for the structural/racking mounting scope
- RequiredPlot Plans (2 copies, drawn to scale)
- RequiredState of Idaho Electrical Permit Application (Homeowner or Contractor)Separate application filed with DOPL (dopl.idaho.gov) for the electrical/interconnection portion of the solar installation
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| City Building Permit Fee (structural/racking scope) | Unpublished — the Building Permit Application itself leaves the 'Permit Fee' line blank/hand-filled, and Melba City Code §9-2-1(B) states the fee schedule is on file with the City as Exhibit A, not… Show full citationHideUnpublished — the Building Permit Application itself leaves the 'Permit Fee' line blank/hand-filled, and Melba City Code §9-2-1(B) states the fee schedule is on file with the City as Exhibit A, not published online, consistent with the general residential-building-permit entry in this file. Contact City Hall at (208) 495-2722 for the current Exhibit A valuation table. | |
| State of Idaho Electrical Permit — grid-connected renewable energy (electrical/interconnection scope) | Up to $10,000 system cost: (cost x 0.02) + $60. $10,001-$100,000: ((cost - $10,000) x 0.01) + $260. Over $100,001: ((cost - $100,000) x 0.005) + $1,160 | Idaho DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet (Homeowner), 'Other Installations including Solar/Renewable Energy' table, revised 8/17/2022 — the same statewide fee formula documented for other Idaho… Show full citationHideIdaho DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet (Homeowner), 'Other Installations including Solar/Renewable Energy' table, revised 8/17/2022 — the same statewide fee formula documented for other Idaho jurisdictions in this corpus (e.g., Ketchum, Malad) that publish no electrical-permit fee schedule of their own. Grid-connected systems additionally require a State plan-check permit number before the installation permit can be purchased. |
EV Charger / EVSE Permit
VerifiedInstalling a Level 1/Level 2 EV charging circuit in Melba is purely electrical work. Melba's own permitting is limited to structural/building scope under Melba City Code §9-2-1; the electrical portion of any installation is separately permitted and inspected by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), the same routing documented in this file's solar-pv-permit entry for the electrical interconnection scope. No City permit applies to a stand-alone EV charger circuit unless the installation also involves structural work. No EV-charger-specific line item exists on DOPL's published fee worksheet; a charger circuit added to an existing home is billed under DOPL's general 'Existing Residence' branch-circuit fee.
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
Requirements
- Electrical permit required from the State of Idaho DOPL for the EV charger circuit/panel work — obtained via dbs.idaho.gov (all permits purchased online as of January 1, 2023)
- Homeowners performing their own work on a primary/secondary residence may use DOPL's Homeowner Permit process; otherwise a licensed electrical contractor must pull the permit
- No City of Melba building permit applies to a stand-alone EV charger circuit with no structural scope; if bundled with new construction or an addition, the City's Building Permit process under Melba City Code §9-2-1 would also apply to that structural scope
- All electrical work must be inspected by DOPL's assigned state trade inspector for the Melba/Canyon County area
Required documents
- RequiredState of Idaho DOPL Electrical Permit Application (Homeowner or Contractor)Filed online at dbs.idaho.gov; no separate EV-charger-specific form exists
Fee schedule
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DOPL Existing Residence — branch circuit addition | $65.00 base fee (includes one circuit) plus $10.00 per additional branch circuit, up to the maximum of the corresponding square footage of the building | Idaho DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet (Homeowner), 'Existing Residence' category, revised 8/17/2022 — the applicable category for a typical EV charger circuit/subpanel added to an existing home; Show full citationHideIdaho DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet (Homeowner), 'Existing Residence' category, revised 8/17/2022 — the applicable category for a typical EV charger circuit/subpanel added to an existing home; no EV-specific line item exists on the worksheet, consistent with the same DOPL fee document already cited in this file's solar-pv-permit entry. |
Sources & verification
Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-08.
Applications & forms
Codes & ordinances
Department & other records
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 Melba building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.